Highlights of the last day...
1. Standing talking to the day controller and carnival controller when John Ervin wanders in and asks why the W40 class is cancelled. Two jaws drop to the ground in shock and they both rush over to the results to see what is going on. Turns out the yellow notice cancelling the QBIII at Broken Hill has slipped behind the results and all that can be seen is the top line with the word cancelled.
2. Dianne Searle runs up to me all excited and tells the story of ranger driving up the finish chute and being photographed as he causes runners to avoid him. I tell Julie and she (being a Council Safety Officer) tells me she can get a safety incident form for him to fill in on Monday. When I talk to the fellow later I comment that I heard he had trouble driving where he shouldn't and his face looked a little ashen. The background is that the Parks staff criticised orienteering organisers for being amateurs about traffic management. Blow back anyone?
3. Another excited line up at the string course tent as 10 am approached. A harried Belinda called for attention and then animatedly explained that because of tangles there is no string this day, but pink tapes. Hands waving and lots of eyes concentrating in a way I have never seen at an adult course briefing. My first string course briefing photograph.
4. Having the Hudsons and Peels over for dinner and seeing LeepBax have his first taste of ice-cream. Not a success.
5. A win for Bryan on home soil. As Blair said.. two Bendigo wins on the two classic Bendigo terrains.
6. The end of the carnival, which against all expectations produced no official complaints. I think for competitors I can adjust the words of von Bismark "Orienteering events, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made".
Not quite the end. Helped a harried ilka clean up the registration hall. Didn't mind supporting her on this rather than collecting controls or pulling down tents.