Orienteering Queensland

Orienteering is a great family sport, catering for young children right through to grandparents, for the super fast and not so fast, for the competitive and not so competitive.

Orienteering Queensland (OQ) is the state body responsible for the organisation and promotion of orienteering throughout Queensland. It is a sport of cross country navigation and it takes place in the bush as well as urban settings such as parks, university campuses and other open spaces, using specialised orienteering maps. Mountain bike orienteering makes use of forests with extensive track networks with introductory events taking place in more urban settings.

History of Orienteering

Orienteering originated in Scandinavia, as a military exercise in the 19th Century. The competitive sport began in Sweden in 1919. It gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s, and became an international phenomenon in the 1960s with its theme of an open-air competition and environmental awareness.

Today, more than 63 difference national orienteering federations are registered with the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), from every habitable continent. World championships are held annually (bi-annually before 2002), and orienteering is a sport in the World Games. The sport is dominated by the Nordic nations and Switzerland.

Where Does Orienteering Take Place?

Areas used for orienteering include parks and forest reserves as well as private grazing land and bushland. Most orienteering events are held near Brisbane but clubs in Townsville, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and the Southern Downs also organise regular activities. The list of coming events and directions to them may be obtained from the Events page or by contacting the club in your area. Directions to the events are signposted from the major roads. When you get to the event, go to the Registration and Information table for assistance.

For dedicated orienteers, there is the opportunity to travel interstate and overseas to the major state, national and international competitions. Talented juniors and elite competitors can strive to be selected to represent Australia at World Championships while those over 35 have the opportunity to compete at yearly World Masters Championships.

Congratulations to Orienteering Queensland, an Outdoor Recreation Award Achiever

Image Gallery