It’s that time of the year when all Rogainers get serious about their sport and aim for their highest possible score. This is the event that will just let you do that. The event is set in the bush and farmland area east of Donnybrook, where the terrain is varied and covers a multitude of different land use types. These include native bush, pine and eucalypt plantations, orchards, an olive farm, two wineries, a marron farm, a nursery and numerous cattle and sheep properties. There is an abundance of dams ranging in size from small lakes to the normal-sized farm dam.

And what does all this mean to you as a competitor attempting to traverse the area in the cool/cold, crisp fresh air??? Well, as the name implies, there will be many fences to negotiate, some live and some not (but we won’t be telling you which ones are off). By the same token, there will be many gates in the fences, so route choice will be a strategic part of course planning. There will be many “Excellent Scenic Views” to be enjoyed from various parts of the event area, so let’s hope that the weather does the right thing and provides you with the visibility to enjoy the scenery. What wildlife are you likely to see apart from friendly cattle and sheep??? Kangaroos and emus are plentiful, and there is a great variety of bird life, especially water birds.

Another attraction to the event is that there is only 400 m of unsealed road to travel on to reach the hash house site, so there are no excuses for not coming along to enjoy this scenic event, even if you do not get any further than one of the cellar doors.

John, Frank, Dave, Stan and Chris