The trick with setting the course for an adventure race is to have challenges included that suit the entire field. A challenge for the faster/stronger teams, while also taking everyone to the coolest parts of the terrain where the race is being held. The Kawerau 6 hour race is one event that consistently gets this…
Waoku Coach Road
Do you need a ride that feels backcountry? Your regular gravel loop just isn’t cutting it? Feel that your gravel machine is capable of more than the smooth gravel of Karioi or Puhoi? Mataraua Forest and the Waoku Coach Road might be for you. Maybe. Sitting in the mid western part of Northland, Mataraua Forest…
Marokopa Munter 2019
Marokopa is a small settlement on the West Coast of the North Island, basically head west from Waitomo until you hit the sea. The drive out includes a sample of what the terrain offers, large hills, steep valleys and a mixture of regenerating native bush, more mature stands of forest and steep farmland. The Munter…
Revenant 2019
Jeansie and I spotted Revenant not long after the event was released. Long distance, navigation based and self supported had us curious, and since neither of us was able to race an expedition adventure race in the first half of the year we decided to give it a crack. In the lead up to the…
Trek Checkpoint – 2 months of exploring
New Zealand is lucky to have a huge network of back roads. Narrow, largely gravel roads criss-cross hills and valleys all around rural areas. Add to these access tracks through conservation land as well as a growing list of cycleways and you have near infinite options for back road riding loops. A cross country hardtail…
Whangamata 12 hour Adventure Race
The 2018 Whangamata Adventure Race took place from a base in Opoutere, not far north of Whangamata. The 12 hour race included 5 stages in a loops format from the start finish. Our team, Ataraxia, included myself, Hannah Lowe, Mat Morreau and Will Hand. Will was a late call up after an injury, but over…
Packrafting the Whirinaki River
The Whirinaki River is a one of the main rivers draining Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Forest Park around 1 hour east of Rotorua. It is fed by a watershed the extends south and east from the Galatea plains past Minginui and into the forest park. With amazing bush, easy access at a number of points and a…
Updating the Trek Superfly
I have been on a Trek Superfly since back in early 2011 (check an early write up of the bike here). My current Superfly is the 9.8 SL version and the spec was still largely stock and based on the 2014 spec. The bike has served me well through a whole lot of XC racing,…
Starting your race right
You’ve made it to race day, breakfast has been eaten, you’ve parked up at the event. Walking to the arena, bags in hand, you think “I hope I have a good run today”. How many orienteers have this thought run through their mind on the morning of a race. The pursuit of a clean…
Navigating with ‘stepping stones’
Everyday we have situations where we use a process to get things done. From tying our shoes laces to driving a car, we all follow step by step processes to complete a task. Sport is no different – be it a tennis serve, kicking a rugby conversion or finding a control while orienteering – we…
Route planning in rogaining
Roagaining, or score events, add some different challenges from traditional orienteering. Not only do you have to find the controls, but you have to decided which order to collect them. Planning a good route can be helpful in terms of controlling the difficulty of navigation, making the most of your strengths and maximising points for…
The Nights Experiment
Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the effects of night shift work on athletic performance in cross country mountain bike racing. Methods: The study model had participants (n=1) work a night shift at Rotorua ED followed by competition in the 2016 Nduro Winter Series XC race (42km). Study participants were not…
Tom Reynolds 