eNewsletter 219 - Thursday 2^nd April, 2026

G'day fellow rogainers,

In this newsletter

• We hit the cap! Last Sunday's Explorergaine results
• Entries open: 3 & 5-hour Nightgaine, Cherrybrook, Sat 2^nd May
• Entries open: Australasian Rogaining Champs, SE QLD, 29-30^th August
• 2027 World Rogaining Championships: Flinders Ranges, 16-17^th Sept
• Combined NSW & ACT 2026 Rogaining Calendars "Final" date changes

Results: the 6-hr Explorergaine, Mt Victoria

Congratulations to everyone who safely explored the caves, creeks and clifftops of Mt Victoria and Mt York in perfect conditions on Sunday. This was another well attended NSWRA event and we easily reached the entries cap of 400 despite the event being 120 km from Sydney and into the teeth of an unfolding fuel crisis.

Winners Paul Olsen and Andrew Graham scored 2710 out of a possible 3000 points and just 10 points ahead of Mat Collin and Matthew Cox. The controls that Paul and Andrew did not visit were the ones in the middle of Lockyer's Track. These were strategically placed by course setter Steve McKay to present a route choice challenge.

The youngest competitor was one year old Audrey Vonhuben (810 points). The oldest, on his first rogaine, was 87-year-old Norbert Krause (710 points). Norbert joined son Martin at the last minute when teammate James Hayward had to pull out. Norbert was backing up from a 17km walk the previous day!

In the spirit of explorers, well-known Australian mountaineer Greg Mortimer was the special guest and spoke well about the work of the Australian Himalayan Foundation. When he asked who had been to Nepal many hands went up. He said the event donation to the AHF would support 200 very poor mountain children. Greg is also a Hartley Vale resident and gave course setter, Steve McKay, valuable introductions to local landowners.

The event donation to the Australian Himalayan Foundation will be $5500!

Explorergaine winners by category

Links to the full results are available from the event page.

Thanks to our volunteers

The Explorergaine was made possible by the efforts of a large rogaining volunteer posse consisting of the following:

^**Thanks to the huge number of enthusiastic volunteers we were very pleased that by 7:00pm and before it was dark all 60 controls were collected!

Thanks especially go to the Mt Victoria Public School for a perfect Event HQ and to the volunteers of the P&C who on Saturday baked 400 scones, made egg and bacon rolls on Sunday morning, served coffee, supplied 100kg of watermelons and then the sausage sizzle and cold drinks all the while raising money for the school.

We would also like to thank our friends and sponsors Paddy Pallin for their sponsorship and donation of the spot prizes.

Also, fellow rogainer Ian Brown of Ian Brown Photography (Ian also vetted the course) donated some of his famous 2026 Wild Blue Mountains Calendars as prizes to go with the ubiquitous rogaine mugs.

A lot more photos by Chris Stevenson and Keith Jebb are available on the event page.

2026 Nightgaine -- the Dark Cherry Pyegaine

For your calendar: add the event date & add entries closing reminder

Entries now open

Are you a good rogainer?

Daylight is one thing, but at night, everything changes.

Our maps are so accurate these days that rogaining can start to feel a little too easy. In daylight, most experienced rogainers rarely miss a control. But switch off the lights; that’s when the real challenge begins!

Navigating with limited visibility and reduced information is the true test of rogaining skill. The best can still move at up to 85% of their daytime speed. Others? They slow down, miss controls, or lose their way.

So, how do you stack up?

The Nightgaine on Saturday 2^nd May is your chance to find out. It’s the perfect opportunity to test and sharpen your nighttime navigation skills, and to answer the question: Am I really a good rogainer?

Join us for the Dark Cherry Pyegaine in the beautiful Berowra Valley National Park, with the hash house based at Cherrybrook, and give both your mind and body a serious workout. Choose the 3-hour event, with only two hours of darkness, for a gentle introduction or take on the full 5-hour challenge and immerse yourself in the art of night navigation; a skill that has always been at the heart of traditional rogaining.

Key info at a glance:

Location. The Hash House will be at 1st Cherrybrook Scouts, 2 Appletree Drive, Cherrybrook. Distance from Sydney: about 25 mins from the CBD.

Course times:

Saturday 2^nd May 2026. Sunset 5:12pm (so that both events start before dark)

Timings of map availability, novice briefing, final briefing and prize givings will be confirmed closer to the event date. Final Instructions will be available on the website from Monday 27^th April.

Enter Here

Info for novices with advice on what gear to bring for a night event and other information can be found on the website.

Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswrogaining.org

2026 Australasian Rogaining Champs, SE QLD

For your calendar: add the event date,
early entries closing reminder &
late entries closing reminder

Entries now open

The 2026 Australasian Championships will be held on 29-30^th August 2026 in prime rogaining country about 3.5 hours’ drive SW of Brisbane or 30 minutes from Stanthorpe.

Course details

The course will be set by the highly experienced team of Tim McIntyre and Paul Frylink. The event area spans open sheepgrazing country and parts of Sundown National Park near Nundubbermere. Teams can expect a mix of terrain, with hills offering impressive views alongside flatter, gently undulating sheep country for those who prefer it. Route choices may include crossings of the Severn River. The course will provide excellent navigational challenges while remaining enjoyable and accessible for teams of all levels of fitness and experience.

Key info at a glance:

• Early entries close on or before Tuesday 28^th July
• Late entries close 11:59 pm Saturday 15^th August
• Early entry Full: $170
• Early entry Concession: $120
• Early entry 14 & under: $85
• Late entry Full: $190
• Late entry Concession: $140
• Late 14 and under: $95
• Teams of 2 to 5

Enter Here

For more info, visit the Event Website.

2026 Intervarsity Rogaining Championships

The 2026 Intervarsity Rogaining Championships will be held in conjunction with the Australasian Rogaining Championships.

Teams consist of 2-5 students from the same university. Both part-time and full-time students are eligible. There is no age restriction, i.e., under-graduate, mature age and post-graduate students qualify.

Free travel to the event is available thanks to the Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation for one representative university team from each state/territory. State/Territory Rogaining Associations are responsible for determining their own selection criteria for the travel subsidies, which are paid in cash to each team. For the purposes of the subsidy, preference must be given to under-graduate full time students.

Please advertise this opportunity widely amongst your rogaining friends and start your selection process.

World Rogaining Championships

The 20^th World Rogaining Championships will be in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges at Rawnsley Park Station near Wilpena Pound in South Australia. Take a look at this stunning promotional video and share it with your rogaining friends.

Bulletin 1 is now available

The website has now been updated and the first of four official information rich bulletins - Bulletin 1 - with a wealth of information on the event has been released. Check it out.

A Facebook page has also been set up and it will be regularly updated, but for the latest info also join the mailing list.

If anyone would like to help out, or you have any questions, get in touch with the organising team via the contact form on the website.

Put the date into your rogaining calendar now and help us welcome the world’s rogaining community in 2027!

NSW & ACT 2026 Rogaining Calendars

Below is the latest state of play as the NSW and ACT calendars continue to firm up. The dates for two more very important interstate rogaines coming up in 2026 have also been set and the 2026 NSW ‘fridge-friendly’ printable calendar (pdf) is ready to download.

Planning an interstate trip? Check out the ARA's National Rogaining Calendar.

In all cases, remember to check the respective websites should there be any changes since some of the events are many months away.

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