AR World Championship 2005
Tea and toast at CP17
Susan McKenzie / 16.11.2005
A small block of wood in the centre of the gravel road points the way to CP17, a lodge that perches on the top of a long abandoned goldrush town called Wairua. Wekas wander along the queerly-named Incubator Alley and magpies swoop and chatter overhead. When the sun comes out, the view of the valley is spectacular.
Inside the lodge, the checkpoint is being staffed by race marshals Richard Foubister (a Kiwi) and Louise Baker (a Canadian, and Foubister’s wife.) They have come to New Zealand for a vacation and to visit family, but have timed this visit to coincide with the Adventure Racing World Championships.
“I’ve volunteered at races back in Canada,� says Baker. “And Richard races, and he’s been at the Southern Traverse before, so we decided to come out for this race.�
The couple spent yesterday parked by the side of the road wedged between TA3 and TA4, working as a radio relay on the busy highway. Their new assignment is much more comfortable. The Wairua Lodge is equipped with heat, hot water and electricity, flush toilets and a full kitchen.
“They said there was a TV and a VCR, too,� says Baker with a laugh. “But the cabinet is empty so I guess they were taken out.�
Balance Vector cycled into the CP around five-thirty pm on Wednesday (Day 3). After almost three days of solid trekking, the bicycles were a welcome change of discipline.
“It felt bloody good to sit down!� Richard Ussher told Baker, as she welcomed them with hot tea and fresh toast and jam.
“It was great to hop on the bikes but having to get off and carry them through the brush was a bit of a kick in the guts,� added Nathan Fa’avae.
Balance Vector didn’t linger at CP17, just long enough to eat some toast and warm up before heading out on the remainder of the 89-kilometre bike trek.
A few hours later FK Herkules, an unranked team from Sweden, arrived at the TA.
“They stayed a bit longer,� says Foubister. “About two and a half hours, just chatting.�
Chatting and eating a lot of toast. Herkules also tasted an Australian, er, delicacy – vegemite. One of the racers spread the vegemite on his toast rather too thickly, but was too polite to spit it out. In the checkpoint notes, the message says it all.
“Discovered Vegemite is not like Nutella!�
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