Good evening all, the first significant event of the WICEN 2019 calendar is almost upon us.

WICEN provides communications support for 2 days with a HQ station at Albert Hall on Commonwealth Avenue. We will need a minimum of three people per day in the HQ each day and 4 at checkpoints on Saturday and 8 at checkpoints on the Sunday. So, I am looking for volunteers to help out – 7 on the Saturday and 11 on the Sunday, but the more volunteers we get the easier it will be.

As in previous years we would like to be able to provide the option of a couple of bicycle WICEN operators to ride behind the walkers and perform a sweep function – these we have joking referred to as Wicycle ops, but in the couple of years we have had them, they perform a very valuable role. If you are fit enough to ride 25km or more and wish to perform this role (2m/70cm HT with good performing antenna system essential), please let us know.

This year’s event will see a 25km route on the Saturday starting from Coolemon Ridge and winding its way along the Centenary Trail then around  Black Mountain Reserve to the Botanical Gardens finishing up at Albert Hall. Not all walkers will do the full route and will be dropped at several starting points along the way, but all finish up at Albert Hall. The Sunday walk consist of a number of walks around Lake Burleigh Griffin up to a total distance of about 21km.

If you are able to assist we would love to hear from you. As with previous events, we will be using the google forms system to keep track of people volunteering for this event. Please click on https://goo.gl/forms/rvM2j0IIYgnWkQcx1 and fill out your details in response to the questions posed in the form. If you feel unhappy or experience problems with using this system, then send an email to wicen@crarc.ampr.org advising of you with your availability/non availability. Please do try the google forms though as it makes life a lot easier for the organisers to have the responses populated and tabulated into a single location that the WICEN organisers are able to view the latest information.

Matt

VK1MA