EVENT 3 – TE ARAI REGIONAL PARK
Te Ārai straddles the line between Wellsford and Mangawhai and two beaches; Te Arai Point and Forestry sit on the Wellsford side while its northern beach Black Swamp sits in Mangawhai.
This magnificent park features views of Pākiri Beach, Mangawhai Heads, Sandspit and Tomarata Lakes and is home to dune lake ecosystems, wetlands, a coastal broadleaf forest and regenerating forest.
This place is a hidden gem and has recently grown in size with a new section we make use of, in the Expedition course. Check out the scenery at this venue 
The water at the beach in so clear you won’t be able to resist a swim afterwards. The water is less than 100m from the finish line
Come discover this stunning location and take part in our event on the 2nd October.
Here’s a sneak look at the park and its terrain!
DIRECTIONS
- The event base is at Te Arai Regional Park.
- The event base will be here HERE
- Parking is along the edge of the road leading up to the main beach carpark. We need to keep the main carpark free for public beach visitors, so please park as directed alongside the road.
- Allow 1 hr 20 to to 1 hr 30 to get there from Central Auckland
- Please drive slowly and be aware of runners and walkers
CARPOOLING
We’ve set up a group associated with the Wild Auckland Facebook Page to try and facilitate carpooling to our events.
People will post to here looking for rides and if you have space and want company head on over and offer some space in your car to the events.
Check out the Wild Auckland Carpooling Group here
TIMETABLE
If you’re looking at this on a mobile device you might need to swipe left to see the details of the table
Kids Dash (2-3km) |
The Tour (7-10km) |
The Discover (12-15km) |
The Expedition (18-25km) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Registration at the venue |
From 8am |
From 8am |
From 8am |
From 8am |
Race Briefing |
11:45am |
10:15am |
9:45am |
8:45am |
Start |
12noon |
10:30am |
10am |
9am |
Prizegiving |
1pm |
1pm |
1pm |
1pm |
THE COURSES
KIDS DASH
2km
52m vert climb
TOUR
8.4km
113m vert climb
Aid station at 2km
DISCOVERY
12km
188m vert climb
Aid station at 5km
EXPEDITION
23.7km
307m vert climb
Aid station at 10.5 and 17km
Courses will be clearly marked with course marking and marshals where necessary.
As a condition of our permit with Auckland Council, courses may be subject to change due to weather and ground conditions.
A link to each course is in the table above but below is a map which tries to show all courses. We put km markers in the various course colours too so you can try and follow the route on the map?!
Maybe click on the image to see a higher res version you can print out for peace of mind on the day!
RACE NUMBERS
If you have a named race bib from the first 2022 Wild Auckland events from Tawharanui & Tapapakanga events then:
- Bring along this race bib/number, as we’ve allocated that number to you for the series.
- If you’ve lost that bib, then please get in touch shaun@lacticturkey.co.nz so we can allocate a different number to you.
- We will confirm what number we have allocated to you (if you’re done a Wild Auckland this year) in the final details email due out Wednesday morning.
- If you have a number from the past 2022 Wild Auckland events that you’re using you still need to register on the morning so we know you are starting.
Please keep your race bib from this event for future Wild Auckland events.
ON COURSE REFRESHMENTS
Please ensure you have enough nutritional supplies and water for your needs. Saying that, we will provide a water stop on the course at the distances indicated above for each course. This water station will have water and jet planes! These will be served to you due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please be patient.
At the finish we will have water and Tailwind electrolyte drink.
Don’t forget your reusable cup if you attended our first event. If this is your first Wild Auckland event then you’ll get a cup for free when you arrive.
OFF COURSE REFRESHMENTS
The event base is quite far away from any shops or anything so we’ve got a coffee vendor but there is no food available for sale at the venue.
COVID PROCEDURES
We are so lucky to be able to have events after the unusual times we’ve all experienced in the last couple of years. However, we still need to be vigilant so please:
- If you or someone you are in close contact with have symptoms of cold or flu, are unwell or who are waiting on test results for COVID-19 you must stay away
- If you are in self isolation you must stay away
- If you are an at-risk person or you live with or have regular contact with an at-risk person(s) then you should stay away
- There will be a hand sanitizer stations at in various locations around the event base. Please use these as required.
COMPULSORY GEAR
For this series of events, due to the nature of the courses we do not insist on any compulsory gear. However we recommend the longer course participants take the basics as it’s good practice to carry this type of gear anytime you hit the trails!
We recommend the following: Whistle, wind and waterproof seam sealed jacket, thermal hat/Thir, at least 1 litre of fluid, a survival blanket, a mobile phone and a first aid kit.
You will also need your reusable cup as we will not have paper cups at aid stations – these are provided in your race pack if you are doing your first Wild Auckland or bring your one from last time if you did the event last month.
RESULTS
Results should be available live on the day on our event website RESULTS PAGE HERE
PRIZEGIVING
We’ll be handing smaller spot prizes out during the day randomly as people cross the finish line.
The main prizegiving for some token merit prizes (fastest male and female on each course) and major spot prizes will be at around 1pm.
PHOTOS
Photos4sale will be on the course taking photos on a PWYW (pay what you want) basis. Go to photos4sale.co.nz and enter your bib number and all the photos taken of you will be displayed.
MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!!
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REUSABLE CUPS
Lactic Turkey Events tries to do our bit for the environment and we’ve been #paperplasticcupfree for our trail runs for years now. We’ve sourced a 220ml foldable/crushable reusable cup as per below.
Thanks to IronOak Financial Services, everyone will get one of these free for their first event, to use at our events or any other event that is cupless!
If you lose your cup for some reason then you can purchase replacements for $4. These can be purchased at registration on the day.
There will not be any paper/plastic cups at the aid stations throughout the day or at the finish line, so you will need to take this on the run with you to use.
OUR VOLUNTEERS
For this event we have two groups helping us out in return for a donation.
Allstar Infinity based in Silverdale is part of New Zealand’s largest Cheerleading company, Allstar Cheerleading. As a club we are sending teams to Hawaii in May 2023 to defend winning titles that we won in 2019. Having had a break from travelling and interrupted cheer programs for two years this will be our first time able to take on teams from countries such as America, Japan and China. Our athletes have are currently working very hard to get to Hawaii and we are very grateful for this fundraising opportunity.
A local group for Te Arai – the New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust (NZFTCT). 
Here is some information about this group
-
- Formed by concerned community people and ornithologists in 2008 with the aim of ensuring the survival of this endearing little seabird for future generations of New Zealanders and to preserve part of NZ’s biodiversity;
- Supports and participates in the New Zealand fairy tern Recovery Project initiated by Department of Conservation (DOC) in 1991 by complementing their management efforts;
- Fundraises to logistically support DOC volunteers at all current breeding and wintering grounds, so that participation is affordable to willing helpers;
- Advocates for this endemic NZ sub-species, to raise awareness of its plight, via public talks, displays, leaflet drops and media articles;
- Circulates NZFT news and information to our members with a regular bulletin and our website;
- Has five permanent trustees and an annually elected executive committee of 10 members who meet monthly.
- DoC’s current figure for NZFT is 35.
- The threat ranking is Critically Endangered, the most endangered bird species in New Zealand.
- The Trust fund raises every year to fund a full-time trapper at Mangawhai – he traps 12 months of the year, during the breeding season is out every day. Mangawhai is the most significant breeding area for the birds, usually having 5 – 6 Pairs (10-12 birds, approx. one third of the current population), nesting on the sandspit.
- Volunteers are transported out to the spit two days a week by a Trust owned dingy.
DO YOUR BIT FOR KAURI DIEBACK
The idea of the Wild Auckland series is to introduce you to new parks and trails now that the Waitakere Ranges and increasingly more parks close due to Kauri Dieback. The parks we take you to may not be closed but best practise dictates that we use the same principles of Kauri Dieback management in all regional parks.
We continue to work with the Auckland Council to ensure that we mitigate the risk of the event spreading Kauri dieback. Through these measures and education of participants and supporters we ensure that we are using best practice to minimise the risk of spreading the disease that is affecting New Zealand’s greatest and most majestic native trees.
The event also aims to help raise awareness of the Kauri dieback issue to the wider public.