46th Katoa Po Night Relay - 14/15 March 2026
Bulletin 1
Event Information
When - Saturday 14th March 2026
- 3:30pm Campsite opens
- 5:30pm Registration opens
- 6:30pm return Team lists with names in running order
- 7:30pm Vehicle access to Event Centre Campsite closes
- 7:45pm Briefing for all competitors
- Relay starts at Dusk approximately 8pm
- 9:00am (Sunday) Vehicle access to Event Centre Campsite reopens
Where - Opepe Trust Farm Southern Block, SH5, Taupō
Organiser - Taupo Orienteering Club
Planner - Chris Morris
Controller - Brendan Haigh
Registration: - Online
Entry Deadline - Sunday, 8th March 11:59pm
Individuals enter the event online via enterO (choosing their preferred leg). The club captains will make up teams, according to the eligibility criteria below.
Tuesday, 10th March 11:59pm Deadline for notification of required teams
Saturday, 14th March 6:30pm Deadline to hand in FINAL team lists
• enquiries to entries@taupoorienteering.nz
Entry fees per team
- 5 person team $175
- 5 all juniors team $135 (born 2006 or later)
What - The premier night orienteering competition in New Zealand. This night relay for 5 person teams runs deep into the night. The relay starts about dusk with a mass start for the white course. It progresses to harder and longer courses.
The Terrain - Most of the map is rolling hill pumice country farmland, into which a series of intricate, steep sided gullies have formed a complex drainage pattern of negative features. There is a very large gully trending NW through the centre of the map that all courses cross. Almost all the gullies are dry and firm underfoot unless there has been recent heavy rain. There are numerous stock paths that traverse the steeper gully flanks, allowing passage. Some of the gullies are forested which stock graze underneath.
Mapping - The map was created using the standard sized IOF symbols with just the NZ additions of water troughs and water tanks. Many earth banks of the smaller/ narrower gully flanks are shown as thin black lines (minimum cliffs without tags) because of space limitations. In the forested and bush areas, the vegetation is generalised. There are parts where the area symbols for open land with scattered trees or the open land with scattered bushes are used. Small patches of blackberry or bush lawyer are not mapped if they are easily avoided. All maps will be 1:7500 scale with fences shown.
Eligibility - The criteria have been loosened to allow more flexibility of leg choice and more exiting racing
| Course | Grade restrictions | Difficulty | Distance / Climb | Estimated Winning Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg 1 | 14 and under or 70 and over | White | 2320m / 90m | 15 minutes, median time 25 minutes |
| Leg 2 | 18 and under or 50 and over | Yellow | 2990m / 100m | 22 minutes, median time 35 minutes |
| Leg 3 | 20 and under or 35 and over | Orange | 4730m / 160m | 35 minutes |
| Leg 4 | Open | Red | 5870m / 260m | 50 minutes |
| Leg 5 | Open | Red | 7170m / 345m | 60 minutes |
• Exemptions to the above rules will be considered on their merits by the controller. The essential essence of the competition is fairness. The controller will use this as the guiding principle for determining if nominally ineligible runners can drop down a leg.
Compulsory Gear - All Competitors in the Relay must carry an emergency whistle due to the terrain and night event.
Special Rules -
- Every team finishes, so there are no DSQs.
- A mp result incurs a time penalty of the slowest time for that leg plus 15 minutes.
- DNF's are the slowest time for that leg plus a 30 minute penalty. Placing's are determined solely by time, including penalties.
- Deliberate manipulation of the rules can incur additional penalties at the discretion of the controller.
- The relay is designed for teams of five from individual orienteering clubs. Composite and family teams, and teams with less than five members may only enter at the discretion of organisers, and will not be eligible for team trophies.
SPORTident - To allow for smooth organization and cater for the inevitable last minute
changes all teams will be issued with a set of SI cards allocated to each leg.
It is imperative that these cards are given to the appropriate leg.
Access to Event Centre is via a 1300m farm road. Vehicles with low clearance (and caravans / campervans) may not be able
to drive the last 300m to the Event Centre and Camping Area and should park at the bottom of the airstrip (see map). If unsure, park at
airstrip and check before you drive. The event centre camping is a flat and grassy area with portaloos. There is also room to set up
club tents adjacent to transition area.
Vehicle access to the Camping Area and Event Centre will be closed between 7:30pm Saturday and 9:00am Sunday for safety of competitors.
If you intend to leave during the time please park at the bottom of the airstrip, where day parking is indicated.
Bring your own water (some water will be available for competitor hydration).
Important - read the safety note on traffic access below.
From Taupo, take the Napier-Taupo Highway (SH5) east from the Intersection roundabout of SH1 and SH5. Drive past the Opepe Scenic Reserve (12.1km) another 1.1 km east to the event entrance, which is on the righthand (south) side of SH5 (13.2km).
From Napier, take the Napier-Taupo Highway. The event entrance is 113km from the junction of SH2 and SH5, 4km west of where High Level Rd crosses SH5, on the lefthand side.
The Relay, Explorer and Sunday rogaine Event Centre, Camping and parking is an approximately 1.3 Km drive on a farm road from the entrance from SH5 (Location 38.774952 Deg S, 176.225470 Deg E). The last 300m may not be suitable for low clearance vehicles.
Note that vehicle access to Opepe is from SH5, a busy road between Taupo and the Hawkes Bay, on a slight corner.
It is very important all drivers take care entering and leaving the farm entrance from SH5.
There is no dedicated turning bay in the centre of the road and the road shoulder is not wide enough to pull left when coming from Taupo (there are pull off options from the Napier side).
When coming from the Taupo side, if you have following traffic, it is recommended you pull over at the Opepe Scenic Reserve (1,100m before entrance) and let any traffic pass before approaching the entrance and turning right into the farm. Alternatively, you can drive past the entrance and pull over at a safe place on the straight section of road to the east of the farm entrance, before doing a u-turn and entering from the east.
There will be 400m signs west and east of the farm access point, the normal orange/white signs adjacent, as well as an orienteering teardrop flag at the access gate.
There are many small cliffs and earth banks, pits (tomo), gorse, blackberry, bush lawyer, branches and sticks at eye level, tree roots. There may be some farm animals. Electric fences will be off. Climb fences at strainer posts where possible.
Opepe is 750m above sea level. Be prepared for cold, wet and windy weather depending on the weather forecast.
