Results

A beautiful warm calm day for the event brought out many rogainers and kangaroos. A superbly set course provided many choices immediately around the Hash House, lots of scope for running rogainers to the north in the open grassy country and roughly equal value for time points in the bush to the south of the Hash House. Congratulations to Caleb Addison, Seb Addison and Jonah Woodcock who won by a lot and also saw nearly all the course. Check out the gallery for some course photos and photos around the hash house and prize giving.

HUGE thank you to all the volunteers at the event - Ron, Jean, Peggy, Lorraine, Grant, Kelvin, Lyndel and a special thanks to Kai and Jimmy who made an enourmous number of sausages and cheese toasties.  Also many thanks to the team who had finished early and came and helped with the catering just at the time we were having a pasta disaster.  Any help with our new role of catering is very much appreciated.  

 

Map and team routes from rogaine-results.com - upload your GPS track if you have one.
See also Strava Fly-bys to see where other teams went.

 

 

 

 

Join Barkley for this year’s Paddy Pallin 6 hour rogaine being held about an hours drive south of Canberra around the headwaters of the Gudgenby River; near the Yankee Hat walking track. The event will start at 9am and finish at 3pm.

The event covers open grassy plains and native forest with very little scrub.  There are a few hilly sections, nice creeks, tracks, firetrails and old huts.  The altitude ranges from about 900m to 1,300m.  As usual, the ACTRA  Annual General Meeting will be held at the end of the event as you enjoy the catering. ACTRA will be catering - so here is your chance to show off your excellent cheese toastie cooking skills. Paddy Pallin has also provided a range of lucky door prizes for the event.  Thank you Paddy Pallin !!

Volunteers for the event are very welcome (and needed). Anything from help with hanging controls, admin on the day or catering would be most appreciated.  Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Entries are $40 full price and $30 concession with under 14 free.

Parking is limited in the area (along the road) so PLEASE try and organise car sharing within your team and perhaps take another team.  For those coming from further afield, there is no camping at the HH but camping is permitted at Orroral Valley Campground (30 minutes north of HH) and Mt Clear Campground (40 minutes south of HH - unsealed road).

See some of the photos from the course here.

Please note: Orienteering ACT has granted an exemption for orienteers who wish to do this rogaine from the embargo for the 2026 Oceania Orienteering Championships middle distance event in September 2026.

 

 ACTRA T-shirts will be for sale at the event. Please pre-order or bring cash on the day. Sizes range from small to extra-large. See the order page for a sizing chart.

 

Final Instructions

Thank you for entering the Gudgenby Gain, 2025 Paddy Pallin 6 hour rogaine. Team leaders, make sure that everyone on your team reads this whole document carefully. 

Important

Parking is very limited so please organise car pooling so there is only one car per team (or better). 

The Annual General Meeting of the ACT Rogaining Association will be held at approximately 3:20 pm at the Hash House site. Documents are here. If you would like to be on the 2025 committee, please contact Stephen Goggs or nominate on the day.  

Indemnity Form

Please bring to the event a printed and completed indemnity form located here. Check the team list (link above) to ensure that all details for your team including category are correct. If incorrect, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Thursday, if possible. 

• Ensure that all team members sign a separate indemnity form. Parents or guardians must sign for people under 18. Also provide registration number(s) of your car(s) at the Hash House. Be sure to put your team number on the form. 
• Present your completed indemnity form at the registration desk.
• Medical advice: All competitors should consider advising their partner of any pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, susceptibility to anaphylaxis) that may require first-aid action on course. This should include a description of the symptoms, the required first-aid action, and the location in their bag of any medication (such as sugar, ventolin, epi-pen, anti-histamines).

How to Get There

The Hash House is located at the Yankee Hat Walking Track car park on the Old Boboyan Road and takes 1 hour 10 minutes from central Canberra.  To get there, make your way towards Tharwa.  After crossing the Murrumbidgee River, take the Boboyan Road south towards Adaminaby.  From Tharwa it is 31 kilometres to the right-hand turn onto the Old Boboyan Road.  In parts the road is narrow and windy. BEWARE OF THE WILDLIFE ON THE ROAD. 

There will be a rogaine sign at the turnoff.  From here the road is unsealed but ok for 2WD cars.  Take care crossing the fords.  The potholes have been re-gravelled recently and with no rain forecast, they should be ok. 

Please make sure you have a clean car. In particular, check around your wheel arches and underneath for dirt or vegetation, and clean out any dirt and seeds from the foot wells/mats. Canberra has a lot of weeds that we shouldn't accidentally spread into Namadgi National Park.

A google map is here.

 

Registration, Map Availability, Start Times

The Gudgenby Gain event will commence by way of a mass start at 9am sharp on Sunday 13th April, with a final briefing at 8:50am.  Registration will open at 7.30am.  Any novice teams can ask for help at any time before the start.

To register, one person only per team to register and collect maps. That person will need to bring:

• a first aid kit, so that it can be checked; see below for what it must contain; and
• completed indemnity form for each team member.

It would also help if you can remember your team number!

Electronic scoring: As this event is using the Navlight system of scoring, each team will be issued with 2 wristbands and tags upon registration.

You will also be given pre-marked maps, control descriptions, course setter's notes and a small copy of the map to be used as a flight plan. We recommend that you arrive at least an hour prior to the start of the event to allow enough time for final preparations and route planning. Each team must mark their intended route on the flight plan and hand it in before starting.  As mobile reception is poor, we will rely heavily on your flight plan if you are late/need help.

Map and Course Details

There will be one A3 map (445x320mm), 1:25,000 with 10 m contour interval. Magnetic north lines are marked on the map. Out of bounds areas are marked in pink shading. The area is native bush with large areas of clear land (frost hollows and regenerating land). The course setters’ notes have been printed on the back and control descriptions are on the front of the map. The altitude ranges from approximately 950 to 1150 m. 

The map is printed on Teslin paper which is very tough and generally does not need to be covered in contact. 

Although there are many clear grassy areas, there are also patches of prickly weeds like thistles, St Johns wort and rose hips.  Gaiters are strongly recommended for snake protection and prickles.  There are a few places where the bush is slower travel and these will be identified in the course notes. There are some boggy areas in the creeks.

Water

Please bring enough water for Hash House use and for at least 3-6 hours on course. There are no water drops on course. However, there are 2 huts on the course with water tanks and many creeks with clear flowing water.  We recommend that drinking water from the tanks, and water found on course, is sterilised.  Please bring your favourite sterilisation method.  It is also feasible to do loops from the HH to replenish your water.

Camping

There is no camping at the HH.  The closest official campground is at Orroral Valley about 30 minutes to the north.  

Other Information

ACTRA volunteers will provide food at the HH from 2.30pm.  Please bring your own plate, bowl, cup and cutlery.  If you finish your course early, please consider helping to serve food from the big marquee.  It would really help with the rush !

Please Bring to the Event

• completed indemnity form for each team member
• contact or map case optional.  The map will be printed on Teslin waterproof paper with control descriptions on the front.
• Coloured pens, pencils, scissors, highlighter pen, table and chairs or board for map preparation. There is plenty of grassy areas for planning.
• Some food for before and/or during the event.
• Your own plate, bowl, cup and cutlery for catering.
• Water for your use at the Hash House for the event (there is no running water at the HH).  See section on water above.
• Portaloos will be at the Hash House. You may like to bring your own hand sanitiser.

Carry on Course

Mandatory Equipment

• Whistle (per person)
• Basic first aid kit (that includes 2 compression bandages and 1 wound dressing) (per team)
• space blanket (per person).

Other items we recommend that you carry/wear

• food for the event
• water for 3-6 hours and means to sterilise water
• compass
• gaiters – recommended for scrub/snake-bite protection 
• long trousers 
• watch
• pen/pencil
• Mobile phone for emergencies although reception is very limited.  A PLB if you have one is a good alternative for emergencies.
• Sunscreen, sun-hat, sunglasses.  There are many open areas on the course.
• Adequate warm clothes for the conditions (noting conditions can change quickly). Please check the forecast: 
  • raincoat, warm jacket
  • thermals + a spare if it is wet 
  • gloves 
  • beanie 

Mobile Phone Coverage

Mobile phone coverage is poor to non-existent across most of the course. Text messages are more likely to get through, but mostly from higher areas on the west side of the course.

The Hash House number will be printed on the map and is: 0403 300 122. There will be a satellite phone at the HH in case of emergencies.

Restrictions

 Summary of Event Rules and Scoring

• The only navigational aids permitted are the maps we provide together with your compasses.
• Teams consist of 2 to 5 competitors and must remain within earshot of each other at all times. All members must simultaneously get to within 5m of each control point.
• All team members must punch their Navlight tags at each control to score points.
• If a Navlight punch has failed, record the three letter code visible inside the end of the punch.
• Competitors shall carry a whistle at all times whilst on the course. In an emergency a competitor shall give a series of short blasts on their whistle.  Any team hearing a distress signal must abandon their course and help in any way needed. No team shall be penalised for any rule breached in the course of giving such help.
• Competitors must not enter out-of-bounds areas; gates must be left as found; stock must not be disturbed.
• The organisers may disqualify a team if it acts against these rules or against the spirit of the event.
• A team can retire a member at the hash house. This will finish that team's event. A new team can form but it must start with zero score.
• Late Penalty: 10 points per minute (or part) late. Disqualification if more than 30 minutes late.
• If teams score equal points then the first team home will have a higher rank.

Please see the Australian Rogaining Association's website for all rogaining rules if you are not familiar with them. There's not a huge number, but they help us play fairly.

Presentation and Awards

Food and drinks will be available from 2.30pm. Please bring your own plate and utensils. 

The Annual General Meeting will be held at about 3:20pm (and it’s very quick), followed by prizes and trophies awarded to the winners of each category and certificates to the place-getters of most categories. 

Paddy Pallin has provided a number of “lucky door prizes” which will be handed out from a random draw.  You will need to be present to receive one!!

Event volunteers

If you have queries contact the Event Contact listed below. 

Event Contact	Ron Simpson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 0403 300 122
Coordinator	Jean Douglass
Setters and Vetters	Ron Simpson, Jean Douglass, Ryan Stocks (north section only)
First Aid	Trained ACTRA volunteer
General Help	Lorraine Tomlins, Peggy Douglass, Mary Adams, Grant Battersby, Kelvin Meng, Jimmy Pietrass-Wong, Kai Pietrass-Wong, Jack Hawkes.
Control Collectors	Ben Grace, Leanne Haupt, Jenny Arnold, Canberra Bushwalkers