Big Bang Adventure-Adventure race, New Zealand, Kapiti Coast,Mountain Biking, hiking, navigation, team building, wellington, adventure

Saturday 3rd November 2012

Mountain Biking, Hiking, Navigation, Team Building, Kayaking.

Based in the Kapiti/Horowhenua region on the North Island, New Zealand.

Less than an hour north of Wellington and an hour south of Palmerston North.

Are you an adventure-seeking person? Keen to spend time in the outdoors? Well grab your friends, family, work mates and come and join the BIG BANG adventure!

The Kapiti/Horowhenua region, with its fantastic combination of rivers and mountains, is the perfect location for the BIG BANG 6 hour Adventure Race.

Adventure Racing, along with Multisport, is one of the fastest growing adventure sports. Become part of it and challenge yourselves in teams of 2 or 4. You will mountain bike, hike, navigate and float together through some of the best landscape this region has to offer.

The course is aimed at the novice and more competent alike, so put on your outdoor gear and join the BIG BANG Adventure!!

Big Bang 6hr Adventure Race

Overview and results 5th November 2011

What a day we all had. A fresh dusting of snow on the Tararua's and a strong westerly made for a nippy roll call at 7.30am. All 58 teams were present and correct at the start line located up Otaki Gorge Road. Teams lined up perfectly in the brand new Big Bang Adventure Race bibs. At 8am the shout was made and teams started the race by running across the river bed bound for their bikes. The first section of the race took them from the river bed through farmland to a high point overlooking the Tararua's and Kapiti Island. The sky was clear and the views superb. The first uphill stretched the field out and saw the winners of the day, Team Dumb and Dumber in first position from the outset.

After locating three check points (well most teams did) and a great downhill, teams dropped back onto the road and headed east. A detour was in place that saw teams roll the die and complete the corresponding challenge that ranged fom commmando crawling to eating a lemon!. Back onto the bikes teams transitioned at School House Flats located at the end of Otaki Gorge road, to foot. They navigated across the Waiotauru Stream, up Sheridan Creek, back down and across the stream again to bush bash up to the Pukeatua track. This is where some encountered a few difficulties locating check points 6 and 7. Local Otaki team Clearheads was in third place coming off the bikes but soon dropped back to 15th when check point 7 ran away from them.

Transition was back at School House Flats from foot to water gear. The next detour saw teams throwing gumboots into their tubes. A time penalty was enforced for those who missed. The time penalty holding pen became a very popular place to hang out.

From here they made their way through bush to Blackgate Flats to tube the final stage of the race. The river was 'fresh' as teams ran, floated and kicked their way down the Waiotauru stream into the Otaki River bound for Blueslip and a small walk up a big hill to the finish line. Mother Nature, although she had held the rain off for the day, did not feel the need to take the wind away. Some teams were quite cold once they reached the finish line but a hot chocolate from Streetwise Coffee and a great feed provided by Otaki Rotary soon dealt to that.

Overall first place was taken by the male team of 2 Dumb and Dumber in a time of 4:05:45. Well done guys!

We looking forward to seeing you all again next year for an all new course in an all new location!

Rope in your friends and family and we will see you at the start line on Saturday 3rd November 2012!