Stage 1: Chapter 11 of One NZ GODZONE kicks off in the gateway to Fiordland, the beautiful township of Te Anau. Teams will ride the Lake2Lake mountain bike trail which, travels along the boundary of Fiordland towards Rainbow Reach and beyond. The trail is relatively easy in gradient and teams will make fast progress towards their destination at Mararoa Weir, having passed the shores of the stunning Lake Manapouri on the way. Expect a fast peleton of riders as nobody wants to get dropped at this early stage.
Full Stage 1 Details…

Stage 2: Teams will canoe down the Grade II river towards the confluence with the Borland Burn. There is a Dark Zone from 9pm on Thursday evening so, all teams will be paddling as hard as they can to ensure that they clear the river in time. Those canoes are heavy and nobody will want to carry them any long distance. Teams who are still on the river at 9pm will have to pack up their canoes and walk to the next Transition.
Full Stage 2 Details…

Stage 3: A stunning and varied trekking stage that takes teams through a mixture of native forest, tussock and open mountain tops before descending down to a sheltered beach and bay. Every team will compete the first half of this stage in the dark, with most of the considerable ascent taking place through native beech forest. This is the first real navigation test of the race. There are lots of checkpoints on this stage that will make for a good pinpoint navigation challenge. Sunrise will hopefully bring some epic views.
Full Stage 3 Details…

Stage 4: A chance to rest the feet for the big treks left to come. A scenic lake paddle between the two remote (unsupported) Transitions on the course. In low wind and daylight, this will be a good stage to eat, recover and make good progress. Teams who have taken longer on Stage 3 will face challenging night navigation on water which, is always much harder due to the lack of easier landmarks to work off. If the wind is blowing hard and in the wrong direction, times could be considerably slower.
Full Stage 4 Details…

Stage 5: A relatively straight forward bike ride sees teams exit South Arm Lake Manapouri and up the 1000m+ climb of the Borland Road. This is a road used to service the power network that is sourced from Lake Manapouri itself. Once over the Borland Saddle, teams will make very fast progress on the long descent down towards the shores of Lake Monowai and the Transition at the camp there.
Full Stage 5 Details…

Stage 6: A tough stage. Teams will depart the camp at Lake Monowai and head up on to the ridge that traverses the southern shore of the lake. There are multiple options to take getting up on to the ridge. Once on the ridge itself, there will be the additional challenge of staying on the right ridge line for the duration, until the decision is made to swing in a more southerly direction towards Lake Hauroko and the Thicket Burn Transition. Multiple route options exist in the second half of this trek and teams will have to pick their line carefully to avoid areas of steep, bluffy and slow terrain.
Full Stage 6 Details…

Stage 7: The longest bike stage of the race but pace will be relatively healthy without any monster climbs. A welcome chance to cut through some kilometres after the tough Stage 6 and before another tough trekking stage to come. Teams will have to keep their wits about them in the Rowallan Forest. This is the same as most logged forestry areas with a few extra tracks on the ground that don’t exist on the maps. The second half of the ride takes teams through the private stations of Mt Linton and Wairaki, which are beautiful properties bordering the southern end of the Takitimu Mountains.
Full Stage 7 Details…

Stage 8: A big stage for the latter part of the race with teams facing a west to east traverse of the Takitimu Mountains. Teams have a decision to make early on in their route selection to CP25a with at least three options available. Teams will get high and have a chance to survey the majestic mountains of this range from the higher points of this stage. There is a Short Course cut off with teams needing to depart before 6am Tuesday to continue on the Full Course. Teams departing after 6am Wednesday will become Unranked and miss stage 7.
Full Stage 8 Details…

Stage 9: The first half of this bike ride is quick as teams head broadly downhill alongside the Aparima River towards the Taringatura Hills. Then it is a solid climb up into the Taringatura Forest and a traverse of the summit area. More confusing trails exist but teams who have made it this far and avoided the Short Course cut off will be fully focused on minimising errors. There is a Dark Zone on the next stage which, will have some teams hurrying to get the stage done as fast as possible so they can get on the river, knowing that any enforced camp will result in a long, well-earned sleep.
Full Stage 9 Details…

Stage 10: A very long kayak on the Oreti River which, heads all the way to the estuary confluence with the sea. The latter stages of the river are tidal and may slow or speed up times on the water. At very low tides, teams may be forced to carry their kayaks across the estuarine mudflats to enter the Transition. The Oreti River is Dark Zoned for its entire length meaning that some teams will be forced to camp between the hours of 8:30pm and 7:00am. There will be no time credits given to teams caught in the Dark Zone on the river. Teams that arrive at Transition during Dark Zone hours will have their restart time adjusted based on arrival times. In short, the earlier you arrive, the earlier you can depart from 7am onward. In the very low flows seen in Southland of late, this could be a loooonng stage.
Full Stage 10 Details…

Stage 11: You can almost sniff and see the finish from this bike ride! A quick jaunt near Sandy Point will take teams on to the Oreti Beach with its relatively firm sand and speedy travel towards Long White Lagoon. The sound of the sea and closeness to home will be a great reward for those dreaming of the finish. No navigational issues to ponder; point and ride. The Transition at the end of this stage is unmanned and teams will make a very fast change to the final trek.
Full Stage 11 Details…

Stage 12: A final trek to the finish line. A quick jaunt along the beach and and teams will have cracked Chapter 11. First, get over the deeper than you think creek at Long White Lagoon and then traverse the sand dunes. Teams must then stay on the sand all the way to Riverton before negotiating town and a short path back on to the beach finish. On a good day, this walk is stunning; and on a bad day, the backdrop is suitably dramatic. A fitting way to end another epic Chapter of One NZ GODZONE.
Full Stage 12 Details…

Stage 1: Chapter 11 of One NZ GODZONE kicks off in the gateway to Fiordland, the beautiful township of Te Anau. Teams will ride the Lake2Lake mountain bike trail which, travels along the boundary of Fiordland towards Rainbow Reach and beyond. The trail is relatively easy in gradient and teams will make fast progress towards their destination at Frazers Beach, on the shore of the stunning Lake Manapouri. Expect a fast peleton of riders as nobody wants to get dropped at this early stage.
Full Stage 1 Details…

Stage 2: The top few kilometres of Lake Manapouri and Waiau River are relatively calm and tranquil. Things change once the teams reach Mararoa Weir. After a short portage, teams will paddle down the Grade II river towards the confluence with the Borland Burn. There is a Dark Zone from 9pm on Thursday evening so, all teams will be paddling as hard as they can to ensure that they clear the river in time. Teams who are still on the river at 9pm will have to pack up their packrafts and walk to the next Transition.
Full Stage 2 Details…

Stage 3: A stunning and varied trekking stage that takes teams through a mixture of native forest, tussock and open mountain tops before descending down to a sheltered beach and bay. Every team will compete the first half of this stage in the dark, with most of the considerable ascent taking place through native beech forest. This is the first real navigation test of the race. There are lots of checkpoints on this stage that will make for a good pinpoint navigation challenge. Sunrise will hopefully bring some epic views.
Full Stage 3 Details…

Stage 4: A chance to rest the feet for the big treks left to come. A scenic island hop and lake paddle between the two remote (unsupported) Transitions on the course. In low wind and daylight, this will be a good stage to eat, recover and make good progress. Teams who have taken longer on Stage 3 will face challenging night navigation on water which, is always much harder due to the lack of easier landmarks to work off. If the wind is blowing hard and in the wrong direction, times could be considerably slower.
Full Stage 4 Details…

Stage 5: A relatively straight forward bike ride sees teams exit South Arm Lake Manapouri and up the almost 1000m climb of the Borland Road. This is a road used to service the power network that is sourced from Lake Manapouri itself. Teams have to bring out all their packrafting equipment on this stage so, even if the distance is relatively short, the climb and weight on in backpacks will be considerable.
Full Stage 5 Details…

Stage 6: A tough stage. Teams will depart the Borland Saddle and head towards Lake Monowai. After collecting a few checkpoints along the way, teams have the option of continuing with their packrafts or leaving them behind at CP19. Teams might make faster progress with the packrafts but, they then have to carry those packrafts (and other items) later in the stage through the high mountains. It will be a judgement call based on perceptions of speed over the ground, terrain, navigational ability and maybe even the time of day that the stage is tackled. Expect some interesting decisions at this point.
Full Stage 6 Details…

Stage 7: The longest bike stage of the race but pace will be relatively healthy without any monster climbs. A welcome chance to cut through some kilometres after the tough Stage 6 and before another tough trekking stage to come. Teams will have to keep their wits about them in the Rowallan Forest. This is the same as most logged forestry areas with a few extra tracks on the ground that don’t exist on the maps. The second half of the ride takes teams through the private stations of Mt Linton and Wairaki, which are beautiful properties bordering the southern end of the Takitimu Mountains.
Full Stage 7 Details…

Stage 8: A big stage for the latter part of the race with teams facing a west to east traverse of the Takitimu Mountains. Teams have a decision to make early on in their route selection to Telford Hut. Go high and do more altitude gain. Go low and a bit longer, picking up the trail up the Telford River. After the Telford Hut, teams will get high and have a chance to survey the majestic mountains of this range. There is a Short Course cut off with teams needing to depart before 6am Tuesday to continue on the Full Course. Teams departing after 6am Wednesday will become Unranked and miss stage 7.
Full Stage 8 Details…

Stage 9: The first half of this bike ride is quick as teams head broadly downhill alongside the Aparima River towards the Taringatura Hills. Then it is a solid climb up into the Taringatura Forest and a traverse of the summit area. More confusing trails exist but teams who have made it this far and avoided the Short Course cut off will be fully focused on minimising errors. There is a Dark Zone on the next stage which, will have some teams hurrying to get the stage done as fast as possible so they can get on the river, knowing that any enforced camp will result in a long, well-earned sleep.
Full Stage 9 Details…

Stage 10: A very long kayak on the Oreti River which, heads all the way to the estuary confluence with the sea. The latter stages of the river are tidal and may slow or speed up times on the water. At very low tides, teams may be forced to carry their kayaks across the estuarine mudflats to enter the Transition. The Oreti River is Dark Zoned for its entire length meaning that some teams will be forced to camp between the hours of 8:30pm and 7:00am. There will be no time credits given to teams caught in the Dark Zone on the river. Teams that arrive at Transition during Dark Zone hours will have their restart time adjusted based on arrival times. In short, the earlier you arrive, the earlier you can depart from 7am onward. In the very low flows seen in Southland of late, this could be a loooonng stage.
Full Stage 10 Details…

Stage 11: You can almost sniff and see the finish from this bike ride! A quick jaunt near Sandy Point will take teams on to the Oreti Beach with its relatively firm sand and speedy travel towards Long White Lagoon. The sound of the sea and closeness to home will be a great reward for those dreaming of the finish. No navigational issues to ponder; point and ride. The Transition at the end of this stage is unmanned and teams will make a very fast change to the final trek.
Full Stage 11 Details…

Stage 12: A final trek to the finish line. A quick jaunt along the beach and and teams will have cracked Chapter 11. First, get over the deeper than you think creek at Long White Lagoon and then traverse the sand dunes. Teams must then stay on the sand all the way to Riverton before negotiating town and a short path back on to the beach finish. On a good day, this walk is stunning; and on a bad day, the backdrop is suitably dramatic. A fitting way to end another epic Chapter of One NZ GODZONE.
Full Stage 12 Details…

The above table outlines the basic statistics for the GZ PURE Course. There are three Cut Offs on the course that will ‘capture’ those teams who had no prospect of completing the Full Course in the time allowed. The critical Cut Off for teams hoping for a Full Course finish is at TA7 (end of Stage 7) at 6amTuesday, with teams having to START Stage 8 Takitimu Traverse before this time. Teams that fail to START Stage 8 by 6am Wednesday will become Unranked and miss that stage. All teams must be off Stage 10, Oreti River, by 1pm Friday otherwise they become Unranked.

The above table outlines the basic statistics for the GZ PURSUIT Course. The route follows the GZ PURE course very closely with only minor adjustments to a couple of Transition Areas and stage distances. They will use canoes instead of packrafts. The Short Course cut offs are identical to those laid out above for the GZ PURSUIT course.

Please note that all times, elevations and distances are rough estimates. We don’t always know which way the teams will go, how often they will go around in circles and how long they will sleep. Weather and other factors outside of our control may have a profound impact on timings, along with the more usual variables: river flows, sleep, transitions, dark zones and navigation mistakes!