Over the weekend, 500 people participated in a 24-hour walk event, known as TWALK, in the grassy plains of Canterbury’s high country. The participants were tasked with finding small markers and solving riddles in a rogaine-style event. The event, which has been running since 1967, is organized by volunteers from the Canterbury University Tramping Club.
The first TWALK event was held at Mt Thomas and was organized by Greg Martin, who brought the idea from Australia. Initially, the event caused some confrontations with local farmers as they were not informed about hundreds of strangers walking on their land. However, current organizers ensure landowners are always involved and often given a small donation or community work as a token of appreciation.
This year, the event was held near the Rangitata River in Mesopotamia. The winning team was called “Pack of Rafters”. Over the years, TWALK locations have been scattered across Canterbury, including Lake Heron, the Hakatere Conservation Park, Lake Coleridge, the Banks Peninsula, and Mt Lyford.
According to Alex Monckton, one of the TWALK 2024 organizers, the event is unique as it focuses more on fun and amusement rather than technical and physical competition. The event includes costumes, silly clues, a mystery location, and random competitions.
In the late 1980s, costumes were introduced to the competition, which participants must wear for at least the first leg. The best-dressed winner this year had built a cardboard car to wear.
By the end of the event, participants will have hiked 100 kilometers, completing five legs, each around 10km to 20km long. Along the way, the teams must solve cryptic clues.
The Hash House provides a place of rest and rehabilitation in the form of hot food cooked up by volunteers. Nick Slegers, the CUTC president, said he was more proud of helping run TWALK than of his university studies, highlighting the passion and dedication of the student volunteers.
