A taste of adventure, for Cure Kids

Training has started in earnest with three training sessions over the last two weekends. We've been mountain biking at Woodhill and Titirangi and completed a coastal and stream bash run to Cannibal Creek near Piha.

Here's this year's team of happy racers, D'Vida, Alan, Jason and Adrian.

Fundraising is also going well, with almost $4,500 raised so far. We still have a way to go - if you would like to support our efforts, you can donate here.

Another group of brave volunteers faced the pie, in PieMe Round 2, raising laughs aplenty, inter-team rivalry and $290 for Cure Kids.

Also in fundraising news, we’re planning the next international lunch for Friday 19 Feb, several charity auctions, and a summer picnic at the end of the month, at Karekare.

Karekare, home to race team leader Alan Moore (and some spectacular scenery) is in fact a regular training location for the adventure racers. And just before Christmas Alan and Julia hosted a group of runners and walkers at an open training session– the perfect opportunity for those not quite adventurous enough to join the race team to have a taste of the adventure!

And adventurous it was. The afternoon kicked off with a long relaxed descent – so many stairs! – to the valley floor, though somewhere in the back of my mind was the thought that what goes down must go up (or something like that). Early excitement was provided by an encounter with some wasps, though fortunately only a few of our party were stung (including some very tough kids).

Alan had promised we would get wet. Sure enough, we did (some more than others), as we all waded, clambered and hauled our way up Karekare’s blue canyon. And yep, those steps made a second appearance in the opposite direction.

Well done to all of the adventurers, and thanks again to hosts Julia and Alan Moore.