​The 2021 Tūāraki North Regional Champs will be taking place on 12th and 13th February 2022.

Taupo Orienteering Club and Orienteering Bay of Plenty would like to invite orienteers from the Northern Region, and other areas of New Zealand, to come and join us for a weekend of three fun and high quality orienteering events on 12th and 13th February 2021 (postponement date).

Note that these dates coincide with the Tarawera Ultramarathon in Rotorua and the Kinloch Triathlon near Taupo.  We encourage you to book accommodation as early as possible, considering ability to cancel later on if you are concerned about Covid19 restrictions. 

Entries are now open.  To enter click HERE.

Note the details below in terms of event planning and entry fee management should the Covid19 situation change.  Anyone attending the events 12 years and older must be vaccinated and bring their My Vaccine Pass with them.

BULLETIN 1 - EVENT INFORMATION

1. Event Overview

2. Event Map

3. Contact Details

  • Event Website = Northern Regional Champs
  • Event Email = [email protected].  Please send all start list requests and any queries to this address.
  • Event Director = Erin Swanson
  • Event Contact Phone Number = 021 386 977

4. Classes Offered

Class Eligibility Changes from Labour Weekend to Postponement Date

Due to the event being postponed from Labour Weekend 2021 to 12-13 Febuary 2022, some competitors may now be required to run in, or be eligible for, different grades.

The applicable year to be used in determining grade eligibility is based on the postponement date of 12-13 February 2022 (not original date).

The entry system has been updated to reflect this moving forward.  However for anyone who entered prior to 19th January 2022, they may now be in the incorrect age grade.

We will be reviewing all competitors to ensure they are eligible for the grade they are entered in.

For any competitors in 20 year old bracket or younger, they will automatically be put in the A grade for the age bracket in which they are required to run.  If they wish to run in a different grade for which they are eligible (e.g. B) please contact the event director.

For any adults in 21E or older, they will be left in the grade they originally entered, unless they advise the event director that they want to change to a new grade for which they are eligible.

  • Middle Distance and Long Distance
  • Sprint Distance

5. Punching System

  • SPORTident Air will be used at all the events.  Competitors can choose whether to use a standard SI card which you punch or a SPORTident Air Card (SIAC) which you wave over the control. 
  • SIAC cards will be available to hire at a cost of $5 per event or $15 for the weekend. 
  • When hiring a SIAC, make sure it is returned when downloading after your last event.  Lost or broken SIACs will incur a replacement charge of $120.

6. Entry Information

  • Entry will be through enterO.  To enter click HERE.
  • Entry fees will be as follows:
  • Note: Child = 12 years and under, Junior = 13 to 19 years.  Family is two or more adults plus two or more children living at the same address.
  • The closing date for entries will be midnight, Sunday 6th February 2022.
  • Late entry - Late entries after Sunday 6th February are unlikely to be accepted.  Acceptance will be at at the Event Director's discretion and will only be able to compete in the Recreational grades.  In the exceptional case they are accepted. a late entry fee of $20 will be charged per competitor per event, or $50 for competitors entering all three events.  
  • The punch enquiry fee will be $20 when a field SI control box readout is requested.  If the control is found to contain a complete (non-error) punch, the competitor must be recorded as having punched that control correctly and the fee will be returned; otherwise the fee shall be retained by the organiser.
  • In the situation where the event is postponed or cancelled, e.g. due to Covid19 restrictions, competitors may request a refund in line with the details below.

7. Individual Event Information

MIDDLE - WHAKAROA - SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2022

  • Map - Whakaroa (not used for 17 years).
  • Address - Mapara Road, Taupo.
  • Planner - Lyndon Haugh.
  • Controller - Robert Newbrook.
  • Nature of Terrain - Typical Taupo farmland with intricate negative gully features.
  • First Start Times - 9.30am.  
  • Embargoed Areas - Whakaroa Farm.
  • Battle of the Bays - This event will also double as the annual Battle of the Bays competition between Hawke's Bay Orienteering Club, Taupo Orienteering Club and Orienteering Bay of Plenty.  Points are arrived at considering competitors' times and the number of participants from each club - so the more participants from each club the better.

​SPRINT - CROWN PARK - SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2022

  • Map - Crown Park.
  • Address - Invergarry Road, Taupo.
  • Planner - Olivia Mcleod. 
  • Controller - Chris Morris.
  • Nature of Terrain - Sports park incorporating four schools (Tauhara College, Taupo Intermediate, Tauhara Primary, and Taupo Christion Schools).
  • First Start Times - 5pm.  
  • Embargoed Areas - Crown Park and all schools identified above with a map.

LONG - OKERE FALLS - SUNDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2022

  • Map - Okere Falls (recently remapped and extended).
  • Address - Trout Pool Road, Okere Falls, Rotorua.
  • Planner - Dennis de Monchy
  • Controller - Peter Swanson.
  • Nature of Terrain - Rolling to steep open farmland, with pockets of native bush. 
  • First Start Times - 10am
  • Embargoed Areas - ​Okere Falls Farm.

8. Other General Information

  • Start Requests - Start requests for a "genuine" reason (e.g. parents with young children) must be sent to the Event Director ([email protected]) before entries close, midnight Sunday, 6th February.  Start requests after this date are unlikely to be considered.  If we are operating in Level 2 blocks we will do our best to accommodate.
  • Facilities and Arrangements for Those with Young Children - Parents with young children will need to make their own child-care arrangements and may request split starts before entries close - see above.  An unsupervised tent will be available as a shelter for parents minding children in the Registration area.  If support is going to be required reach out to the Event Director.  
  • ​Opportunities for Training - At this stage it is not anticipated that there will be any model maps to train on before any of the events.  If participants want to utilise maps in public local area for training runs before the event weekend contact the Event Director. 
  • Prizegiving - Depending on Covid restrictions we may run short prizegivings after the events.
  • Dinner and Drinks - There will be no organised dinner but we may suggest a venue to meet up and socialise with other orienteers in Rotorua or Taupo.
  • Accommodation - Accommodation will be at an absolute premium in Rotoruaand Taupo the weekend of the events. We strongly recommend that you book your accommodation as early as possible!  

9. Covid19 Management

  • Event Protocols – The following will apply assuming all of the Northern Region remains at Orange (or Green).  If any part of the Northern Region is at Red the events will be cancelled.  
  • ​​Protocol Revisions – The above protocols are written in line with the current Covid19 situation.  The organisers will continue to monitor developments and reserve the right to adjust these protocols as necessary in line with official guidance, and to ensure we keep all those involved with the events healthy and safe.
  • Decision to Go Ahead – A decision will be made on Friday 4th February as to whether the events will go ahead.  The decision will be communicated on this website page, by email to all pre-entrants, on the OBOP Facebook page and on the ONZ website.  The events will go ahead if all of the Northern Region areas are at Orange (or Green) on the weekend of the events.  Note the organisers' may still need to cancel after 4th February should the alert levels change.  If any part of the Northern Region is in Red or above prior to the events, the organisers' will make a judgement on 4th February as to whether the status is likely to change before Labour Weekend.  If the events are not run on the planned weekend, they will be cancelled (there will be no further postponement).   
  • ​Entry Fee Refunds - Please contact [email protected] if you would like a refund in accordance with any of the following, including your name, details of the refund you are seeking, and your bank account name and number.
    • Any person who has entered based on the original planned date of Labour Weekend 2021, and is unable to attend on the new event dates, is eligible to receive a full refund of their entry fees.  (This is covered by point 4 below but to make it clear.)
    • Anyone who paid for the dinner planned on the original planned date of Labour Weekend 2021, but is still planning on attending on the postponement dates, is eligible to have their full dinner payment refunded.
    • Any "adult" who paid for all four events based on the original Labour Weekend schedule, and was effectively charged $10 for the Harris Interclub Rogaine, but is still planning on attending on the postponement dates, is eligible to have the $10 refunded if they desire.  Note in this case we can also offer a $10 fuel voucher to avoid the hassle of bank refunds if acceptable.  This voucher will be given to you when attend the events.
    • Anyone who cancels their entry on or before 6th February 2022 will be entitled to a 100% refund of their entry fees for whatever reason.
    • If the event is postponed or cancelled after 6th February, all competitors will be eligible to receive a refund of 75% of their entry fees.
    • Any person who cannot attend an event (that is not postponed or cancelled) because they are unvaccinated or are unwell, have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid19, have visited a location of interest, or otherwise should be self-isolating should contact the Event Director before the event and will be granted a full refund.