6th Katoa Po Explorer - 14/15 March 2026
Bulletin 1a (updated 16 Feb)
Event Information
When -
Saturday 14th March 2026
- 3:30pm Campsite opens
- 5:30pm Registration opens
- 7:30pm Vehicle access to Event Centre Campsite closes
- 8:00pm Briefing for all competitors, maps handed out
- 8:30pm Start of 3 hour Night Rogaine
- Sunday 15th March 2026
- 9:00am Start of 90 minute Daylight Rogaine
- 9:00am (Sunday) Vehicle access to Event Centre Campsite reopens
- 11:00am Prizegiving
Where - Opepe Trust Farm Southern Block, SH5, Taupō
Organizer - Taupo Orienteering Club
Planner - Craig Farrar
Controller - Brendan Haigh
Registration: - Online
Entry Deadlines
- Early Bird - before Sunday 1st March 11.59pm
- Final deadline - Sunday, 8th March 11:59pm
• enquiries to entries@taupoorienteering.nz
Event format
Combination of 3 hour night rogaine plus 90 minute daylight rogaine on Sunday morning in teams of 2 to 5 persons.
This is a great opportunity for school teams to practice their teamwork and navigational skills for Get to Go (31 July Waikato and 3 August Rotorua) or Hillary Challenge (17 May North Island in the Rotorua area).
What’s more, the biggest prize of the weekend goes to the best school team and is worth $500!
Optional warm-up event: Amurder mystery to solve, a 30 minute fun event, mass start 3:00 pm on Saturday 14th March.
See the supporting event page for details
Entry fees per person
- Juniors (born 2005 or later)
Early bird $45 (by Sunday 1st March 11:59pm)
Late entry $60 (after 1st March and before Sunday 8th March 11:59pm) - Seniors
Early bird $80 (by Sunday 1st March 11:59pm)
Late entry $100 (after 1st March and before Sunday 8th March 11:59pm)
What - The night rogaine will be in two parts, on two separate maps. You will have a total time of 3 hours
for the two maps - you can take as long as you want on the first map, but will lose points if you are longer than 3 hours in total.
You will have about 15 minutes before the start to plan your route on the first map. There will be a map exchange back at the event centre,
at which time you will get another map with additional controls to locate. Any planning time for the second map is included in the 3 hours.
The Sunday morning rogaine will be on another map, and you will have 90 minutes for this.
Being a rogaine means that you can get as many (or as few) controls as you like, in any order. At the end of the 3 hour night rogaine, any teams that are late back will lose 10 points per minute or part of a minute that they are late back. At the end of the 90 minute day rogaine, the penalty will be 20 points per minute or part of a minute.
A prizegiving will be held at 11am Sunday morning when the overall results will have been finalised after the Sunday rogaine.
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.
Individual gear (must be carried by each competitor)
- Fleece
- Polyprop top
- Water/wind proof jacket
- Head torch (with enough batteries)
- Beanie
- Gloves
- Whistle
- Sufficient food and drink for the duration
- Survival Bag
Team Gear (may be carried by anyone in the team)
- Cell Phone (for emergency use only)
- Multi purpose knife (eg. Swiss Army)
- First Aid Kit (minimum= plasters, small and large bandages, tape, paracetamol, crepe rolls, anti-histamine pills)
- Compass
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.
