News

August 2024 News

Published Wed 07 Aug 2024

President’s introduction

Kia ora all. I'd like to extend an overdue thanks to all those involved in the Bivouac Outdoor Rogaine Series, especially the course planners, controllers and those running the event technology. A lot of work get put in to make these events enjoyable and smooth. We are getting big numbers to these events and they are a major contributor to the club's financial health. Also exciting to see some competitive results from our members at NZSS, congrats!

Newsletter Contents

Auckland Calendar of Events
- Forest Cup 2024
- North West Club Champs
- Whangarei Orienteering
- Lactic Turkey TrailNav/Rogaine Events
- Auckland Interclub Relay Competition
Tūāraki-Northern Regional Championships - Labour Weekend
Key events around New Zealand in 2025
- Oceania 2025
- Nationals 2025
Schools Orienteering
- AIMS Games 2024
General Orienteering News
- Junior Camp 2024
- Southern Cross Challenge 2024
Member News
- Results from NZSS Champs
- Results from the Auckland Winter Sprint Series
- Congratulations to
  - Phillippa Poole
  - Madeleine Collins
  - Gene Beveridge
- Riverhead Flag Rescue
- New Members

Auckland Calendar of Events

All upcoming events in the wider Auckland area for 2024 are on our NWOC website here
New Zealand wide events are on Orienteering New Zealand’s website here

Forest Cup 2024

August & September sees the return of the Forest Cup. This is a 4-race event shared by the three Auckland Region Clubs – NWOC, CMOC, AOC. There will be a points competition across the series culminating in a Series Finale on Sunday 15 September.

Event Details

Sunday 18 August; Forest Cup #1. Hosted by Auckland Club on the Karaka Swamp map in Woodhill Forest.
Sunday 25 August; Forest Cup #2. Hosted by Counties Manukau Club in Waiuku Forest South.
Sunday 8 September; Auckland Forest Cup Series #3. Hosted by North West Club on the Hucks Avenue map in Woodhill Forest.
Sunday 15 September*; Forest Cup #4 & FINAL. Hosted by Auckland Club on the Deviation Road map in Woodhill Forest.

Pre-entry via enterO for these events is preferred. Entries are open now for the first 3 events here

*The event on Sunday 15 September will double as the North West Club Champs for 2024. Later this month we will email all members with more information - which grade to enter etc.

Other events coming up to note are:

Whangarei Orienteering Club

Sunday 29 September, winter event at Wheki Valley
Sunday 20 October, winter event at Blakes Farm
More details here

Lactic Turkey TrailNav/Rogaine events

Sunday 22 September at Shakespear Regional Park
Sunday 13 October at Ambury Regional Park
More details here

Auckland Interclub Relay Competition

Save the date - Sunday 10 November - we need members of all ages and abilities to run in teams for NWOC. More details coming soon.

North West Event on Sunday 8 September - can you help please

We rely on the help of our members for all events hosted by North West. Whether it's helping with the setup and pitching tents or taking them down at the end of an event, helping on the registration desk or with control collection at the end of the day - we need helpers please. All those who help are awarded a voucher for discounted or free entry to another NWOC-organised event. If you're happy to help please reply to this email. This is a great way of getting to know others in the Club.

Tūāraki-Northern Regional Championships - Labour Weekend 2024

Counties Manukau will host this year's Tūāraki-Northern Regional Champs from Saturday 26 October to Monday 28 October.

Saturday 26 October: Sprint @ King’s College, Otahuhu
Sunday 27 October: Long @ Muirs Farm, Karioitahi
Monday 28 October: Middle @ Waiuku Forest North, Otaua

More event details including Bulletin 1 are here

Key events around NZ in 2025

Oceania 2025

In January, Orienteering Wellington, with support from other clubs across the lower North Island, is organising six days of racing plus two training days with time in between for travel and catching up with orienteering friends. The six racing days include two great warm-up events and finish with the four official Oceania 2025 races. The warm-up events will be held on 18-19 January in Taranaki, followed by training maps in the lead-up to the four official Oceania 2025 races from 24-27 January. Event details including Bulletin 1 are here
Please note the embargoes for this event.

Nationals 2025

Peninsula & Plains Club (PAPO) from Canterbury will host Nationals 2025 over Easter weekend - 18-21 April 2025.
All the New Zealand national championship events will be within 90 minutes of Christchurch International Airport. PAPO promises challenging orienteering across a variety of terrain with newly mapped areas. This is a great opportunity to explore the diverse Canterbury region of the South Island. Entries for Nationals will open late January 2025. Event details are here

Note to our newer members; everybody can enter these events, they are not just for elite/experienced orienteers. NWOC Club Captain, Rob Garden will happily advise members about which age band and grade to enter. Contact Rob on 021597070.

Schools Orienteering

AIMS Games

Orienteering makes its debut at the 2024 AIMS Games to be held in September.

If you're looking for some last minute training before AIMS, the permanent course at Shakespear Regional Park would provide a good challenge. See the information on our NWOC website about this and other permanent courses here

Good luck to all those NWOC Juniors heading to AIMS Games.

General Orienteering News

Junior Camp 2024

This year's Junior Camp (Years 9-13) is being hosted by Orienteering Taranaki and will be held in New Plymouth between Friday 13 and Wednesday 18 December. More details coming soon.

Southern Cross Challenge 2024

Congratulations to North West Junior, Isaac Stewart for being selected to represent New Zealand as part of the Southern Cross Challenge team. Good luck to Isaac who will compete in the Junior Boys class!

Member News

New Zealand Secondary Schools Champs held in July - results from NWOC Juniors

Sprint

Intermediate Boys Champs - Tahi Harris 3rd
Cormac Gray, Aiden Barratt-Hamilton and Zara Hong-Michael were all in the top 5 in the Year 7/8 grades.

Long

Intermediate Boys - Tahi Harris 1st
Year 7/8 Girls Champs - Zara Hong-Michael 3rd

Relay

Intermediate Boys team Mt Albert Grammar (Tahi Harris) 1st
Senior Girls team Mt Albert Grammar (Charli Spence) 2nd
Year 7/8 Boys team North Cross Intermediate (Adam Huang & Scott Tucker) 2nd
Year 7/8 Boys team Glen Eden Intermediate (Aiden Barrett-Hamilton, Cormac Gray & Cassie Koon) 3rd

It was great to see several of our newer club members travel down to the Wellington region to compete in these champs.

Auckland Winter Sprint Series

Notable NWOC results:

Course 1 Men - Liam Stolberger 1st
Course 2 Men - Mack O'Brien 1st, Ben Ross 2nd
Course 3 Men - Huxley Dewe (M12) 2nd
Course 3 Women - Emily Thompson (W12) 2nd & Lis Jennings 3rd female

Congratulations Phillippa Poole ONZM

In the 2024 King's Birthday Honours List, North West member Phillippa Poole was recognised as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her work in governance and health equity within the medical and educational community. Professor Poole, or 'Pip' as we know her, is Head of the School of Medicine at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, at Waipapa Taumata Rau/The University of Auckland. In addition to her work in the medical and educational fields, Pip is a Past President of North West and was also a member of Orienteering New Zealand's Exec for a number of years. Congratulations Pip.

Read the full citation for Pip's award here

Congratulations Madeleine Collins

North West Member, Madeleine Collins was recently awarded the 2023 Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize. Madeleine was chosen for her enthusiasm, energy and her ability to tailor her teaching to each individual student.

Madeleine will be known to many student orienteers and their parents for her work with her husband, Shaun Collins, as the driving forces of Lactic Turkey, organisers of the Auckland Secondary School Sprint Series and other AKSS events in recent years. Congratulations Madeleine.

See the full citation for Madeleine's award here

Congratulations Gene Beveridge

On Sunday 4 August, Gene won the Canadian Orienteering Champs Long distance event in the M21 category. Gene has been living in Canada for the past couple of years - he is returning to New Zealand soon!

Riverhead flag rescue

With the imminent felling of the trees on the southern part of the Riverhead Robinson Rd map a team of keen club members undertook a mission to retrieve the training control flags that have been out on the map for the last two years. Much to everyone's amazement, with Riverhead slips, mud, jungle, floods etc we retrieved all the flags minus two MIA. Some of the flags did look rather green and battered but after a scrub, wash and repair will live another day. This spring we will set out a new set of training controls in the northern part of the Robinson Rd map.