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Country Wide Magazine – April 2021 Taihape vet, farmer and family man Anthony Oswald finds adventure racing takes his mind off the everyday as well as being good fun. Annabelle Latz tracked him down to find out more. Multi day adventure racing means entirely removing yourself from society. Your entire focus is about getting to

He loves New Zealand so much, so bugger it, he’ll draw it. Meet Martin Rogers, you’ll probably be more familiar with his work than you realise, as he’s the man you can thank for the stunning logs of wood we call the GODZone trophies. It all started way back in 2012, just before Chapter 1

The Legends Trophy went to Team Swazi (19) for GODZone Chapter 9 Rotorua. For each GODZone this Trophy is awarded by the race organisers to the team that, in the twilight of their sporting careers, show how it should be done. The Legends Trophy is open to both race categories. And true legends, as the

The weather has turned, the sun is out and the last team – Unfinished Addiction (37) – at the back of the field, is slowly moving forward! Day eight of GODZone has a super positive vibe wherever you are on course. The finish line is humming, the music is playing and the Cargo brews and

Where’s Warren? Buying gumboots. Well, that’s fair. It was late afternoon of Day 7, down on the finish line at Waipa Hub. It was wet, very wet. Puddles everywhere. The rain falls hard and fast in Rotorua, all of a sudden. And then it’s gone. And then it comes back again. The rain in Rotorua is not

Day seven at GODZone and teams at the back of the field are taking the brunt of Chapter 9. With cold, wet weather socking in over the Kaimanawa ranges its been a very long 24 – 48 hours for some who are struggling to make and find their way across the 88km trek and down

Former All Black Captain Richie McCaw has leveled up his performance at GODZone today to take out a second-place alongside his isport teammates, Coast to Coast champions Dougal Allan and Simone Maier, along with Theo Wordsworth. “I have to say it’s nice to get to the finish line – I was concerned that during that

Event Director Warren Bates Wraps Day Six

Nathan Fa’avae, Chris Forne, Sophie Hart, and Stu Lynch of team Avaya clocked up their fifth win of the world’s largest expedition adventure race this morning when they pedalled across the GODZone finish line. The foursome arrived at Waipa Hub in the Redwoods forest south of Rotorua at am, after five days of adventure

Team Avaya is heading for the Redwoods and not too far from the GODZone Chapter 9 finish with some world-class MTB trails in the iconic forest; a fitting way to finish off GODZone Chapter 9. The team has been all action since starting the race nearly five days ago, and while it may come as

Emerald pool after emerald pool, trout, deer, and changing weather patterns. A scope out high over the Kaweka and Kaimanawa Ranges this morning brought into context just the magnificence of the area these GODZone Chapter 9 teams are gracing. Race Director Adam Fairmaid said it was interesting to see how spread out all the teams

The pain & the

RE: from high to low

GODZone Chapter 9 is not easing up, and neither is the pace nor the anticipation. In a ‘normal’ sport, one would say you could safely bet your bottom dollar that Avaya (56) will reach Waipa Hub in the Redwoods first, most probably on Wednesday morning. But as Race Director Adam Fairmaid says, adventure racing is

RE; back country rapids and race strategy

RE: Listen to Richard Anderson talk strategy

RE: from the Mohaka River to the mountain tops

Behind the current podium potentials there’s a few shifts going on. It looks like Ataraxia MACPAC (01) and Racer’s Edge – Powered by Torpedo 7 (21) are spending Monday evening and night taking turns in the fourth and fifth spots over the Te Iringa Track and Mohaka River. Both teams are very well respected by

RE: push and pull

RE: food for racers

RE; he is one tough cookie

RE: Rogaine pain

It’s at this stage of the race that doubt starts to creep in for some teams, as to whether they will make the cut off or not. Day Two has just about come to an end, with the top half of the field on the Stage 4 rogaine which takes them through the Whirinaki State

RE: the adventure's getting real

For all those dot watching junkies out

RE: what he really thinks

RE; setting the pace

A fun, fast day to kick things

Some showmanship from the top teams

Where are teams

Thats a rego wrap

RE: Richie ready to rumble

Welcome everyone to GODZone Chapter 9 in Rotorua. All competitors please see below an official welcome to the region from Rotorua Mayor Stevie Chadwick, the competitor briefing with Race Director Adam Fairmaid, the safety briefing with Wayne Allen, a general briefing with competitor liaison Keren McSkimming and a GODZone race patron Steve Gurney. Mayor Stevie

RE: The latest news

Almost time for another Chapter. North Island awaits.

Who will be the placegetters at Chapter 9

It's gonna be an epic in Rotorua

Richie McCaw announces he's Chapter 9

How long do you think the Chapter 9 course is?

NZ's iconic adventure race pivots to new format

New Beer Partnership

Get ready for March 2021

Returning GZ champions

Who is racing Chapter 9?

The Marokopa Munter held in New Zealand’s Central Plateau last week bought good results for high profile adventure racing team Tiki Tour who took out the event and gained top points to claim victory in the 2019 A1 Series and the coveted prize of a GODZone Chapter 9 team entry. Tiki Tour team members racing

New Zealand’s iconic expedition length adventure race GODZone put the ‘Sold Out’ sign up just one day after opening entries back in September and has now confirmed one of the largest fields will line up in Rotorua next November. The nine-day event gets underway in 12 months in Rotorua from the 19th – 28th of

New Zealand is experiencing a growth in adventure racing with the world’s largest expedition race, GODZone, leading the charge. GODZone Chapter 9, to be held in Rotorua in 2020, sold out in less than 24 hours last month, notching up another win for the prestigious adventure racing event. Of the more than 360 competitors confirmed

Everyone wants to race in the home of the sport

It's a sell out!

Making history in Rotorua with Chapter 9

Official website goes live

Mark the calendar for 2020

First North Island Race Location

Here they

New teams and a competitive international line up

Inside his helicopter hanger McCaw divulges view

Mark Nevin - what a legend

Giant NZ bring E-bikes to GODZone

Who is on the Chapter 8 team list?

Australian adventure racing team Thought Sports recently won the Adventure 1 Series in Australia for 2018 and an entry to race at GODZone Chapter 8. Team captain Rob Preston talks to us about the teams goals and aspirations for racing in New Zealand. What are your team goals for Chapter 8? We would like to

Competitors in the world’s largest expedition adventure race, GODZone, will be well fed during Chapter 8 of the event with Back Country Cuisine coming on board to support the teams. The pioneering freeze dried meal business is backing New Zealand’s premier adventure race being held in Canterbury from the 10th – 17th March 2019. Based

Canterbury is a major adventure drawcard

Excitement builds for Chapter 8

Any hints on where the Chapter 8 course will go?

Nathan Fa'avae brings expertise and experience

Chapter 8 hosted by Akaroa in 2019

Chapter 8 hosted by Canterbury Region

Chapter 7 brings rewards

And getting lost in the woods with your

The last teams are across the GODZone finish line in Te Anau. Team 51 Nothing Ventured were the first to arrive and welcomed by an enthusiastic waiting crowd of friends, families and locals who had been on tenterhooks for the last 24 hours. Balloons, children, streamers, bubbles, laughter and looks of relief were the order

'That south coast track was just '

Who got carried off?

Would have graced the start line 60 years

Volunteers just want to get amongst it

It’s an adventure for the support crews too

By Hannah Johnston

The Kepler Mountains have been the focal point for the last several days of racing where teams have moved between Fiordlands two great lakes – Manapouri and Te Anau. The mountains make up much of the northern shore of Manapouri and the South Fiord of Lake Te Anau. Hidden at the top of the trek

As the 8th day of race kicks in its clear teams have discovered expedition racing at GODZone provides real adventure and many days on their feet. Over half of the 92 teams that started last Thursday have arrived at the finish line in Te Anau but there are still plenty more to arrive. All teams

Learning mor about where you live

All sorts can happen in the thick Fiordland bush

There was a tight group of 3 Pursuit teams eager to head off on their last stage of the race this morning from Brod Bay to the finish line. Having been dark zoned off the lake last night the teams had caught up on sleep and paddled across a milky calm lake to an early

A great way to see a new place

Helping get the messages around the world

Telling the story of GODZone

Dark Zones Dark zones kick in tonight on Lake Te Anau. This will affect Pursuit and short course teams paddling from Brod Bay to the finish line. They will be required to stop paddling at 9pm and camp or stay in TA7. Teams will receive time credits and be restarted in the morning at five-minute

Kai pai Tiki

When bodies are pushed to the absolute limit

Yes please!

The youngest member just having a blast

super chilled out

What a battle

First placed team

"we are pretty cold, pretty "

The Pursuit course

"Wow!"

Busy day five with finish line underway and teams still trekking stage 3. Here is an update from the race directors Warren Bates and Adam Fairmaid…