Southern Traverse off to Otago
Rob / 03.03.2003
The next Southern Traverse will be held in Dunedin and the surrounding Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand from the 10th - 15th November 2003.Announcing the venue Race Director Geoff Hunt said Dunedin and Otago\'s coastline and mixed terrain will prove to be a unique challenge for the 200 to 300 competitors expected to take part.
\"I think the competitors are going to be enthralled with the distinctive Otago landscape.†he said. \"The Otago Peninsula and coastline can be a wild and remote place to be at times and there is an interesting mix of native bush, dry desert foot hills and rocky outcrops with many elevated mountain ranges to choose from.\"
Hunt says he\'s looking forward to returning to his hometown of Dunedin to create the thirteenth Southern Traverse. “We have taken the Southern Traverse to many wild and varied places in the South Island over the past 13 years but I admit to being especially fond of the Otago region having grown up here. There is also a strong multi-sport community in Dunedin and I know we will see many local teams competing this year.\"
Competitors travel from all over the globe to compete in the Southern Traverse, drawn by the reputation of the world’s second oldest race (behind Raid Gauloises) and by South Island’s magnificent landscape. Registration is already open and for the first time, there will be no limitation on the number of race spots allocated.
Teams will be accepted after a standard reviewing process by the race directors and event manager Pascale Lorre says Dunedin offers fantastic infrastructure for the race which all told will bring over 700 people into the city.
\" With the support of Destination Dunedin and the Dunedin City Council, we have no doubt that this years Southern Traverse will experience the best of what this area has to offer.\" She said. \"Being able to benefit from the city\'s hospitality and entertainment sectors will be great for all the competitors, support teams and race management, and the race will challenge and most certainly surprise the teams with the unsurpassed diversity of the Otago region.\"
Dunedin Mayor,Sukhi Turner, said Dunedin and Coastal Otago is a multi sporting paradise with much to offer Southern Traverse teams. \"Being the fourth largest city in the world ( in geographical size) Dunedin boasts many wonderful locations for the course including white sand beaches, sheer cliffs, native forests and the magnificent Otago Harbour.\"
Last year\'s race attracted over 20 international teams from the USA, France, UK, Australia, Canada, and Singapore. New Zealand\'s leading adventure racing team, Seagate.com (Nathan Fa\'avae, Kathy Lynch, Neil Jones and Jeff Mitchell) won the 2002 Southern Traverse title adding to their impressive list of 4 international wins in one year. (You can read our live race coverage here.)
If you want to know more look on the Southern Traverse website, where you can enter on-line.
