Compass Point – December 2020

By Christo Peters - Wed 23 Dec 2020 12:45pm

Orienteering Tips, Members, NZMTBO2021, MTBO, Feedback, IOF, Club Forum, Publications, Council Election, Events, Camps, Volunteers, Athlete Profiles, Awards, Champs, Junior Camp, U23 Camp, Nationals, Survey, ONZ Council Blog, NZOC2021, Compass Point

M e m b e r n e w s & v i e w s | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

U p d a t e

Note from the GM
View from the Chair

S p o r t

2020 Member survey results
Forum response
U23 High performance camp
National Junior camp
Council Applications now open
Calling for 2020 National Award Nominations
Vote for the three New Zealanders nominated for IOF 2021 athlete of the year!

T i p s & t e c h

DIY eyewear

S p o r t s p e o p l e

Talk with Mondo Kopua
Talk with our GM, Christo Peters

E v e n t r e p o r t s

MTBO Halswell crocodile MTB park

E v e n t s

Southern O Week
NZMTBO 2021
NZOC 2021

Note from the GM

Wow what a year it has been! On a personal level I would like to thank the many people who have made ONZ work over the year. ONZ is blessed to have an amazing staff and volunteers.

In the last 12 months we have had: 3 selection panels (Jnr, Snr, MTBO), 5 committees (Jnr Development, Mapping, Technical, MTBO, Sustainability), two working groups (Coaching, Major Events) and Camp Staff (Jnr & U23 Coaches & Managers). Add to this the volunteer and paid individual roles (Events Liaison & Database, Online Co-ordinator, GM, Performance Lead, National Coaching Co-ordinator, Training Co-ordinator and PR/Coms/Marketing person. When we add them all up we are looking at 58 individuals that have given their time to make our organisation run. To put this contribution in perspective, these 58 individuals entire paid hours equate to one full paid time equivalent person over the space of the year!

Looking forward to 2021 and we have our fingers crossed that a sense of normality may return outside our national borders. The ONZ is finalising the strategic plan which will go out for consultation in the new year. The document and linked 2021 business plan will help set our strategic goals for the next three to five years so I strongly encourage all members to be involved in this process.

Finally I would like to recognise the leadership of ONZ Chair Pete Swanson who puts in a phenomenal amount of time and energy into our national organisation – from championing transparency to leading our strategic planning process to running Presidents calls and club forums. Included in this edition of Compass Point are the results of our national survey, which show an increased appreciation in the work being performed by ONZ – an achievement directly related to the Governance of the ONZ Council that Pete chairs.

Meri Kirihimete.
Christo Peters | ONZ General Manager

View from the chair

Well, it is hard to believe we have come to the end of another year – this one quite different from any other any of us will have had! I have to admit I am ready for a rest and looking forward to a break, which is something I know many of you are also feeling. Whilst we look forward to putting 2021 behind us, challenges aside I think there are many things we can take as positives out of this year:

Orienteers are adaptable and innovative – the number of people trying new ways of running events, looking for ways to keep events happening using different approaches, including new technologies, gives me great heart that we are more than able to adapt, evolve, and thrive into the future
Big events are the buzz – yes, smaller “bread and butter” events are critical for orienteering, but the sense of excitement and buzz that was generated at the Nationals was palpable! It was just so great seeing people enjoying themselves on scale, and loving (some of us struggling…) the high quality competition that Wellington put on. Big ups to Wellington for pulling it off, but big ups to everyone for making it there and creating that great atmosphere!
We have some great leadership in the sport – probably not something we think or talk about much, but I have to say the conversations I had with people taking on leadership and dealing with gnarly issues was inspiring. This year we faced issues never before faced in the sport, club committees had to navigate tough and challenging conversations and decisions, and we had to figure out ways to keep the sport running, whilst being safe. Not easy, and to all those people taking the lead this year, well done – leadership and solving difficult problems are definitely things we need for the future, and from what I have seen, we have people who can do this.

Before I sign off, I also want to mention the Club Forum which was held in November. Another great irony is this year we have had better numbers to the club forum (and AGM earlier in the year) than previously – despite this being held virtually on Zoom! We had some great feedback from the Forum with the format working well, and also rich conversations around the two topics being discussed – the future of schools orienteering, and ways we can better engage with commercial operators and opportunities. The minutes from the forum can be found here, and the outcomes are some actions in our draft business plan which is outlined elsewhere in this newsletter.

Lastly, I would like to say a huge thanks to the Council and Christo, who I have worked closely with all year and who have been such excellent colleagues and support. I’d also like to thank all of the ONZ committees and role holders, whom number around 40 people in total, and who do so much for the sport. And of course thanks to all of the orienteering volunteers at club level who made a challenging year more than bearable, and oftentimes fun! I wish you all a very Meri Kirihimete, have an awesome break, and see you in 2021!

Peter Swanson | Elected Chair of ONZ Council

Annual Member Survey

Thank you to everyone who participated in the member survey in October. We had 234 sign up to the survey, although about 1/3rd of these didn’t complete the survey beyond providing their name and contact details – we suspect in order to qualify for the spot prize offered as an incentive to complete the survey! Needless to say, these people were NOT included in the prize draw, and so we are pleased to announce the winner as Faye McDonald (Hawkes Bay) here. Faye was extremely unlucky to leave early at Nationals this year when her name was called for the $500 Inter-Islander voucher so we hope she enjoys the $50 Torpedo 7 voucher. We appreciate everyone taking the time and effort to share their views on the sport.

The full summary of the 2020 member survey is provided below. The information gives us some great insights to how people are experiencing the sport and is a valuable read. There are some predictable, as well as some more interesting or unique findings. Read the highlights or full summary here.

Club Forum

In a regular year our club members have been accustomed to attending the annual club forum as part of the activities associated attached to nationals. With Nationals delayed due to Covid, a streamlined nationals was held later in the year and the annual ONZ Club Forum was rescheduled until Thursday 26th November. as a Zoom meeting. Despite the change of time and format, the event was well attended with 42 attendees representing 14 clubs.

This year’s topics were “The future of schools’ orienteering” and “Balancing club/volunteers and commercial interests” A full copy of the forum minutes and follow-up survey results can be found here.

ONZ Under 23 High-Performance Camp | 6-11 December 2020

This year the U23 camp, which was a day shorter than in previous years, started on the Sunday evening of 6 December with a brief introductory talk given by Malcolm Ingham. This gives the rationale for the camp and emphasised the big step required to go from successful junior orienteering in New Zealand/ Australia to international competition at JWOC/WUOC/WOC. In the continuing Covid environment the prospects for 2021 were also discussed.

Organisation of this year’s camp was carried out largely by the General Manager in association with organising the junior camp. Given the delayed ONZ Champs, in which ONZ Performance Lead Malcolm Ingham was heavily involved, and the subsequent Central Region Champs, this worked well.

To read more click here

By Malcolm Ingham | ONZ Performance Leader

Photo by Malcolm Ingham

National Junior O Camp 2020

Not many countries around the world could have a gathering this big and also safely accommodate them to participate in intensive sport coaching. In NZ, we are lucky enough for 2020 to have ended well with 80 orienteering juniors testing their running and map skills in hot weather on a variety of terrain in the Nelson and Tasman areas. Many thanks to Briana Steven as head coach with Jean Cory-Wright who managed to coach the coaches to take the juniors through six days of exhaustive non-stop training. Junior camp connects young orienteers with challenges, competition and provides skills for them to work through. It was a well balanced camp with teenagers from all over the country and a really good cooperative atmosphere. It was a perfect ending to a year that was disrupted.

Some of our juniors have written about their experience and what they enjoyed at camp. Read here

Junior camp images by Paul Teesdale-Spittle , Jeff Greenwood, Sara Stewart, Fleur Murray and Cindy Cao (see more images on the ONZ Junior Training Camp facebook page )

Calling for nominations for ONZ Council

ONZ’s constitution necessitates that two Council positions are up for election each year. This year Jenni Adams (PAPO) and Magnus Bengtsson (WOC) have both finished their three-year term on Council. Both candidates are eligible to be nominated for a second term should they choose to do so, as are any members wishing to be considered for Council.

Applications for these positions are now open. For more details on the process and to download the application form click here.

Do you know someone in your club worth nominating?

It is time to start thinking about worthy applicants for the ONZ National Awards. The awards are scheduled to take place during nationals 2021 and will recognise outstanding contribution and achievement in a range of categories. Clubs vote on behalf of their members so we encourage members to talk to their club’s committee to make them aware of worthy candidates. Clubs are able to nominate individuals for the following awards:

Award for Services to New Zealand Orienteering
Our premier service award honouring an individual who has contributed in a most deserving manner to the development of orienteering in New Zealand.

Coach of the Year
For outstanding contribution in coaching by an individual during the year nominated.

Administrator of the Year
For outstanding contribution in administration for either a club, NZOF or a special project by an individual during the year nominated.

Clubs will be sent nomination information in late January 2021. Nominations must be received by 28 February 2021. Award recipients will be announced at Prizegiving which is scheduled to take place at 2021 Nationals.

Joe Lynch, Scott Smith and Tim Robertson nominated for IOF Athlete of the Year!

Joe, Scott and Tim have all made the nominee list for the IOF 2021 upcoming athletes, hopefully we can get as many kiwis as possible voting! This is fab for a NZ to be in amongst our Euro athletes. We encourage everyone to follow the link below and vote for him!

Vote for New Zealand Athletes

Above: IOF Athlete of the year nominee Joe Lynch. Picture supplied by Joolz Moore

DIY eyewear

As seen at Nationals, Dick Dinsdale from Wellington has fashioned his own customised safety glasses with a drill. The ventilation holes prevent the glasses from fogging, and he still has the magnifying area to read maps and the fine print whilst protecting eyes from branches and UV light.

Talk with Mondo Kopua | Marlborough Orienteering Club President

Southern O Week starts in Marlborough on 7th January 2021 with Nelson and Marlborough Orienteering clubs working together to host the first events. It is time to find out about the Marlborough Orienteering Club (MOC) and ask their president how the club is attracting a bunch of new members recently. Thanks Mondo for taking the time to talk with us.

How did you get into orienteering? I think my first event was in 1998, Taylor Dam, Blenheim. Soon after I headed overseas and upon my return, in 2001, I completed a yellow course at West Bay, St Arnaud.

What started it all? A notice in the local newspaper.

When did you join a club? What motivated you to join? 2001. As with most sports or interests I’ve generally joined a club primarily to support them, often getting involved on a committee, helper, working bees and the like. Also to learn from other people. I’ve been involved with the committee since 2002 spending several years in various roles, taking a short break when our family was young but getting involved again in the last few years.

Read the rest of the chat with Mondo here

Above: Mondo studying the map at Ferny Gair – Waihopai Valley, with the Richmond Ranges in the distance.

Talk with Christo Peters | ONZ General Manager

Christo (on the right) is a good sport. Not only has he taken on the GM position with gusto for Orienteering NZ, but he answered some of our not so serious questions as well:

When did you start working for ONZ? Sept 2019

What other sports have you worked in/with prior to ONZ? I have worked with 33 different sports in various capacities:
In the 18 years I worked at both Rangitoto College and Auckland Girls’ Grammar School
I have been teacher-in-charge of the following sports (25x): Athletics, Basketball, Badminton, Cross Country, Cricket, Diving, Gymnastics, Kilikiti, Kio Rahi, Football, Hockey, Karate, Lacrosse, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rowing, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Swimming, Tag Football, Table Tennis, Tennis, Touch, Volleyball, Waka Ama.

Read the rest of the chat with Christo here

Photos supplied. Above: Christo

MTBO | Halswell Crocodile MTB park, Christchurch

Alister Metherell from Peninsula and Plains Orienteers (PAPO) has written some tips on how to plan an MTB orienteering event in a tightly packed MTB park with a dense network of mostly one-way tracks in a small area. We have posted Alister’s review of the event at Halswell Crocodile XC park in Christchurch. See the link below. But here are some excellent controllers tips:
1. Blow the map up to 1:2500 to make it legible.
2. Set an easy course following obvious routes on the least steep trails
3. Set a longer random order course, similar to a score or rogaine event, but with no time limit and a requirement to visit every control.
4. Look at map and have no idea what is going to be the best route.
5. Check some different route choices for feasibility and length.
6. Try to reinforce MTBO rules of not cutting between tracks and obeying one-way rules.
7. Allow a little bit of course planning time.
8. Let the young guns loose.
9. Analyse the results to see that different approaches to route choice can result in very similar times and distances.
10. Find that some of the older folk can’t remember where they have or have not been!

Read the full event review from MTBO held on 22 November 2020 here
by Alister Metherell | Peninsula and Plains Orienteers

Photos by Moore2It

Southern O Week – entries closing

It is less than 12 days to Christmas. So we wish you a very merry time and a relaxing break. In the Christmas rush, don’t forget to plan your summer orienteering. Entries close for the Southern O Week only a few days after Christmas at midnight on the 28 December 2020.

There is new information about camping at Ward on the website. There is new information about camping at Ward on the website. And we really appreciate promptness with payments.. We expect all payments by the end of the year so we can continue organising the event.

Summer is the most popular travel season for most areas of the South Island and is a great time to enjoy some of the region’s special summer events. If you are looking for some ideas of what to do on the way to Christchurch, here are some active outdoor activities in Kaik ō ura. If you are spending some time further south, here are some family-friendly budget outdoor ideas for what to do in Christchurch.
Enter via the PAPO website here And you can follow event updates on facebook

2021 NZ MTBO champs & ANZAC foot orienteering – entries open
“It will blow your mind!! About 35km of track in just over 1sq km” said Joe Sherriff after finishing a survey of the sprint area. It looks like we have some fine Otago map riding underway for the 17-21 April MTBO champs. After the MTBO, the South Island foot events will give you some more orienteering challenges over the ANZAC weekend from 24-26 April 2021. The MTBO website has been updated with some more information and the links to enter are now live. So checkout the NZMTBO website and make a plan for 2021.

Photo by Joe Sherrif of Jacquie Sinclair

NZOC 2021 embargos & map update
The NWOC team has preparations for NZOC2021 well underway. Mapping is well progressed on all the areas and an experienced team of setters and controllers is in place. Easter 2021 orienteering in Woodhill forest will be on world-class sand dune terrain maps. The intricate contour detail of the forest maps makes them among the best New Zealand has to offer. Read the latest update and embargo information on NZOC 2021 here

How can we help? Me pēhea mātou e āwhina ai?

If you have a particular topic you are looking for on orienteering? Try browsing the search function on the ONZ website or search for an area under news and views in the main menu at the top of the page – you may find what you need. If you have an enquiry about the sport, do get in touch via any of our media below or fill in our contact form here

Happy orienteering! Editorial deadline:

We love to read about all kinds of navigation events from every corner of NZ. We are keen for news and updates from places we cannot get to. So do share your passion with photos, events, links, and info about your club. Send something in by the 20th day of the month so it can be published at the end of the month

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