The 2012 Barron River Challenge (BRC 2012) canoe race is only 13 weeks away.
Whilst Tinaroo dam is still 3m from overflowing – rainfall in the catchment areas below the dam wall have allowed for training/ recon paddles during the last couple of weeks.

Mareeba river height between 1.60 and 1.90 is generally an indication that the river between Mareeba and Bilwon can be paddled safely with intermediate experience.

Two fiberglass Canadians made the trip from Low bridge to Bilwon (rogers road) in 3 hours comfortably on Sunday 29/01 with 1.59 at Mareeba and 1.61 at Bilwon, however it was the fresh from Granite creek which made it possible.

The major creeks along the course also have to be noted as well if you intend to paddle the lower sections below Oak Forest.

The 4 gauges
Tinaroo Dam
Mareeba
Bilwon
Myola

Give the Barron River course heights whilst two further stations ; Clohesy River (joined with Davies Creek ) and Flaggy creek, monitor two other sometimes major inflows which enter before the oak forest rapid and hence only contribute to the Myola station heights.

Quite a few snags are exposed in the upper BRC 12 course. Take note of the logs produced from Yasi in 2011. It is still a worthwhile paddle to get familiar with the BRC 12 section of the race even if the height is just above 1.65 as tricky shutes such as the run into the high rocks can be scouted in relative safety. Take note of the screen captures from the BOM site below.

Up for a bout of rainforest running? Keen for cool clear creeks, smoothly flowing or challenging single track and social but competitive trail running?  Entries have opened for events in the 2012 Dirty Northern Trail Running Series.

All events are within an hours drive of Cairns and have been selected to showcase some of the most scenic and diverse, as well as the most enjoyable and runnable rainforest trails in the region.

The Dirty 30 and Sweaty 60 Adventure Run in late February (25^th) provides a nice little intro to tropical trail running with a fun and obstacle filled loop course beside Lake Tinaroo. Expect mud. Expect to get wet. Expect a slip and slide. Expect to get dirty, very dirty. Expect obstacles that provoke more laughter and fun than you previously thought possible during 30 dirty or 60 sweaty minutes of tropical running. There’ll be the Hay Bale Hills (but bigger), Mud Wallow Stinger Nets (but with a real sting!) and the sweet flowing Single Track (and now with lakeside views) you loved at the 2011 Smithfield Mud Run Event.  But there’ll also be novel new obstacles (keep an eye on the website), better spectator access, great photo opportunities, a couple of wades (that’s water running – not blokes called Wade, although they’re welcome too), nice steady uphill, rip roaring downhill fun and a very memorable running experience jammed into a 1.5km loop you can tackle as many times as you like in your chosen 30 or 60 minutes.

March’s (18^th) Speewah Legend Footrace is the first race in the actual Dirty Northern Trail Running Series and sends runners out on a scenic 17km loop of heavily shaded rainforest single track. Highlights include stunning panoramic views of the famous Barron Gorge, Trinity Bay and the Cairns region, a couple of speccy crossings of Stony Ck, massive Kauri Pines and following the foot tracks of Traditional Owners the Djabaguy and the pack and dray routes of early European pioneers. Check out some video footage from the course here. The park itself protects 2820ha and nine vegetation communities ranging from lush tropicalrainforest to mountain heath and forms a natural wildlife corridor linking the northern and southern reaches of the wet tropics. Possums, Tree Kangaroos, Flying Foxes, Musky Rat Kangaroos, Cassowarys, Amethystine Pythons, Spotted Tail Quolls and the odd leech are some of many native species resident to the park.

Also in March (24^th), and a brand new event on the Trail Running calendar is the Bustard Express. If you’ve been hanging out for a teams Trail Running event where you run with (well kinda with) your mates rather than against them, or an opportunity to run the brilliant Davies Ck MTB Loop, or the chance to show off your retina burning new headlamp, then here ‘tis. You can look forward to a multi loop, day / night Trail Running experience for 4 hours in the Pony Express (relay) style of racing. There’ll be solo alternatives along with the teams option, some very junior friendly opportunities and all the fun of tropical trail running.

In April (22^nd), the Gold Rush Trail Marathon boasts of being one of the most scenic marathons any adventurer could hope to tackle as it heads off into the heart of Australia’s wettest rainforest and traverses the saddle between Queensland’s two highest peaks. An out and back course over the historic Goldfields Trail, some say crossing the lovely East Mulgrave River without stopping for a dip in one of the North’s best swimming holes is a tremendous challenge in itself. Starting and finishing at the popular Babinda Boulders Swimming Hole it is one of the mosteagerly anticipated events on the endurance calendar.

Or, if up for some ultra ‘action’, the Spiny Cray Ultra is the third and final event in the series (24^th June) and allows runners the opportunity to run through the naturally air conditioned Wet Tropics Highland Rainforest and a patch of cloudforest. The 57km run climbs (and descends) over 1550m through Mt Lewis NP – an area of rainforest described by the Department of Environment and Resource Management as a “a treasure trove of endemic plants and animals”. Wildlife protected by the park includes Golden Bowerbirds, Southern Cassowarys, giant 2m long blue Earthworms, Lemuroid Ringtail Possums, Daintree River Ringtail Possums and the event’s namesake – the Mount Lewis Spiny Cray.

With multiple distances to choose from in each of the Dirty Northern Trail Runs, a course is available for runners of all abilities, experiences and levels of sanity. For all the dirty details check out the Adventure Sport NQ website.

Mareeba Metrogaine – Course setters Report

November could be an unsettled time of year to have a 3 hour metrogaine especially in Mareeba but that was the challenge set by Mike in asking myself and Brad Weaver to host in our home town. We learnt a lot in a short time about organising a Metrogaine but we’d have to say that the hour concluding the race was where the hardest lessons were learnt about running a points event.
Enough of an administrators rambling and to the event: 78 competitors split between 15 teams on foot and 13 teams on bike.
The weather was kind for Mareeba in November and the catering had worked out well so we were set. Two maps were presented to competitors with a smaller orienteering course set in the bicentennial lakes and the larger street map of Mareeba township pushing competitors into the nooks and crannies of the ex-tobacco kingdom.
It didn’t take long for the first report of a new to the sport team losing their clue sheet on course. It was just after two hours when the first teams started arriving back with team CART (Craig House, Rhonda Coyne) walking in, doing the course with a little one in tow (when I say little I mean little).
Next was Giddiup (Chris white, Sue Crowe, Stru Lamont) on bike at 2 hr 14 knocking the whole course off for maximum points, including an extra 10 points for locating the attacking magpie.
Around the 2hr 15 mark saw team Brittwill deliver Amelia to the hash to recover after a crash on the bike which later turned out to be a very serious injury. A late report reveals that she’s fine and should be released from Cairns Base on Sunday.
The girls of Supernatural (Jordan Mcdougall, Tracy Townsend, Lesly Veschetti, Renee Price) strolled in next and doing very well for first timers and one of the girls was overheard saying it was the ‘best thing ever’; music to an organisers ears!
Special mention goes to the first of the foot Metrogainers (Rachel Reid, Lisa Plozza) who won the event as first timers. Another mention goes to the team Los Burros Blancos (Michael Alba, Lindy Alba) for bringing a Spanish flavour with the team name to the event (translates to ‘the white Donkeys’).
By the 3 hour 10 mark all competitors were hoeing down to some fine chow put on by Sonya, Liana and Susie W so thanks girls as the HUGE reputation for great food still stands for a Mareeba held event.
All that was to be held was the random draw prizes which were in the dozens and we can’t thank the sponsors of those enough – It’s Extreme, Pump n Pedals, Adventure Equipment.

Thanks again to all competitors and helpers and stay tuned for another Mareeba held event.
Rob Miller.

With the Jewel in the Bush Rogaine fresh in our minds and a fourth place up our sleeves we thought we would set out for a leisurely 3 hour stroll around town taking in some scenic local sights with our main focus just to enjoy our day, but with our map in hand and two ladies in front that were almost twice our age our competitiveness got the better of us and we decided to get cracking.

Throughout our morning we managed to encounter many of the situations that we were informed about during the pre event briefing at the school, including; various ‘friendly’ greetings from the locals on the east side of the river and several crazy dog chases – fortunately we missed the bomb diving magpies.

We have very fond memories of our day which included Lisa’s find of $20 outside the hospital, friendly chats with other competitors out on the course, morning tea with an elderly Mareeba local who we only met that morning (thank you for the cold cordial and homemade biscuits) and also exploring the town and finding places that we never knew existed, even though we have lived here for many years. Oh and of course coming first in the hike section of the event and each of us winning a random draw prize at the presentation. Woohoo!!!!!!!

This was our first Metrogaine and just like the Jewel in the Bush it was another very well organised event and we can safely say that it would have been obvious to all competitors that the organisers had put a great deal of thought, hard work and effort into the course and in particular the LUNCH!!!! Mmmmmm…. J & R

October 8 dawned with clear skies and the promise of a warm day. That was an underestimation – by all accounts the day was HOT!
But the field of Rogainers were up to the task in all 3 events.
The course, set by Meredith & Blair Cunningham and mentored by Andrew Campbell, was diverse yet challenging.
Unusually this was an ‘inside out’ event whereby high pointers are obtainable close to the Hash House and at the extremes of the course points are minimal. New Rogainers could gain major points yet stay close to home and enjoy the 80 & 100 pointers.
Obviously the 3 hour teams were out to enjoy themselves as all but 2 3 hour teams were late back to the HH, incurring penalties. All 6 hour and 10 hour teams were home before the bell.
Chris White and Struan Lamont proved that the course was beatable and cleared the 10 hour (1610 points) with 10 minutes to spare and visited one control twice [probably heat affected].
A Bump in the Trail with Tara and Cameron Taylor and Graham Moroney cleaned up the 6 hour with 910 points and newbies from Townsville, team What’s a Compass with Kyle Shore & Olga Poberezovska picked up the first in the 3 hour with 550 points.

Results can be viewed here
The winners course is available here

Rogaining NQ’s next and final event of 2011 is the Mareeba 3 hour Bike / Hike Metrogaine on Sunday November 13th.
Rob Miller and Brad Weaver have put a huge effort into ensuring this is a top event. Our previous Mareeba event was the largest field to compete in a Metrogaine and was roundly declared the best yet.
Online entries are open here

This is my race report, Susan Crowe (Female winner of the Spiny Cray Ultra 2011)

Well, it was another fantastic race in the wilderness of Julatten.  It was great to get there the night before to enjoy the quiet, have a good meal at the local pub and join the birdwatchers staying at the local accommodation – therapy on a new level for me!! Once again, the White boys had everything totally organised from the electronic wrist straps to the home-baked goodies (thanks Kylie) at the 28klm turnaround.

The track has beautiful scenery, is mostly in shade and has plenty of challenging hills to test your hamstrings and everything else attached to them.  Being able to do a run like that with the luxury of drop bags, kilometre markers the whole way and a free beer at the end is amazing and it would be great to see more people take on the challenge – you just don’t know what you are missing out on!

Unfortunately, I was a bit of a chatterbox and spent 7 minutes at the 28klm turnaround so missed my record from last year….2 minutes is probably plenty of time but after doing a similar thing at Porcupine Gorge (and narrowly missing the race record there) I may have finally learnt to get on with the task at hand and chat later!!  I guess I will have to test that new theory next year as it is a race that will keep me coming back and hopefully encourage some others to take on those extra kilometres.

Susan Crowe female winner Spiny Cray Ultra 2011

A Jewel in the Bush 3/6 and 10 hour Bush Rogaine commences Saturday 8th October from 11am. Blair & Meredith Cunningham, ably mentored by Andrew Campbell, have been hard at work ensuring courses that will suit newbies to Bush Rogaining as well as challenging the gun navigators.
If you’ve been having a crack at our Metrogaine series this year, here’s a great opportunity for you to link up with a team with great navigators and increase your Nav skills in a friendly bush environment.

Emerald Creek day use area will be our Hash House for this event and this return to our Rogaining roots after 6 years will be welcomed by all who participate. Emerald Creek with it’s perennial water flow will be the centre of much attention following the events for both post event tucker, presentations and a cooling swim.
Get your team together or email us and we’ll place you with a team and go here for online event info and registration.

Winners report 2011 Spiny Cray Ultra, by Chris White

I’m not sure what it is about the Spiny Cray Ultra, but despite it being the longest run event I’ve had a go at it is without doubt the most enjoyable. Maybe the altitude affected air pressure stimulates early endorphin release, or the biodiversity of highland Daintree region rainforest may trigger some primal reconnection with the natural environment. Its probably something simpler: 54 of the 57km’s are heavily shaded by rainforest canopy and crystal clear rainforest creeks provide water cooler, sweeter and more physically refreshing than anything you’ll find in a drum of electrolyte. Most likely though it was probably the generous offer of the Highlander Tavern to shout free beer to any finishers that kept a smile on my face and the words ‘pure’ and ‘joy’ rattling around in my head as I rolled down the long smooth downhills on the return journey.

That said the event certainly poses a demanding challenge and the website’s description as a ‘true tropical test’ is spot on. Any thought of running 57km with an impressive 1550m of ascent and descent will daunt the calves, quads and lungs of all but the most well prepared mountain runners.

Julatten’s Highlander Tavern formed the start line for the 6:22am (Civic Twilight) start, the cool mountain air 450m asl promised perfect running conditions and also provided the medium for almost visible anticipation. Pro Photographer Muzza (Extreme Photography) took an early mountain bike assisted lead on the short bitumen section before the pack split and the climb up 27k’s of dirt to the turnaround at 1220m asl began. I’d managed to sneak under 5 hours in the 2010 inaugural running of the Spiny Cray Ultra (4:57:30) and held a casual goal of equalling or maybe even bettering this time but held some doubts due to a somewhat disjointed preparation and the lingering uncertainties that play with the mind before any such event.

The watch and kilometre trail markers helped fade most of these uncertainties as I reached Peter at the 5km marshall tent without a hint of fatigue and feeling fast on the steady climb. His enthusiastic encouragement joined a near constant dawn chorus of bird calls as the climb continued to the Half Marathon turnaround (10.55k) where Alex and Ron helped me punch in, grab a hydration belt from my drop bag and sent me on my way a couple minutes ahead of the 2010 effort.

The 'Lunch Spot', Spiny Cray Ultra Course

From here the climbing steadied and undulated between creeks, ridges and valleys with the ‘Lunch Spot’ Creek (16.5k) and the 23k creek proving particularly morale boosting and the rolling jungle clad ridges revealed by rare breaks in the canopy hinted at just how large and wild this area is. It was near the 25k mark that I glanced at the watch and realised 2 hours had flown by with over 1000m of climbing behind me and I still felt really comfortable. The final 4k climb however removed most of these feelings of ‘comfort’, with the uphills really starting to bite and the spring sucked from the step.

A seemingly unending climb brought the old tin miners hut and turnaround point into sight 10 minutes quicker than last year and Mike proudly displayed a fine selection of treats as I punched in. A sweaty palm was filled with various running snacks not suited to squeezing into a belt, my bottle was refilled and I happily turned looking forward to what should be 28.5k’s of downhill.

What had been steady and brief downhills on the outward journey morphed into vicious soul smashing slogs on the return and if the climbs were biting before, they were starting to drool as I approached, then chew and spit as I stumbled up. The guarantee of 10k’s of unbroken downhill, the prospect of a 4:45 finish and the purely joyous downhills between these climbs kept the feet moving up though in what, if viewed from a distance, could loosely be described as running as the return to the Half Marathon turnaround brought great relief.

The legs sparked back to life with the unbroken downhill home and a couple of sub 4 minute k’s kept some hope of a 4:45 finish alive. A final water top up at the 5k tent briefly broke the downhill momentum but the last few k’s of downhill really put the fun back in running and I again wondered where to the last 4 and a half hours had seemingly disappeared. The 4:47 finish time and 10minute PB had me thrilled and another brilliant Mt Lewis Road running experience left me motivated to tackle bigger, longer, faster and higher runs.

Well done to all Spiny Cray Runners in all courses for making a top run great and big thanks to Shane, Course Marshalls and Admin Crew for a thoroughly professional, well organised but refreshingly casual and friendly event. I hope it continues for many years to come and I get plenty more chances to ramble through the rainforest, jog in the fog and climb in the clouds while pondering just what makes the Spiny Cray Ultra joyous.

This years OnaMission results can be viewed on the results page at the website here
476 Photo’s of OnaMission 2011 can be viewed and downloaded at our Facebook page here