Resources

State of Play

Well, the wait is almost over! It is time to get excited about the epic adventure that lies ahead. Just a little over one month to go until you set off on what will be a fantastic tramping, biking, paddling and navigational challenge, where you will get the chance to see some spectacular landscapes and showcase some of the best parts of New Zealand to the huge number of avid supporters, social media followers and dot-watchers. Given how well prepared you all are, this will be a relatively brief Newsletter with just a couple of very important updates, which are outlined below in more detail.

Please note that the Welcome, Safety and Course Briefings will be done in person at the Marlborough Events Centre. Teams can arrive at Registration ready for gear checks, followed by the formalities of the briefings. Once inside, you will collect your custom-made Macpac Race Bib and head around the different gear check stations. There will be a safety check of certain key items. The items to be brought to Registration are outlined below. We do NOT need to see all your Mandatory Equipment, just the items below and trust teams are sensible enough to ensure that all their gear meets the standards required and that they are carrying the correct items.

We are not having an official, mass, prize giving making the opportunity to connect at registration in person all the more valuable. Teams will be welcome to depart as soon as they have reached the finish line and smashed a few premium local pies and beer.  Another reason we don’t formalize a prize giving is that the course stays open for 8 or 9 days, and the leading teams might have to wait 4 days for the course to close and for celebrations to begin. This is a long time for someone who has a business to run, job to return to, family at home waiting, etc. It goes without saying that teams and their supporters are more than welcome to come back to the beautiful finish area to welcome in friends and rivals who are racing in other teams.

That said, please note, we are looking to have a gathering to thank race partners, landowners and celebrate teams who have finished while continuing to support those still out there on Wednesday evening, so please keep that in mind in your planning.

Course Update

Not too much to add here of note but some general observations are provided. It goes without saying that we have no idea what the next month will bring. Stage timings provided as a rough indication on the Logistics Planner could be much slower on a paddling section if there is little to no flow. As always in New Zealand, the long range forecast is crystal ball gazing. It also doesn’t take long for those bush and forested areas to dry up. This combined with windy conditions, increases the fire risk significantly. Teams are reminded that lighting fires around the course is prohibited. If you are in a backcountry hut and you are cold, sure, light a fire and get warm (remembering to do all the right things in terms of restocking firewood for the next person who might need it). Anywhere else on the course, lighting a fire is a strict no-no. In any forestry area, it could be catastrophic. Do not even think about lighting a fire in an area of dry forest. Be sensible.

There is just one remote Transition Area on the course where teams will not have access to their support crews. This remote TA is the final TA of the course to ensure your support crews are there to welcome you at the finish line. Duffle bags will be transported by event staff to the remote locations so that teams can access the equipment that they need. All other TA’s will be open to support crews. A couple of the TA’s are smaller and there could be time limits imposed if space becomes limited. This will be communicated to support crews on how long a team can be there and when a support crew can arrive and depart. This is to stop a mass build up of vehicles and campsites. Three transitions are particularly well suited to a longer stay. We are excited to introduce One NZ supplied Starlink Connectivity to all TA’s to provide important team updates so that support crews can get tracking information in what are relatively remote areas. While we are connecting ourselves to the outside world, most of these Starlinks are strictly for race communications and will not have public wifi available. All details on the best stop locations and any related rules and regulations will be laid out in the Logistics Planner (released one week before race start) and in the Team Handbook (released with the map handout).

General Housekeeping

When it comes to One New Zealand GODZONE we are working hard to ensure things run smoothly. You can help us here. Check out the general housekeeping items below for your attention. We encourage all teams (and in particular, team captains and/or administrators) to ‘action’ any items that require some form of input, in a timely fashion – it will help ensure that you have the best possible event experience.

Race Start & Finish

The race starts for both GZ Pure and GZ Pursuit teams on Thursday the 27th of November in the afternoon. Both races start together and at the same time. The location of the start and finish line will not be released until the competitor briefing. The main things to note are that:

• Registration, gear check and safety briefing will still take place early on Thursday morning
• The first GZ Pursuit teams are expected to finish on Monday 1 December
• The first GZ Pure teams are expected to finish on Tuesday 2 December
• The course will officially close on Friday 5 December

Accommodation & Other Considerations

• No accommodation is required for teams or support crew on Thursday evening
• A Thursday afternoon start will put a lot of pressure on everyone to be efficient on Thursday morning so that all formalities can be completed, maps handed out and best plans laid
• If you need any last minute gear, Macpac Blenheim have their store open late on Wednesday until 9:00 PM for any last minute Pro-Deal shopping
• Teams should aim to arrive promptly for the start. Do not be late, we always start exactly on time. Nearby parking will be communicated
• Our advice would be to arrive no more than one hour before the start time, which should give you ample time to get organised, collect your Yellow Brick tracking device and give your support crew a reassuring nod of the head, before you embark on your adventure
• For the finish, as already alluded to, there will not be the traditional closing ceremony and mass prize giving. With this in mind, we propose that teams are relatively fluid about their accommodation options for the end of the race (since you have no idea where the race will end up). See how you are tracking, get your support crew to hoover you up at the end, big high-fives all round, and then make a plan. Can you be bothered to drive? Or do you fancy hanging around for a while? etc. For those finishing prior to Wednesday evening, it would be great to see you at the gathering to thank our partners and landowners and celebrate your fantastic achievements

Team List

There is still quite a bit of missing team and personal information from the Team List. Visit your Team Login and use your unique login to update your details for all of your team members. If you have lost your unique login, please get in touch with Keren and we can set you up with a new one.

Support Crew Contact Details

All teams are required to register their support crew details via the following link prior to Thursday 27 November. This page/link can also be found under the Resources tab on the GODZONE website: REGISTER SUPPORT CREW

Support Crew Vehicle

One transition area will require a 4WD or AWD. Otherwise, you will have a significant carry distance on foot. 2WD camper vans will not be permitted access for this location. If in doubt about your vehicle type, please reach out and talk to Keren.

Medical Forms Reminder

All competitors are required to fill out an online medical form prior to the event start. We need this information well in advance of that date so that safety crews and race medics have a chance to review the information and are aware of any specific details pertaining to individual athletes. All information collected remains confidential. Please follow the link to the online form and complete it as soon as you can: ONLINE MEDICAL FORM

PLB Number Reminder

All teams should know that a PLB or emergency beacon is a mandatory requirement for this Chapter of GODZONE. It will be carried in addition to the YB GPS Tracker that the Organisers provide. The use of either of these devices will be outlined at race registration and gear check. All teams must provide their Team Personal Locator Beacon Hex ID or UIN number (15 characters – numbers and letters) on their Team Information page.

Duffle Bags

Please remember that all teams must bring ONE duffle bag (min. 90L/max 110L) for use during the race. It will not be used extensively, but it is still required to transport equipment into the remote transition area. They will be returned to the finish line as soon as possible.

Security

With the organisation no longer managing the majority of the competitor gear movements and equipment storage during the event, please remember it is the responsibility of your support crew to manage the safety and security of your equipment at all times. We recommend that you have suitable locking options for any equipment stowed on the outside of your vehicles. Do not park and leave your vehicle in vulnerable locations with no persons present. No secure storage exists at the finish line. Take everything with you.

POST RACE CELEBRATIONS

As outlined above, there will not be an official awards ceremony in the aftermath of One NZ GODZONE. Prizes will be awarded on a rolling basis as teams come through the finish line. We will, of course, be supplying a beer and much needed (luxurious) local pie to all finishers. Teams are welcome to return and cheer on other teams as they arrive. At the same time, we know you have busy lives and may wish to head off soon after finishing. Your call, it’s a beautiful finish location with some amenities…might as well make the most of the opportunity to kick your feet up and start your recovery in style. And for those who have finished don’t forget the gathering on Wednesday evening – which will be right next to the finish line.

Maps

A reminder that map sets will be based on the 1:50 000 topographic series that is common to New Zealand. Please note that the two waterproof sets provided by the organisers are the ONLY maps permitted on the course with the teams. Teams caught with additional sets of maps or photocopies will be heavily penalised and may be disqualified. Support crews are welcome to annotate their own paper maps or use other maps of their own and pass on information to their team if they feel it adds any value in Transition Areas only. So, to be clear, teams must only use the two sets of waterproof maps whilst on the course. When teams are in transition, they are welcome to access other maps or transpose information onto their course maps. The viewing of electronic devices, online maps or satellite imagery by teams in a Transition Area is prohibited under Race Rules IIIB (6.), which specifically outlaws the use of such devices and information. Please be extremely careful about the use of devices when your team arrives in a Transition Area.

All teams will be provided with three (yes, 3) sets of topographical maps for the entire course. This will comprise:

• Two sets of waterproof maps are available for use on the course. Waterproof maps remove a lot of the hassle and stress related to race preparation and diminish the worry about how you will keep your maps dry during water sections
• One additional paper set for Support Crew. The additional 3rd paper set provided will allow your support crew to plan, prep and support you throughout the race

MAP READING ABC

Ok, we’re not going to give you any map reading tips as we know you are all far too good for that and absolutely none of you are going to get lost. None of you…OK? (We don’t like people getting lost. It upsets us.) However, it might be good to give those of you who are new to GODZONE a very basic introduction to how the most important map symbols work. In the above example you will see:

• A basic checkpoint: CP1. There will be a standard orienteering flag located at this location on the ground. A specific description of the location will be provided on the relevant map and in the Team Handbook. Teams will be required to ‘punch’ their Race Passport in the appropriate boxes that match the CP number. Remember, you have two Race Passports, one to be handed in completed at the finish and one as a backup should you lose the other.
• Mandatory Way Point or “MWP”: These are ‘virtual’ checkpoints that DO NOT have an orienteering flag or control. No punch exists and there is no box to be punched in your Race Passport. These are merely virtual checkpoints that we want you to pass nearby (within a hundred meters) so that you do not stray into private land, other prohibited or sensitive land, dangerous terrain and are usually sited where a basic checkpoint (see above) would offer little navigation value or that the checkpoint would be at high risk of being removed by some unwitting idiot/selfish bastard.
• Another basic checkpoint: CP2. Please note that all CP’s are mandatory on the course (see below for exception) and that CP’s must be visited in order. Ie, CP1 must be collected before CP2, and so on.
• Please note the hatched area. This is an area which is deemed ‘Out of Bounds’. Travel in an Out of Bounds area will usually lead to disqualification and some form of prolonged torture, reflecting the severity of the offence. Do not travel in these areas. They are in place for many reasons and include, inter alia: No permission exists from landowners; private land; hunting block with active hunters; biodiversity threat; stock and cattle (ie, bulls and deer) that might get angry if you hop over the fence; dangerous terrain; etc. Please please please do your best to avoid travel in these areas otherwise the future of the event could be threatened.
• Transition Area: TA1/CP3. This is where you will usually meet your support crew and have a minor meltdown (or transition-inspired sense of euphoria). Please remember that you will have to punch your Race Passport as you enter the Transition Area and again when you depart. This is to let TA staff know exactly when you have arrived and when you have left. Teams are not permitted to ‘double punch’ their Race Passport on arrival or departure. No support crews bringing Race Passports up to be punched, thank you. Once you know all of this, the rest of it is easy….

Event Sponsors & Partners

We’d just like to take this opportunity to once again acknowledge the amazing support we get from our event partners and sponsors. The fact is that without them, GODZONE could not happen. Entry fees alone do not come close to covering the cost of putting on an event and media showcase of this magnitude. We are lucky to have developed some wonderful relationships with many of our partners and we hope that you can recognise their support, down the line, in whatever way you can….whether that be through product choices, purchases or sharing their brands on your social media outlets. Here are some fine words of encouragement from some of our event partners:

Event Schedule

Mandatory Gear & Gear Checks

• Teams should allow for 4 glowsticks per person. A few spares would not be a bad idea, just in case one or two are faulty or, water sections are longer than expected and they run out
• A reminder that each competitor is required to bring 2 (yes, two) red, rear bike lights. One must be attached to the bike and one must be attached to either the rear of the competitor’s helmet or backpack. These must be on at ALL times when riding on any roads, even during the day time. You will be asked to demonstrate functioning rear lights before leaving certain Transition Areas. No working rear lights, no departure. Make sure you have some back ups with your support crew
• We are well aware that some teams are looking for ways to minimise the weight/size of their packs. Hey, it’s an adventure race and that goes with the territory. However, all teams should ensure that all gear is robust and reliable enough to withstand many days on an expedition race. Teams should ensure that all gear meets the necessary standards of equipment promulgated on this website
• No inflatable buoyancy aids. As far as we are aware they have never been accepted at an adventure race anywhere in the world and they certainly don’t meet the requirements for GODZONE
• Teams should note that wearing a backpack whilst paddling packrafts is prohibited. Teams should ensure that they have a good way of securing all backpacks, dry bags and equipment in their boats so that they don’t become separated from the team in the event of a capsize. However, it is imperative that dry bags and backpacks are not packed on to rafts or canoes in a fashion that restricts easy exit for a competitor should they capsize
• There are two official Dark Zones stages in the race for all teams. There may be more if weather conditions merit it. This means no paddling between the hours of 8:30pm and 5:45am. One of the Dark Zones would allow teams to wait it out at a TA. The other Dark Zone is on a packraft stage and stopping/waiting/camping will be mandatory if a team is caught in the Dark Zone. No portaging will be permitted. There is roughly a 40% chance of teams getting caught in a Dark Zone, but teams may strategise (with sleep and race pace) to either use or avoid the Dark Zone. With a potential 9:15hr stop in a remote location, we highly recommend that teams bring a camp stove and some dehydrated meals to help break up the awkward silences with the team navigator.

Gear Check for Registration

We don’t like mucking about any more than you do. We have tried to remove a lot of the faff involved with Gear Checks but, this doesn’t mean we don’t take equipment seriously. We do. It is your responsibility to ensure your equipment clearly meets the minimum standards required in the Mandatory Gear List and teams should remember that the List represents the minimum required for safety and conditions may well merit that more be carried.

Teams are asked to bring the following items to Registration to make sure they meet the minimum standard required. These will be signed off and the spec/type will be noted down by officials so that teams do not go back to their accommodation and switch items around because they are lighter (we’ve been racers for a long time and we know the tricks of the trade). We urge all those taking part to make sure that their equipment is up to scratch. Please note that there will be random gear checks out on the course where various items of mandatory gear will need to be presented to officials. If equipment is missing or fails to clearly meet the criteria set out in the Mandatory Gear List then you should expect to be held up until replacements can be found, attributed a time penalty and may ultimately be disqualified. Everyone is looking for a competitive edge but scrimping on mandatory gear is not an area where you should aim to cut corners, it could save your life.

Only the following items should be brought to Race Registration for sign off:

• • Tent x 1
  • Sleeping Bags x 4
  • Waterproof Jackets x 4
  • Water Activities Helmet x 4 (white water certified)
  • Packrafts (these will need to be inflated so bring your pumps)
  • Wetsuit/Drysuit
  • Throw Bags x2
  • Personal Locator Beacon
  • White Strobe Light x2
  • PFD with knife and whistle attached x4
  • Kayak Bailing Devices x4

Other Things to Consider

Support Crew Vehicles

Please see note above about support crew vehicle requirements. 

All support crews will receive 1 x Official Support Crew Vehicle Pass. This must be displayed in the front left dashboard of your vehicle. This will allow you access in to a Transition Area for set up. No convoys of support crew vehicles, please. If you have more than one vehicle following a team, please use your discretion and park the non-official vehicle in a practical location away from the Transition Area. Some sites are tight, and we need to ensure that there is room for every team

Yellowbricks (YB Trackers & PLB’s)

During any kayaking, packrafting or canoeing stages, the YB Tracking Device must be secured inside a competitor’s PFD, not inside a backpack or stored inside a dry bag that is stowed inside a hatch. When you are biking or trekking, it is very important that you place your Yellowbrick Tracking Device in the top pocket of a backpack. This ensures that battery life is preserved (vital for safety reasons) and also means that the watching hordes can track your progress. Nothing stresses out your fans, friends and family more than when your tracker stops moving for hours on end simply because you’ve dumped it in the bottom of your bag. When teams are on the water, they should ensure that one boat is carrying the YB Tracker and another is carrying the mandatory PLB. If boats become separated for whatever reason, both will then have a means of emergency communication.

Water Safety

Water plays an important part of GODZONE and Chapter 12 is no different. All competitors should be confident in the water, be capable of swimming 500m and know how to use a survival stroke. You should also be well aware that river crossings are an integral part of New Zealand’s wilderness. Even well maintained/used tracks sometimes demand that you cross a wide river. Take the time to work out how to cross rivers safely as a group.

Drinking Water

As a general rule, the water in New Zealand is of excellent quality and few people here ever treat their drinking water when tramping out in the hills. However, it is for the teams to decide if and when to treat any they encounter. Fresh water is NOT made available at Transition Areas. Support Crew should transport in their own water to all Transition Areas. If taps with running water are available, these will be detailed in the Handbook, but the default position for support crews is to supply their own.

Darkness and Lights

Teams are reminded to have adequate lighting for the duration. There will be some moonlight during the event, but it’s going to be head torch all the way. There will be approximately 9hrs of darkness each night. Support crews are recommended to have some form of charging or backup available, given the duration of the event.

Dry Bags

We recommend that you have very good quality dry bags. In some sections, your backpacks will get very wet. The very lightweight variety of dry bags is OK for a backup inside your bag, but when you’re in an open canoe or swimming, rest assured that your gear will get absolutely soaked. The general rule is to bag three times, so please take note.

Magnetic Declination

As stated elsewhere on our website, this is a significant number in New Zealand, and your team navigators need to know how to adjust for it. The maps are printed to grid north, and you will need to know how to compensate for the declination either directly on the maps or with your compass.

Spectators

Please remember to respect the environment, take all your litter away with you and that this is meant to be a wilderness event. Catching up with teams midway through a stage is fine if it is an easily accessible public location (and you don’t shower the team with goodies). However, we actively discourage supporters from heading off into the wilderness or onto private land to visit teams. It is not in the spirit of the race.

Medical Advice & Assistance

The organising and safety team had noticed a creeping culture of medical dependency at GODZONE. Teams increasingly expect there to be a medic on hand at all transition areas to repair minor ailments, fix sore feet and deal with the various issues that adventure racers endure. Many now park themselves down on a chair, refusing to move until their blisters are miraculously healed by a doctor (whilst they scoff some food and have a snooze). Medical staff at GODZONE are primarily there to deal with EMERGENCIES and medical problems that could have significant consequences. Teams are expected to manage their own minor ailments, foot care, etc, and should note that prevention is much better than cure. Teams should also note that medics will not be on hand at all TA’s to deal with these sorts of problems and there should never be an expectation that a TA will have a medic – they may have been called away to deal with a serious issue elsewhere. The onus is on the teams to look after themselves at all times. Competitors who have feet repaired during the race are actually gaining an unfair advantage over other teams. Time penalties may be applied to any team that requires such assistance because they have failed to look after themselves. Rest assured, we want as many of you to reach the finish as possible and as healthy as can be expected – but you need to look after yourselves and your team mates, both on the course and in transition.

Final Thoughts

Three things to note before we say something kinda motivating:

One: The Mandatory Gear List is the minimum required to survive should things go belly up. It’s not rocket science to know that if you get cold, then your body will be expending vital energy trying to stay warm, rather than aiding you in walking up that pesky hill. It is also unpleasant. We’ve all underestimated how cold you can get at night and after a few days’ slog. Prolonged paddles and dropping into valleys early in the morning (when all the cold air has descended from the hills) can catch people out too. For the sake of a few hundred grams, make sure you have enough to optimise your performance and mindset. Do not carry just the bare minimum because the list says so, and that’s what you think everyone else will be carrying.

Two: Paddling on rivers… This is a wilderness experience. There will be SOME water safety out there but it is entirely unfeasible to cover every potential hazard with safety crew. If there is a particular hazard that concerns our safety team, they may look to manage it or even dictate a forced portage. The absence of water safety staff does not, however, preclude any other potential dangers. There may be underwater hazards that have not been seen. You may paddle into a part of the river which has not been paddled before. Keep this in mind and ensure that you make the right decisions when heading downriver. If you are unsure, STOP, GET OUT, OBSERVE and then proceed when ALL team members are happy that it is safe to do so. If not, find a better option by going around. It just ain’t worth the risk.

Three: Let us all ensure we do our bit to preserve New Zealand’s best asset (the outdoors) and take care to respect all trails, huts, private land and the environment as a whole. No litter! Leave any huts you stop at in a tidier shape than you found them. Respect any member of the public you might meet in the backcountry and remember that they might not enjoy you coming into a hut at 3am, moaning/shouting/drying your socks on the kitchen worktop. Abuse it and we might lose it.

OK, final check out. The course. It is a challenge, and we believe, if the weather gods play ball, that a lot of teams have a chance to make it to the finish line this time around. There are roughly eight and a half days to complete the course. Some smart decision making and steady progress should see all teams have a fair go at cracking the GZ Pure or GZ Pursuit full courses, or a short-course option. Please note even the short course options will see your team get a full expedition experience and crossing that finish line is still a wonderful achievement – that will more than likely leave you wanting to come back for more and to knock a full course off! However, everyone knows that GODZONE is a very serious challenge and it’s a seriously significant achievement to finish a full course, in the GZ Pursuit and GZ Pure category. Expedition racing is hard, you have to be tough, mentally, and physically. And GODZONE gives you a chance to try something a lot harder than average. But, it is only an event and you should still think of it as a great experience, whether you smash out the course in 5 days or get short-coursed after 6, having made it less than halfway. In short, don’t come to Marlborough expecting a holiday (you can do that afterwards in one of the many famous wineries, reminiscing on these words of advice you wished you’d listened to).

Yes, it’s going to be difficult but hopefully, a lot of fun and ultimately hugely rewarding. Don’t get too hung up on the enormity of it all. Try to break the event down into a series of stages and focus on getting those done, bit by bit. Oh, and try not to fall into the trap of a comfy support crew supplied Transition Area. When you arrive in a TA and receive some TLC, it can be hard to get yourself out of the gravitational pull of a warm bed, hot food, etc. Get in, get sorted, get busy and get out – move through those challenging moments together. You won’t finish otherwise.

Make sure you are well prepped for water safety, have all your equipment and supplies well organised before arrival and remember to fit in some good chill out time before the start. Heading into a GODZONE Chapter, 100% rested and only 70% fit, is much better than the other way around – 100% fit but only 70% rested. GODZONE wears your immune system down pretty quickly and you need to start with that side of the ledger as high as possible.

On behalf of the Pure Adventure Charitable Trust, our amazing Partners and the whole GODZONE Team, we look forward to seeing you next month for the return of an Adventure Like No Other.