Three rogainers visited all controls in the Hawkes Bay rogaine on Saturday. The 12-hour event was held in farmland and pine forest at Puketitiri, not far from Makahu Saddle better known as the overnight campsite for the Kaweka Challenge mountain race.
National Orienteering Squad members Jamie Stewart and Neil Kerrison from Auckland outclassed all opposition by completing the course (150kb) in 11hrs27, in spite of a start-line glitch which saw them briefly return to fix a broken pack-strap. They covered 57km on a course which ranged from 400 to 988m, including "swimming" a 1.5km section of the Mohaka River. Here's another view of the course at a higher magnification.
And the other person who visited all the controls was course planner Geoff Morrison, of Havelock North. Not so surprising perhaps, unless you know that six months ago Morrison broke three vertebrae in his neck, narrowly escaping tetraplegia or even worse. Still unable to turn his neck or run, the determined Hawkes Bay OC member checked out the 110 sq.km area and placed all 33 control markers.
Second-placed team went to a pair of multisporters: Hamish Goodwin who has been doing more and more orienteering in the Hawkes Bay, and Tim Wilkins, a member of the Sportzhub team which just two and a half weeks ago was tussling for the lead in the Southern Traverse! They earned a score of 1580 out of a maximum of 1730.
The top mixed team from Wellington/Hutt Valley consisted of experienced supervet Michael Wood and two fit young orienteers to carry the sedan chair: Andrew McCarthy and Penny Kane, who is NZ orienteering champion in the classic distance. Their score of 1190 placed them 7th overall. And the womens prize went to previous strangers Helen White, secretary of Egmont Orienteers, and local resident, landowner and entrepreneur Deborah Turner. They were 15th with 840 points.
There was an 8-hour category popular with mixed teams, in fact there was only one mens team in it! Gillian and Malcolm Ingham from Wellington won with a scoring rate better than 3rd place in the 12-hour category! And a 4-hour event won by "Two artificial hips, a heart bypass and a crook knee". This consisted of Max Kerrison (Neil's father, Taradale), Colin Tait (Masterton) and Ted Sapsford (father of the Kaweka Challenge, Hastings). But they were only 10 points ahead of mixed team Alister and Vicki Coulter and Nola Estcourt from Bay of Plenty, who were only 10 ahead of mother and daughter Janet Dobbie and Rita Homes (Wellington).
The event was held in showery but warm conditions, as the prevailing westerly weather which brought rain to much of the country spilled over the ranges. It was held in daylight from 7am to 7pm. About 100 people took part in 41 teams. Results have been posted.
This page written by Michael Wood and installed on 8 Dec 02.
