The ‘Poland or Bust’ Ballarat weekend is nearly here. 
Those Australian uniforms are getting itchy to be distributed.
The travel agents are waiting for your outlandish schedules that include Warsaw.  Best avoid British Airways and Heathrow me thinks.

Well done to tasmanian Matt Hope who won a tassie 24 hr event as a solo last weekend.
Though a guy called Sid Taberlay did beat him for fastest lap.

New talent for MTBO WOC 2028 came to light last Saturday.
Congratulations to Belinda Allison (silver medallist 2004) and Jase McCrae for the early arrival (by 6 weeks) of their twin girls, Abby and Zoe.
Delivery was quick and all are well.   Questionable how well that Jase will run in the canberra marathon this weekend though!  Research shows that women run better after childbirth but I dont think that it holds true for fathers.

Lift needed:  Seb Dunne from Sydney is looking for a lift from Mel airport from 8.45am Friday.  Anyone else arriving at that time, or any Victorians passing thru then please contact him on sebastien_dunne@hotmail.com

Welcome Stranger Holiday Park 
Corner of Walter and Scott Pde, 3km East of PO. (On Melbourne side, very soon after you hit suburbia.
Turn R (north) under bridge opposite Ballarat East HS.)  03 53327722  / 1800622777
Beds will be made up with linen.  Generally there will be 4 people per 6 berth cabin.
Cooking facilities are provided in the cabins.  There are also heaps of local eateries.
Mini-golf, sw pool and tennis on site.
Cabin allocations for those staying in cabins booked through me will be at the office, as will be my cabin number, and coaching plan day to day.
My Contact
I will leave Adelaide for Ballarat on Tues am via the Grampians.
Home ph no before then is 08 83370522
Wed night onwards (a borrowed mobile) – 0431 822 812.  Staying at Welcome Stranger.

Training
Training will be offered on both Thursday and Friday, with 3 / 4 different courses out on both Canadian Forest (rideable from Caravan Pk) and Creswick (15-20 mins car drive away).  There will be tapes out on the courses.   Canadian is the more detailed of the two maps.
You may choose which map to do when, although i will try to coordinate group activities for those who wish.  Car pooling is possible.
People are arriving at different times.  I will leave maps (or their location)at the caravan park office.
Thursday – 9.30am meet at Caravan park for those already there or arriving for the day’s training.

Weather.
Ballarat is having a nice autumn at the moment, and like most of Vic it hasnt had a lot of rain.  However, keep an eye on the weather bureau and come prepared for anything.  One year I did an O event one weekend in March and it was 35 degrees, and the very next weekend i did a triathlon and it was 0 degrees when we started!  So bring arm and leg warmers and a light thermal if wet weather threatens.

Bike packing
Remember not to pack loose items in a cardboard box with your bike.  Put a named bag in there with tool kit items etc and tie to bike.
Protect vital bike organs with foam or rubber.   Ask someone if you dont know how to pack a bike or else you might be up all night.
The NZOF website had some instructions last time i looked.

Course lengths etc  (more details should be available on VOA website)
LONG course
M21                     Course 1 36.5km Climb 490m    17 Controls
W21/ M17-20     Course 2 28.5km Climb 355m    13 Controls
Course   W17-20 Course 3 24km Climb 265m    13 Controls

BRING MTBOList.pdf
ACCOMODATION   any others / changes – let me know asap
        F   S     Alex Randall
F   S     Damian Welbourne
S      Peter Markworth
W T  F  S       Oscar + Dad
F  S      Seb Dunne
T  F  S      Marquita, Alison, Rob (NZ)
W  T F  S      Kay
W T  F  S       Sus Casanova
T  F  S       Thor & Jon
F   S       Melanie Simpson
T F  S       Jenn G-T
F  S       Peta Whitford   Any others / changes – let me know asap
Matt Hope?