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Fascinated by maps?

If you’d like to learn more about how maps are produced, come along to the next Skill Up Saturday Session.  Our expert mappers will take you on a journey of discovery, as you learn and practice techniques for fieldworking a colour map.

When:  Saturday 1 August, 2pm-4pm

Where:  Koomba Park, Mountain Highway, Wantirna

This session is free for members of Bayside Kangaroos and Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Clubs, and $10 for other club members and casuals.  But you do need to pre-register so that we have sufficient maps for everyone.

Click here to register before the closing date of Friday July 31: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/24197

If there is enough interest, we’ll organize a follow-up desktop session on translating fieldwork to the digital map

Brought to you by Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club and Bayside Kangaroos.

MelbushO returned to the popular Westerfolds Park, starting from the south.  After a short sharp climb uphill, courses took everyone into the lovely open forest along the creek, onto some tiny trails, and across the grassy slopes where kangaroos were out in force.  We were once again so lucky with perfect weather, and everyone came back smiling.

Courses were planned by Elijah, one of our junior members. Despite his youth, Elijah has been orienteering for many years with his dad Damian.  Elijah has been over in Genoa, Italy competing at the Five Days of Italy, where he placed 4^th overall.  The highlight of the trip was being a flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the World Orienteering Championships!

Elijah found a new area of the park, in the southwest corner.  After some remapping of the vegetation, he placed a tricky loop of controls there for Course 1 and 2.  Many people told us that they really enjoyed going to this new section and figuring out route choices.

Head to our Gallery to see photos of DROC members in action, both out on the course and putting in the hard yards as volunteers.

Click here to see all the results, split times and livelox routes

Click here to view our Photos from the Finish Line

Come along to our next Saturday afternoon skills session – all ages and abilities welcome.  Pre-registration is required, and closes 1 day prior to each session.  Cost per session $10; free to Bayside Kangaroos and Dandenong Ranges OC members.  Registration is open now for each session.

Session 3 – Sat July 11, Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong – Step Up To Sprints

More info and online registration

• Kick your sprint orienteering into gear and find out what makes short distance navigation so much fun

What: Learn and practice the skills you need to improve your sprint orienteering skills.   This 3 hour session will provide techniques, tips and tricks, and plenty of map based activities.

When: Saturday 11 July, 1pm-4pm

Where: Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong

Free for members of Bayside Kangaroos and Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Clubs; other participants welcome, for $10, payable on the day.

Participants need to pre-register through Eventor or by contacting Debbie at enquiries@drocorienteering.com.au

All ages and abilities are welcome. 

Congratulations to DROC members Opus and Samuel, who have been named in the Victorian Schools Team, after strong performances in the selection races.  Both boys will be travelling to the ACT later this year, to compete in the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships.  They will race in Sprint, Long Distance and Relay competitions.  We wish them both every success.

Fantastic day at Wellington Chase, with physically challenging courses on the granite slopes, interspersed with flat fast running around the Birdsland lakes.  Spectacular views from the hilltops were enjoyed in the glorious early morning sunshine as controls were placed, and then by competitors pausing for a well earned breather as they completed the climb.

Check out the results and split times, and have a look at Livelox to compare your route with others on the same course.

Results, Splits, Livelox

Enjoy the photos in our Gallery, including some amazing shots taken as controls were being put out.

Congratulations to Damian Spencer, winner of the 2025 Orienteering Victoria President’s Award.  Damian was chosen because of his ongoing role as OV’s Participation Officer, assisting and supporting participation projects, most notably the Learn To Orienteer program.

Congratulations also to Pam King and Peter Dalwood, who were unanimously selected as DROC’s Club Volunteers of the Year.  Peter and Pam have been exceptional volunteers in the club, consistently going above and beyond in both leadership and service. They have taken the lead on mapping initiatives with skill and dedication, contributed thoughtfully as active members of the committee, and built strong, positive connections through their work with local schools. Their reliability, initiative, and collaborative spirit have made a lasting and highly valued impact on the club and the wider community.

Come along to our next Saturday afternoon Skill Up session – free to all DROC and Bayside Kangaroos members!  Other participants welcome, on payment of $10 per session.  Pre-registration is required, and closes 1 day prior to each session.

• Session 2 – Sat June 20, Candlebark Park, Templestowe – Go Bush – more info and online registration

At this session, you’ll learn techniques to help you move up to the next level at bush orienteering events.  There will be plenty of map based activities for practice.

• Session 3 – Sat July 11, Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong – Step Up To Sprints – more info and online registration
• Session 4 – Sat August 1, Koomba Park, Wantirna – Mysteries of Map Making – more info and online registration

All sessions run from 1pm to 4pm.  Pre register on Eventor via the links above, or email enquiries@drocorienteering.com.au.

Brought to you by Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club and Bayside Kangaroos.

It’s time to challenge yourself with the Sheep Stations EndurO!  With two maps, twice as many controls, twice the time – and ten times the points – you’ll have twice the fun of a normal Saturday afternoon streeto!

When:  Saturday May 9, register from 1:30pm, mass start at 2pm.

Where:  East end of Shepherd Road, Glen Waverley

What:  Choose a 120 minute Run, a 90 minute Run, or a 120 minute Power Walk.  The course features 40 controls on a double sided map, and will have you exploring Nortons Park, Napier Park, the streets of Shepherds Bushed, and some controls with spectacular views in all directions.  Can you score a maximum 1400 points?  Beware – late penalties apply!

How to enter:  Register and pay on the day.  Saturday passes and Multipasses are valid, and for non pass holders, entry is just $6 for adults and $4 for juniors, cash or card accepted.  And your results count towards the overall series score!

Please bring a plate of something yummy for afternoon tea – you’ll have earned a reward!  Also note: no toilets at the Start, but several options nearby, including The Glen shops, or Jells Park picnic ground – and two sets marked on your map, located near controls.

Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club proudly hosted Victoria’s first Discover Orienteering event, welcoming 35 newcomers to the sport at Koomba Park in Wantirna. Participants travelled from across Melbourne to take part in this exciting introduction to orienteering.

Discover Orienteering is a new nationally branded “Come and Try” initiative designed specifically for first-time participants. The session began with a group briefing, followed by a simple 400m introductory course to build confidence and understanding. From there, participants could progress to longer and more challenging courses at their own pace.

The flexible format catered to a wide range of experiences—some participants quickly completed multiple courses and eagerly asked for more, while others, including families, enjoyed a relaxed pace with breaks and picnics. Additional sideshow activities, including mini orienteering challenges, compass exercises, and maze navigation, provided further opportunities for skill development and engagement between courses.

A huge credit goes to DROC for successfully pioneering Discover Orienteering in Victoria. Introducing a new program always presents challenges, but the overwhelmingly positive response from participants highlighted its success. Event helpers also played a critical role in ensuring a welcoming and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Helpers on the day did a great job supporting participants to have a fun experience. Thanks to: Damian, Opus, Eofy, Victoria, Nick, Peter, Denise and David.

Find out more about Discover Orienteering and Learn to Orienteer programs in Victoria.

What a great day of madness, mischief and mayhem!  The morning featured a classic individual sprint.  With such a large campus at our disposal, we wanted to show it off, so courses were a little longer than a normal sprint.

Then came the afternoon race.  Master of Ceremonies, Ian Dodd, assisted by Course Planner Rob Murphy and Start Guru Peter Yeates, managed to line everyone up in seeded rows, ie fastest on the front line.  This led to the inevitable sledging and foxing, and jockeying for prime position as the first corner was rounded.  Packs soon split up as some serious racing unfolded, and the post race discussions were as intense as the competition!

Race 1 (morning) – results, splits, livelox maps

Race 2 (afternoon mass starts) – results, splits, livelox maps

Check out these great photos!

Thanks to all who pitched in to ensure a great day of sprint orienteering.