History

The Teams

Thirty one teams from all over the world made it to the start line, with 12 countries represented - Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, UK - with approximately 35% of the participants overseas nationals. The spread of experience was noticeable with the best team in the world, Seagate, in attendance along side a number of teams who had not competed in an expedition length race before. The age of the competitors varied, testament to the attraction of this type of event for all ages. After a seven year hiatus in expedition racing in New Zealand it was great to welcome back experienced teams and at the same time introduce the new generation to this most challenging sport.

The Route

A breathtaking journey through some of New Zealand’s most pristine wilderness. Once out of Milford Sound, teams didn’t see much civilisation until they arrived into Glenorchy which was the final stage of the event. A true adventure in some very remote parts of the South Island. The route covered a total distance of approximately 500km, which included: 126km of trekking, 279km of biking, 61km of kayaking and 36km of canoeing. The west to east character of the route allowed the teams to experience a diverse range of environments, including - rain forest, alpine forest, high country tussock, beech forest, grasslands, high alpine mountains, glacial valleys, rivers and lakes.

This was a tough introduction for those teams that had not adventure raced in New Zealand before or for those domestic teams who had not yet experienced an expedition length race at home. The navigation was tough, nights were cold, and many underestimated the preparation needed to prosper in this part of the world. It was a tough lesson, well learned, and many teams have come back to subsequent Chapters of GODZONE as far better racers because of the difficulty posed by sections of this route.

Results

With no expedition racing in New Zealand for seven years and with no other teams racing internationally it was always going to be hard for any team to challenge the world's best team, Seagate, on home soil. They had the skill, speed and experience to dominate the race from start to finish. The chasing teams managed to stay with them until the first night and the now infamous Stage 4 trek through the Dunton Range. Seagate took an impressive 18hrs to complete this trek with many of the other leading teams taking over 25. They were a class apart on most sections of the race, ending up over 15hrs ahead of their nearest rivals at the finish line.

Second and third place were taken by teams One Square Meal and R&R Sport respectively. Both these teams had a wealth of experience from the Southern Traverse era and understood the importance of good navigation, route choice and pacing yourself over a course as difficult as the one posed. They were able to push hard when needed and took the better lines through the parts of the course where good route choices were necessary. The inaugural Colt Trophy was won by the young Bivouac team. There were a number of highly impressive, young, competitors in Chapter 1 that could be a force to be reckoned with at GODZONE in the coming years.