Bill Edwards, Tim Wilson 1st 6hr course, 970+65=1035
Prologue - Tree 3, Sundial 5, Everything in the Civic Centre, Circa Theatre 9, Ambulance Building 14 and steel balls 15.
Main course - Vic Uni 25 Domino's 13 Mt Vic 60 Bus from Hataitai (6217) to Miramar (6238) Domino's 27 Park 34 Poo-scoop 51 Fence 42 Satellite Earth Station 90 Karaka Bay 45 Pole above the tunnel 36 Point Dorset 48 High point 62 Ataturk 81 Seat 39 Bus from stop 7094 to 7023 Truby King 53 Mt Albert 49 South Head 54 Bus from Lyall Bay (7337) to Karori (4234) Johnsons Hill 32 Skyline track 70 Wilton Bush 43 Troup picnic shelter 31 Tinakori Hill 80 Stellin Park 44 This actually adds up to 1030 points, but we forgot to write down the answer for No 62! We had intended to get more points at the end but Tim was suffering quite badly from cramp, so we opted for safety and came back very gently (I think we had very nearly an hour left at 31 near Otari plant museum.)

Can't decide whether the tactics were right or not. There was a lot of time sitting on buses (70 mins ?), and 20-25 mins waiting for buses. This seems excessive, but we were able to visit the areas with higher concentrations of points. The problem was just that we didn't do as much as we could have done at the end.

Team Norsewear (Al Cross, Jill Westenra) 2nd 6hr course, 960+70-10=1020
Prologue - all the 5's except 9 Circa Theatre; of the 10's Paddy the Wanderer and the two in the Civic Centre.
Main course - Down to Courtney Pl got Domino's 13 back to catch a bus to Kilbirnie but to our surprise got no.14 (still said Kilbirnie) which takes you up to Mt Vic/ Roseneath so thought oh well do that now (instead at end) starting with school 33 etc and hoped to catch a bus to Miramar but just missed that one so ran on thru to Miramar to Domino's 27, park 34, up to poo-scoop 51, fence 42, 90 near the satellite earth station, back south thru Karaka Bay 45 and Point Dorset 48, Ataturk 81 (I wanted to do 62 then but did seat 39 to high point 62 to 36 above the Seatoun tunnel) Had time for a drink at a dairy (in Broadway?) caught bus to Kilbirnie then Truby King House 53, Mt Albert 49, buckets 3Y, 55 trig near Owhiro Bay, 72 trig above former tip and down to 3X Tapu Te Ranga Marae, 38 the BMX jumps, bus from Island Bay, thought about doing a last-minute sprint to 25 but decided to risk it and cruised home instead. Timed the buses well, those we got! The initial decision to head this way was more frequent buses, particularly for the home run, should we get stuck plus we did the other side of town last year.

Debbie Mansfield and Julia Gordon 5th 6hr course, 1st women, 840+50-10=880
Prologue - FK Plaque 4, Sundial 5, Boatshed 6, Circa Theatre 9, Ambulance building 14, Steel balls 15, Propellor 16.
Main course - I think our route was similar to Al and Jill, Andy and Greg and Bill and Tim. We were all waiting at the same bus to take us to Miramar so obviously the place to go. Domino's 13, Bus to Miramar, Domino's 27, Park 34, Poo-scoop 51, Fence 42, Satellite Earth Station 90, Karaka Bay 45, pole above the tunnel 36, Point Dorset 48, High point 62, Seat 39, Ataturk 81 then we dropped down to the sea and walked around to 2X at the end of the airport tunnel and 18 Rongotai College then Truby King 53, Mt Albert 49, South Head 54, 3X (Marae, do you mean 3Y?), short bus ride to BMX track 38, Hospital 28, Mt Vic 60, lower slopes Mt Vic 12 then hot chocolate at Starbucks Courtney Place and a slow walk to the finish.

Tortoise and Rabbit (John and Tim Robertson) 1st 3hr course, 490+10+65-10=555
Prologue - Sundial 5, Boatshed 6, all in the Civic Centre EXCEPT the door at the bottom of the steps, Circa Theatre 9, Ambulance building 14, Steel balls 15, Propellor 16.
Main course - Link to Mymaprun. Run to Courtenay Place and around corner for #13 then back to catch the Flyer. (Had intended to catch the Miramar bus but had noticed the journey took longer). Off Flyer at stop 6395 south of airport. Ran up hill and track to seat #39, around road and down track to #81 Ataturk Memorial. Backtracked back up the hill and sidle track around to high point #62. Continued to road, across and down the track to Pass of Branda and #48 Point Dorset. Due North past old school up to tunnel and up hill and steps to pole #36 Swore that this was on the track side of the road so Tim had a breather while I stuffed around looking at all the poles!! Quick drop down the the wharf and #J boathouse. Lovely head wind to clear the cobwebs on the run around to #45 Karaka Bay and then again to Scorching Bay. Used some guesswork and found the old paved track up from the Bay to #90 near satellite earth station rather than running around the road. Found a lovely stinky bog between #90 and #42 fence and both feeling a bit worn out at this stage - still only one more big hill and then downhill home. Lovely down wind run with all sails up to #51 dog poo. Ditched going to #34 park in favour of an attempt to catch the No 2 bus from Miramar. Ended up with Domino's #27 and running along Cobham drive to stop 7029 1/2 way at 2.30pm. Then I realised my timing was out as the bus actually left Miramar up near #34 so decided to catch the next bus along. The plan was to ditch this in Hataitai and run over Mt Vic collecting #60 but the bus we ended up on went via Newtown and Basin Reserve. From here only real option was #E on the end of the Overseas Terminal and back to base.

Mike and Ryan Sheridan, 2nd 3hr course, 390+5+55-10=440
Prologue - Sundial 5, boatshed steps 6, all in the Civic Centre, Circa Theatre 9, Ambulance building 14
Main course - Sprint to Coutenay Place. 12:20 – bus to Miramar Park (with two other teams) Plan was to do as much in the Peninsula as possible and catch the 2:40 bus back from Seatoun. Quizzed on the bus as to what we were doing. Miramar Park 34, Poo-scoop 51, fence 42, satellite earth station 90, Karaka Bay 45 (running slightly ahead of schedule), boathouse J, power pole above tunnel 36, high point 62, Point Dorset 48 …sprint to Seatoun Park to catch an imaginary bus at 2:20. On checking – realized the Seatoun buses were only every 30 mins. Watched women’s soccer for 20 mins. Caught the 2:40 back from Seatoun – via Domino's 13.

Flailing Platypi 4th 3hr course, 370+15+55-20=420
Prologue - everything in the Civic Centre; Circa Theatre 9; Ambulance Building 14 and Propellor 16.
Main course - Miramar Bus to Strathmore collected State House M then by foot to Seat 39 and Ataturk 81. Eastern wlakway high point 62, pole above Seatoun tunnel 36, boathouse J, Karaka Bay 45, over the hill to Miramar Park 34, Domino's 27. Bus (blue route) from Miramar Ave to Constable St Newtown, then on foot to house near hospital 28 then back on bus, collected Domino's Cambridge Tce 13 and E Overseas Terminal then to finish.

Safari Suits (Nic Gorman, Chris Fitzgerald) 6th 3hr course and 1st Men, 320+20+65-10=395
Prologue - all the 5's except the steps near the East by West ferry and Circa Theatre; everything in the Civic Centre, and the Ambulance building 14
Main course - The safari route that suited the safari suits...
Ran to Courtenay Place, missed number 13 Domino's so we could catch (#14?) bus to School 33 and gain some valuable height, ran to seat 12, Alexandra Rd 60, football pavilion L, hospital 28 - just missed chance to get a bus from hospital to Melrose (would have saved more climb), so continued running to Truby King 53, Mt Albert 49. Contemplated the 100+ points on south coast, but next #23 bus was the one that goes to Island Bay, not Houghton. So continued running to scout hall P (bit of a wabbit infestation noted here), marae 3X, BMX track 38 (wabbits were almost keeping up - oh dear), climbed to Vogelmorn 37 past lots of bus stops not serviced on a Sunday! Walked to Brooklyn memorial 29, with one distant sighting of our last chance for a ride down to town. Limped to pylon K, crawled to Tonks cottage H, too short of time to get 13 (again!), so Chris ran home while Nic TRIED to keep up. Finished, fell down, got up some time later. Started looking forward to next year...

Yvette Baker (former world orienteering champion) with Olaf(3) and Rachel(1) 3hr course, 140+5+25=170
Prologue - Plimmers Ark doors 2, tree 3, Kitts sign 4, Paddy the Wanderer 10
Main course - I was a bit nervous as to how my little ones were going to cope with 4 hours in the middle of the day when they're usually sleeping, but we did a great little route on tracks we've never been on before, taking in a train ride, controls A Crofton Downs, 41 Ngaio Gorge, 80 top of Tinakori Hill 23 Dominion Observatory and finishing up with a cablecar. Olaf coped superbly, loved the cablecar and train, and did some great walking, and Rachel just smiled everytime someone admired her. We had a refuelling stop at control 80 on the top of Tinakori Hill for lollipops (bribery always works!) and milk and chatted with a whole bunch of teams going through.

It was a shame the harbour ferry to Seatoun wasn't running, but we would've probably done the boathouse J, Karaka Bay 45, Satellite Earth Station 90, Fence 42, Poo-scoop 51, Domino's 27 route, which although would've given us a higher score, would've been less enjoyable for Olaf in the end, as he enjoys walking on the off-road stuff. I did get a text message from my sister who lives in Seatoun half way round: "I'm on my way up Signaler's Grove and there are lots of people with maps and rucksacks - anything you need to know up here?" If only I didn't have any principles....