Wanting to improve your navigation skills for the next big adventure race or just want to give a new sport a go? Then why not check out the many events orienteering and rogaining have on offer – they’re in or close to Melbourne, affordable and fun.

Orienteering

Orienteering is an adventure sport which combines outdoor adventure with map reading and navigational skills. The skill in orienteering is in choosing the best route between controls. Each event has a number of courses of differing lengths and levels of difficulty. You can walk, jog, run or even ride (Mountain Bike Orienteering) depending on your level of fitness and how competitive you wish to be. In competitive orienteering, the person successfully navigating their way around their course in the quickest time is the winner, hence both physical fitness and ability to read maps become important. And if you think it’s a bunch of oldies or boy scouts wandering around the bush, then think again: many of the top elites are running around tough bush terrain in a sub 3.5 minute K rate, whilst navigating!

By giving orienteering a go you’ll improve your fitness and navigation skills, you’ll get out in the bush and meet lots of other cool people who love being active. It’s as competitive as you like,  and great value for money – from $5 for a street orienteering course on a weeknight to $15 for a bush event.  

MA is affiliated with one of the most dynamic Orienteering clubs in Melbourne, the Melbourne Forest Racers (MFR). MA and MFR share many members. MFR caters for everyone from elite athletes who race for country and state to families who like to enjoy the social and healthy aspects of orienteering. We have members from five to sixty five and welcome all.

MFR offers beginners coaching, help getting to events and can even offer you a mentor or buddy to help you settle into our sport. We also have regular training sessions which MA members are welcome to come and try it out.

Our annual $20 membership fee covers access to our weekly email bulletins, training, social events and more. For more about us and orienteering in Victoria go to our website or contact Dion Keech (MA member) on 0419 449 309 or email

Rogaining

MA members regularly compete in Rogaining, but MA does not run Rogaines. Events are run frequently throughout winter and spring by the Victorian Rogaining Association (VRA), to find out more visit VRA website

Rogaining involves running/walking cross country and navigation. Teams of 2-5 collect checkpoints scattered around a map with the aim of collecting as many points as possible during the allotted time (generally 2,4,6,or 12 hours). The checkpoints vary in how many points they are worth depending how far away and how difficult they are to find. Route choice and not getting lost are key skills!  To compete, you must join the VRA, which costs $18 for the year. If you are interested in learning to navigate there are some resources on the VRA website.