The five-day carnival saw about 400 people, including about 50 internationals, tackle box, ironbark and stringybark forests around Chiltern, Beechworth and Yackandandah.

While it attracted Australia’s best male and female orienteerers Julian Dent and Grace Crane, others such as Helen Robinson took part for fun.

Robinson, of Beechworth, is also a keen rogainer (an endurance form of orienteering).

She said she loved the combination of bushwalking and navigating.

“It’s also a great form exercise and I love the challenge of finding my way around the course,” she said.

“The North East has got some of the most amazing terrain.

“We’ve got rocky, knobbly areas like the Beechworth Gorge and old mines like Rowdy Flat.

“It’s really attracted the top people in the country.”

The carnival was the first held in the region.