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Southern Traverse on sabbatical |
| There will be no expedition style Southern Traverse in 2009, however we are still looking at staging a 24/8hrs version down in Queenstown in the Spring. Watch out for more news! |
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FATHERLY SUPPORT |
| It’s not often a father has to choose between two daughters but Tom Clark had to make the call on which support crew to join – with daughter Sonya racing in the Powered by Velvet team and Sarah competing in the Icebreaker R & R Sport team. How did he decide? Simple – Sonya asked first!”
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FAMILIAR FACES |
| A Southern Traverse wouldn’t be the same without Jenny Day and Bryan Otty – the event’s longest serving volunteer officials. They’ve been parked up in their camper van at several transition areas and the coffee’s always brewing – a welcome oasis for anyone in need- particularly after a cold paddle!
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WAYNE’S WORLD |
| Long time Southern Traverse management member Wayne Allen almost opted to spend the night in the hills on Friday after struggling to find a route out in the fog from his checkpoint on the mountain trek in the Maukuratawhai. He eventually emerged from the gloom –“after taking three and a half hours to get out compared to two hours going in!”
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BRING HOME THE BACON |
| The Icebreaker R & R Sports team has two new support crew who have been spoiling them rotten! The team arrived in to the transition area from the Mt Garfield trek to the smell of frying bacon! Guess who is likely to be invited to be on the permanent support team!
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Note on Leaderboard |
| The leaderboard is a reflection of the placings of teams, rather than the actual times they have been through checkpoints. This is due to the added penalties of day one and the stop and start nature of this year race. Final results will be posted in a downloadable pdf form later on. |
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Canadian Adventurer |
| Canadian Heather Edward has joined the volunteer crew this year – after hunting on the net for an adventure racing team in the Blenheim region where she is currently working as a teacher. “I came across the Southern Traverse and saw they were looking for volunteers so here I am and loving it! But I’m still looking for racers in Blenheim to train with.
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Didymo Beware! |
| Southern Traverse is doing its bit to stop the spread of didymo and competitors are having to be disinfected after any river crossings. “It’s all part of the environmental care code we support, “ says race director Geoff Hunt. “Just like our mantra ‘good planets are hard to find, don’t blow it.’”
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Route finding choices |
| Although Icebreaker R&R Sport and Powered by Velvet went their own way on today's orienteering leg, there was only 7 minutes to separate them at TA3. Maybe the 7 mn it took Icebreaker R&R Sport to find water in a creek out of their preferred route... |
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Texting in AR, not a trend to follow |
| One of the key instructions from the race director before the race was “no texting while you are on your bikes” |
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Race Start at 9am tomorrow! |
| The 2008 Fairydown Southern Traverse is ready to start tomorrow in Hanmer Springs. Come and check the results page regularly for more... |
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New Naming Right sponsor |
Fairydown has joined the Southern Traverse family and we are very excited about the news!
Just click on the latest press release for more information |
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| View News in Brief Archive |
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3/09/2010 11:27:38 p.m. |
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The Southern Traverse over the years has taken on the mantle as the longest running adventure racing event in the world. Born in 1991, the event now is cemented in the annuals of the must do for the top adventure racers of New Zealand and the world.
Over the years the event has taken the athletes on journeys through many parts of the country, from the deep south of Tuatapere through the Southern Alps as far north as Separation Point in the Abel Tasman Park.
After 15 years the Southern Traverse entered a new phase with the 2008 new format.
The Classic Southern Traverse, based on the original Southern Traverse from the early nineties, was a return to the source of the expedition style Southern Traverse, with an orienteering twist. A desire to go back to a shorter race format with an emphasis on the navigation, and the decision to avoid the extreme physical exhaustion while still providing the night time race element brought us a three day adventure race packed with excitement.
The event was designed not only to test teams to the full - the fastest team was expected to cover the overall course in 30 hours, while the slowest would take about 42 hours - but also to create more camaraderie between the organisers, competitors and support crews by staying together overnight in the same camp.
While the race seemed to offer some rest, this was a trus Southern Traverse event and was therefore bound to feature some sleep deprivation.
However, and as stated in an earlier posting, there will be no Classic Southern Traverse in 2009. We have talked to a few parties, including our sponsors, and have decided that we will not run the Classic Southern Traverse this year.
While we still love the race, and intend on staging it again in the future, we don't believe that now is the right time for it.
We will not take the economic climate as an easy way out, the reason sits mainly with the fact that there hasn't been enough of a renewal of participants to make it sustainable over the last two years.
We see this now as a normal cycle - what goes up must go down - Adventure Racing in New Zealand is still strong albeit for shorter events, and more so in the North Island than in the South.
Furthermore, the international market is highly competitive, and we have not managed to secure enough prize money to attract those who could travel and be highly competitive.
We hope to stage another expedition style Southern Traverse in the future, but we will need to secure enough funds to stage it well before launching ourselves in yet another great adventure!
In the meantime, below are information and other comments on the 2008 Classic Southern Traverse held in Hanmer Springs.
2008 EVENT DETAILS
Date: 11, 12 and 13th April 2008
Location: Hanmer Springs and its surroundings, Canterbury, New Zealand
Teams
The event is open to teams of four, which is the main category, or teams of two of any mix.
2 person division: Mixed, Men, Women.
4 person division: each team must have one woman.
All members must travel together, and each team will need a support crew.
Race format:
The course covers more than 200 kms and lasts from 30 hours to 42 hours over 3 days, depending on the team speed. The race course is kept under wrap till the eve of the race itself.
Day one: 9 am start. Feature a rogaining trekking stage and two mountain biking stages over a 12 hour time frame. Estimated racing 8hrs fastest team / 12hrs slowest.
Day two: midnight start. Offer some great bush travel, river kayaking and mountain biking, as well as an ascent of two local Hanmer area mountains. Estimated racing 15hrs fastest team / 24hrs slowest before a short rest zone.
Day three: 6 am start. Features the disciplines of mountain biking and running with an orienteering / rogaining twist which may allow some teams to improve their overall placing by gaining time bonuses. Full 6hrs for all teams.
Race Programme
Race Registration & Gear Check: Thursday 10th April, 3pm - 6pm
Race Briefing: Thursday 10th April, 7.00pm
Start Day one: Friday 11th April, 9am
Finish Day three: Sunday 13th April, 12pm
Post Race Meal & Prize Giving: Sunday 13th April, from 1pm
Disciplines
Trekking
Mountain biking
Kayaking - Grade 2 certificate minimum.
Navigation
Orienteering / rogaining stage.
Entry fee: NZ$595 per person
Entry fee includes sponsor products, a prize giving luncheon, and a professionally organised event.
To download an entry form, go to registration forms and click on the appropriate link.
International competitors information
The Classic Southern Traverse welcome competitors from around the world, and we will be happy to provide as much support as possible.
International airport: Chrischurch is the closest airport to Hanmer Springs, and many airlines travel to Christchurch (either directly, or through Auckland). Air New Zealand is the national carrier, and provides excellent links, services and prices for travellers. Check their web site for further details: Air New Zealand
From Christchurch, Hanmer Springs is an easy 1 1/2 hour drive away, and there is plenty of accommodation available, from motor park to four star hotel. Check Alpine Pacific Tourism for further information.
Prizes
The overall 4 person team winners will receive a prize which will include a free entry into the next AR World Championship in Septembre 2008 in Brazil.
There will also be other category and place prizes provided by our sponsors.
Equipment
The usual equipement for adventure racing is required, which includes some of the following:
Kayaks: Teams of 4 persons must have at least one double kayak. Teams of 2 persons can use single kayaks only.
Gear List per team – First Aid kit, compass, maps (tba), one sealed mobile phone.
Gear List per Individual – survival blanket, wool or polyprop top and bottom, fleece top, fleece or woolen hat, whistle, head lamp, waterproof jacket and overpants, gloves.
Each team will be provided with a booklet which includes a full description of the course.
A full gear list is on the competitors page, and the rules and regulations document. Go to rules and regulations to download the full document.
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