After talking to the major landowners, planners Tony Gazley and John Veal have taken the decision to postpone now, to give plenty of notice expecially to travellers from a distance. The landowners are happy to have the event when the pasture and stock have recovered, and the event will be rescheduled to later in the year. Those who have already entered will be contacted individually.
This isn't the first mapsport event postponed because of the drought; the first in the Wellington Orienteering Association's "Orienteer of the Year" series on 2 March was postponed due to fire risk in Manawatu forests, and the second event on 6 April is also in jeopardy. These are the same forests used for the World Masters Orienteering Champs in Jan 2000, and the Australia-NZ Orienteering Challenge in Jan 2002, perhaps a bit earlier in the fire season and in the case of 2002 following an exceptionally wet spring.
Meanwhile, The Rock and Pillar EPIC near Middlemarch planned for May has been postponed to August, this time for date clash reasons. Middlemarch is also very dry at present, although a major orienteering event took place there in the middle of March.
Looking on the bright side, RogaineNZ has just received advice of a 6 and 3hr rogaine in Marlborough on May 4, and the Autumn Mist 12hr in the Wairarapa is scheduled for 17 May. And the long-running CUTC 24hr Walk is also on 17/18 May. Download entry details for these, and the PAPO Heights of Winter (14 June) via links from the calendar.
This page was written by Michael Wood and installed on 28 Mar 03.