The field survey of the area for the NZ MTB-Orienteering Championships in Ngaumu Forest, Wairarapa, has been completed, and the result drawn to the MTBO standards of the International Orienteering Federation. These mapping standards (already used for MTBO events in the Wellington region) enable the orienteer to take part in competitions in any part of the world, regardless of language or where you come from. The mapping has been done by Michael Wood of MAPsport Services, who makes orienteering maps for a living, and has taken part in MTBO in France and Britain.
Michael and Brent Hoy are currently working on the courses, so as to provide the most teasing route choices and navigation, and variety of riding conditions. For a championship event to be fair, conditions on the ground must be correctly shown by the map, and this will be checked by an independant controller, Andy Clayton from Hanmer Springs. Andy who was the chief organiser for last year's NZ Championship will visit the forest in two weeks time, and will also check the location and code letter of every control just before the event.
Michael describes the area as having more scope than Hanmer Forest, where he controlled last year's championship. "Hanmer had a really nice network of tracks in the flat area close to the village, but once you got further afield the forest blocks got quite large and steep. The Poroporo block of Ngaumu Forest has a nice mixture of maintained forest roads, unmaintained logging tracks, and single-track made by Brent for his MTB races there over the years. You'll be riding in mature trees, some of it quite dark, and crossing recently logged open spaces with views of the "fairy-tale" peaks characteristic of the area. You'll also be able to choose routes that brush past young trees just over head height. I think you'll like it!"
Entries close on 10 Sep for the championship, which also has recreational classes for anyone who doesn't consider themselves competitive.
This page is maintained by
Michael Wood,
and was installed on 25 Aug 01.
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