Rogaining is not only an unusual word, it's also an unusual sport.
Six hundred athletes entered the annual Great Forest Rogaine in Whakarewarewa Forest yesterdayto complete either a six or a three-hour orienteering race, on foot or on a bike.
Competitors were given a map with checkpoints on it, each worth different values.
Teams plotted their route by map, choosing the most efficient way to get to as many points as possible before getting back to the start point at Whakarewarewa School.
First-time rogainer Sarah Wills teamed up with fellow Galatea outdoor enthusiast Julie Aidney, who had completed rogaines before.
The pair, who did the event on foot, were relieved to complete their route on time.
"Some points were a challenge, others were super easy," Aidney said.
Wills said rogaining was something she would do again.
"But for now, I am looking forward to some pizza."
Orienteering Bay of Plenty member David Blundell set the course this year.
He was pleased with the event because he "had not had any complaints".
"My aim was that people would see parts of the forest they had not seen before, even locals."
He had 32 years of riding and running experience in the area and had been planning the course for the last four months.
"A different course setter is needed every year so there is a fresh course with new things to see."
Blundell said the highlight was watching families and kids competing together.
"I was not expecting this many when I set up, but it was not a problem," he said.
Fellow organiser Neil Kerrison described his role as "the advocate for the competitor".
He had to visit Blundell's points before the event and check that they were "fair".
Kerrison has been involved with the Great Forest Rogaine for the last four years.
"People are saying it was better than last year. The warm weather obviously helped."
The club's volunteer organisers could not compete because they knew the checkpoint locations ahead of the race.
"The course has to be kept top secret, but that's not too hard," Kerrison said.
He said the only "spanner in the works" on the day was a technical difficulty with the "flash timing system".
"A specialist from Taupō helped us out with that."
The New Zealand Secondary School Rogaine Championships were held as part of the event.
Juniors competed in the three-hour race on foot and seniors competed in the six-hour equivalent.
Rogaine results
NZSS 6 Hours - Senior Boys
1st - WARTS PINK, Whangarei Boys' High School with 2040 points in 5hrs 58mins
2nd - Trippin Nuggets, New Plymouth Boys' High School with 1970 points in 5hrs 56mins
3rd - 2xSam, Cambridge High School with 1940 points in 5hrs 57mins
NZSS 6 Hours - Senior Girls
1st - CBnJ, Diocesan School for Girls with 1630 points in 5hr 47mins
2nd - Sacred Heart Girls College (NP) with 1390 points in 5hrs 49mins
3rd - WARTS PURPLE, Whangarei Girls' High School with 1330 points in 5hrs 46mins
NZSS 6 Hours - Senior Mixed
1st - Jenna Will Win, Havelock North High School with 2110 points in 5hrs 58mins
2nd - Shrek and Donkey, New Plymouth High Schools with 1970 points in 5hrs 56mins
3rd - Blake Burns, Woodford House/Havelock North High School with 1630 points in 5hrs 44mins
NZSS 3 Hours - Junior Boys
1st - Kamikaze Kids, New Plymouth Boys' High School with 1090 points in 2hrs 53mins
2nd - NBHS all stars, Napier Boys' High School with 1080 points in 2hrs 59mins
3rd - Rabbit in Vestation, Havelock North High School with 1010 points in 2hrs 52mins
NZSS 3 Hours - Junior Girls
1st - Western Springs Jnr Girls, Wester Springs College with 890 points in 3hrs 2mins
2nd - Sacred Heart Girls College (NP) with 820 points in 2hrs 55mins
3rd - THS RUN 2, Taradale High School with 800 points in 2hrs 58mins
NZSS 3 Hours - Junior Mixed
1st - Better late than never, Sacred Heart/Francis Douglass with 1070 points in 2hrs 49mins
2nd - THS RUN 4, Taradale High School with 740 points in 2hrs 47mins
Foot 6 Hours - Junior
1st - Murphy's Law with 540 points in 5hrs 33mins
Foot 6 Hours - Men Open
1st - Green Eggs and Ham with 2200 points in 5hrs 51mins
2nd - Born to Pun with 1660 points in 6hrs
3rd - Newstead Bulls with 1630 points in 5hrs 56mins
Foot 6 Hours - Women Open
1st - Lost Locals with 1420 points in 5hrs 39mins
2nd - Puss n Boots with 1340 points in 5hrs 51mins
3rd - Beach goes Bush with 1320 points in 5hrs 39mins
Foot 6 Hours - Mixed Open
1st - Stray Route with 2120 points in 5hrs 49mins
2nd - No Idea with 2050 points in 5hrs 54mins
3rd - The Ori-o's with 1850 points in 5hrs 46mins
Foot 3 Hours - Junior
1st - Macleans 1 with 1190 points in 2hrs 56mins
2nd - Long-haired Layabouts with 460 points in 2hrs 51mins
3rd - Peregrine Falcons with 340 points in 2hrs 44mins
Foot 3 Hours - Men Open
1st - Team Peat with 1270 points in 2hrs 58mins
2nd - Dumb + Dumber with 1200 points in 2hrs 50mins
3rd - SWIFTY with 690 points in 2hrs 44mins
Foot 3 Hours - Women Open
1st - May the Force be with Us with 1010 points in 2hrs 59mins
2nd - I'll Be Right Back with 940 points in 2hrs 57mins
3rd - McWilson with 920 points in 2hrs 55mins
Foot 3 Hours - Mixed Open
1st - BS with 1070 points in 2hrs 59mins
2nd - Go4it with 1070 points in 3hrs 3mins
3rd - Do you even Rogaine Bro? with 1030 points in 2hrs 55mins
MTB 6 Hours - Junior
1st - Eucritta melanolimnetes with 670 points in 5hrs 28mins
MTB 6 Hours - Men Open
1st - Younger than we look with 2520 points in 5hrs 55mins
2nd - The Panting Pansies with 1930 points in 5hrs 50mins
3rd - Totally Random with 1660 points in 5hrs 58mins
MTB 6 Hours - Women Open
1st - Lunachicks with 1490 points in 5hrs 56mins
2nd - Like Mother Like Daughter with 1390 points in 5hrs 58mins
3rd - The sea cucumbers with 1130 points in 5hrs 54mins
MTB 6 Hours - Mixed Open
1st - Fed and Hungry with 2370 points in 5hrs 59mins
2nd - Captain Planet with 1780 points in 5hrs 49mins
3rd - Don and Mel with 1660 points in 5hrs 49mins
MTB 3 Hours - Junior
1st - Caitlin and Ruby with 840 points in 2hrs 59mins
2nd - THS BIKE 1 with 560 points in 2hrs 56mins
3rd - THS BIKE 2 with 560 points in 2hrs 56mins
MTB 3 Hours - Men Open
1st - Sketchy Lines with 1220 points in 2hrs 50mins
2nd - Soggys Little Helpers with 1160 points in 2hrs 58mins
3rd - Red Rockets with 1020 points in 3hrs 1mins
MTB 3 Hours - Women Open
1st - Blistered Sisters with 1120 points in 2hrs 59mins
2nd - Kat and Gen with 1010 points in 2hrs 55mins
3rd - Rambling Ruckus with 810 points in 2hrs 56mins
MTB 3 Hours - Mixed Open
1st - Fit & Fat with 960 points in 2hrs 58mins
2nd - Fook Yeah with 870 points in 2hrs 51mins
3rd - Q + D with 770 points in 2hrs 58mins
The Māori All Blacks face Scotland in Whangārei on Saturday.