 Michael
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Posted: 5 July 2005, 4:39 AM
Entries are now open for the 2005 City Safari in Lower Hutt. Its a 6 or 3hr rogaine but you can use public transport - buses and trains. A day pass is part of the entry.
It could be a fun day for the family group - the Angliss family won the 3hr section last year while collecting credits for daughter Debbie's Duk of Ed award.
But its also a serious athletic and tactical challenge, with control points spread between the Korokoro Stream and Wainiomata; and from Avalon to Day's Bay. This includes a huge number of bush tracks and hills rising to the 373m Mt Lowry, regularly the scene of Search and Rescue activity. The public transport network goes right through the area, much of it on a 15-minute frequency.
Founding partners Cityline Hutt Valley (buses), Tranz Metro (trains), Greater Wellington and Hutt City councils are enthusiastically behind the event, after overwhelmingly positive media coverage about public transport last year. So are 6hr winners Al Cross and Nigel Corry; three-time Crazyman winner Cross was excited by the combination of Lower Hutt’s bush and hill surroundings, and will back this year.
The event is run by rogaine/MTBO/sprint-O pioneers Orienteering Hutt Valley. Details on their website or go straight to www.citysafari.org.nz
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Michael
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Posted: 7 July 2005, 8:49 AM
A new text messaging service which provides the next three scheduled buses for a given bus stop will be a boon for Safari competitors. Run by the regional council its being trialled in the Hutt Valley, which has seen a 40% increase in trips in two years. Must be all those people out there training for the next Safari...
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Michael
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Posted: 18 July 2005, 4:39 PM
NZOF has made a $1000 grant to the City Safari, the majority of which has been offered to Chch and Auckland clubs to fly in members to experience the event at first hand. The event concept works in any metropolitan area, and ironically the worse the public transport the more interesting the route planning challenges. Effectively you compete on a map which changes with time:-))
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Michael
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Posted: 28 July 2005, 2:33 AM
We made a special offer to persuade Jill Westenra (multiple C2C winner) and Al Cross (multiple Crazyman winner and inaugural Safari winner) to enter teams. The two have decided to team up together. And in a different league, Shane Ross is entering as "The Generation Gap" consisting of 18-month-old, Mum and Dad, and Grandma...
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Michael
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Posted: 3 August 2005, 2:19 PM
...and Grandad (sorry pop!) And capable of giving Cross and Westenra a run for their money will be Phil Wood and Ally Davey; Wood grew up in the Hutt Valley and his orienteering background should give him an advantage. An interesting entry comes from Paul Bruce who is the Greens candidate for Southern Hutt. Strangely, the Minister and Opposition Spokesman of Transport haven't responded, what could be keeping them???
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onemanfanclub
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Posted: 5 August 2005, 5:36 PM
Hope it all goes well.
I reckon Changi airport has potential for a future venue!
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Michael
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Posted: 6 August 2005, 10:10 AM
Mixed teams filled the top two placings in the prime 6hr category of the City Safari today. Favourites Al Cross and Jill Westenra cleared 1100 points on the main event and another 80 on the 15min prologue, in spite of being a minute over on that. Quick Learners consisting of Debbie Mansfield, Julie Gordon, Glen Warner were 135 points behind, just pipping the top mens team.
Wellington City Councillor Andy Foster with Greg Thurlow won the 3hr category. 55 teams of 2-6 ranged over 70 sq.km of Lower Hutt and its surrounding bush-clad hills, strategically using buses and trains to extend their reach, in faultless weather. Full results on www.citysafari.org.nz shortly.
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Mike Sheridan
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Posted: 9 August 2005, 5:28 AM
Michael - What a fantastic event! The added dimension of public transport certainly gave you a few more options. Was especially impressed by the number of family groups that got out and had a go. I reckon Wellington city and suburbs would be good for a similar event.
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Ross
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Posted: 15 August 2005, 1:31 PM
Nice concept, especially with raising the profile of public transport... I bet the council & bus companies were thrilled!
In the nordic countries there is a series of adventure races based in/around the capital cities, although not using the public transport. The Oslo one this year put a mountain bike leg through one of the underground train stations, just for the novelty value.
Here is the link for your collection of urban navigation races.
www.c2citychallenge.com/index_2005.asp
As an aside... surprisingly enough the navigational ability of the scandinavian adventure racers is pretty low. Whereas the NZ and Oz adventure racers take the navigation as a challenge and turn up to orienteering events to learn how to do it, here they complain about it being too hard, the organisers apologise and promise to plan handrail courses next time.
good idea!
Ross
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Michael
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Posted: 16 August 2005, 8:00 AM
Thanks Ross, I see the Stockholm one is on this weekend. But kiwi adventurers would laugh at it: "A strong lamp is a must where the street-lighting do not reach. Some of the courses during Saturday are marked with paper-strips from start to finish." Where was orienteering invented again???
Still, it raises the idea of a REAL adventure race in a New Zealand city doesn't it.
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Martin
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Posted: 16 August 2005, 12:15 PM
Auckland would be a great city for a race here! It's large enough, spread out and getting from A to B on public transport is definitely an adventure in itself already...
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Michael
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Posted: 23 August 2005, 5:29 AM
Some more links to urban adventure races have been added to the City Safari website www.citysafari.org.nz
I predict that bringing adventure racing into the city will be a strong trend because of the sponsorship dollar. Did you see the urban downhill MTB event on TV yesterday - steps and stairs and even through apartments - same trend at work.
Opportunities for orienteering - PWT type events, urban rogaines with or without public transport, rogaine sections within adventure races...
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Michael
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Posted: 21 December 2005, 6:29 AM
The City Safari featured in "Orienteering Today" issue 06/2005. It also has coverage of the World MTBO Champs, including a sidebar "A surprise from New Zealand".
NWOC and PAPO have scheduled urban rogaines next year, and OHV will take its pioneering City Safari into Wellington, probably on 20 May.
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Michael
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Posted: 16 February 2006, 7:37 PM
OHV has confirmed its third City Safari will be on 20 May. Wellington offers an exciting mix of urban jungle, suburbia and green areas, with public transport routes threading throughout. The area has almost all been mapped at 1:20,000 for afterwork rogaines.
NWOC's Safari will be on 17 March, as part of the Tasman Masters Games; without public transport at this stage. And PAPO has scheduled an Urban Safari on 8 July.
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Marquita G
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Posted: 17 February 2006, 1:34 AM
Michael, why were you still awake at 3.37am???
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Michael
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Posted: 17 February 2006, 10:40 AM
Haven't you heard Marquita, rogaining is "the all-night sport". Just practising.
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