Discussion: Sprint/NOL(badge) event schedule

OK I don't want to sound too critical of the organisers as I know how much they put in, rather I wanted to give some feedback and also see if I was the only person with these thoughts.

My beef is that the last event of the carnival is 180 km away from the event centre of Launceston. Many people will be using Launceston as an entry/exit point and I believe many will want to exit on that Sunday to minimise the amount of holidays they have to utilise.

Why couldn't the NOL/Badge have been on in St Helens on the Saturday and the sprint event then contested in Launceston on the Sunday facilitating an easy exit strategy for us tourists. Would that contravene any rules? I don't think so.

I'm seriously considering not going to St Helens on the Sunday and wonder if I'm part of a group of potential competitors that will drop this event because of this reason.

Perhaps there are reasons for the timing/placement of these events that fit the greater good or access possibilities. Maybe there are NOL competitors that need to go home after the 3 days and return and hence couldn't make St Helens on the Saturday and organisers are assisting their travel arrangements.

For the 2007 Christmas five days we went with our worst map on the 5th day - and risked everyone going away with a lesser opinion of the week - purley because it was adjacent to the freeway thus allowing travellers a head start on their trip home. I think future carnival organisers need to consider this.

Apart from this I'm really looking forward to heading down there and expect it to be a brilliant week.

That is the main reason we aren't staying for the weekend after Easter.

We got a jetstar flight from Laun to Syd at 8:45pm on Sunday. That could be an option for you leepback. Prices were still cheap when I booked.

thanks Glenn.....

I've now decided to stay until the following Wednesday but I might still skip St Helens as I want to check out the West coast and this would leave us on the East side of Tassie.
(OK I know Tassie is only small but it still takes a bit of time to cover)

Obviously with Craig already agreeing I suspect of few people will can this event.

It is a lot of driving back and forth for only 1 event. I thought a Fri/Sat combo may have worked better in terms of timing. St Helens-Launceston on a Sunday afternoon worked out okay with last year's WOC trials, once they made the starts earlier. Then the only unhappy people were those whose flights home to Sydney were set back by 3 hours!

Actually Fri/Sat would have suited me better but we would already be there and not be working Friday as a lot of others might.

Tiger has a 6pm flight to Melbourne on the Sunday as well. (St Helens is only 1 hr 45 from Launceston and I guess the event would be held in the morning.) Heaps of times we have had to fly out on the Monday after events and just factor that into the plans. But St Helens area is pretty cool and worth staying on a bit longer to enjoy it if people can get time off work.
(Oh and I personally would rather run a sprint before a long course instead of the other way round.)

OK I feel I should way into this as one of the organisers of the NOL event at St Helens. The decision was made to have a NOL event in the St Helens granite way back in June 07 by the carnival organisers. If I had my preference I would skip the Launceston event and spend a day at the Bay of Fires before running at St Helens, tbut as Scar said it is only 2 hours away for a quality event. I just spent 1hr30mins each way catching public transport to a Park-O event here in Sydney..so put it in perspective.

Would be nice for it to be around the other way around, at Easter, we start in Launceston, and progressively move away, it would work nicely if we moved back to Launceston. One day we may not have to rush back from St Helen's, maybe next time.

Milo,

You still don't say why they are on those particular days. I'm not saying don't use St Helens but that it should have preferably (by me at least) been on the Saturday.

This isn't supposed to be a dig at you hard working organisers, just some feedback as to what the punters out here prefer so that future organisers may have a better understanding. I agree with Jim re the work away from then return approach.

As I've stated above I am now extending my stay but might still skip St Helens and maybe even the sprint but this is based on other considerations not the ones in my original post which I think still stand to some degree.

As for the flights on the Sunday evening they get in a little late when you have to then pick up a car and travel further into NSW than Sydney and theres no way I;m catching trins that late at night either.

Scar,

I'm surprised that you are the only one saying you prefer the sprint prior to the long rather than the other way. I thought this may have been the sole reason the timing was such. That's what I was suggesting about rules (I thought this might have been regulated somewhere)

As a plodder it wont make a tad of difference to my respective sprint and long performances. You're an elite aren't you? I thought with all the training you guys did it shouldn't phase you no matter what was thrown at you regardless of order.

BTW if you come to Newcastle for QB111 this year we are having Middle - Long - Sprint in that order.

No idea if is a rule or not.
And you are right, I would not be fazed by any order.
I would just go with the flow and if the event order meant I had to fly out on Monday instead of Sunday or whatever, I would do so - (and have done many times, for a range of sporting events interstate.)

Nup, no rule, at least not anywhere in OA/NOL guidelines. Probably a tradition because if people fly into somwehere on a Saturday morning an urban sprint venue is easiest to get to.

leepback

As I stated in my last post, the decision to hold an event at Livelys was made back in mid 2007 by the Easter carnival organisers, I have had no input into the carnival program.

All I can suggest is that is tradition to hold the Galaxy sprint on the Saturday immediately after Easter, well at least it has been in 2007-8. We are lucky in Tasmania that no event area is too far away. Most Tasmanian orienteers think nothing of travelling 2, 3 event 4 hours for an event at St Helens, because of the quality terrain and orienteering experience it offers.

I am sorry you will not be there for our event as we are putting a lot of work into making sure we have a quality experience. I will definitely try and make it up to your QBIII event, sounds good.

Hi Milo,

I realise how busy you guys must be and I hope this isn't a diversion especially as it wasn't your decision and it was so long ago. As I said just some feedback (especailly for future organisers) and I feel all the responses so far have been made in that spirit.

I expect Sat sprint is a tradition but consider traditions good up to a point of practicallity and do think swapping in this instance might have been the better option . Anyway I hope I'm in a very small minority and it does not adversly affect entry levels at St Helens.

Hey even I'm still considering going (have to make my mind up soon) as I am still an orienteering tragic and consider it a lost opportunity if we don't go, as I expect it will be a great event. (may use some LSL to stay longer)

As for QB111 we are holding the first two days in the Kitchener (Cessnock) area used at 2007 Christmas 5-days. Most enjoyed this area but didn't like the spiders/webs but they shouldn't be a problem in winter. Monday "Sprint" at Newcastle Uni (all subject to change but reasonably firmed up at this stage)

Not quite as big an undertaking as running Easter but we will be doing so as one club so it will be all hands on deck.

I am attending, but I do agree that a sprint on the Sunday would have been better. Nevermind...

Not attending the St Helens event because of the timing issue being discussed. Therefore decided to skip the Launceston event also. I can see its a difficult question if you want to make it easy for those flying in as well as those trying to get back for a Monday at work.

Simple solution is just to make sure your whole life revolves around the next orienteering trip! lol