Adventure race shapes up

SKILLS: Graeme Ewenson, Anyika Thomsen, Barry Ruddell and Alan Kirkpatrick navigate the 2013 GODZone adventure race, which took place within the vicinity of New Zealand's highest peak, Mt Cook. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Event has plenty for all levels of fitness

UNTIL recently, Moa were thought to be extinct in New Zealand.

However, a Northland sporting event with a difference could offer participants the chance to spy the behemoth birds in the wild next month.

The brainchild of local adventure racing enthusiasts Barry Ruddell and Graeme Ewenson, the Moa Hunt is an event set to challenge participants of all ages and skill levels across various disciplines - including trekking, running, mountain biking and basic orienteering.

Looking to utilise Northland's bounty of lush forests and unique geographical features, after participating in scenic adventure races around New Zealand, Ruddell and Ewenson hope the event can fill a void for the palate of local adventure seekers.

"There's a lot of events around the North Island that are pretty successful in what they do, so the idea was to bring something up here so people aren't travelling to the other end of New Zealand like we do," Ruddell said.

"We've designed an event that goes right from somebody who wants to pull themselves off the couch for the first time, through to an elite level."

With six and three hour race options available, teams of two-to-four will navigate their way around a course to find checkpoints and gather compulsory control markers which have a points value.

The team with the most points at the completion of the course wins.

Unlike multisport events, which require a set route, Ewenson added that adventure racing embodies a more sporadic approach to navigation.

"We will give out a map on the day so people can't go off and do reconnaissance prior," Ewenson said.

"It can be kind of weird for people with us not telling them where it is, but that's the nature of the beast. It's going to be simple navigation. If you can read a street map then you're going to be fine."

Additionally, some checkpoints will be compulsory while others will be optional, offering bonus points and mystery activities, such as puzzles, archery, maze activities and co-operative team games for a chance to win extra points.

"Adventure racing's a little bit different than the likes of Coast-to-Coast multisport racing," Ewenson said.

"Multisport racing you've got a set course ... adventure racing's not a set course. You've got some set points that you've got to find. You've got to be able to navigate your way there, manage yourself and your team, but how you get to those points is up to you."

While the course is designed to be family friendly, challenges for more elite athletes will be thrown in for good measure.

"We chuck in a few places that might push outside of some normal comfort zones. 95 per cent of people will come away smiling, five per cent of people will go 'you b ******s'," Ewenson said.

"But it is achievable for everybody to participate, there's something for everybody."

As for the chance of spotting Moa, the organisers say odds are high that competitors would capture a glimpse of the thought-to-be extinct birds.

The Moa Hunt is set to take place at a mystery location within 15km of Whangarei on November 14. More information at www.kauriadventure.co.nz