eNewsletter 209 - Monday 18th August, 2025
G'day fellow rogainers In this newsletter |
Help needed for the NSW Champs, Mt Werong, 13-14th Sept
Catering for a 24-hour rogaine has its special challenges, especially in a remote location, but these events literally march on their food. It is a long tradition that participants are well fed and good food also has a social role -- it contributes to camaraderie and enhances the experience of a night out in the bush. That's why as rogainers we set high standards for our events, including our food offerings. The catering team still needs more members Many thanks to all who have already expressed some interest in helping us run the Hash House, but we could still use more help. Robin and John have already developed a full catering plan, including volunteer requirements. The catering tasks have been organised to be flexible so that, depending on volunteer numbers, those taking part might also participate. You'll help feed dozens of hungry people and earn volunteer points too. Also needed: food mules & trailer haulers Robin would also like to hear from anyone coming up who could help with transporting or picking up food. It won't all fit in the trailers. There is also the ongoing need for people willing to tow our 2 small trailers from Killara up to the event and back. They are small enough to be towed by any conventional vehicle, will be pre-loaded, and are easily managed. So, if you have a vehicle with a tow bar, you could earn an easy 60 points towards the 100 points for a future free entry, and still go in this rogaine. If this is for you, please drop an email to Robin - volunteer@nswrogaining.org for more detailed information so you can choose your involvement from our schedule of catering, or any other outstanding tasks. Volunteers make rogaines happen. Thanks! |
Enter the 2025 NSW & Intervarsity Championships
For your calendar: add event date & add closing reminder "Werong a mission" Welcome to the 2025 NSW 24-hour Championships, also incorporating the annual Intervarsity Championships. One month out, and the course is already at an advanced stage of preparation with setting and vetting essentially complete. The final logistics are being completed now. All members of the organising team agree it's an awesome area and it'll be a great event, so don't miss out on the opportunity to do it. Mt Werong lies within the westernmost section of Blue Mountains National Park, only a 3-hour drive west of Sydney and around 50 km south of Oberon. The location means it'll be a great opportunity for NSW rogainers to test themselves against their ACT counterparts. This is one of only two 24-hour rogaines in the NSW calendar and despite its 'championship' label, it is open to all ages and fitness levels, from novices and families walking, through to bushwalkers and champion runners.
Why do a 24-hour rogaine? With a 24-hour event you have more options -- either stay out all night, or come back for a meal at any time, get some sleep, have a hearty breakfast, and then go out for a while before the lunch that will be provided. In the words of Tristan White, a champion rogainer and one of this year's organisers and setters: "The 24-hour championship rogaine is a very special event which allows participants to fully embrace the traditional rogaining experience, as all of the early rogaines were 24 hours in length....It is only in a 24-hour rogaine that a team is really able to test their endurance, concentration and teamwork in an event like no other....I've heard it said that the area in the western Blue Mtns or Southern Tablelands is some of the best rogaining country in the world - light bushland, few tracks, clear topographical features without being too steep and rugged, and the Mt Werong area is the epitome of that...."
Tristan has come to appreciate the "uniquely brutal joy" of the “traditional” 24-hour rogaine and has written a thoughtful blog entitled A metaphor for life: the 24-hour rogaine. It might encourage you to sign up for Mt Werong, so check it out. Key info at a glance:
Timings of map availability, novice briefing, final briefing and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date. Stay up to date by regularly visiting the event page on the website. A team finder service and info for novices with advice on what gear to bring, what to expect at a bush event, and other information can be found on the website.
Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships This year, the NSW Championships incorporates the Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships, which runs concurrently and highlights the best intervarsity teams from across the country. For more information, and how to apply for uni team travel grants, visit the intervarsity home page on the Australian Rogaining Association website. Event bus To save yourself from trying to drive when tired, a return bus will be available from Mt Victoria railway station. Tickets can be purchased for $50. Bookings for the event bus close 11:59pm Monday 8th September. The bus will leave Mount Victoria Railway Station at 6:30pm on Friday 12th September, and leave the Hash House at 2pm Sunday 14th September, aiming to arrive back at Mount Victoria Station in good time for the 4pm city train. For more info, see the event page.
Catering The current catering plan is:
Facilities, camping & accommodation At the Hash House:
Camping is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights and camping fees are included in the entry fee. Nearby accommodation is available in Oberon (convenient for those travelling from Sydney), and Taralga (convenient for those travelling from Canberra). Final Instructions Final Instructions, including further details on the location and more event-specific info, will be posted on the event page on Monday September 8th. Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org
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Lake Macquarie 6/12-hour -- summary & results
Ivan Koudashev & Tristan White who cleaned up the 12-hour in under 11 hours The most memorable thing about this year's Lake Mac rogaine may well be the incredible rain. August 2025 is headed for the wettest on record. Despite the weather, admin hurdles including no permitted Friday night camping, and a crowded event calendar to compete against for numbers, attendance was pretty healthy at 271 participants in 110 teams, split roughly 4:1 between the 6 and 12-hour events. These numbers were the highest for a Lake Mac since the big post-Covid comeback year in 2020. Congratulations to Ivan Koudashev and Tristan White (above), the overall winners of the 12-hour, completing the entire course (3790pts) in just 10 hours 52 minutes and 55 seconds. The mixed team of Elizabeth Reid and Stewart Hancock came second with 3550pts. The overall winners of the 6-hour were a mixed team of superveterans, Andrew and Nicole Haigh, getting 1910pts with 4 minutes to spare.
Looking over the map, and imagining the roughness of the terrain and the bush out there, it is just extraordinary that anyone could possibly clear all of that in well under 12 hours. This was the latest in a series of rogaines spanning 3 decades in the Watagans. In this one, the traditionally tough 100% bush course was draped over both sides of the ~350m high N-S Sugarloaf Range, a feature flanked by steep slopes punctuated by 2 layers of sandstone clifflines on both sides, which potentially added some spice to the night navigation. But in the daytime, the views on offer from the higher areas were superb. Read more about the course, and how Chris Stevenson's team tackled it, in his blog "Sugarloaf Spectacular". You'll get a lot of sage advice from one of our veteran rogaining tragics!
Results The category winners in the 12-hour event are as follows:
*This team cleared the course
And here are the category winners in the 6-hour event:
The full results and many quality photos by our event photographers Bruce & Rosie Sutton and Mike Watts, are available on the event page.
A big thanks to our volunteers Listed below are those who worked very hard under somewhat less than ideal weather conditions to keep this year's Lake Mac rogaine well on course:
The table above only scratches the surface when it comes to the heroic efforts of just a few people who really did the heavy lifting to ensure this event took place. They are the perennial Newcastle-based crew consisting of Anita Bickle, Bert van Netten, Bob & Pam Montgomery, Sue Beric, & Dianne Winchcombe. On top of everything else, Anita, and Bob & Pam, drove all the way to Killara and back to collect and then return the 2 trailers with all the gear. Without that level of dedication there'd be no Lake Mac rogaines.
Finally, we'd also like to acknowledge the valuable publicity help from the manager of Paddy Pallin's Kent Street store, Manish Shrestha, and also Jack Hawkes at the Seven Hills warehouse, who generously allowed us to distribute a large number of promotional flyers for this event. |
2025 NSW rogaining calendarThe NSW calendar for 2025 is summarised below. Check it out or grab a flyer at the next event. An updated ‘fridge-friendly’ printable calendar (pdf) is also available for download. Put these dates in your diary, but remember to check the website as there may be further changes.
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Some useful links |
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About NSWRA: The New South Wales Rogaining Association inc. (NSWRA) is the governing body of the sport of rogaining in the state of New South Wales.
We are incorporated under state law. ABN 15 314 080 648. © 2025 NSW Rogaining Association |