Drew Beswick, Lincoln Quilliam & Jake Terhell
Reflections on the Explore Clarence Metrogaine
By Drew Beswick and Lincoln Quilliam
With some light pre-event logistics, we all arrived 90 minutes before the start eager to get our map and make some plans. Our planning having improved somewhat since we started our Rogaining adventures. 4 Hours, not too hilly and a nice day so we agreed around 30kms was probably achievable and set our course accordingly using as much coast and bush as we could find. We agreed navigation and scribing roles, last check of gear and off to the start. None of us were truly local to the area so this was a genuine explore for us and it was great to take in the beautiful coast to start and then into the hills above Tranmere an obvious favourite of local mountain bike riders. We developed our ‘system’ as we went and discovered we could do better at check points so as not to lose too much time. We got better as we went along and sensibly kept to our own advice of starting how we wanted to finish. We had planned on getting out to Gordon’s Hill but time was passing and we were very keen to get the swim in so cut off a couple of controls and turned around at 91 for the coastal path home. Sadly, we still missed the swim, as maybe we’d slowed a little, or maybe out string line in the planning was a bit off… Anyway, we did really enjoy the views from the paths from Rosny through Bellerive back to the Hash House for some well earned rest. And yep, Strava said 34km when the string suggested just on 30km so some more practice (and pins!) required there. Pizza was awesome, but family and work commitments called so not as much socialising as we would have liked after. In all, another terrific event from Rogaining Tasmania and a massive thanks to everyone involved with planning and putting the event on – it was a lot of fun!