6-hour First Mens Vets: Anthony Stoner and Dion McKenzie
By Gary Carroll
By all accounts, the Winter Wander was a great success. Who would be mad enough to go rogaining mid-winter in Tasmania? The answer, apparently, is a lot of you and in record numbers.
The Winter Wander story starts way back in May 2025. A brainstorming meeting came up with the idea that RT should run a short event that would be suitable for training new rogainers and introducing new setting/vetting teams. In September 2025 Evan Thomas from Paddy Pallin Hobart approached RT (via Neil Hawthorne) to discuss partnering with RT. Paddy Pallin support rogaining in many other Australian states and have been doing so since the early 1960s, way before the word “rogaine” was ever heard. Evan was keen to see a Tasmanian rogaine held specifically to attract newcomers and for RT to run a rogaine-specific training session to dove-tail with the navigation training that Paddy Pallin conducts for their club members.
We then had a concept, but no date or area. Bass Burgess stepped in at this stage. He liaised with various landowners, juggled their demands for land use, and timed the event to fit within existing rogaining and orienteering schedules. The three landowners for the Winter Wander event area were all extremely supportive of our event and we can’t thank them enough.
We then had an event area and a date, but no setters or vetters. In November 2025, when they looked their most vulnerable, I approached Geoff and Tara Powell to help with a “little event”. They were keen, and Richard Ward came on board in January, and then Tara dragged Tom Reed onto the team. They did a really good job of course setting and enjoyed doing this. Richard can’t wait to help set a longer event.
After hundreds of emails, numerous field trips, map production, adjustments to the competition map area, document writing, proofreading, and Navlight configuration, we were ready to go. The entries were steadily coming in, but over two-thirds of the entries were made during the week before entries closed.
We nervously watched the forecasts for a “weather window”. There was snow and threats of the Midlands Hwy closing a few days before the event. However, event day dawned and we were greeted with a specky sunrise. The weather was fine, a little windy, and certainly not too hot.
Considering all the work that goes into arranging an event, the actual event day seemed to be over in a flash. Thanks to the preparation by the organisers, everything went smoothly on the day. There were over 20 volunteers for this event. Thanks to you all – you know who you are! Besides the setters and vetters, special mention must be made to:
- Bass Burgess – Landholder liaison and approvals. Event scheduling. Logistics. Carting all the gear. Hanging checkpoints. He was even serving food.
- Bernard Walker – Ongoing entry system work. Advice on streamlining admin processes. Safety and communications. Bunting funnel design and installation!
- Imojen Pearce – Catering coordination. The food was delicious, and very well received.
The event attracted a record 302 participants for a Tasmanian bush rogaine, including about 80 at their first event.
The 3-hour event was won by mixed team Hannah Ward and Chris Hildrew; Open men was won by Callum Butler and Aidan Mackay; Open women by novices Kate Reed and Hannah Dabbs.
The 6-hour event was won by the men’s team Samuel Webb, Joseph Nunn, and Ryder Jamson; they narrowly defeated the mixed winners Kris and Ella Clauson; the open women’s winners were Imojen Pearce and Ivy Rapley.
All the category winners and scores can be found on the Event Results page. Rogaine Results will show you both the results and the routes taken by all the teams, and it can also display your GPS track on the event map.
Event photographs are on our Facebook Rogaining Tasmania Community group, and also on Google Photos.
You can visualise where the teams went by looking at the Analyses Maps.
There is an unclaimed lost beanie. Send a message using the contact form to have it returned.
To wrap it up… Thanks to Paddy Pallin for the sponsorship allowing for discounted entries, assisting with the training evening, providing the large marquee, and all the spot prizes. The good news is that Paddy Pallin is keen for the sponsorship to be ongoing. There will be a Paddy Pallin event in 2027, likely towards the end of the year.