orienteering race (Aust Middle Distance) 40:10 [4] 4.7 km (8:33 / km)
shoes: new Olways
Chewton Diggings.
For years the main things I remembered about this map from one of Kay's trainings in the early 90s were the old foundations of the giant waterwheel, and the dam with a platform in the middle, where Rob Plowright lost his pants when he jumped off.
I saw neither of these features today but I saw 21 controls which were mine, and I successfully ignored a few which weren't. In fact, it was a pretty good run - all the goldmining features popped up just as I expected them to and it was strange ticking off the controls in my head: "I'm nearly finished and I haven't stuffed up yet!" Did probably lose up to a minute on 9 which was a crevice between 2 knolls in the creek bottom and I was confused, looking in a different crevice alongside the northern knoll. One of the NZ girls caught me here, and then Mace ran through us both on the next control and powered away up the hill to 13. Also I think my route choice on the second long leg, back to 17, was silly going over the hill when I should have gone around like Sus did.
The course was great (thanks Warren) and I didn't want it to end. The creek crossing was a nasty shock - I don't mind getting my feet wet and I could deal with it being thigh deep but then I fell in a hole and only my head wasn't submerged. It was literally breathtaking!
Note
Sus & Lachlan & I put out some flags on the Spring Gully map and took the SA schools' team for a mapwalk to show them some of the more pertinent features of goldmining terrain (like creeks which follow the contour). I think it was a success, and the orchids were beautiful. It was hard to avoid stepping on them.