Orienteering @ Gara Dam TSR

Everyone is welcome.
This is a very easy and safe location to navigate and try orienteering, so beginners and families with children are encouraged to attend.

Course closes at 2.00pm, you must be back at the assembly area by then.

Facilities: There is a picnic shelter and limited parking at the rest area on Waterfall way. There are no toilets.

Directions: Take the Waterfall Way (State route B78, direction Grafton/Coffs Harbour) and travel east for 13.5km. The assembly area is at the rest area adjacent to the main road. Look for the Orienteering sign and watch out for traffic.

Courses: Easy – 3.1km, 10 Controls; Moderate 1 – 4.0km, 12 Controls; ; Moderate 2 – 3.0km, 9 Controls; Hard 1 – 4.9km, 14 Controls; Hard 2 – 3.4km, 8 Controls

Notes: The Gara Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) is leased, however, there is currently no stock present and permission has been gained to access the reserve. The reserve is pretty small (about 1.3 x 0.8km) as only the western side will be used. Due to the water flow in the Gara River, crossing to the eastern side was deemed unsafe. Tracks are not as visible as implied by the map, as the reserve has been locked for many years and has seen very little traffic. To make the hard courses live up to their name, the tracks have been omitted from the map, but there are still plenty of ‘handrails’. Water areas are definitely wet, be prepared to take small detours or get wet feet. Boulders and groups consist of small, scraggly rocks, there is no granite.