Both courses got as far as the cleared former forest overlooking Maymorn before heading north along Station Drive. The men had controls beyond the gliding airstrip, the women slightly less far, before returning via the classic route choice: a technical downhill single-track, three times as far re-using Station Drive, or a track with slow sections somewhere in between. Finally the courses dropped down through recent logging where the kidnapping bunker control was last year. Though you wouldn't know it - the place looks completely different without trees.
But also on course 2, Steve Betts won the large Vet Mens class by 3 minutes from Graeme Silcock, after riding from his home in Khandallah to Wellington Railway, and from Upper Hutt railway station to the event. Then he went on to win a sprint challenge on a 1:3500 enlargement of the map. This was a mass-start, any-order dash around twelve controls set up for beginner familiarisation, in which a maze of tracks on the grass had been created by planner Michael Wood with a low-set lawnmower. Betts' time of 11-12 was 30sec faster than Starnes.
But that's not all. Betts was planning to return home the same way, and on his way out he detoured through the tunnel and picked up 5 controls, dropping them for the planners to pick up by car! He must have some sort of bug, last Saturday he ran the Tararua Mountain Race, which follows the Southern Crossing of the Tararuas normally tramped in a full weekend. And on Wednesday night he ran the OHV 3hr shoestring rogaine at Miramar!
The courses provided for ordinary mortals as well, with a shorter Course 3 won by Christine de Roo, and recreational riders catered for with a 90min score course open to solos, pairs and groups. As well, newcomers which included juniors from age 8 were given a briefing by experienced riders and could ride a mini-course on the "lawnmower map".
The next event in the Wellington series will be at Maungakotukutuku near Paraparaumu on 16 April. Steve Meeres is planning score courses for all classes.