2025 Paddy Pallin, 6 hours at Belanglo, Sunday 15th June
Entries close this Monday Currently we have 418 participants in 165 teams
Come and enjoy a classic 6-hour Paddy Pallin rogaine that will be held entirely in the native bushland of the Belanglo State Forest, about half-way between Sydney and Canberra, and only a short distance off the Hume Highway. There will be family friendly route options and Paddy Pallin supplied prizes up for grabs. Key info at a glance:
Rogaining is for all ages, navigational abilities, and fitness levels, from families walking with small children through to bushwalkers and champion runners. Our sport encourages the development of strategy and navigational skills, fitness, and the ability to work in a team. Links to a team finder service, and info for novices with advice on what gear to bring and what to expect at a bush event are provided on the entries page. Course overview This course will have grand canyon views and time-honoured wandering through sandstone country. Scenic control locations are guaranteed. There will be a wide variety of trees, shrubs and grasses, plus discrete areas of ferns and fragile mosses and lichen. Wildlife includes scarlet robins, gang gang cockatoos, eastern & crimson rosellas, ducks, wedge-tailed eagles, goannas, echidnas, wombats, kangaroos & wallabies, and a variety of butterflies. At an elevation of around 700m, the cool forest air can be enjoyed from the moment you arrive at the Hash House site. Navigation Use your navigation skills to explore plenty of great route options for all ages, navigational abilities, and fitness levels. You can expect to meander with friends and family along hiking loops of your design, or challenge yourself to stride out big loops with steep climbs, accumulating big points. The course will challenge the elite to choose the best loops to garner the highest points with the most ambitious tested on how to possibly clear the course. A 100m length of tape will be marked out at the Hash House to help people calibrate their pacing (paces per 100m) and timing (time to walk 100m). Camping & accommodation If you choose to camp, the official camping area will be a large flat area adjacent to the Hash House. The area is spacious and easily accessed with plenty of parking. A variety of other accommodation is available at surrounding wineries and townships, including Berrima, Bowral, Bundanoon, Moss Vale, Mittagong and Marulan. To get the most up to date info, including the Final Instructions to be posted on Tuesday June 10th, visit the Paddy Pallin page on the website. The Final Instructions will also have some great info about basic navigation. Finally, we'd like to thank our friends and sponsors, Paddy Pallin, for supporting this event. Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org
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Next: the 3/5-hour Nightgaine at Springwood, Sat 26th July
Entries are now open Join us for the "Spring in the Woods" night rogaine, to be held in a section of Springwood most would never go to, on the north side of the Great Western Highway. đŸ,BanditđŸ, our mascot course setter and expert rogainer, has sniffed out a course with lots of variety, including bush tracks, and creeks & gullies, and featuring nocturnal wildlife such as bandicoots, glow worms, and eels. Key info at a glance: There'll be overlapping 3 and 5-hour events:
Timings of map availability, novice briefing, course briefing, catering and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date. To get the most up to date info, including the Final Instructions when they become available, check the Nightgaine event page on the website. A team finder service and info for novices can also be found on the website. Course overview For novices and young families, there'll be a fun section along safe, easy to follow bush tracks that will still challenge you to pay attention! There will be some suggested routes to take if you need help with planning. The main course features a super-loop trail along two creeks with the possibility of seeing glow worms, as well as other tracks and trails in bush areas and gullies behind local parks and reserves. Also, we have the rare privilege of accessing the extensive bushland grounds of St Columbaâs Catholic College, a Seminary from 1909 until 1977, and a High School since 1979. These grounds are usually not open to the public, so we are extremely grateful to be granted access for holding this event. Whatever route you choose, with the bush tracks never being too far from civilization, this is an ideal location to try a nightgaine for the first time, or test your skills on some of the more challenging sections. Catering After the event, there'll be plenty of hot food, fruit, and snacks at the Hash House. Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org
Why âA Spring in the Woodsâ? The earliest inhabitants of the Springwood district were the Darug people who populated the area for many thousands of years before European settlement. Beginning in 1789, several explorers passed through the area and a road was built under the direction of William Cox. In May, 1815, Governor and Mrs Macquarie set out with a large party on a twenty-one-day trip over the Western Road. One of the places chosen to make a camp is now called Springwood. Macquarie wrote in his diary: âWe then halted at three oâclock in a very pretty wooded plain near a spring of very good fresh water, and pitched our tent near the side of the road. This stage is 12 miles from Emu Ford and our first on the Mountains. This place being very pretty I have named it Spring Woodâ. |
NSW & Intervarsity Champs, 24/8-hr, Mt Werong 13-14th Sept
Welcome to the 2025 NSW 24-hour Championships, also incorporating the annual Intervarsity Championships. This is your only chance in the NSW calendar to do the 'real thing'; a 24-hour rogaine where you can navigate at your own pace through an iconic Australian bush landscape in the stunning wilderness of Mt Werong. Mt Werong lies within the westernmost section of Blue Mountains National Park, only a 3-hour drive west of Sydney and around 50 km south of Oberon. As an added bonus, you'll be doing this rogaine in September just as the wildflowers are starting to come out. *The beauty of it is that you do not need to be a 'champion' to roam at will across this magnificent landscape. Key info at a glance:
Costs, and timings of map availability, novice briefing, course briefing, catering and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date, so stay up to date by regularly visiting the event page on the website. A team finder service and info for novices with advice on what gear to bring, what to expect at a bush event, and other information can be found on the website. Event overview In the words of Tristan White, one of this year's Organisers and Setters: "The 24-hour championship rogaine is a very special event which allows participants to fully embrace the traditional rogaining experience, as all of the early rogaines were 24 hours in length....It is only in a 24-hour rogaine that a team is really able to test their endurance, concentration and teamwork in an event like no other....I've heard it said that the area in the western Blue Mtns or Southern Tablelands is some of the best rogaining country in the world - light bushland, few tracks, clear topographical features without being too steep and rugged, and the Mt Werong area is the epitome of that...."
The location means it'll be another great opportunity for NSW rogainers to test themselves against their ACT counterparts.
Please note that, despite its 'championship' label, this rogaine is open to all regardless of age, navigational ability, or fitness levels, from novices and families walking, through to bushwalkers and champion runners. Although this is a rare 24-hour opportunity, we have an 8-hour option as well. There is complete freedom of route choice and duration. "To each his own". The event includes multiple categories from Youth to Novice and Ultra Veterans, ensuring inclusivity across age groups and experience levels, and a key attribute of longer events like the 24-hour is the community and camaraderie on offer over the weekend â meet fellow adventurers, share stories, and take part in a sport that thrives on teamwork!
Accessing Mt Werong involves a scenic drive through national park roads so, given the time of year, we recommend checking road conditions in advance and allowing extra time for travel. Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships This year, the NSW Championships incorporates the Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships, which runs concurrently and highlights the best intervarsity teams from across the country. For more information, and how to apply for uni team travel grants, read the next item in this newsletter. Catering The current provisional catering plan is:
Facilities, camping & accommodation At the Hash House:
Camping is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights and camping fees are included in the entry fee. Nearby accommodation is available in Oberon (convenient for those travelling from Sydney), and Taralga (convenient for those travelling from Canberra). Final Instructions To get the most up to date information, including the Final Instructions to be posted on Monday September 8th, see the NSW Championships page on the website. The Final Instructions will include further details on the location, event day, and much more. Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswroganing.org
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Uni team travel grants for the Intervarsity Championships
This year, the 2025 Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships will be held over 13-14th September in conjunction with the NSW Rogaining Championships at Mt Werong. Travel grants to cover the travel costs of a university team from NSW are available from the Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation (NAMSF). To receive the grant, a team of up to 5 must all be enrolled at the same university. Interested NSW applicants should email the NSWRA at info@nswroganing.org as soon as possible. Selection will be based on rogaining experience and standing, with preference given to undergraduate full-time students. For more detail, visit the intervarsity home page on the Australian Rogaining Association website. Who was Nigel Aylott? Nigel got into rogaining through Monash University Bushwalking Club, and won the World Rogaining Championships in 1998 and the Australian Rogaining Championships in 2000 and 2001. He was killed in the 2004 Primal Quest race in Washington State after being hit by a large boulder dislodged at the top of a gully. The NAMSF was set up by his family to support the sports Nigel loved and gave so much to. |
Rogaining in the mediaRogaining has been propelled into the mainstream media! Here are three recent examples from the Jordan Springs Metrogaine (30th March), the Bucca Autumngaine at Coffs Harbour (26th April), and the ExplorerFest Festival (3rd May) at Hawks Nest. Click below to view: Jordan Springs Gazzette
Coffs Harbour NBN NEWS (includes news footage)
Hawks Nest ExplorerFest (see Sect 9)
Many thanks go to Ivan Koudashev, Keelan Birch, and Nicole Mealing & Andrew Brown, and their support teams respectively, for all their hard work and initiative in promoting our sport, and getting the word out about rogaining into the wider community. Paddy Pallin is also thanked as a sponsor of ExplorerFest for inviting Nicole and Brooner to join them in hosting the navigation workshop, and the successful mini-rogaine featured above. |
Do you have any good ideas for the newsletter?
In the previous newsletter, 3 of the articles were contributed by readers. They were excellent. We're always on the lookout for more. Do you have any:
Drop an email to: newsletter@nswrogaining.org â weâd be thrilled to feature your contribution in a future issue.
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Volunteer opportunities -- trailer towers & caterers needed
Trailor towers We are always on the hunt for people willing to tow our 2 trailers to events. The trailers are only small, are pre-loaded, and are easily managed. So, if you have a vehicle with a tow bar, towing a trailer once a year is one of the ways that you could really help. A call for caterers - multiple opportunities Ever wanted to set the menu at a rogaine? We are still looking for people who would like to try their hand at the catering for a number of the events this year. The level of commitment can range from leading the menu selection and procurement to just helping on the day. Give it a go. It's a lot of fun, you won't be on your own (it's a highly social role!), and there'll be plenty of recipes and mentoring available. Event publicity helpers Weâre also on the lookout for volunteers to act as 'publicity helpers' for specific events. Youâll help grow our sport and can still enter 'your' event because you won't have seen the map or the course! Read this blog to get a sense of how this can be done. You'll get heaps of support from our marketing team. Of course, there are also lots of other opportunities to help with delivering our events this year too. Please drop an email to Robin - volunteer@nswrogaining.org or register to help in any event here. (NSWRA celebrates its volunteers. Support our events and earn free entry! Volunteers earn points. 100 points earns entry to a subsequent event. There is a volunteer rewards points table where you can monitor your progress toward a free entry voucher. For more info see the Volunteer Rewards Policy.) |
2025 NSW rogaining calendarThe NSW calendar for 2025 is summarised below. Check it out or grab a flyer at the next event. An updated âfridge-friendlyâ printable calendar (pdf) is also available for download. Put these dates in your diary, but remember to check the website as there may be further changes.
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Some useful links |
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About NSWRA: The New South Wales Rogaining Association inc. (NSWRA) is the governing body of the sport of rogaining in the state of New South Wales.
We are incorporated under state law. ABN 15 314 080 648. © 2025 NSW Rogaining Association |