Source: Whangarei District Council
Updated: 13/07/2020 3:23 p.m.
This coming year, the North Island Spirited Women – All Women’s Adventure Race will be held in Whangārei, Northland from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 March, and teams are encouraged to register before places are all filled.
Council’s Venues and Events Manager Carina de Graaf said the organisers had identified Marlborough as a potential South Island destination and wanted to find a North Island destination that was in the north of the country.
“They said the region is stunning and that they know it will make an amazing course for their Spirited Women. We wanted to get on board with that and give them all the support they needed, so we are really glad to see they chose Whangārei.”
The North Island Spirited Women – All Women’s Adventure Race is limited to 408 teams of four per event.
Teams can choose a short, medium or long-course adventure. Travelling together, they must navigate a secret course by foot, mountain bike, and kayak, completing a few surprise mystery activities along the way.
Mrs De Graaf said no prior experience was needed and stable sit-on tandem kayaks were provided for all teams and all levels of fitness and experience.
To keep the courses secret until they start, different locations are chosen every year. Rotorua, Taupo, Whakatane/Ohope, and Gisborne in the North Island, and Central Otago in the South Island have already hosted events.
The activities vary too, depending on the locations. Some years have a more structured course (trek, kayak, bike) and other years a range of disciplines are involved. The aim is for it to always be a very fresh and exciting adventure experience.
Mrs De Graaf said the course is kept a secret until the Friday of the race weekend. Once the teams receive their map/s, course notes, and briefing instructions, they have the evening to plan and prepare. On race day, the teams need to navigate their way around the course visiting checkpoints in the order specified (sequential or any order) on each leg, changing disciplines and participating in mystery activities along the way.
“But the Spirited Women is far more than creating an unforgettable event experience shared among girlfriends; it’s about women making time for themselves, their health and fitness. For many participants, the journey to the event is the most cherished part. Regularly getting together as a team to train, learn new skills, and supporting one another to push their boundaries. It strengthens bonds and relationships, bringing family, friends and work colleagues together for a weekend of unadulterated fun.
It aims for participants to find their inner spirit, be brave, and together with your girlfriends make up a team to compete in an unforgettable experience.”
