Relocation Practice!

It was the Middle Distance Race of the New Zealand Orienteering Championships today and a harsh introduction to the obstinate New Zealand bush for me. As I planned my first route heading away from the start kite I thought, 'Easy, straight down the path and in to the bush at the junction for several metres' Ha ha, overlong minutes and two trips out to the path to relocate later I readjusted my planning, this bush was tough and unforgiving and not even marked as dark green on the map (and there was plenty of that!) That was not the last time I would have to relocate and dive back in to the undergrowth, suffice to say I took three times as long as my sprint course yesterday on a shorter course, and dropped to sixth place. At least tomorrow I will have a better idea of what to expect. Tony felt better today and upped his game to fifth place but felt there were bingo controls and the mapping left something to be desired. Certainly on my course it would appear only the boulders used as controls had been mapped!
Enough of 'o' speak as anyone reading this who is not an orienteer would think I'd been writing in a different language in that paragraph. On the way to the start we spotted an adult and youngster bellbirds which was a real treat. We can hear them in the forest around us here in Oscar the Van, but great to put a 'face' to the lovely calls they make. I was hoping to blip one after our races but a thunderstorm appeared whilst we were lunching in St Arnaud and shows no sign of letting up (we got very wet getting back to the campsite!) If it lets up I may go out looking for one otherwise it might have to be a blip of me finishing. The rain has put paid to any activity ideas for the rest of the day and also we are now resident in the embargoed area for the long distance event tomorrow and so cannot venture far.
Later: I've ventured out on a bellbird recce but, although the thunderstorm has moved through, it continues to pour with rain so I'm guessing they are all sensibly roosting now. So my blip is a contrast to yesterday. The boat people, the canoe folks, the bikers, the picnickers, the walkers, the orienteers and the sit and read the paper with a lovely view-ers, have all gone home and Kerr Bay is quiet.