News

GODZone Adventure

One NZ GODZONE Chapter 11 Video Grand Finale

Thursday, March 16th, 2023

Chapter 11 of One NZ GODZONE will go down in the history books as a magical event where the highlights just kept on coming, perfectly balancing the tough times which can make expedition racing so rewarding. Fiordland and Southland served up a technically challenging course and stunning backdrop to the 12 stage route that saw most teams complete in less than eight days. GODZONE Event Director Warren Bates says the return of international racing teams was a highlight. " Highly experienced international teams remarked that three days at GODZONE is like six days at other international expedition races so we know that New Zealand delivers the motherload in terms of adventure experience." […]

Fear Youth’s Molly Spark Today FM Interview

Monday, March 13th, 2023

[…]

GODZONE CHAPTER 12 – DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2024

Saturday, March 4th, 2023

New Zealand’s preeminent adventure race One New Zealand GODZONE has announced the twelfth chapter of the largest expedition race in the world for February next year. GODZONE Chapter 12 will be held from 29th February – 9th March 2024 in an as yet undisclosed New Zealand location. "We are thrilled to announce that Chapter 12 will be held in the first quarter of 2024 as we wrap up what has been a hugely successful eleventh event in Fiordland this week,” says GODZONE Event Director Warren Bates. "Our management team has worked hard behind the scenes with regional tourism organisations to secure an incredible new location for Chapter 12. The event will be held in a region of New […]

GODZONE LUCKY LAST TEAMS

Friday, March 3rd, 2023

Where are the Bears have the honour of being the lucky last full course team to cross the One New Zealand GODZONE finish line at 2am this morning (Friday) as a fully ranked team. There were plenty of Jimmys Pies and beers to cheer them in after their long nine day odyssey around the 580km course. It was a bit of a family affair with team mates Michael Lieshout, Greg Lieshout, Gerard Lieshout and Kathryn Lydiard completing the course together. Meanwhile the team who snuck in just before them at midnight as second last fully ranked team Team 21, Mates in Construction had good nutrition and mental health as their race motivation. Luke Carroll - packhorse and motivator, Ian Walsh - […]

GZ Chapter 11 Day Seven Highlight

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

A big stage for the latter part of the race, the Takitimu Mountain trek will be a memorable one for teams who traversed through the high peaks and towering cliff faces. They had to make an early decision on their route selection to Telford Hut and most teams chose to go high and gain altitude quickly. After the Telford Hut, competitors veiwed the majestic mountains of this range. There were only a few teams who missed the short course cut off today (Wednesday) at 6am and missed the stage […]

SWEDES SLAY FIRST PLACE PURSUIT

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

The first team in the Pursuit category came across the One New Zealand GODZONE finish line this afternoon after putting in a stellar performance throughout the race. Team Kolmarden Adventures were thrilled to take the win with Swedes Christer Casselsjo, Mats Rojgard and Magnus Blomgren congratulating their Kiwi team member Bridget Dick at the finish line. "We only met each other just before the race and Bridget has been a great member of our team," said Casselsjo. " "We really enjoyed the race and did not find the navigation to tasking." GODZONE Race Director Warren Bates praised Team Kolmarden Adventures as the very first international team to win the GODZONE Pursuit […]

International Trophy Hunters

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

Australian team Thought Sports represented at Chapter 11 taking out the official One New Zealand GODZONE International Trophy. The experienced team of Rob Preston, Katheryn Preston, Tim Boots and Robbie Hunt completed the race in just under five days having duelled constantly with team Tiki Tour for third place. The Australians eventually settled for fifth spot crossing the finish line behind Team Rab Wahine who claimed fourth. Rob Preston said the team enjoyed racing in the top five, were stoked with how their race went and found the Fiordland scenery incrediable. " We were really happy with our performance racing alongside other top New Zealand teams. GODZONE has the best courses […]

GODZONE Chapter 11 Day Six Highlights

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

All the finish line fever was on hype today for Day six of One New Zealand GODZONE as the first wave of teams had the Riverton end game in their […]

TVNZ TRIBUTE TO AVAYA GODZONE WIN

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

TVNZ One Sports pay tribute to Nathan Fa'avae and team Avaya as the champion adventure racing team take out the win at One New Zealand GODZONE. Presenter Hayley Holt jokes that Nathan will probably retire by doing a Coast to Coast as he hangs up his expedition length adventure racing […]

NO IDEA CLAIM SECOND WITH TIKI TOUR THIRD

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Team No Idea crossed the One New Zealand GODZONE finish line in Riverton just after pm today, ending a ding-dong battle for second place with Team Tiki Tour. Will Hand (28) from Nelson, Will Adlam (26) from New Plymouth, Amy Mannering (29) from Nelson and Shaun Palmer (25) from Christchurch were thrilled to take out second place at GODZONE Chapter 11, repeating their efforts from last year. "It has felt much more comfortable this year to come back and have a good race," said team captain Will Hand, "and now last year’s second place does not feel so much of a fluke.” The team finished the 580km course in four days and 22 hours, arriving eleven hours behind the winner's […]

TEAM AVAYA REIGN SUPREME

Monday, February 27th, 2023

One of the world’s most acclaimed adventure racing teams has wrapped up two decades of racing by winning New Zealand’s premiere expedition race, One New Zealand GODZONE, in Riverton this evening. (Monday 27th Feb) Adventure racing world champions Nathan Fa’avae, Sophie Hart, Stu Lynch and Chris Forne of Team Avaya crossed the Taramea Bay GODZONE finish line at pm. They underpinned their adventure racing prowess by completing the gruelling 560km Chapter 11 course in an impressive four days, 8 hours, and 45 minutes. “We had a great race with a plan to push reasonably hard from the start to create a gap, settle into a rhythm and travel at a comfortable speed,” said Nathan […]

GODZONE Chapter 11 Day Five Highlights

Monday, February 27th, 2023

As the One New Zealand GODZONE leading team Avaya arrived at TA8 early this morning, mid pack teams were approaching the Takitimu Mountain Range from the other side - including Thomas Slee of team Hags whose parents run the high country station the course goes through. A very warm, sunny Southland day was on the cards for all teams as the leaders hit the Oreti River first and the back teams were still emerging from Lake Monowai ridge line. As GODZONE wraps day five - all sights are set on a finish line tonight in […]

TIKI TOUR SHOW EXPERIENCE

Monday, February 27th, 2023

One New Zealand GODZONE Team Tiki Tour completed a solid trek over the Takitimu Mountain range today arriving at Pleasant Valley TA8 just before 4pm to hold onto their current third position on the full course. The team have put up progressive performance since day one of Chapter 11 showing their strength and tenacity to deliver the goods for with their new look team consisting of Queenstown brothers George and Tom Lucas with Ali Wilson and Eyrn Cutter. Tiki Tour took just over 24 hours to complete the arduous stage 8 Takitimu trek and were pleased to meet their support crew, family and friends and TA8. The team look likely to complete the next stage 9 mountain bike […]

PUSHING THE LIMITS

Monday, February 27th, 2023

Current second place team No Idea are sticking closely to their game plan of running their own race and getting onto the One New Zealand GODZONE podium. The team arrived into TA8 Pleasant Valley off the 50km Takitimu Mountain traverse just after today. They were tracking six hours behind leaders Avaya and looked pretty weary on their feet after the last four days of racing at the pointy end of GODZONE. " It was a long night out there in what seemed to us to be challenging conditions," said No Idea team member Will Hand. " It was really misty and foggy up the top but we managed the navigation and stuck to the lines which seemed to work." He said the mountainous terrain was […]

Water Flows Change Oreti River Kayak

Monday, February 27th, 2023

The Oreti River 'put in' for GODZONE'S Stage 10 kayak has been moved down river to the contingency TA9 due to extremely low water flows at the top of the river. TA9 has moved from Dipton Flat and is now located on the outskirts of Winton in Southland - some 20kms down stream. This means the teams will now bike further on the stage nine Taringaura bike section and lose hours paddling time in exchange for one additional hour on the bike. Teams and support crews have been informed of this amend at […]

AVAYA LOOK TO ORETI RIVER

Monday, February 27th, 2023

The early bird catches the worm. Team Avaya were first off the 50km Takitimu Mountain traverse this morning and into GODZONE TA8 Pleasant Valley having a laugh and a joke with the waiting media team. Listen to Nathan Fa'avae talk - all focused on their execution of what's coming up rather than looking back at what's been (is that an analogy for life right […]

EYES ON THE FINISH LINE FOR AVAYA AT GODZONE

Monday, February 27th, 2023

World champion adventure racers Nathan Fa’avae, Sophie Hart, Stu Lynch and Chris Forne of Team Avaya are executing an exhilarating performance at One New Zealand GODZONE to hold onto their first-place position as the race enters its fifth day. The team has spent the last 24 hours traversing the high reaches of the Takitimu Mountain Range on stage 8 of the 12-stage expedition race through Fiordland. They arrived at the Pleasant Valley transition area at just 7 am this morning. “Today is going to be a bit of a mystery for us with a little 60km bike ride that should be relatively uneventful, I hope, but then there is quite a lengthy kayak stage down the Oreti River,” said Nathan […]

GZ Chapter 11 Day Four Highlights

Sunday, February 26th, 2023

A game of two halves at One New Zealand GODZONE on Day four as lead teams cranked racing up an notch it felt like racing was really on. Meanwhile some tired bodies and broken feet further back in the field with the teams keeping on moving […]

TESTING TIME ON TAKITIMU’S

Sunday, February 26th, 2023

The world's largest expedition race is a test of strength and skill for teams out the front racing hard for a place. With the best adventure racers leading the charge it would be easy to underestimate the challenge they take on at a pace to retain their champion moniker. Yes, Avaya are doing the hard yards right now! As the GODZONE race clock ticks over 3 days and 3 hours, they are high on the Takitimu Mountain Range heading for CP25. GODZONE Race Director Warren Bates says Avaya are moving competently and quickly - as you would expect. "There are a couple of route choices on this stage 8 section that will see most of these more experienced teams like Avaya choose the high mountain […]

PURSUIT TEAMS HOLD STRONG

Sunday, February 26th, 2023

Three teams in the Pursuit category have held strong to their current front of field placings on day four of One New Zealand GODZONE. Kolmarden Adventures, are in first place, 'Trek n Travel' from Cambridge and Tauranga in second and 'Perfect Strangers ' from Amberley. Kolmarden Adventures team captain Christer Casselsjo, Mats Rojgard and Magnus Blomgren are from Sweden with Bridget Dick from Gisborne. They arrived at TA6 today looking super relaxed and pleased to stop and hang out with their support crew in the sunshine. " The race so far has been quite good for us, we feel very restful and have had more sleep than in any other race we have done," said Christer. " Lots of sleep […]