FEAR Society & BENDRACING
Magnificent Chat #1
A hearty welcome to you, as one of the teams that is registered for the inaugural Magnificent Event. This communication is just meant to get you excited, and to make sure that you put in the time in the coming year to support your goal of being one of the teams to cross the finish line intact. Oh - and we’ll also be reminding you that you owe us some money come May - cause well these damn NZ safety plans and audits are eating up some serious dollars and hours and are not nearly as much fun as you’d think. All right, grab a cup of coffee and let's get started.
Note, because this initial communication is largely geared towards our international teams, it’s being written by Bendracing’s Jason Magness, the American half of the RD team. Andy’s (the Kiwi half) thoughts, when he has them, are in italics.
IMPORTANT RACE DATES:
Arrivals Jan 22-24
Pre-race check/registration/meetings 25th Jan
Race Start 26th Jan
Race Ceremony Feb 2
Departures Feb 3-4
Reality check:
You’ve paid your $500 (and we are not giving it back), and so you are committed to something big. Really big. Or at least that is what it will feel like during the first hike-a-bike that starts stage 3 (or is that stage 4, or maybe stage 6). You will be tested and you will be rewarded…or maybe you will find it all too easy and you’ll be begging us to up the ante next year (which we’ll happily do). We know the kiwi racers are tough. So most of the next few paragraphs are primarily intended for our slew of international racers (22 teams from 9 different countries).
New Zealand is big and beautiful. Most of the race will seem fairly remote, because it is. There are however a few things going for it over racing anywhere else in the world (in addition to the magnificent scenery literally everywhere!) - and those are HUTS and FAUNA. We’ll get to those in a bit. But first a note about the route/training in general.
Plan on elevation, and lots of route choices (especially on the trekking sections). The mountains here are big and plentiful and generally steep. The rivers and creeks can be rugged and swell easily with passing rain storms. The summer weather can see oppressive heat or serious snow storms all less than 24 hours apart. We played in snow several times during our vetting this past Feb. Wind is a regular part of the landscape too. If it is coming from the north it will be warmer and help your paddle legs, if it is coming from the south it will be bitterly cold and stop your boats dead in the water unless you find a lee.
This is not a “micro” navigation event. NZ topo maps are super detailed and accurate across the country to a 1:50000 level, with 20m contours. This is bigger than many of us are used to, but the terrain is just SO BIG that it works. But check out the site topomap.co.nz for an idea of what to expect. Look at the Queenstown area or the Milford Sound area…holy cow those are some mountains.
For all teams, you should prepare for mountain travel. Route-finding along ridges and valleys, negotiating safe passage through bluffs, outcrops and steep(ish) terrain is a must. Sometimes it will be in the bush, but often it will be above the bush line. Sometimes you’ll be able to see, sometimes (at night and when the clouds descend like they did when we were scouting) you’ll rely more heavily on map and compass to stay in the right place. If you cock up and end up on the wrong ridge, or maybe just make a poor choice because you don’t really understand what two 20m contour lines stacked close together might actually mean in real life - you’ll enter dangerous terrain.
And in the mountains, descending is more dangerous because you can’t always see what is ahead…so use care, and backtrack to a better route as often as it takes. There are always safe (easy-ish) ways through the mountains. Most experienced kiwis may even find it a bit soft.
Paying the Piper:
As we’ve mentioned - we are trying to run this event at a fraction of the cost of similar events that many of you have taken part in. So we need to be fairly strict with our participant commitments and payments, and we appreciate you all giving attention here. Some of you have already paid in full too, greatly appreciated. We’d love to spend as little time as possible chasing reg fees. So we’d love to see your 50% balance payment come in by May 1 if possible. If you have extenuating circumstances, reach out to us. So if you’ve only paid the $500 deposit, your next balance due is $2000 NZD.
You can pay 1 of 4 ways. Just make sure you reference “MAG” and your team name/identifier # in the payment notes.
NZ bank transfer (BNZ 02-0965-0038793-003).
Paypal ($1300 USD): If you want to pay via paypal, pay in USD and send to the address bendracingor@gmail.com.
Venmo ($1300 USD): Send to “chelsey-magness”. If it asks for the 4 digits of phone, use “3953”
If you need a different payment portal, please let us know.
Lodging:
Look - you and every other adventurer in the world loves New Zealand. Well, at least in summertime (which for you Northern Hemi folks is Dec - March down here). Which means that there will be plenty of other random mountain bikers, trekkers, and paddlers about. They likely won’t know squat about the Magnificent (they’d be jelly if they did), but they will be looking for lodging just like you. And well, we are being hosted by Lumsden, a small rural farming town surrounded by 100 times more sheep than people. So unless you are looking for a cuddle in a paddock, accommodation will be tight.
Really Jason? Jelly?
In short - book now. There’s really nothing flash, but between Lumsden, and the nearby communities of Athol, Garston, Mossburn, Waikaia, Winton and the scattered Airbnb, camping grounds, and the Lumsden School - we might just all fit. Click the links below to make contact with the options.
So get to booking ASAP. Those without a car should stay in Lumsden for sure. As you can see, just finding a place to stay is your first challenge.
Note, there will be admin Saturday Jan 25 with the race starting on the morning of Jan 26, 2024.
Lodging name/type
Lumsden Hotel - potential available space for 6 teams
Royal Mail Hotel - potential available space for 4 teams
Lumsden Motel - potential available space for 3 teams
Lumsden Campground cottages - potential available space for 3 teams
Lumsden School grounds - see notes below, potential available space for 10+ teams
Homestay options - see notes below
Athol lodge and holiday park - potential available space for 5 teams tel:+64211845444
Athol Mataura Lodge - potential available space for 2 teams mailto:info@matauralodge.co.nz?subject=Accommodation Options&body=Arrival Date:%0D%0ADeparture Date:%0D%0AAmount of people:
Athol Airbnb - potential available space for 2 teams http://airbnb.com/
Mossburn Wheels and Reels hostel - potential available space for 4 teams
Mossburn Railway hotel - potential available space for 3 teams
Garston lodge - potential available space for 4 teams
Balfour Tavern and Motel - potential available space for 1 team
Camp Taringatura - potential available space for 2 teams
Riversdale hotel - potential available space for 2 teams
Waikaia lodging - potential available space for 4 teams
School option: We are working with Northern Southland College in Lumsden, and the Ministry of Education, to secure an additional accommodation option at the school, which is where much of the pre and post race will be based. This could be a great option for international teams without a vehicle. The details are still forthcoming, and will likely allow for both camping outside but having access to showers, toilets, and indoor space, and then a number of teams being able to stay indoors in classrooms. If you run out of luck with other options or just prefer this one, reach out to Michelle (above) and she’ll keep you in the loop as we get confirmation and details.
Homestay option: There also may be opportunities to connect with locals who are either happy to host a team or bugger off and provide whole house situations. These would be folks who are keen to support the event, like being hospitable, but don’t normally offer their places up as holiday homes. So again, if you’re stuck, or even just prefer this option, reach out to Michelle and she’ll see what’s available and work to pair you up with a good place to stay. No promises, but it’s a great community, Michelle is well connected. Fingers crossed.
Once you have flights and accommodation sorted, complete this form with your itinerary.
Things to Get Excited About:
NZ is a pretty swell place, and we’re thrilled to be hosting an ARWS event in this birthplace of Expedition AR. There’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to adventuring in NZ, and we’ll be peppering these communications with some of our favorite things about Kiwi-land. Sure, if you’re a Kiwi you already know all this stuff, but maybe you don’t realize how unique some of this stuff is if you didn’t grow up in New Zealand! So bear with us, and feel free to email in your suggestions for what to include in future chats.
Huts: There are tiny hut shelters in the darndest of places all over the country. Some are private, many are public, and all are available for use in a true emergency. They are one of the coolest things about the country in my opinion, and you should at least pop your head in if you pass one. There is probably a cooker inside and some tea or coffee you could make. They are also great spots for quick nap (although other racers or backcountry users may have the same idea). There are also a remarkable number of rock bivvys all over this course. And for that matter woolsheds, farm buildings, etc. And some of the bush is so dense, it’ll keep you warm and dry no matter the weather.
Flora and Fauna: There are no dangerous animals. But there are lots of cool animals. Your favorites will likely be the sheep, deer and mountain goats that outnumber the people in NZ about 10 to 1. And they make trails. Lots of them. Everywhere. Sure you’ll not find them as easily as the Kiwi bush-folk that you are competing against, nor will the sheep trails always go where you want them to, but they will make travel so much easier. Cause you’ll spend a lot of the time during the treks in areas with no man made trails. And remember one thing, those goats are better climbers than most of you…so sometimes their trails can get exciting.
What about the plants you ask, are they as benign? Well yes in a sense, you are unlikely to have any issues with poisonous plants. There is one called the ongaonga (tree nettle), and is best avoided at all costs, but not really in the area you’ll pass through. None-the-less if you see this one completely avoid it (and know that you are probably really lost). It has a neurological poison in those little needles. So study these two images and if you see a plant with tiny white needles at the end of the leaves, just go around.
There are, however, some pretty spiky things you will encounter, and below is a list of my favorite three from the course exploration. Zoom in on those pics to the left and see those little needles full of poison.
YIKES, Don’t touch me! I’ll melt your brain and make you scream “Onga Onga!”
There are lots of yummy berries you can eat (I ate tons during the scouting), but don’t eat them unless you know. Especially the Tutu Berries. Tutu shrubs (Coriaria arborea) are common along bush tracks and river banks throughout New Zealand. Tutu bushes fruit in summer, producing purple and black berries of similar size to blueberries. Though they are sweet to the taste they are also, unfortunately, poisonous.
Most parts of the tutu plant contain the poison tutin, and there is no specific antidote. Livestock deaths have been attributed to eating tutu and there are even documented stories of circus elephant deaths. So you’ve been warned - do not eat unidentified purple or black New Zealand native berries.
But there are other fun plants you will see and likely bash through -
Matagouri, tūmatakuru, tūmatakuri, tūturi, or wild Irishman is a thorny bush or small tree that can grow up to six meters high. It has very small leaves, small greenish-white flowers and characteristic spines that may be several cm long.
Tōtara is a forest giant, with a massive woody trunk that holds aloft thousands of sharp needle-like leaves. The name 'tōtara' is probably a reference to these spiky leaves, as the word tara in Māori means spike or thorn and is used for other spiky animals and plants.
Bush lawyer or tātarāmoa (Rubus Schmidelioides), is a clinging prickly plant and can be a hazard for people walking through bush. The colloquial English name is often said to have been given because once this thorny plant becomes attached to you it will not let you go until it has drawn blood.” When you get snagged you have to stay totally still and then very carefully unhook yourself from the back-bent barbs or you risk damage to clothing or skin. Fun times.
Right, that’s it. Now give us some money, eh? I’ve got $500 an hour Traffic Management System Consultants knocking on my door…
Jason and Andy, and the rest of the MAGNIficent team.
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