These panui will be prepared for an international audience, so will include information which is otherwise already familiar to New Zealand paddlers. Thereafter, we plan to keep everyone posted with what is happening in the lead–up to this major event, which is now only 18 months away.

Brief Details
Lake Karapiro is a dedicated water sports venue with world-class competitor and spectator facilities. It is a picturesque hydro-dam lake on the Waikato River.

New Zealand paddlers enjoy their sprint racing. The national championships draw over 1600 paddlers each year and high standards of organisation are expected. The national outrigger canoe association, Nga Kaihoe o Aotearoa (NKOA) has utilised Lake Karapiro for the national sprint championships every year since 1999.

Race organisation and management has now reached an advanced level, at a scale similar to that which will be conducted for the 2006 Worlds. Fully measured and marked lane facilities are used. As the race course is sheltered by surrounding hills and there is little or no current, each lane offers fair and consistent conditions for paddlers.

An electronic timing system is utilised, aided by a purpose-built finishing tower building. Results can be made available within minutes of the race finishing and can be immediately transferred to a website.

A Race Director (Maggie Greening) has been appointed to the 2006 Worlds. Maggie has many years race administration experience and was Race Director for the best-ever nationals conducted at Karapiro in 2004. Maggie is already putting together an experienced and dedicated race management team. NKOA will hold an event which will run on time and to the highest professional standards.

Moana Nui has been selected as the canoe manufacturer and will be supplying its Surfrigger V1 and Mahimahi V6 for this event. See the Moana Nui website

The local Council, Waipa District, is fully supportive of this event. Site facilities are to be improved for both paddlers and spectators. This is a great venue for spectators, with a grassed embankment above the full length of the course and extra spectator seating at the finish area. There will be many food and other facilities available at the venue, as well as stalls with a wide range of paddling, souvenir and other goods.

Competition will be accompanied by a full week of social and other activities. Competitors and their supporters will find this will be a week to enjoy, and never forget. We also expect extensive media interest in this event.

Other events are being arranged around the same time as the world’s week, which will encourage paddlers to come early or stay on for a week or so – details to follow.

March at Karapiro is warm rather than hot, with 20+°C (70°F) temperatures, and (usually) fine weather.

Event Management
Details of event management are being finalised and will be made available in the next panui. Information will include an email contact for enquiries. NKOA is committed to excellent communication about this event and will welcome and respond to all enquiries.

Travel and Accommodation
Lake Karapiro is 5 minutes from the nearest town, Cambridge, which has a range of accommodation, but it is a quite small town. However the lake is only 20 minutes south of Hamilton. Hamilton is a city of 100,000 residents and there is ample accommodation of all types there, as well as many activities available for visitors.

Hamilton has a small international airport which will be accessible to some travellers. Lake Karapiro is 1.5 hours south of the Auckland International Airport. Auckland is readily accessible from anywhere, with regular flights through Australia and direct across the Pacific. The event organisers will be making arrangements with bus companies to assist in the transfer competitors and supporters from the airport to their accommodation.

All requests for arranging transport and accommodation will need to be made beforehand. For the smooth running of this event the organisers will be setting an absolute latest cutoff date for all details to be provided by member countries. Keep watch on this website for further details.

Race Entries
The venue, the accommodation and the proposed event organisation can support a large event. NKOA is planning on this being the biggest-yet world outrigger canoe championships.

Details about quota numbers will be provided in a later panui.

National Selection Process – New Zealand Paddlers
There have been many questions being asked about how NZ paddlers will qualify for the 2006 Worlds. NKOA will be meeting on September 18 2004 to discuss the selection process for New Zealand paddlers. Details will be available in the next panui.

Website
The official website for the Aotearoa 2006 World Sprints is
http://www.wakaama.co.nz/2006

To keep up-to-date with news and information, join the 2006 mailing list