The day before ANZAC weekend brought relentless rain, as dedicated North West orienteers headed out to place controls in conditions that felt closer to muddy wartime trenches than a sporting event. Fortunately, Saturday dawned clear and bright, transforming the landscape into a welcoming arena where the only challenge was navigating the terrain with map in hand.

The area itself was outstanding. Originally mapped by Nick Hann for the 2017 Oceania Championships, Mike Beveridge and Martin Crosby updated and extended the map using LiDAR contour data, with most of Day 2 and all of Day 3 run on new areas. The maps offered impressive variety – native bush, both open and low visibility pine forest, and a respectable helping of cutty grass for the full Woodhill experience. All on terrain ranging from gully/spur with erosion gullies and sandstone cliffs, to complex sand dunes –fantastic terrain for demanding, technical orienteering.

Feedback from competitors was overwhelmingly positive. Many described the terrain as “world class, unique, varied, and challenging,” while others praised the sunshine for setting the perfect tone. The courses, designed by a strong team of setters and controllers, were widely appreciated for making full use of the terrain’s diversity. As one competitor summed it up: “An incredible weekend of the finest of Woodhill and fantastic courses.”

When even the organisers are eager to get back out on the terrain, you know it was something special. Many thanks to North West for delivering exceptional courses and camping in truly memorable surroundings.