The date for the NZ MTBO Champs has been confirmed as 2 and 3 November,
The WACO club will also be running two introductory MTBO events in a different
part of Woodhill Forest, on Sat 7th September and Sat 19th October. A website
for the championships is currently being designed, and the URL address will
appear here soon.
Arrangements for the 2002 New Zealand MTB-Orienteering Champs are coming to
fruition. The area will be Woodhill Forest near Auckland, a huge area stretching
along the west coast from Muriwai to the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour. It is
extensively used for orienteering on foot, and also for mountain-biking, with
a MTB-Park near the forest headquarters. Out of towners could stay anywhere
in Auckland (preferably west of the city centre) as the area is under an hour
from downtown; or at Helensville/Parakai where there are hot pools.
The event will be run by the Waikato and Auckland Campus Orienteers (WACO) which made its name for innovative coaching activities before being "sucked in" to running conventional events like the rest of the orienteering fraternity! However this shows it still has an innovative streak. The planner will be National Orienteering Squad member Melissa Edwards, and the controller Rob Crawford who holds an international "Event Adviser" qualification from the IOF.
The date has been the tricky thing, with multiple recreational use of the forest to fit in with,
not to mention marrying the calendars of mountainbikers and orienteers. The date of
2/3 November seems likely, subject to persuading the foot-orienteers to move an event
in the interests of maximum attendance. More details when known.
Written by Michael
Wood and installed on 25 Jun 02.