Maria Island Rogaine

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I feel I’ve discovered one of those little secrets in life that everyone else has missed …

The benefits of volunteering to set and vet Rogaine’s.

Rogaining Tasmania has another Rogaine event coming up in November (The Maria by Moonlight event, and if you haven’t already entered it’s too late as it sold out in 5 days) and when Sally (one of the organisers) asked me to put a call out in the newsletter for volunteers to help organise the event … well my hand shot straight up into the figurative air, as I said “pick me, pick me”.

The strange thing is – it is really hard to get volunteers to help organise a Rogaine and I just don’t get that – I mean let’s look at the comparison.

For entrants to the event, by the time they pay for entry fees, ferry fares, camping and accommodation … they’re easily looking at $100 to $150 per person.

By contrast, as a course organiser, Rogaining Tasmania are willing to reimburse me my travel, accommodation and ferry fares (just for the record, while they do this, I haven’t asked this time – except the camp fees which Sally paid for).

Round One to the Course Organiser.

Then of course, while for entrants, you have to get over to the island and then pour over maps before running around the island for 12 hours … as vetters, we get to leisurely set up our tents, have lunch while we discuss who’s going where and then set off in our various directions exploring different parts of the island in exquisite detail while trying to find interesting and challenging places to place controls.

Oh … and did I mention that we get to ride out bikes everywhere as well …

And that there’s eve time to be a bit of a tourist …

Round Two to the course organiser.

And then, finally, while competitors are running around in the dark …

We are sipping wine, eating gourmet hamburgers and discussing the ethics of devil introduction to the island …

Yep – I think it’s round three, and game set and match (too much mixing of the sports metaphors?) to the course organiser.

All I have to do now is figure out where to organise my next Rogaine …

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