Orienteering Wellington is celebrating 50 years of delivering quality events for Wellingtonians with an interest in navigational sport and recreation.
President Beverley Holder says, “Orienteering is a sport for everyone, and often attracts families because events have courses for every age and ability.
“You get to discover places in your hometown, which you may never have known existed,” says Holder. “I think that element of discovery is partly what makes orienteering so exciting, so appealing.”
Orienteering is traditionally a solo sport but people often take part in small groups of family and friends. The terrain – which may be forests, farms, and local parks and reserves – will test participants’ navigational skill. The fastest person to complete the course wins.
Holder says that fifty years ago there was an absence of technology but the basic concept of using a map and compass to navigate a course hasn’t changed.
“We used to have to draw the course and controls onto our maps. Each control would have a unique hole-punch code that would later be checked to ensure we’d passed through the control. These days, all maps are printed in advance and digital technology is used to track progress around a course,” she says.
To mark its fiftieth anniversary, Orienteering Wellington is hosting a birthday event at Waitangi Park at 6pm Wednesday 25 November, with anyone welcome for a gold coin entry of $2. Courses will be short, with most people able to finish within 30 minutes, and followed by a sausage sizzle and cake for all participants.
Holder says, “It’s a real milestone to reach half a century of orienteering in Wellington, and we want anyone who has ever thought about orienteering to come along and try it out.”
Orienteering Wellington has seen its fair share of first-class runners on the world stage. In October, club member Rachel Baker represented New Zealand, winning two elite races at Oceania 2026 in Canberra, Australasia’s premiere orienteering competition—victories that qualify her for next year’s World Orienteering Championship in Hungary.
“The heat in Hungary in August is going to be a challenge, but I’ve had plenty of practice with the tough hills in Wellington!” she says.
Baker has also planned the fiftieth birthday courses and says, “It’s been a pleasure to grow up in this club, from my first events as a toddler to now having planned a few events. The club has always been very supportive, as are all the members, and they really help anyone give it a go.”
Holder agrees. “The beauty of orienteering is that it’s whatever you want it to be—so long as it’s fun, that’s what’s important!” she says.
Notes to reporters
Event listings, details, and entry information can be found at Orienteering Wellington’s website. Events are open to everyone; you do not have to belong to the club to take part.
Orienteering Wellington provides two permanent courses, on Matairangi Mount Victoria and the waterfront, for people to attempt at their leisure. Maps and instructions can be downloaded for free from Orienteering Wellington’s website
Orienteering Wellington is a volunteer-led incorporated society with about 150 paid members and hundreds of other regular participants.
Orienteering Wellington is a member of Orienteering New Zealand, a federation of 18 local and regional orienteering clubs.
To find out more visit Orienteering Wellington, or phone Lachlan McKenzie on 021 527391 or email secretary@wellingtonorienteering.org.nz.