Wellington Afterwork Rogaines

Coming Events

Event calendar listing all rogaines in NZ.

Event calendar listing all mapsport events in Wellington region.

Background

"These are all clear features (like Belmont Trig) but there's no control marker there. I haven't even been up there recently. Scoring is by honesty. I'll say go, and as soon as I can I'll be out of this suit and out there myself."

So began the Wellington after-work rogaines. They've been a HUGE success and have spread throughout New Zealand. At some stage honesty was replaced by question-and-answer controls - not so much for mis-trust but to enable everyone to know when they had found "it". Gradually the topo map was put into the computer and the missing tracks were filled in. (And the overgrown ones taken out.) The Wellington RidgeRunners mailing list became the de facto advertising medium. Orienteering Hutt Valley (which had pioneered rogaining in NZ) was the organisational umbrella.

At some stage the occasional BBQ afterwards was replaced by pizza. Yay!

Standard Info about the Series

• Length

  Usually 3 hours but occasionally might be shorter. Maps available 5:30pm, briefing 5:50pm, rogaine 6-9pm. For locations further out these might be half an hour later. If you can't get there by then why worry - just rogaine for a shorter time. In fact if you want a shorter period tell the organiser and just do it!

• Locations

  As advertised. Usually urban, they will use a mixture of streets and bush tracks with the occasional off-track control. But we also have bush areas close to the city and these will have more challenging control points.

• Teams

  Rogaining teams are 2-5 but (a) organiser can allow solo for people known to them and (b) there's nothing magic about 5, if you think that 10 of you can make decisions together then go for it:-)) Mostly its 2-3.

• Entry fee

  $10 per person, payable on the night, but see pre-registration below. Secondary school students $5 - rogaining with a friend is ideal prep for orienteering, Hillary Challenge, etc.

• Pre-registration

  50% discount if you register by 48 hours prior, to help us estimate map requirements. Preferably use the online form or email The current phone number is 04 934 1418. We ask for your home and cell-phone numbers, this is for emergency purposes only. See "Safety" below.

• Scoring

  The standard rogaine system is that each control point is worth the first digit times 10, ie control 44 is worth 40 points. Get as much as you can in the time, lose 10 points for each minute you are back late. With Q-and-A controls you need a pen/pencil to record the answer to the (simple) question at each one. It will be about a distinctive feature in the middle of the circle.

• Ribbon Controls

  Sometimes (eg in the bush) there's nothing suitable to ask a question about, and we tie a bright orange ribbon on a tree. The question will be "what are the code letters on the ribbon?" The ribbon location will be described, eg gully, spur, stream etc and shouldn't be hidden.

• Limitations of Q-and-A controls

  Sometimes the question isn't crystal clear - eg the feature that was obvious to the course planner doesn't stick out to you. Occasionally we even get the circle wrong. If you believe you're at the right place and you can't find the subject of the question, don't spend more than a few minutes. Write down some other unique fact and carry on. Talk to us afterwards and convince us you were there.

• Club Membership

  ALL orienteering clubs and the NZ Rogaine Association extend "members rates" to each other. But if you would like to join the club which pioneered rogaining in New Zealand and has run way more than any other, you can't go past Orienteering Hutt Valley. Subs for first-time orienteering members are half-price, the sub form is on the website www.ohv.org.nz

• Teams and Solos

  We will continue to recognise that although rogaining is a team sport we will allow solos to run in the afterwork events - so long as the entrant can convince the course organiser on the night that they know what they are doing, have the right gear and lodge their intentions. We will not allow beginners to solo.

  And if you start off in a team, you stay as a team. The only justification for splitting up is to obtain help in an emergency.

• Names and Phone Numbers

  We will require competitor names and contact details at registration - of course pre-registration makes our life so much easier on the night, so keep up the work there. Full names please, "Sue and Bob" is not enough in an emergency.

• Gear List

  Recommended gear: hat, gloves, fleece type top, light weight parka, leg covering, torch, cellphone, food and water, and a pack to put it in. You're going to need a pencil to record answers/code letters at controls. Sensible Additional Gear: whistle, plastic bag to put it all in, spare torch, additional clothes if the weather is bad. The guy at MAPsport (as well as hosting this website) sells headlamps and other orienteering equipment.

• Treat Finish Time Seriously

  Our safety plan includes a fairly prompt response if you do not turn up at the end. We begin this process within 15 minutes of the finish time. Within 30 minutes, we will in most cases have initiated some sort of search. If you are going to be significantly late, be aware of this and attempt to phone in to keep the organiser from having kittens! The organiser's cellphone number will be printed on the question sheet or the map.