Both my wife Ilze and I are LEGEND members of the Melbourne Millennium Club.

To achieve this status a member must have competed in at least 1000 Park and Street Orienteering events since the year 2000. Ilze is close approaching her 1500 and I am nearly 2000 and about half of those events have been conducted at night. So when we looked at the fixture for the 2018 Alice Springs Masters Games Orienteering, the night event at the Alice Springs Golf Club was the one we pencilled in. Even the 45 minute score format was perfect for me although Ilze prefers it to be longer.

As we gathered in the cool of a Central Australian evening and watched the surrounding ranges glowing in the sunset, we were all a little nervous. Night orienteering on a golf course, who had thought of such a thing.

There were bemused looks from the players on the adjacent bowling green as we gathered at the start, particularly when were took off in all directions into the night.

I have done hundreds of these but in a few strides the hairs rose up, this was simply glorious. Under a clear sky with a half moon, soft grass under foot (“keep off those greens, Pete”). Sand traps to avoid but great navigational aids  Controls near  bunkers and then lost out in the wilds of open fairways, running, always running, avoiding the rough and watching the fairy light dance of others as you converged on a “bridge over water trap”.

It was the best run of my life. Gold was my reward but I would have given it back in a flash to be able to go round again. Ilze even raised a sprint at the finish and was rewarded with Bronze.

My Favourite night orienteering event has and probably always will be Venice. My greatest disappointment was in 2012 when we went to the Istanbul 5 day and they changed the night event away from the Grand Bazaar. Was this event as good as either of them? Probably not. But my goodness it was bloody wonderful.

What ever it takes, we have to make this happen in Melbourne.

Hats off to Kay Harsma and her team, a fabulous end to a great carnival.

Pete.