It is Day 8 of the Carnival (the Australian Long Distance Champs at Nuggety Range) – quite warm – the “hottest day so far” and

The cream rose to the top today with some of Australia’s best orienteers leading their states to relay wins. 

The Australian Long Distance championships was blessed with amazing weather and the excitement of a new Neil Barr map that combined some great granite and gold mining complexity. Master course setter Roch Prendergast took us into the granite first and then set complex closing legs through the mining

A glorious day and setting for the Australian Sprint championships – day 6 and race 7 of the 8 day carnival. The lawns of Salesian College in front of the magnificent Rupertswood mansion provided a fitting back drop to some great racing.

The sun shone again on the Relay day of the Australian Schools Championships and the final day of the Goldfields 3-day.  The schools teams had gone to town on the face paint and hair dye and the Kyneton two-dollar shop has never had it so good. 

On Mount Alexander today day 4 of the carnival experienced the shortest of passing showers, while towns less than 30km away had up to 25mm of rain! Perhaps the same weather gods knew that Blair Trewin, the Weather Bureau’s  expert long term forecaster, was commentating and smiled down upon us.

The Australian Schools Sprint and Day of the Goldfields challenge produced some memorable racing and great spectator experience, even after many weather related changes.

The sun shone all day on the nearly 900 competitors who took on the brand new map at Blackwood and everyone seemed to enjoy the challenge of the map.