eNewsletter 215 - Monday 2^nd February, 2026

G'day fellow rogainers,

Welcome to the first newsletter for the year

In this newsletter

• Entries close Monday 16^th 3-hour Minigaine, Swansea, Sun 22^nd Feb
• Entries open 6-hour Explorergaine from Mt Victoria, Sun 29^th March
• Ferrygaine: a 3/6-hour harbour event out of Cockatoo Island, Sun 20^th Sept
• Cool Socialgaine animation -- see where your team went!
• Please add newsletter@nswrogaining.org to your email address book
• Combined NSW & ACT 2026 Rogaining Calendars

Swans, Sea, & Caves minigaine, Sun 22^nd Feb

For your calendar: add the event date & add entries closing reminder

Entries close Monday 16^th

The first rogaine of 2026 will be our 3-hour minigaine starting at Swansea High School on Sunday 22^nd February, just over 90 minutes drive (~150 km) north of Sydney. The event has a solo entry option.

This Minigaine highlights spectacular coastal and Lake Macquarie views accompanied by eccentric local birdlife. The course includes coast, urban and bush areas extending north over the Swansea bridge to Blacksmiths and Pelican. The bridge over the entrance to Lake Macquarie opens for maritime traffic on the hour, so see if you can time this right.

Post event snacks and drinks are included in the entry fee.

The Hash House will be at the Swansea High School at beautiful Caves Beach. Toilets and drinking water will be available at the school.

A range of accommodation can be found in nearby Caves Beach, or at Swansea, Belmont, and all the way up the road to Newcastle. There are playgrounds, coffee shops, open air showers and many opportunities for a dip if it gets warm.

Key info at a glance:

Grannies Pool

Course times:

Sunday 22^nd February 2026

Timings of map availability, novice briefing, final briefing and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date.

Near Swansea is the infamous Reid’s Mistake. A fun name for a rogaine control.

Enter Here

Note: Participants can be on the course for as long or as little as they wish between 10am & 1pm. Points are deducted for each minute (or part thereof) you return late (after 1pm). All points will be lost if a team or individual has not returned by 1:30pm.

To keep up to date with any changes, regularly visit the event page on the website.

Info for novices with advice on what gear to bring and other information can be found in the learning centre on the website.

Helpers needed

We still need several Hash House helpers on the day as well as flag collectors afterwards. Note that anyone who volunteers at NSW rogaines will earn reward points towards a future free entry, and that some roles will still allow participation.

Final Instructions

Final Instructions containing more event-specific info will be posted on the event page on Monday 16^th February.

Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org

"Through a bird's eye, my fellow locals Marg & Rob have laid a magnificent course!"

6-hr Explorergaine, Mt Victoria, Sun 29^th March

For your calendar: add the event date & add entries closing reminder

Entries are open

The Explorergaine is the first 6-hour rogaine of the year. It will be held on Sunday 29^th March on Mt Victoria and Mt York, situated on the western edge of the Blue Mountains about 1 hour 45 minutes drive (~120 km) west of Sydney. Whilst it is in the Metrogaine slot on the calendar this rogaine will be mostly on bush tracks.

The event has a strong historical theme and is also a fundraiser for the Australian Himalayan Foundation^#. Greg Mortimer, one of the first two Australians to successfully climb Mount Everest, will attend as a special guest.

The course explores the first routes (known to Europeans) off the western side of the Blue Mountains, dating back to the first "discovery" exploration by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813, as well as Cox, Lockyer, and many others as they forged the first roads.

There are outstanding views over the Megalong Valley, Hartley and west to the Great Divide. Expect a surprisingly complex choice of bush tracks both close to the Hash House and for the fit and strong down to Hartley Vale. This event has something for everyone. The course setters are planning 50+ checkpoints.

Whether you’re a seasoned rogainer or a newcomer looking to explore a new area this is an event steeped in history and not to be missed.

The Hash House will be at the Mt Victoria Public school which is an excellent venue and has all facilities. Additional school gates will be opened to provide access from different streets.

There is a mix of accommodation available in the Blue Mountains towns and Lithgow, including campgrounds, holiday lets and motels. There is the Blackheath Tourist Park with cabins, glamping and camping, and elsewhere in the Blue Mountains there are free campsites at Mt York, Hartley Vale and in the Megalong Valley. There is also the Blue Mountains YHA, 207 Katoomba St, Katoomba. Make a weekend of it and stay over. If you come up on the Saturday there are heaps of things to see and do in the mountains.

Key info at a glance:

Course times:

Sunday 29^th March 2026

^*There'll be a dual start/finish option on either side of the Great Western Highway, removing the need to cross this major road in a crowd.

Timings of pre-event briefings and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date.

Enter Here

In case there are any late changes, stay up to date by regularly visiting the event page on the website.

Info for novices with advice on what gear to bring and what to expect at a bush event can be found in the learning centre on the website.

Note: Participants can be on the course for as long or as little as they wish between 10am & 4pm. Points are deducted for each minute (or part thereof) you return late (after 4pm). All points will be lost if a team or one of its members has not returned by 4:30pm.

Transport options

Driving

• Driving from Sydney: Approximately 1 hour 45 mins – Great Western Highway main route but Bells Road is also an option.
• Driving from Canberra: Approximately 3 hours 30 mins.

Carpooling is encouraged to save on petrol and limit the effect of parking on the local community. Parking is available in local streets and the nearby Memorial Park car park.

Train

The new Mariyung trains service this line. Train times are subject to confirmation. Sit in the rear carriage:

• The 06:24 train departs Central Station platform 6 with stops at Strathfield, Parramatta, Blacktown, and Penrith before all Blue Mountains stops. This train arrives Mt Victoria at 08:48, with just a short walk to the Hash House. The event map will be available on the website from 08:00 and we also hope to have a volunteer on the train handing out paper maps as well (in the rear carriage).
• Return train departs Mt Victoria at 17:18, arriving Central at 19:41.

Info for novices with advice on what gear to bring for a bush event and other information can be found on the website.

Help still needed

Organiser Julian Ledger, Course Setter Steve McKay and Vetter Ian Brown seek additional volunteers. In particular, there is a need for a volunteer to distribute paper maps from 8:00am to train travellers in the rear carriage. You must board the train at Springwood or an earlier station. If you can help, contact julianledger@optusnet.com.au.

Other roles include flag hanging and collecting and help on the day. If you've been to the Himalaya and experienced the warmth and hospitality of the mountain people who have so little, you'd appreciate the work the Australian Himalayan Foundation does, and we’d love to hear from you. Register at Volunteer for a Job - NSW Rogaining.

Final Instructions

Final Instructions containing more event-specific info will be posted on the event page after entries close.

Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org

^#The Australian Himalayan Foundation (AHF) is an independent, nonprofit organisation with DFAT accreditation that works to improve quality of life in remote areas in Nepal, Bhutan and Ladakh. The AHF partners with trusted local organisations to deliver long-term, community-led programs across education, healthcare and the environment. A portion of the rogaine entry fee (we hope $15) will be passed on to the charity.

3/6hr Ferrygaine, (LCRG VII), Sun 20^th Sept

For your calendar: add the event date & add entries closing reminder

This is early notice for what is shaping up to be a truly first-of-its-kind rogaine, so please put it into your calendar now

Some thought the legendary LaneCoveRivergaine series had reached its final stage when we farewelled the river at its mouth (sort of), at the Heads of Sydney Harbour in November 2024 (LCRG VI).

But wait, a seventh LCRG is coming in 2026, and this one promises to be the best of all. This will be the first ever 'ferrygaine' and it will be preceded by an orienteering event at Cockatoo Island on Saturday 19^th September.

Since both rogaines are limited to 500 participants each to avoid overcrowding the ferries (we are hiring our own ferry too), and this is expected to be a hugely popular weekend for rogaining and orienteering, we encourage you to enter as soon as entries open and to INDEPENDENTLY book your camping/glamping on the Friday and Saturday nights ASAP to avoid missing out.

Go to Cockatoo Island camping (Sydney Harbour Trust).

Base map thanks to Hamish Mackie

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in a rare rogaine combining land and water elements.

Key info at a glance:

Glamping tents and eating facilities on Cockatoo Island

***A weekend of navigational sport***

As well as the rogaines on Sunday, you can enter an orienteering event on Saturday afternoon run by Big Foot Orienteers. Also, for the very keen, you can try out the permanent Cockatoo Island MapRun Orienteering Course at any time during the weekend.

These should be pretty compelling reasons for you to make a weekend of it and camp on Cockatoo Island!

To keep up to date with any changes and for much more info, regularly visit the event page on the website.

Socialgaine animation -- track your route

Dan Howe has sent us his cool team movement visualisation of last November's Socialgaine. Click on the map above, and then in the new browser window that comes up, drag on the dot in the scroll bar under the map to visualise individual team routes and scores thru time.

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NSW & ACT 2026 Rogaining Calendars

Below is the latest info as our 2026 calendars firm up. The dates for two more very important interstate rogaines coming up in 2026 have also been set. Planning an interstate trip? Check out the ARA's National Rogaining Calendar.

In all cases, remember to check the respective websites should there be any changes since some of the events are many months away.

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