Local Australopers keeping fit as Orienteering Tasmania finds ways to keep members engaged

Coronavirus restrictions put a halt on regular meets but this uncommon sport has received great feedback from members as it pioneers a new ways to keep healthy competition ticking

Members of local orienteering club Australopers, Zali McComb, 16, Jett McComb, 14 and Julia Powell-Davies, 16 have been taking part in new courses and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: Zak Simmonds

ORIENTEERING Tasmania has used the COVID-19 crisis to think outside the box and find new ways to engage its members.

Local Hobart club Australopers — which has more than 200 members — has been unable to hold regular meets due to the coronavirus restrictions, but has still been sharing new courses and challenges to complete close to home.

A recent four week challenge labelled the ‘Corona Cup’ has just wrapped up, with athletes downloading course maps and completing one of four courses in their own time.

They can then upload GPS traces and times to an online spreadsheet.

Club member Mike Calder said the concept has proven a big hit, with around 70 participants involved and 50 registering their times.

Another four week challenge, the ‘Covid Canter’, has just commenced, with the Australopers opening up the series to the public following the first stage of restrictions being lifted.

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“They have been going out separately or in family groups to the courses we have been setting, then uploading their times if they want to onto a spreadsheet we have,” Calder said.

“It was well spread out, we never had any groups of people congregating.

“There were four maps they could choose to go to over the four weeks, one [course] was at Knocklofty, one around Mt Nelson around the college area, Natone Hill and the fourth one was at Pittwater.

“We have just started another four week challenge at different locations now.

“Any members of the public who would like to go to our website, they can download the maps and obviously obeying the restrictions still in place, can go to these places and have a go.”

Calder said the challenges can take anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes to complete, with long (5km), medium (3.5km) and short (2km) distances on offer.

Maps can be downloaded from https://tasorienteering.asn.au/ with courses around Gordons Hill, the Domain, Gorringe’s Beach and Peter Murrell Reserve.