2025 Socialgaine
Woronora River, Valleys, & Heights
“Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor”
Date
Sunday 2 November 2025
Location
Engadine
Duration
6 hours
Status
Entries open
Entries close Monday 27th October 11:59pm
Event overview
Get motivated for this year’s Socialgaine with a swinging little ditty (video link).
And prepare for a big day out on Sydney’s southern fringe, where people and bush meet (or part company, depending on which way you look at it).
After a record-breaking wet winter, spring will be conspiring with longer days to make early morning starts a too-tempting pleasure and public transport (train to Engadine) a viable travel option.
A well-appointed Hash House awaits you at Engadine’s spacious Anzac Oval where there will be something for everyone. Whether you’d like a gentle introduction to the extensive bushland via long residential spurs, or prefer to plunge right in, there are a multitude of course planning options for your puzzle-hungry brain.
Step back in time and imagine a pre-European existence in the midst of long gentle valleys, steep hillsides, rarely travelled gullies, and gravity-confirming creeks looking for the mysteriously named Woronora River (Wikipedia link). Navigate the extensive track network, remembering the flora and fauna are your friends, and finding your way around sandstone amongst eucalypts. Cockatoos, Gymea lilies, kookaburras, grass-trees, water dragons, tree ferns, wallabies, and koalas will all be possible to spot (in that order of likelihood).
And when you finish exploring, return to the Hash House for great food and company, and to swap stories about the day’s adventures.
So mark your diary for the 2025 6-hour Socialgaine to explore Woronora River, Valleys, & Heights on Sunday 2 November.
Entry fees and inclusions
Entry fees for the event are $45, with concession entry $32 and children under 14 free. To check your eligibility for a discounted entry, see our entry fee policy.
Your entry includes:
- An urban-wilderness experience – up to 6 hours of adventure, exploring parks & streets and bushland & creeks along the Woronora River and its tributaries.
- Superb views and swimming spots, a wide variety of tracks & trails through long valleys, and numerous scenic lookouts from great heights along residential & bushland spurs.
- Map and electronic timing (1 per person) – for post-event presentations, category prizes, and critical acclaim from your family & friends.
- Delicious, refreshing, & revitalising food & drink at the Hash House. To help with catering, please volunteer here!
Course times
- 8:00am – Maps become available from Hash House for route planning.
- 8:45am – Novice briefing.
- 9:45am – Full briefing for all participants.
- 10:00am – Mass start of 6-hour event.
- 4:00pm – Finish of 6-hour event.
- 4:30pm – Course closes.
Note: Teams can be on the course for as long or as little as they wish between 10am & 4pm. Points are deducted for each minute (or part thereof) a team returns late (after 4pm). And all team points will be lost if a team/member has not returned by 4:30pm!
Location
- There are trains to Engadine on the T4 Waterfall line. The train station is a 25 minute walk from Hash House.
Facilities
Hash House
- The Hash House is Anzac Oval Youth & Recreation Centre (Anzac Hall). There is plenty of parking at Anzac Oval, and in surrounding streets, if you don’t come by train.
- Food & drink will be available after the event, and presentations for each team category, including families and novices, will follow soon after.
Note: Engadine Leisure Centre (swimming pools, showers etc) is located next door to the Hash House. Rogainers interested in a pre or post-event swim &/or shower can find more information (eg. TBC – Sunday 8am-5pm – adult $9 / concession $7) here.
Safety considerations
- The usual mandatory equipment includes a phone, whistle, space blanket, and compression snake bandage.
- Typical wildlife hazards include snakes, ticks, and leeches.
- Be careful on steep &/or rough tracks, and of dangerous terrain including cliffs, loose rocks, and deep water.
- Keep well hydrated to avoid cramps, heat-stroke, or over-exertion.
- Avoid adverse weather conditions by seeking shade during extreme heat, or safe shelter during a thunder storm etc.
- Beware of others including mountain bikers and dog walkers.
- Be careful crossing all roads.
- Adults should supervise children at all times.
- Event organisers plan to have a first aid-qualified volunteer on site.
- Please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
Final instructions
These will be released on this event page on Monday 27th October 2025. The final details will include further details on the location, event day, and much more.
In the meantime, you can check out the Novice Info Pages for advice on what gear to bring, what to expect at a bush event, and other information.
What is rogaining?
A fun team sport, navigating using map, compass and clues to visit as many checkpoints as possible within the time limit. It’s a “choose your own adventure” experience in outdoor environments where teams explore the course for as much or as little of the allocated time as they like.
Our sport is for all ages and fitness levels, from families walking with small children through to bushwalkers and runners. Rogaining encourages the development of strategy and navigational skills, fitness, and the ability to work in a team.
For more information, check out the learning centre.
