5th October 2008
Trustpower Adventure Quest Attracts Competitive Field On Innovative Wakatipu Course
The TrustPower Adventure Quest in Queenstown attracted 56 teams prepared to brave very wet and windy conditions on
Saturday (October 4) with most competitors persevering on the innovative course taking in hills around the Central
Wakatipu Basin and the Shotover River flats.
The annual event reflected the traditionally strong field with a mix of serious racers, orienteering experts and social
competitors.
Race Director Geoff Hunt says although the weather was particularly bad in the morning, by early afternoon it had
cleared and the teams encountered sunny conditions, for the latter part of the course.
"The Quest is really a mini sporting adventure requiring teamwork, clue solving and orienteering and this year it began
at the Old Shotover Bridge, following a course which involved trekking around the local countryside and cycling along
the Shotover River. The feedback we got was very positive and competitors went to places they didn't know existed in the
area."
The race was divided into adventure (serious) and social divisions and New Zealand orienteering representative Bruce
McLeod and his race partner Phil Wood of Queenstown, racing under the banner of Aurum Survey, displayed their
navigational skills and were clear winners in the Open Adventure section.
"It was great to explore such new country," says Phil. "Certainly there were areas I didn't know about and will be
heading back to again."
Well known Queenstown athletes Judy Knight and Paula Key won the Women's Adventure race while the Adventure Mixed went
to The Funksters, the Queenstown team of Sarah Cole and Richard Lambert.
Veteran multisport athletes Bill and Irene Godsall from Cromwell, arrived three minutes late at the finish, which
dropped them out of contention for first place in the Adventure Mixed.
"For each minute a team is late getting home they lose a minute which is worth one point," says Hunt. "So it was
important for teams to complete the race within the allotted time."
The Social Open category was won by one of the two Placemakers teams who sponsored the event. The honours went to Lucas
Fornes and Mark Littleton.
Long time TrustPower Adventure Quest supporter Robyn Metcalfe of Queenstown who has entered the event every year and is
a previous winner of the Social Mixed section, won it again this year with partner Sue Tait of Queenstown, racing as The
Blondines.
"We loved it although the torrential rain was a bit of a challenge," says Robyn. "However the sun came out and we had a
great time particularly going along the back of Queenstown Hill. It's a great race to enter because there's not too much
pressure, it' a bit more strategic."
The Breezies , represented by Emma Lange and Phil Crosbie, a More FM sponsor's team won the Mixed Social section.
Frontrunner which sponsored the event also entered a team and the award for the youngest competitor of the day went to
10-year-old Malcolm Sillars of Invercargill who competed in a family team with his father and sister.
The TrustPower Adventure Quest is supported by TrustPower, More FM, Hamills, Onsen Hot Pools, The Studio, Placemarkers,
The Frontrunner and Fat Tyre Mountain Bike Adventures
ENDS
Southern Traverse Ltd. is a premier international Sport Event Management company. Southern Traverse Ltd. operates and
manages elite events around the world, including the Adventure Racing World Championship, the AR World Series and New
Zealand's icon adventure race, the Macpac Southern Traverse.
Other New Zealand events include The North Face Peak to Peak, TrustPower Adventure Quest, the Macpac 24hrs of Southern
Traverse and 8 hour Adventure Challenge, and the Fresh Choice Womens Triathlon.
The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 11 countries
creating a 12-month calendar of professional events around the world and acting as qualifiers for the Adventure Race
World Championship to be held in Brazil in 2008.
sleepmonsters.com is the official ARWorld Series web site
Casio Protrek are the official watches of the ARWorld Series