There’s something magical about exploring our city at this time of year, and if you’re keen to try something new and adventure through the Adelaide Park Lands with a hint of competition, we’ve found just the thing. This winter, Moonlight Madness is back for its fourth year, with a unique night out that blends adventure, fun, and a little friendly competition.
Created by orienteers Dianne Bergen and Colin Burnet, Moonlight Madness was inspired by a similar event run by their club back in New South Wales. When they moved to Adelaide in 2021, they brought the idea with them. It’s since grown into a much-loved annual fixture, drawing families, beginners and seasoned orienteers to navigate their way through the Park Lands after dark.
“Back when we lived in NSW, the Garingal Orienteering club had the idea of a fun ‘full moon’ winter event for our club. They still run those events each winter around the full moon. So when we moved to Adelaide in 2021, we offered to organise a similar event, and it’s been very well received,” shared Dianne Bergen from the Onkaparinga Hills Orienteering Club.
Moonlight Madness is a 45-minute orienteering score event, which means you’ll be given a map and a mission to find as many hidden ‘controls’ as you can before time runs out. These control points are marked with reflective flags that shine back when hit with your torchlight. Each one has a small electronic device that beeps and flashes when you tag it, logging your visit and time.
This isn’t just about speed though, there’s plenty of strategy involved.
“Orienteers enjoy events because of the sense of achievement you get in being able to follow a map and locate the control points. We find kids love the ‘beep and flash’ feedback of the computer controls each time they find one. A lot of the family fun is in debating the best route from one control to another. We call this ‘route choice’.”
You’ll even receive a printout of your course once you finish, so you can see how you did and compare notes with other participants. Plus, this event is extra special as you don’t get too many nighttime orienteering events in Adelaide.
“Whilst we only run night events a couple of times a year in SA, in Northern Europe, where orienteering is immensely popular, the long winters make orienteering in the dark with head torches quite a common event. The Jukola Relay in Finland attracts tens of thousands of participants annually,” said Dianne.
In SA, there’s a thriving youth scene in the sport, with programs like Kid-O for under 10s and SA Darts for juniors who want to build their skills. Our state reps, the SA Arrows, are making waves nationally, too. SA orienteers Leith Soden and Angus Haines recently took out first and second in the National Orienteering League, and local rising star Gemma Burley is currently competing at the Junior World Orienteering Champs in Italy.
Timed to coincide with Illuminate Adelaide, Moonlight Madness is the perfect addition to the July festival. It’s a low-tech way to light up your night, with participants illuminating the Park Lands one head torch at a time. Dianne says they’d love to see the event included in the official Illuminate program in future.
Moonlight Madness
When: Wednesday, July 9th from 6pm
Where: East Adelaide Park Lands
Price: adult non-member $15
For more information, click here.
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