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Saturday, 07 March 2020 13:58 |

WA Rogaining Committee

WARA Committee List 2020

Executive
Peter Treneman WARA President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0416 087 429	My second ever Rogaine, in 2012, was the Tiger Territory event in Nannup – what a hoot! - and that exposed me to the variety of landscapes, people and controls that make this sport such an addictive one. Having been in scouts for years and loving the outdoors, rogaining took me back to the opportunity to test your skill, endurance and patience in places of beauty that not many see. I was hooked. The ticks, the snakes, the blisters and the blinding near misses that cost you so much time are forgotten when you come into a clearing to see your next control dead in front – and the excitement of running that last kilometre (when you’re sore and tired) to the finish line is something else. I’ll keep Rogaining for as long as I can because of the wonder of the Australian bush, the devious setters, the welcome of the hash house fire, the wonderful happy people …. and the cheese toasties (I never thought I’d salivate about a toastie …. but there you go). WARA have got so much to offer the wider community, I want to share that joy - we just need to make sure we’re ready to meet the challenges coming our way. Lastly, a huge Thank You to all the committee members (past and present) and helpers across the years, you’ve crafted a great club and it is a privilege to be part of it!
Owen Horton Vice-president Map Librarian This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0409 106 461	I did my first rogaine(Grand Dad’s Army) in 1998 with my son Ashley when he turned 14. We came 15th and took out the 1st Novice at the State Championships. How could you top that, I thought, a state title! A couple of events later, at Hillman Hunter, we managed to scrape in 5th. That is it, I thought, I can rest on my laurels now, not likely to do that well again. Since then I have won a couple of event, won an Australian title (MV, 2008) and competed in two World Championships, including a 38th place in 2016. This just goes to show that you can get better with age. My only regret so far is that I have not come 7th – I have badges for all the other top 10 places. But I am still rogaining so I am sure that that will come eventually. So why do I do it – well, Rogaining is Fun! You get to see parts of Australia you would not otherwise see. You get to do it at your own pace – as fast or as slow as you like. It is an ecletic mix of people but we all get on as we have one interest in common – being out in the bush. And what is there not to like about that hash fire on a cold winter night?
Sara Culverhouse Secretary This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .	I’m relatively new to rogaining, my first event was a 24 hour rogaine in 2018. Since then, I've developed a great appreciation of exploring unique bushland, the camaraderie on the course and looking up from your compass to see the control dead on!
Emma Plummer Treasurer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .	I’m one of those sad, nerdy types that likes being an accountant and helping out, hence my offer to become Treasurer. Hopefully people won’t find me boring though. My personal rogaining experience is extremely limited – I have been to 3 or 4 events over the years but rogaining for me has generally been rubbing my hands with glee that my hubby was going away for a night/weekend and I could have a quiet time at home and not have to bother cooking! I know a lot of rogainers’ names from checking results over the years or through orienteering (where Edward is the Treasurer and I’m involved in admin support). However, as I haven’t met many of you, I’m planning on participating more and can start putting faces to names and getting to know everyone.
Committee
Andre Morkel Event Entry Management and Member Database Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0418 941 892	I started rogaining in 2007 and immediately got hooked and hardly missed one for years. My first nationals was the WA Wandering West in 2009, and world champs was NZ in 2010. I continue to enjoy travelling interstate and internationally to compete and experience a wide variety of terrains and excellent locations. Nowadays my rogaining is also competing for time with raising kids and cycling, orienteering and adventure racing.
Ann Smithson Training Officer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0434 615 655	My first rogaine was the "Wandering West" in 2009, having arrived in the State a year or so previously with an orienteering background. Funnily enough that rogaine proved to be a National Champs, and after admiring the dizzy scores of some of the competitors from afar I thoroughly caught the rogaining bug. Come the LiveWire by 2010 I/we had learned enough to attain a reasonably dizzy score too! Son Max competed in the Down South rogaine, the next Nationals held in WA in 2016, at the age of 15 days, though score was down quite a bit compared to LiveWire. By Bunuru Dreamtime in 2016 my rogaine claim to fame was managing both 3rd Mixed with one team and 1st Family with a totally different one! I am currently training my two young (3.5 and 1.5 years) rogainers in the hope they are sufficiently enthused such that we will corner the Family trophy for many many years to come.
Janice Johnston Volunteer Coordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0468 352 408	I started Rogaining in 2017 after attending the Dryandra Training weekend with the family, so I’m relatively new to the sport. We loved the weekend. It’s a sport that the whole family can do at various levels. I’ve done more volunteering in Hash House than competing so far due to a shoulder injury and I still need to be reminded which way to hold the compass at times. But at least I’m with others who know which way is up. As a family we love the great outdoors and enjoy spending time together, rogaining is the perfect balance.
Wil (Paul) Williams Mapping and data 0419 929 103	I heard about Rogaining from a very passionate guy in 1996 and said something along the lines "I'm never doing that. I'll get competitive and destroy myself." In 2002 my housemates invited me to an UpSide Down. With inadequate gear I lost the control card (after moon set), later the map (crossing a fence I think while uncharacteristically "running"), and the results lost me (58th,team 4M). By the end of the next year I was hooked and have competed overly competitively since. I love the combination of it all, particularly night navigation and the focus of achieving a goal. By 2005 Rogaining started taking me on broader adventures, heading to Queensland for my first national championships and to Millstream National Parkto help set the inaugural Pilbara event. This year marks my 11th year of the committee (I took a break between 2010 and 2014). I have competed in 45 championship length events, many shorter ones and set/vet at least 9.
Elena Ghergori Event locations This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -	About 1982 was when I first tried out this amazing “new sport” for a couple of years. Nil preparation, nil support ,poor equipment, always getting lost, lots of fun. 30 years later rejoined and discovered how much the sport had progressed . I found an amazing group of people working behind the scenes. After a few volunteer stints decided to join the committee and now feel part of a big rogaining family.
Libby Drenen Safety Officer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0417 194 104	I began rogaining in 2003 after hearing a co-worker talking about how much fun she was having finding things hidden in the bush. I tagged along and had a brilliant wander across open scrub and paddocks under a full moon, pest and reptile free, and knew it was for me. Parrot bush, bees, snakes - pfff. I’m a lucky devil having survived a 6.9 earthquake, hurricane truly Hugo, missile signalled end of peace, 'ooh look a tank display' dictator overthrow and high-speed head-on car crash all in different continents by the age of 30. Let's face it - I’m a safer rogaine than travel companion, and really enjoy being part of bringing a fun, challenging and safe rogaine together.
Tony Scalzo Event Coordinator
Non-committee support
Shane Lewis Facebook This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .	I've been rogaining for just over 20 years now and I'll tick over my 100th rogaine in 2020. I seem to be a specialist at finishing second in WA rogaines, but sometimes I'll do a rogaine at a more social speed or take my kids out for a gentle stroll. Between rogaines I'll often be training, doing other crazy races or I might be on the couch watching Sci-Fi ... and napping.
Penny Dufty Lonely Rogainer Coordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (08) 9299 8228	I did my first rogaine in 1986, in a team with my husband and sons, aged 14 and 16. The rest of the family had been orienteering for about a year but I was more involved with equestrian pursuits. I didn’t have a compass and relied on the others to navigate. We didn’t understand that the hash-house provided food so we took our own but neglected to take chairs, a serious oversight. As I became involved in orienteering I found I was frequently being asked at events if I knew anyone who was looking for a rogaine partner. If I had heard of someone, I’d usually forgotten who it was. In due course I became editor of the WARA newsletter and took the opportunity to offer my services a s a partner-broker. Over the years I’ve put together many teams, some very successful and others who just enjoyed being able to take part. Learning to navigate was probably the most empowering thing I’ve ever done. I did a number of events with my husband and struggled to keep up but was fortunate enough to be asked to partner another woman and we quickly became a proficient team. That felt really good. Now I’m 75 and have done scores of rogaines. Injuries forced me to pull back but I really missed the sport so I still get out a couple of times a year and compete against the young 65-year-old ultravets. I still delight in the fact that everyone in a rogaine is doing the same thing. Sometimes we feel as though we’re the only people in the forest but other teams usually appear as we approach a control. We’ve made many friends over the years so we can often greet other competitors by name. Sometimes they’re relatives – all our children and grandchildren have attended rogaines as well as siblings, nieces and nephews.
Steve Sertis Hash House Co-ordinator	Most of you may know me from my role at the Bibbulmun Track Foundation. I originally found out about Rogaining through Vince Harding who was the WARA Bibbulmun Track maintenance volunteer coordinator. In fact I met many WARA members, well before I did my first rogaine, at a Bibbulmun Track campsite rebuild near Albany in 2001. It took me a little time to get around to it but my first rogaine was The Dish in around 2000. I joined the committee in 2010 as Hash House catering coordinator. I recall that I very nervously ordered food for the first time for the Carolless Rogaine. Well, we didn’t run out of food – we just had too much! I have always threatened to make improvements like no longer having sausages and bacon but swapping them for tofu sausages and not-dogs. Did I mention that I’m vegetarian? I still get the occasional comment about the lack of Hash Browns which were phased out so so long ago now. I stayed on the committee until 2018 and still continue my role as Hash House coordinator. The power system used at the events was a very exciting project for me. Having some experience in renewable energy systems it was great to develop the power system from scratch doing the research and power audit, proposal to WARA, and the building and implementation of the system more than 10 years ago. It was also great to work with others on this project such as Julian Ilich, Vince Harding and Geoff Monk. My main role in life is and has been for the past 20 years, the Events Manager and Lead Guide at the Bibbulmun Track Foundation. Like some rogainers, I have walked the entire length of the trail, well, more than a few times. I have a strong passion for the environment and I really believe in reconnecting people with nature and that it is the widespread disassociation with nature which has contributed to many of our environmental and societal woes. See you out on the course soon!
Michael Gandy Mapping assistance This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Alice Mrazek-Scriven e-news editor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Claudia Elkington Administration Coordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Gerard Massam Web content excluding shop This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	At my first rogaine in 1995, I wore steel capped safety boots, and carried far too much stuff in my backpack, including an eveready dolphin torch. For the next event I drove the truck instead, and contemplated what I should be taking. Since then I have volunteered at more than 20 events, rogained a little over 80 times, set/vet a few events and at various times was newsletter editor, admin coordinator, and was a committee member for over 10 years. Rogaining is fun, and volunteering to help out can be fun also, as long as everyone is treated with respect and their time commitment is valued.
WARA shop admin - vacant; contact Peter Trenaman This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 0416 087 429	VACANT
Safety and Camp Manager
Equipment team This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Who do I talk to about

Volunteering for an event

WARA is always looking for volunteers to set and/or vet an event, or help out at admin, hash house (food tent), drive the truck or to be our first aid officer at events.

If you are able to help, contact the WARA volunteer coordinator via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Entering an event/Queries about your event entry

Many common questions about entering an event are answered on Entry Central. If not, contact Andre Morkel, WARA Event Entry coordinator via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or give Andre call on 0418 941 892.

Similarly, if you have entered an event, and have misplaced or have not received your event information, please contact Andre via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or give Andre call on 0418 941 892.

Badges and Trophies

Badges are handed out at the post rogaining BBQ for each event (for details see the Event Information forms), and failing that are posted out to the team contact after the post rogaining BBQ. If you have any queries about badges or trophies, contact the badges coordinator via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You can also purchase 1000+ points badges online here. Pictures of WARA badges are available here.

Updating your membership details

If you have moved house, changed your e-mail address etc, you can update your details with your next event entry, or alternatively contact Andre Morkel, WARA Event Entry coordinator via email or via post PO Box 1201, Subiaco WA 6904.