New to Orienteering?

Last Updated: May 2025

Orienteering is a navigation sport suitable for all ages. Participants are given a map, which they use to navigate to a series of controls (checkpoints). Each event has a new set of courses, so orienteering always presents a fresh challenge. It is a sport for everyone, no matter your age, experience or level of fitness.

A section of an orienteering map.

An example of a control.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about orienteering. If you have any further questions, please talk to us at an event or send us an email. You may also find this introduction to orienteering by Orienteering New Zealand useful.

How much does orienteering cost?

The cost for most events ranges from $10-20. There are discounted fees for juniors (age 20 and under), seniors and families. Club members (of any orienteering club) also get discounted entry fees.

What do I need?

We will provide you with a map. Other equipment you will need includes:

A Sport Ident (timing device) to verify you have visited all controls in the correct order. These can be hired for a small fee ($3 each).
A compass. These can be borrowed from the registration tent at an event.
A watch, to keep an eye on the time while you are completing your course.
A whistle, in case of emergency.
Clothes and shoes suitable for hiking / trail running.

If you have attended several events and are keen to continue orienteering, you can purchase your own gear. A good starting point is TrailBlaze, a New Zealand-based supplier of orienteering clothes and equipment.

How do I know when there are events?

Check out the event calendar on the NWOC website, which contains information on events held in Auckland, including those by our friends at Auckland Orienteering Club, Counties Manukau Orienteering Club, and Lactic Turkey. For events hosted around the rest of New Zealand, check out the Orienteering New Zealand event calendar.

Orienteering is an inclusive sport. From casual events to national championships, there are always courses providing for every ability.

What types of events are there?

There are three types of orienteering events that are useful to know about when starting out: sprint events, forest / farm events, and rogaines.

Sprint events are usually held in urban areas (such as school or university campuses) and require only basic navigation skills. Instead, the emphasis is on decision-making at speed. Winning times for each class generally range from 12-15 minutes.
Forest / farm events are longer and have a higher degree of navigational complexity than sprint events. Winning times for each class generally range from 20-90 minutes.
Rogaine events differ from other events in that there is not a set order in which participants must visit controls. Instead, it is up to participants to determine which controls they will navigate to within a given time period. Controls are assigned different point values depending on their difficulties; the winner is the person who gains the greatest number of points. North West holds a popular rogaine series, with three 90-minute events, in May / June of each year.

For a comprehensive summary of different types of orienteering events, see the Orienteering NZ website.

How do I enter an event?

Almost all orienteering events in Auckland accept online entries through enterO.

If online entries have closed, you can generally enter on the day. However, there will be a late fee for this and you will need to pay in cash. Please email the host club first to check that sufficient maps will be available.

How do I get to an event?

Click on the event in the calendar and you will find directions listed. Events are always signposted from a major road and there is always ample parking available.

With the exception of rogaines (where everyone starts at the same time) events generally have a two-hour window in which you can start at any time you like (this is to avoid participants following one another around the course). We recommend that newcomers aim to arrive at or slightly before the start of this window, so there is time to get some help before starting your course.

What should I do once I get to an event?

Follow the orange and white signs to the event centre and park as directed or at the end of the line of cars. Read any safety information at the event centre, and visit the registration tent if you need to register for the event or collect any gear (compasses, Sport Idents, etc.). Then, follow the signs to the start of your course.

Before you start your course, make sure to clear and check your Sport Ident to remove any data from a previous event (if you are unsure how to do this, ask a club member).

The finish control on your course is usually marked with a big flag. After you have punched the finish control, please visit the download tent to print your results. Always punch the finish control and print your results, even if you do not finish the whole course you have entered. This lets us know you have made it back safely and we do not need to send out a search party.

Volunteers will guide you through the start process.

A large flag usually marks the finish of an event.

Which course should I choose?

Every event has a variety of courses to cater to everyone, from complete beginners to advanced orienteers. For forest / farm events, there are a variety of difficulty levels:

White courses are very easy; these course are for complete beginners and for children doing a course on their own. Controls are generally found at the intersections of tracks or fences. A white course follows "handrails" such as tracks, fences and vegetation boundaries.
Yellow courses are easy and suit most beginners. Controls are on or close to handrail features such as tracks, fences, vegetation boundaries or streams.
Orange courses are of intermediate difficulty. Controls are no longer on or near handrails, but are located near prominent features in the terrain that can be found using simple navigation skills (such as contours and compass reading).
Red courses are technically difficult and require very good navigation skills and the use of a compass.
Purple courses have the same degree of navigational complexity as red courses, but are shorter and less physically demanding. These are generally targeted at older orienteers.

We generally suggest that new orienteers do a white course or a yellow course as their first course. You are always welcome to complete a second course free of charge.

If you are still unsure on which course to do, please talk to us at an event or check out the course selection guide from Orienteering New Zealand.

What if I get lost?

It is very, very uncommon for people to get seriously lost. Ask for help before you start and we recommend you are not overly ambitious in choosing a course when you are starting out. There is plenty of time to learn and progress. You are in a safe place with many other people around you and roads and tracks to find you way back if you want to finish early.

How do I learn to orienteer?

The fundamental skills of orienteering can be taught in no time at all. At your first event, feel free to let the volunteers at the registration tent know you are new to the sport. They will be able to introduce you to experienced club members that can teach you the basics.

The below video, by club president and elite orienteer Gene Beveridge, provides information on the key elements of orienteering maps and is useful to watch before your first event. At the bottom of this page, you will also find summaries of the symbols used on different orienteering maps.

The Orienteering New Zealand website also has a number of coaching resources for orienteers of all ability levels.

Can I go orienteering in my own time?

Yes. There are a number of permanent courses in the Auckland region that you can do out at any time.

Note, however, that North West Orienteering Club does not support or condone any access to private land outside of organised orienteering events, unless the access has been authorised in advance by the land owner. Possession of an orienteering map from a previous event does not imply approval for future access.