XPD Australia

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Dimbulah – The Back Markers at Midcamp

Geoff Hunt (AR World Series Director) / 22.05.2010

Stannary Hills orienteering course closed today just after midday and that gave this reporter a chance to help collect in the checkpoints and then drive to this oasis in the middle of the course. Dimbulah Mid Camp

Teams when they reach this town community centre have a compulsory 6 hour stop and then start on the wheelbarrow leg. It is a strange thing to have in a adventure race and I believe it is a world first. There have been many strange means of transport before - camels, rail carts, sailing boats but wheel barrows! I saw one team departing as we arrived in town – it was too dark to get a photo but this team had both the kayaks in the bottom of the cart (deflated) with the paddles crossways. The team was checking their map so I didn’t actually see it in action but imagine the best way would be to have two pulling - a la Scott of the Antarctic, and one person holding up the handles.

<i>(These are specially designed racing wheelbarrows for the 'world famous in Queensland' Great Wheelbarrow race - which passes though Dimbula. The history of this race harks back to the gold rush of 1873 when the only form of transport for the gold miners possessions was a wheel barrow which they pushed inland in search of the elusive gold on the Walsh River.)</I>

So we have arrived at Mid Camp and immediately ask for the gossip. There doesn't seem to be much, but this is what I heard around the HQ Community Hall.

These are in no particular order;

- 8 teams unranked
- 1 girl bitten by spider right through her Skins.
- Teams liked the section of mountain biking after the Stannary Hills Checkpoint 10.
-All teams have now arrived here at CP11.
- 0The last team is expected to depart at midnight Saturday to make the cut-off on the start of the river.See All Event Posts