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Sneak Preview of Rogaine Terrain, 18 Feb 10
Course planners for Moonshine24 - the NZ Rogaine Champs - have been busy over the summer and are keeping the blog up to date. Check out some more terrain including local inhabitants on Youtube.

World Champs Overfull; Australian Champs Filling Fast, 18 Feb 10
The Australian Rogaine Champs in the Snowy Mountains on 27/28 March reached half of its 525 limit a week ago. With the normal procrastination a sellout seems likely. Meanwhile the World Rogaine Champs registration process has finished the pre-qualification process, and teams on the waitlist are now being invited to confirm by paying. There have been over 700 pre-registrations for 550 spots.

Entries Open for NZ Rogaine Champs, 4 Dec 09
The website for the NZ Rogaine Champs - Moonshine24 - is up and running. The event will be in the Akatarawa Ranges between Upper Hutt and Kapiti on 17/18 April 2010. Course planners are scouring the rugged bush as we speak, appearing briefly to download GPS tracks and upload video onto the blog. The event masterminded by Mike Sheridan (Tararua24, RidgeRunners and other creations) will be Orienteering Hutt Valley's 90-somethingth rogaine.

World Champs Filling Up, 4 Dec 09
With 2 weeks left for pre-qualifying entrants to register, the number on the waitlist has already passed the event maximum of 550. Pre-qualifiers get accepted first, and there are currently 184; wait-listed teams from under-represented countries and categories get offered places up to the end of Jan; then remaining places are filled from the list. The event will be in Cheviot Nov on 20-21 Nov next.

Rogaines and Orienteering - Take II, 6 Oct 09
The blurring of orienteering and rogaining has provided a little challenge for clubs, in that rogaines enjoy a lower levy rate; so it's necessary to define "what is a rogaine". For years we have used 3 hours, but the rules recently adopted are silent on duration. We have now adopted a 2-hour minimum. This potentially upsets our complete (AFAIK) set of rogaine results; we aren't going to re-count but will apply the new definition from 1 Oct. See memo to clubs.

World Champs Website Open, 11 Sep 09
The website for the 9th World Rogaine Championship at Cheviot next year is now open. With a maximum of 550 participants it will be important to apply as soon as online entries open on 1 Nov. Criteria defined by the International Rogaine Federation will guarantee acceptance for some teams; draft here. NZOF Rogaine Committee submission here. The NZ Championship on 17/18 April is NOT expected to have any restrictions!

Rogaine=Orienteering, 8 Sep 09
The distinction between rogaining and orienteering is breaking down as orienteers run longer events and rogainers run shorter events. Last night's "sprint rogaine" in Wellington is elsewhere called an "orienteering scatter" or "Spanish score event", ie a timed event where you get every control (or a certain number of controls) but the order is free. And Orienteering Taranaki's "lunchtime rogaines" are very like orienteering score events (unless they have VERY long lunches in New Plymouth!) Results have been posted.

First Afterwork Rogaine Re-Run, 20 Aug 09
A low-key rogaine training exercise on 26 Aug 1999 started a movement - the very successful afterwork rogaine. That very first event in Lower Hutt's Belmont Regional Park was re-run in fine crisp conditions tonight. Bill Edwards' 1060 was remarkably similar to Phil Wood's 1100 from ten years ago. The rogaine was NZ's 300th. Results have been posted.

North of the Bombays, 18 Aug 09
Rogaines are increasingly popular north of the Bombays, with North West and Counties Manukau running events this month. And non-orienteering groups are using their popularity as fundraisers: see the Annavale Amble at Darfield, now listed in the results. In fact the word rogaine is being used more and more for score events of any length. We don't mind: its all map-sport!

Microgaine in Wellington, 3 Aug 09
Three hours in less than two square k? You wouldn't think it possible - but experienced rogainers of the calibre of Greg Thurlow failed to bag the 58 controls in the rogaine section of the annual Winter Classic long-orienteering event yesterday. The area was steep bush in the Aro Valley rising 250m to the Polhill gun emplacements. And the adjoining Central Park, which is anything but "a walk in the park!" Results...

Team Cleans Riverhead, 22 Jul 09
Clean is not the word normally applied to Riverhead Forest in winter, but the winning team cleaned up all the controls in the 6hr section of the Riverhead Rogaine the weekend before last. And it isn't normally a mixed team either - Liam Drew and Rachel Ockelford from Wellington! Veterans Geoff Parkin, Nigel Emmitt and Barry Brown top-scored the 3hr. Results...

NZ's First Snogaine, 13 Jul 09
Dunedin OC has run a ski-orienteering event most years since 1991. Sometimes it has been a score event. But this year it will be a 3-hour score event for teams of 2-5: a ski-rogaine! The event at Waiorau Snow Farm is on Sat 25 July. There will be a biathlon on the Sunday. Entry form... Meanwhile, Wairarapa OC's Winter Classic ultra-distance orienteering event on 2 Aug has (a) moved to Wellington and (b) gained a rogaine option. Details...

NZ Championship Date Selected, 13 Jul 09
The 2010 NZ Rogaine Championship will be on 17-18 April. Orienteering Hutt Valley will run the 24hr event near the capital, with internationally-recognised organiser Mike Sheridan in charge.

HOW True, 12 Jul 09
After balmy weather last year the Heights of Winter was true to its name last weekend, climbing into the teeth of southerly weather on Mt Herbert. Lactic Turkey Phil Wood and EPIC plotter Bruce McLeod were on the other side of the ledger this time, winning the shortened 10.5hr event by 120 points. There were nearly 300 participants. Results...

New Rogaine Record, 27 May 09
The Metlink City Safari participation was 540, for a new New Zealand record. This beats the previous record set at last year's Piha rogaine by 95! There were 400 in the 3-hour event and 140 in the 6-hour. Check out the Safari website for story, pictures, and YouTube link.

Trans-Tasman Rogaine Win, 20 May 09
Australian David Rowlands has paired with kiwi Greg Barbour a number of times, including two world championship wins. On Sunday he joined Wellington's Jamie Stewart in the Metlink City Safari. After 6 hours of varying routes and amounts of public transport they were dead level on points with Upper Hutt orienteers Bill Edwards and Tim Wilson. Finishing earlier by 3 minutes gave them the win. John and Tim Robertson (Lower Hutt) won the 3-hour event for the third time. Results...

Safari Smashes Record, 14 May 09
The Metlink City Safari looks set to smash the NZ rogaine participation record by at least 50! With three days to go 500 people have entered the 3 or 6hr Wellington event in which travel by public transport is not only permitted, but encouraged. Coast to Coast winners and world champion rogainers including Australian pioneer David Rowlands will take part. Entrants...

School Rogainers Score, 14 May 09
Jamie Goodwin and Olivia Gregory beat the open womens teams to win the first Hawkes Bay Secondary School rogaine championship, held at the Deborah Turner Memorial event on Sunday. And schoolboys Duncan Morrison and Hamish Lewis were less than 100 points short of the open men. Results...

Rogaine Checkpoints, 6 May 09
Checkpoints, as in significant points on the way. Hawkes Bay OC will run a secondary school rogaine championship on Sunday. The event, which is named after rogainer and district councillor Deborah Turner who died last year, follows the extraordinary success of SS rogaines in Taranaki. And Orienteering Taranaki has begun a series of "lunchtime rogaines". Has the wider orienteering community has ever run lunchtime events before - this could be a first?

World Championship Restrictions, 6 May 09
World Rogaine Championships have traditionally been open to all, but landowner-imposed restrictions at the last two meant later entrants missed out. The International Rogaine Federation is discussing alternative criteria. If you wish to contribute to a NZOF point of view please email the

More Mistakes for Taylor, 6 May 09
With long time Taylors Mistake rogaine organisers Jamie Stewart, Chris Forne and Emily Wall off doing other exciting things, Nora Audra and Ian Edmond decided to take up the challenge. They added some twists to keep the interest up, such as solving a Sudoku puzzle to reveal the location of bonus control. The series was won by NZ champion Ross Rotherham with Heath de Garnham, while a most improved prize went to "Team Missing Bits". More...

Rogaining 101, 6 May 09
Up to 60 students attended a navigation training course organised for OHV by Mike Sheridan and 10 tutors in March-April. It consisted of two evenings and an all-day session in the bush behind Eastbourne. Participants included adventure racers, SAR volunteers and secondary school students.

Image Challenged, 23 Apr 09
The image of Auckland as a spaghetti spiral of SUV's took a beating last Sunday, with the second Eco City Challenge in Waitakere City. 280 people completed the 4-hour urban rogaine with the help of "Go West" buses. Results ranged from 1750 points for "Postman Pats" to 330 for the all-girl "Collins Stars" - former orienteer Mad Collins and three littlies. Results... The original City Safari takes place in the capital on May 17.

National Championship Awarded, 16 Apr 09
The 2010 NZ Rogaine Championship has been awarded to Orienteering Hutt Valley. The pioneering club has an area very close to the capital, but is in discussions with the world championship organisers over the best possible date. The world champs will be in Canterbury on 20-21 Nov 2010.

Rogaining Big in Taranaki, 16 Apr 09
The school champs in Taranaki continues its winning way - 280 students taking part at Lake Managamahoe on 18 March. Orienteering Taranaki also ran 6 afterwork roagines in Feb and March. Results...

Smallest Possible Margin, 8 Mar 09
Phil Wood and Ross Rotherham won a steep NZ Rogaine Championship today by 10 points from "The Demon Brothers" Dennis and Pim de Monchy. They described it as an excellent event. Nora Audra and Ian Edmond (who have taken over the Port Hills rogaine series) were the top mixed pair, and Tim Farrant/Elisha Nuttall won the inaugural university category. Results... Meanwhile Jono Walter won the Porirua paddlegaine.

NZ Champs, Paddlegaine This Weekend, 3 Mar 09
More than 100 rogainers will vie for the NZ Championship this weekend, including the inaugural university challenge. World XJ Champion Tim Farrant must be a favourite; though he has a new partner this time. Former world open champion and current 2nd ranked Dennis de Monchy heads the entry list with brother Pim. Also this weekend is the two-hour Paddle Porirua "for experienced waka ama, surfski and kayak paddlers."

NZ Adopts Rogaine Rules, 23 Feb 09
NZOF and NZRA have agreed a set of rules for rogaining in New Zealand. Very similar to the Australian rules (the birthplace of rogaining), they consist of very readable competition rules which apply to participants, and technical standards for championship rogaines which mainly apply to organisers. Read the final draft here.

Radiogaining, 20 Jan 09
Radio New Zealand was at one of Taranaki OC's afterwork rogaines. Listen to the the reporter interviewing the participants, and taking part on the course here.

Entries Open for NZ Champs, 20 Jan 09
Entries are now open for the 2009 NZ Rogaine Champs on 7-8 March. The championship is a 24hr event but there's also an 8hr option, and for the first time a university challenge. Read the planner's report, view photos, and enter online at the NZRA website or download the entry form and post.

Next World Championship in NZ! 20 Jan 09
The next world championship rogaine has been awarded to New Zealand. The last-minute bid has been approved by the International Rogaine Federation, ahead of bids from Czech, Ukraine and Russia. The event will be near Cheviot in Nov 2010.

Rogaines Celebrate Christmas, 21 Dec 08
Christchurch and Wellington have both run great Xmas rogaines. Chch an afterwork 3hr on the Port Hills which was one of the biggest ever at 165 people; Wgtn a 4hr at Pencarrow Lakes in which you could run or bike (with a 10% penalty). Results have been posted, including stories.

NZ Championship Announced, 5 Dec 08
The next NZ Championship Rogaine will be held in Otago on 7-8 March. The area between Waikouaiti and Middlemarch ranges contains both Central Otago schist landforms and the Dunedin volcanic features; covered by clean grassland, tussock, scattered scrub and some native bush in the gullies. Entries open at the beginning of January via the NZRA website.

Raft of Rogaines, 5 Dec 08
The summer sees a variety of rogaine forms taking place. Christchurch and Wellington have 3hr afterwork events. OHV's Christmas Rogaine involves biking to reach the area, so the organisers have decided bikes might as well be allowed on the event (with 10% penalty!) OTaranaki with 6 afterworks just completed has another 6 planned for autumn plus a Sec Sch Champs. Then the NZ Champs is a classic 24hr. Details on the calendar; and when you're there try changing the "type" to MTB and you'll find the Akatarawa Attack and Cyclic Saga rogaines on wheels!

NZ Bids for World Rogaine, 5 Dec 08
NZ has made an "thirteenth-hour" bid for the 2010 World Rogaining Championship. Only European applications had been received by the time of this year's championship in Estonia, and bids were reopened to try and get more global rotation. The bid has been submitted by the NZ Rogaine Association based on Cheviot.

NZ Rogainer Honoured, 5 Dec 08
At the recent World Championship, Peter Squires has been awarded an IRF "Geoduck Award" for services to international rogaining. Squires, from Christchurch, was the key figure behind the 2000 World Championship and developed the Navlight electronic punching system, as well as being an outstanding competitor. The award has previously been made to Michael Wood and Mike Sheridan.

Wellington Rogaines Resume, 6 Nov 08, answers added 11 Nov
After a gap of several months, afterwork rogaines in Wellington have resumed. In last week's event planner Greg Thurlow used the Twalk/EPIC technique of cryptic clues, and some interesting control locations. Afterworks are also under way in New Plymouth. More...

New Zealand Team Second at World Rogaining Champs, 15 Sep 08
Defending champions from 2006, Chris Forne and Dennis de Monchy of Christchurch, finished second at the 8th World Rogaining Championships, held in Karula, Estonia. In the 24-hour endurance orienteering event, Forne and de Monchy scored 300 points, four behind the winning Russian team. 170 teams competed in the men's open class, .... more

World Rogaining Champions To Defend Title, 10 Sep 08
Defending world rogaining champions, Chris Forne and Dennis de Monchy of Christchurch will defend their title this weekend, 13-14 September, at the 8th World Rogaining Championships, being held in Estonia. Forne and de Monchy won their endurance orienteering title at the 7th championships in Australia in 2006, defeating over 300 teams for the honour. More...

Rogainers Gathering, 6 Sep 08
Rogainers are starting to gather in Estonia for the 8th World Championship on 13-14 Sep. There are 30 kiwis, including the titleholders Chris Forne and Dennis de Monchy. Two-time winner Greg Barbour will also be there with his Australian partner David Rowlands. There are 800 people altogether, and the final bulletin is on the website 8wrc2008.rogain.ee Note that "rogain" doesn't have an e.

Nowhere Near Huia, 16 Jul 08
The Lactic Turkey boys needed fast footwork after a threat to the kauris in the Waitakeres. It's a water-borne mould, and the regional council decided the event could not go ahead if it was wet. To give certainty the Huia rogaine run for several years was transferred to Peak Road south of Henderson and reduced to 3 hours. Results have been posted.

First Swiss Rogaine, 12 Jul 08
The first rogaine in Switzerland takes place this weekend. It is organised by Dieter Wolf, who also started the Swiss Karrimor mountain marathons. Dieter represented Switzerland in the World Orienteering Champs during the 70s, has a couple of world masters golds and with Jason Markham finished third in the 2000 World Rogaine Champs (NZ). More...

Heights of Summer, 15 Jun 08
The Heights of Winter rogaine may need re-branding after an unseasonally warm weekend. 330 took part in the 12/6hr event between Cheviot and the coast, including 70 who had not rogained before. Greig Hamilton and Tim Sikma won the 12hr; Nigel Leigh and Gerald Gates the 6. Results...

Remember - Partners Wanted, 8 Jun 08
The Resources section often has partners wanted - such as now!

And the New Record Is... 8 Jun 08
The new record for a NZ rogaine is 445! And we've said it before, why do we have grades in rogaining, the Piha 6hr yesterday was won by Marquita Gelderman and Erin Roberts. Results...

Hanging by a Thread, 5 Jun 08
With two days to go, the record participation for a NZ rogaine is hanging by a thread. The Piha Rogaine near Auckland on Saturday has 417 entrants already, and looks certain to break the record of 419. This was set at the same event in 2006. Well done Lactic Turkey and well done Auckland!

Earlier News (back to 1998)