Starts from 9:30am to 11:30am. (Course closure 1PM)
Map: Richmond Vale’s Wombat Trails 1:10 000 New map of new (foot) area.
Planning/vetting team: Alex Massie, Denis Lyons
DIRECTIONS: From the southern edge of Pelaw Main, follow Leggett’s Drive to the south for 1.2km and turn right onto The Hunter Economic Zone (HEZ) road. If coming from the south on Leggett’s Drive, this turn (to the left) is 1.4KM north of the entrance to the Richmond Vale Railway Museum.
Follow the HEZ road for Approx. 1.8KM to parking and assembly on the southern side of the road. A section of the gutter is partly silted and will be highlighted so that the “bump” is lessened as you turn from the road.
PARKING will be available to the east or west of the assembly area.
The START will be 170m to the west of the assembly. Follow the low, wire-rope fence.
NB. After you start (at start unit) FOLLOW THE LOW, ROPE-WIRE FENCE FOR 130m TO THE POSITION OF THE START TRIANGLE.
COURSES: All courses will be of NOY standard. (Visit controls in numerical order.)
| VERY EASY: |
1.6 km |
Follows tracks |
| EASY: | 2.2 km | Controls not far from tracks. Includes a streamer trail. |
| MODERATE SHORT: | 2.3 km | Involves cross-country navigation to large features. |
| MODERATE LONG: | 3.2 km | |
| HARD SHORT: | 3.7 km | Some difficult navigation |
| HARD MEDIUM: | 6.5 km | Some difficult navigation |
| HARD LONG: | 8.1 km | Some difficult navigation |
NOTE: Battery levels on some controls are getting low. If a control is continually beeping - this indicates that the battery is flat - please use the punch on that control to register that you were there.
NOTES: (1) The area is relatively flat - hence longer courses. The area’s main assets are the detailed watercourses which meander across the flats.
(2) The area is frequented by trail bikes and 4WD’s. If you hear them coming – move out of their way.
(3) SPIKEY vegetation exists to some extent over most of the area. There are dead stems which have half fallen over, and are difficult to push away. As well, there is re-growth after the fire.
Extensive areas of this spikey vegetation are shown as “walk” stripe. Areas where you may weave a way through are “slow-run” stripe. Areas of light green (slow-run) and dark green (walk) may also include spikey vegetation. However, not all “slow” or “walk” contains spikey vegetation, it may be ti-tree or low wattle re-growth.
(4) Magnetic north lines are now 300m apart.
Only termite mounds are shown. No tree-root mounds or meat-ant nests.
Bull ant nests are not mapped, despite the fact that some of them are as big as, (and look like) smaller termite mounds.
Distinctive native cherry trees are shown with a green X.
Large or significant fallen tree canopies have been shown as a thicket of full green.
(5) At least five helpers are needed to collect controls at each event.