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28 November 2020

Welcome to the final rogaine in the Bivouac Rogaine Series for 2020, to be held this Sunday 29th November. The location is Te Rau Puriri Regional Park on the South Head peninsula, a relatively new addition to Auckland's regional park network and a new map for us.

The event centre will be based at a stunning location right on the Kaipara Harbour, perfect for an after-race picnic and swim. The area is mostly farmland with some pockets of bush including mature puriri, cliffs, erosion gullies and some great views over the Kaipara to enjoy as well.

Sorry, but NO DOGS are permitted as this is a farm park.

HOW TO GET THERE

The event centre is at Te Rau Puriri Regional park. Allow a good 1 hour 30 minutes driving time from central Auckland.

Drive past the main Regional Council park signposted entrance/ carpark and continue a further 4 km. There will be an orienteering direction sign. The final 3 kms are on a gravel road. When you turn off the main road (look for an orienteering sign) continue past the former prawn farm ponds until you nearly hit the water and turn left into the car parking in a large farm paddock.
The google map link for the event centre is here.
GPS reference: 36.466829, 174.264626

The event centre and finish are close to parking and the beach.

NOTE: There is a 2 km walk to the start of the rogaine, located in the heart of the map, so please arrive in good time to allow 30 minutes for the walk (we will all walk up together).

WHAT TO BRING

• Please bring your own water (consider a hydration pack) as there is no water provided on the course or at the start.
• Walking or running shoes, preferably with good grip.
• Comfortable clothes to walk or run in. Warm clothes to change into afterwards.
• A compass if you have one - we have a limited number available to borrow on a first-in-first-serve basis.
• Bring a picnic lunch and make the most of the beach setting.

EVENT SCHEDULE

• Registration open from 9.15 am.
• Event briefing and maps handed out - 10.30.
• Everyone walks to the start 10.40 to 11.10.
• Start 11.15.
• Finish 12.45 (90 minute competition time).
• Prize giving about 1.15 pm.

NOTE: We have reduced course planning time in order to allow extra time for the walk to the start. You will have plenty of time to study your map as we walk to the start triangle!

• GATES: Leave all gates as you find them. If you open a gate, you are responsible for closing the gate.
• No fires/ no smoking permitted
• Please stay out of the Out of Bounds areas marked in purple on your map.
• Please take all rubbish home with you.

COACHING

There will be free coaching available for anyone, especially newcomers from 9:30am. This is a great opportunity to get some advice and tips on map-reading and rogaine planning from experienced orienteers - they will be wearing high viz vests. Check out the website www.rogaineseries.co.nz for tips on understanding maps and orienteering.

HOW IT WORKS

The map will be at a scale of 1:10,000 which means 1 cm on the map is 100 metres on the ground, and the contour interval is 5 metres. There will be 10 easy checkpoints worth 30 points, that are the 130-139 range, 10 moderately difficult checkpoints worth 40 points (140-149) and 10 difficult controls worth 50 points each (150-159). If you are new please leave the difficult controls, as you could spend a long time trying to find them.

You have 90 minutes to find as many as you can. You don't have to stay out the whole 90 minutes but don't be late back! There are penalties of 20 points per minute or part-minute you are late.

COVID 19 REMINDER

We are delighted to be able to hold our rogaine at Covid19 Alert Level 1 and wish to ensure the health and safety of all participants. We ask everyone to comply with the following guidelines regarding attending the events.

You must not come to the event if you fall into one of the following categories:
• If you or someone you are in close contact with are unwell with a cough or fever or other respiratory symptoms
• If you have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 until you have completed the prescribed quarantine period of 14 days, even if you are completely symptom free.
• If you (or if anyone close to you) have been overseas or in self-isolation within the last two weeks prior to the event you must stay away
• If you are undergoing COVID-19 testing until you have received negative results and are symptom-free

Please scan the contact tracing QR code poster at the event centre. The government tracing app can be downloaded at https://tracing.covid19.govt.nz/.

Hand sanitiser will be provided at the event centre.

Thank you to Auckland Council and the rangers at Te Rau Puriri regional park and to our sponsors , Bivouac Outdoor and Boric orchards.

23 November 2020

Just a quick reminder about the final rogaine in the Bivouac Rogaine Series for 2020, to be held this Sunday 29th November. The location is Te Rau Puriri Regional Park on the South Head peninsula, a relatively new addition to Auckland's regional park network and a new map for us. The event centre will be based at a stunning location right on the Kaipara Harbour, perfect for an after race picnic and swim. The area is mostly farmland with some small pockets of bush, with some great views to enjoy as well.

If you are planning to come, get your entries in on-line at www.rogaineseries.co.nz. On-line entries close at midnight Wednesday so please aim to get them in by then. You can also enter on the day.

Thanks again to Bivouac Outdoors for their support with some great spot prizes.

Hope to see you on Sunday,

Rob Garden,
North West Orienteering Club.

3 November 2020

Thanks for coming to the Bivouac Rogaine Series event run by North West Orienteering Club. With several competing events, and being exam time for the students, the numbers were a little lower than they have been but I hope everyone enjoyed their day all the same. Results are on the website so take a look and see how you got on.

Many thanks to John Barrett and Darren Gosse for their work in planning and controlling the event. Also to Kay Knightbridge for coordinating the helpers, and to Annemarie Hogenbirk and Jan Jager for their expertise with the technology. And thanks to everyone who helped out on the day!

North West club member Gene Beveridge has put together a great educational tutorial called Leg By Leg where he interviews Nick Harris, one of the top place getters from the day to get an insight into how he planned and executed his route. It's a great learning tool and well worth the watch. You can find it here.

The next and final event in the series for this year in on Sunday 29th November at Te Rau Puriri Regional Park. This is located near the top of the South Head peninsula, past Parakai and is a bit of a drive but is a stunning area right on the Kaipara Harbour. The event centre is right near the beach and should be good for a post-race swim and picnic. If you haven't already entered, you can do so online at www.rogaineseries.co.nz

If you'd like to try another orienteering event, the club is running one on Sunday the 15th at Slater Road, about 10km past Parakai. There are course suitable for all abilities and a chance to explore another part of the region. Take a look at the North West Orienteering Club website for details.

Rob Garden,
North West Orienteering Club.

31 October 2020

Thanks for entering the first rogaine in the North West Orienteering Club Bivouac Rogaine series, to be held this Sunday. The event venue is in Riverhead Forest, with access from Ararimu Valley Road. It's OK to bring your dog but please keep them on a leash while at the event centre.

HOW TO GET THERE

GPS Coordinates of the access point are 36°42.57 S, 174°33.42 E.
• From central Auckland take the North Western Motorway and SH16 towards Kumeu.
• Turn right at the Taupaki Road roundabout onto Old North Road and continue for 7.5km to Ararimu Valley Road, then a further 4.5km to the turn off into the forest.
• There will be orange/white orienteering signs as you get closer to the event.
• Parking is in a small paddock adjacent to the event centre.

WHAT TO BRING

• Walking or running shoes, preferably with good grip.
• Comfortable clothes to walk or run in.
• Warm clothes to change into afterwards.
• A compass if you have one - we have a limited number available to borrow on a first-in-first-serve basis.
• Water and snacks.

EVENT SCHEDULE

• Registration opens at 9:30am.
• Maps are issued at 10:30am giving you 30 minutes to plan your route.
• There will be a short briefing before the start at 11:00am.
• Event finish is at 12:30pm and a lolly scramble, prizegiving and spot-prize draw will be held at 1:00pm.

Please come early! You need to allow time to park, register, and get yourselves ready to go by 10:30am. Registration can take up to 15 minutes. Registration will close at 10:45am.

COACHING

There will be free coaching available for anyone, especially newcomers from 9:30am. This is a great opportunity to get some advice and tips on map-reading and rogaine planning from experienced orienteers - they will be wearing high viz vests. Check out the website www.rogaineseries.co.nz for tips on understanding maps and orienteering.

HOW IT WORKS

The map will be at a scale of 1:10,000 which means 1 cm on the map is 100 metres on the ground, and the contour interval is 5 metres.

There will be 10 easy checkpoints worth 30 points, that are the 130-139 range, 10 moderately difficult checkpoints worth 40 points (140-149) and 10 difficult controls worth 50 points each (150-159). If you are new please leave the difficult controls, as you could spend a long time trying to find them.

You have 90 minutes to find as many as you can. You don't have to stay out the whole 90 minutes but don't be late back! There are penalties of 20 points per minute or part-minute you are late.

SPONSORS

A big thank you to our sponsors for the series.

Bivouac Outdoors have several shops throughout Auckland to supply you with all your outdoor equipment and clothing needs. Check out their range at bivouac.co.nz . Apart from some great spot-prizes, they have supplied us with 20%-off vouchers - make sure you pick yours up when you register.

Borics Orchards have an amazing range of fresh produce including fruit, veges, meat and fish plus a whole lot of specialty food items. Their store is at the corner of SH16 and Coatesville-Riverhead Road and they are offering 10% off for all rogainers on Sunday - just identify yourself as an entrant to get your discount.

Rob Garden,
North West Orienteering Club.

11 October 2020

It's taken a while but the North West Orienteering Club is pleased to announce that we will be running a couple of rogaine events this year. Hopefully COVID will not rear its head between now and November 1st and then November 29th. Riverhead will host us on November 1st with the event centre at the forest headquarters on Ararimu Valley Road (Barlow Road entrance), while on November 29th we are excited to introduce a new map at Te Rau Puriri, an Auckland Regional Park on the South Head Peninsula, NW of Helensville (and featured on Country Calendar tonight).

Entries are now open with the first 50 entrants going in to the draw to win a backpack from our main sponsor Bivouac Outdoors. See the website www.rogaineseries.co.nz for all the details and to enter.

Many thanks to Bivouac Outdoors for their on-going support with sponsorship and prizes. Make sure to visit them in store or online at www.bivouac.co.nz for any of your outdoor clothing and equipment needs.

Hope to see you there!

Rob Garden,
North West Orienteering Club.

10 October 2020

We are back with a rescheduled 2020 Rogaine Series with two races in November

Entries for the 2020 North West Orienteering Club Rogaine Series are now open, online entry is available here.

25 March 2020

As you have probably guessed, we will not be able to run the Rogaine Series as planned this year thanks to COVID-19. At this stage we hope to run it later in the year but who knows what may happen over the next few weeks and months.

We are offering a full refund to those of you who have already entered and paid, and you will receive an email in the coming days from the Club Treasurer requesting bank account details so that we can refund you.

On behalf of the North West Orienteering Club, I hope you all stay safe and sane over the coming weeks and months and I hope to see you at an event in the future.

Regards,
Rob Garden,
North West Orienteering Club.

14 February 2020

Entries for the 2020 North West Orienteering Club Rogaine Series are now open, online entry is available here.

Remember that the first 50 people to enter all three races in the Rogaine Series go in the draw to win a fantastic new pack from Bivouac Outdoors.

27 December 2019

Dates and venues for the 2020 Rogaine Series are now published (see the panel to the right)

Dates of 2020 Events:

1st November - Riverhead

29th November - Te Rau Puriri
  (no dogs allowed)

Thank you to our sponsors:

The main Series sponsor is
Bivouac Outdoors

Thanks also to
Boric Food Market

ORGANISERS:
North West Orienteering Club

Very Affordable Entry Fees!

(listed Senior / Junior)

90min Single Event:   $25 / $10
Under 10*:   FREE
* = born in 2011 or later

Late Entries / Enter on the Day:   90min $35 / $15 (cash only please)

SportIdent hire:   $3 per team per race

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