The area in Woodhill Forest near Auckland includes a number of orienteering maps, but the map used for the event was prepared for the 2002 national MTB-orienteering champs. At a scale of 1:20,000 and 10m contours, it is halfway between a detailed orienteering map and a topo map. Like a topo map, the degree of passability of the forest isn't shown, only the difference between forest and open. But unlike a topo map, every track in the place is marked, resulting from the preparation for the bikers. In fact, Lactic Turkey ran a bike rogaine (known in Britain as a "Trailquest") on the same map the next day.
Behind "Team Sprackavana" (who have entered in the elite class of the Southern 6-Days Orienteering in January so their junior-ness may be a bit doubtful!) were orienteers Mark Lawson and Jeff Greenwood, and the threesome of Gus and Lach Grey and Daryll Taylor. Well-known multisporters Jim Davidson and Penny Webster were top mixed and top vets and fourth, very appropriately as their team name was "Fourmidable". Fiona McBryde and Christina Sergeant running as the "Bush Bunnies" topped the womens category with 10th overall.
There were just on 100 people in 40 teams. Lactic Turkey runs another similar weekend at Riverhead Forest on 20/21 December, except that this time the Trailquest is on the Saturday and the rogaine on the Sunday. Results and the winning route have been loaded on the Lactic Turkey website.
This page was written by Michael Wood, and installed on 12 Dec 03.