By the time you see this "Bushwalker" you will almost be out of time to register as the event takes place on June 27th/28th ’98.

The NavShield is a great way to get some concentrated navigation practice over either one day or two. There is no set course to follow (like in an Orienteering event) so you can do as many or as few check points as takes your fancy but for safety you will still have to be part of a team.

You can either camp overnight by your vehicle or drive in on Saturday morning for the massed start at around 8.20am. Don’t plan at arriving then as you have to register, with all the other keen last minute registrees, and map all the checkpoints before planning your route.

This is a bushwalkers event. Some Rogaines give you ‘premarked’ maps but not this one. Catering is available at the finish so you can get on with some great socialising with other bushwalkers and emergency services personnel.

They don’t bite and often are interesting to see how non bushwalkers view the bush; often sympathetic but different.

The presentation ceremony is always held about one and a half hours after the finish so that by the time you are ready to go home you will know your results and be thinking of how to do better next year. Its that type of event! It sucks you in to try again and again. We have many repeat teams from a wide range of areas and emergency services.

There is only one way to be in it though and that is to send an entry form back to the

Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Secretary - PO Box 22 Canterbury 2193.

Entry forms were posted to your club in late April. The entry form has more details of how the event is organised but NO location details. Just say about three hours drive from Sydney without crossing the Harbour Bridge. Location details and complete rules etc. will be posted to all entrants just prior the weekend. So you will need to get your skates on to send an entry form in but don’t bring them or your GPS to NavShield ’98.

Regards, Keith Maxwell Director Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue