2019 NZ Orienteering Nationals Championships

Otago Community Trust was pleased to support the Dunedin Orienteering Club (DOC) to co host the New Zealand Orienteering Championships at Easter. The Dunedin Orienteering Club were awarded a $10,000 grant in November of last year which supported the club to create three new specialist orienteering maps drawn to an internationally recognised standard for the Championships. The new maps were produced for the sprint distance, middle distance, and long distance races at Oamaru, Maerewhenua, and Kuriheka respectively.

The event attracted more than 670 competitors, from all around Australasia, and some from further afield and it was a opportunity to celebrate the very best of map navigation in an almost totally new area for Orienteering in New Zealand.

Thanks to Jeni Pelvin President of Dunedin Orienteering and her husband who sent in some great action photos from the event. Jeni notes that Gary Kircher - Mayor for Waitaki, who attended the prize giving of the Relay event was most impressed with the attendance, and welcomed the economic benefit to the area. The previously untraversed terrain around fascinating Oamaru in the beautiful Waitaki District has rarely been mapped or used for orienteering before and provided great exposure for the region.