Katoa Po weekend 14/15 March 2026 - Bulletin 1
The 46th Katoa Po promises a full weekend of orienteering and social activities for all in 2026. This year it will be based on an iconic map from the past Opepe which is around 10Km from Taupo and has been completely remapped. This area is rolling farmland incised with intricate gullies, and patches of grazed native bush
This weekend would not be possible without the permission of the Landowners (Opepe Farm Trust) and the active cooperation of the farm managers and we are very grateful for their support.
The weekend will start with a short fun warm-up event on Saturday afternoon.
The Katoa Po night relay will start at dusk, and the Explorer rogaine shortly after, and run into the night. The night relay format will comprise five person club teams, and the eligibility criteria for each leg has been loosened, to make for more exciting racing. The Explorer rogaine for teams of 2 to 5 will run from 8:30 to 11:30 pm, covering a similar but larger area. A large marquee will provide an all-weather event centre. Most people will camp the night in tents and campervans on the paddock alongside.
On Sunday there will be a 90 minute rogaine over the same terrain for both Explorer teams and orienteers.
A Cart will be on site selling coffee and ice-cream on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The Programme
Saturday 14th March
- 3:00pm mass start of “a murder mystery to solve”,
a 30 minute warmup event that will introduce you to the Opepe Farm terrain
- at dusk start of 46th Katoa Po Night Relay
- 8:30pm start of 6th Katoa Po Explorer 3 hour Night Rogaine
Sunday 15th March
- 9:00am start of Katoa Po Explorer 90 minute Daylight Rogaine
- 9:00am start of 90 minute Sunday Rogaine
- 11:00am Prizegiving for Relay, Explorer and Sunday Rogaine
About the events
The Saturday afternoon warmup event is designed as a short sharp challenge to warm up the brain and the body for the challenges ahead.
Katoa Po is a Maori translation for “all night” and the weekend is based around the annual interclub night relay hosted by the Taupo Orienteering Club. The first relay was held at the end of January 1981 but nowadays is usually in March when dusk is earlier but the weather still generally good. Teams are now made up of five members of mixed ages and abilities who contest for the Owl trophy. The legs and eligibility age groups are designed so that all ages, levels of fitness and abilities are catered for - from the competitive to those who want to enjoy the camaraderie and atmosphere of a team event at night along with a convivial camping experience. The general overall rules and details of how Club teams are put together are in the Relay section.
The Katoa Po Explorer is a teams rogaine event that has been designed for rogainers and adventure racers of all ages wanting to practise
their night navigation and teamwork. This event will comprise a three hour rogaine on Saturday night and a 90 minute rogaine on Sunday morning for teams
of two to five. The course has been designed for a range of abilities, from beginners to experts.
Secondary School teams have found this event to be an excellent navigation team exercise which is great training for adventure racing.
The Sunday morning rogaine is a 90 minute adventure where you might find some of the controls you looked for at night, and a whole lot more. It is run in parallel with the Explorer Sunday rogaine.
The planners and controllers are very experienced in running and competing in these events so you can be sure of great courses.
We are hoping to have each Club appoint a liaison person to gather together and arrange the Club teams for the night relay.
Entries will be via the EnterO website
Further details will be available soon on applicable event pages
Event Location
- Opepe Farm is approximately 12Km from Taupo along SH5 towards Napier
