Backed by Swazi as their kit supplier, this team took on the Magnificent Adventure Race 2026 — one of the toughest events going — and came out the other side not just intact, but proven.
This isn’t a polished highlight reel; this is a first-hand account of the six and a half days of graft this team went through to compete, pushing through when everything hurts, when the weather turns, and when the only way forward is straight through it.
Here’s how it unfolded.
The Magnificent Adventure Race 2026 in Gore, After a year or so of loosely forming the team and a handful of training missions, race week finally arrived.
Our team — Matilda Lawrence, Peter O’Sullivan, Shane Armstrong and Rhys Burns — headed south well equipped, thanks to our sponsor Swazi. Between us, we had two transition boxes, two paddle bags, and four bikes, all packed (and repacked) in a determined effort to bring every possible piece of gear and food we might need. Even then, a bit still had to be culled at gear check, but by Sunday at 7am we were standing on the start line ready to go.
Stage 1 – Bike & Orienteering
The race opened with a bike stage with an embedded orienteering section. After a slightly slow start finding our rhythm on the nav, our navigators soon settled into the groove. The forecast suggested the weather was about to turn, but we were well prepared thanks to Swazi with warm layers and excellent waterproof gear.
Stage 2 – Packrafting the Mataura
TA1 saw us jump into our packrafts for around 35km down the mighty Mataura River. We expected willows and moving water, but we didn’t expect sleet and brutal gusting winds. It truly felt like four seasons in one day: sunshine, sleet, biting cold and then calm again.
Stage 3 – Long Night Ride
Back onto the bikes for roughly 110km and 3000m of climbing on remote forestry roads. We decided to push through the night given the early stage of the race and the rough weather conditions.
The night riding was cold and relentless — hot on the climbs, freezing on the descents. But the real crux came with a brutal 2km downhill hike-a-bike through incredibly thick bush. What looked short on the map took six hours to navigate.
Eventually we emerged battered but intact — four people and four bikes incredibly all still in one piece.
It was then still a few kms to TA and it took a lot of will power not to fall asleep on the bike, we were also long out of water. The red flag of TA was very welcome.
Stage 4 – Tautuku Trek into the Catlins
After filling bottles from the river and grabbing some food, we set off again expecting a long push into the night.
The navigation early on was extremely technical. Darkness made it even harder, especially hunting for tiny pieces of tape marking control points on indistinct spurs. At this point we changed strategy — instead of clearing the course we focused on collecting key CPs.
Our navigators worked brilliantly together and eventually, just as we were realising we desperately needed sleep, we stumbled upon a perfect flat clearing. The tent went up quickly and we finally got some proper rest.
Morning brought fresh legs and the incredible scenery of the ancient bush — wading through the deep mud of old tramways, following creeks and clambering through historic mossy treefall and thick bush. Navigation remained tricky, with limited features and rotten logs waiting to collapse underfoot.
Hitting a Doc track to exit this stage felt like a highway and as we walked past freshly laundered humans up to see beautiful waterfalls the reality of what we were doing really sunk in!
Arriving at TA4 ready for a full moon paddle, our GPS tracker suddenly alarmed. The race had been paused. The ocean packraft stage was deemed unsafe to continue.
Instead of launching into the sea, we had a 12-hour layover — which incredibly included a motel room, showers, sunshine and time to dry gear and feet it felt like a luxury halftime interval.
Stage 5 – Hike, Packraft & Coast
Once the race resumed, the stage became a hike carrying packrafts, to cathedral caves then back along the road to a short estuary paddle and then a spectacular beach walk. We later learned how treacherous the previous day’s ocean conditions had been, with overturned boats, swimmers and even helicopters involved in rescues.
Stage 6 – Coasteering and Trek
The next section was coastal navigation — scrambling around rocks collecting CPs, swimming and trying not to overheat in wetsuits under the sun. This was a lot of fun and the ocean was kind to us.
After collecting our drop bags, we headed into another trekking stage carrying our wetsuits, PFDs and helmets. The navigation was spot-on for this stage and we moved quickly through beautiful bush, past lakes and old tramlines back to TA6 and a massive fresh sandwich!!
Stage 7 – Bike to Black Gully
From TA6 we launched into a massive 150km bike leg into the night. As the sun set we climbed through rolling farmland before reaching remote gravel roads far from anywhere.
Right when fatigue hit, we found a clean, empty farm shed — perfect shelter for another sleep under the full moon.
The following day brought spectacular riding through a large station, eventually reaching a pie shop stop before continuing toward Blue Mountains.
Stage 8 – Blue Mountains Trek
The trekking stage began brutally with 2km straight uphill onto the range. On the tops the Swazi gear proved its worth again as we battled thick monkey scrub, with skin and gear intact.
We navigated down to a hidden grotto before climbing back to the tops for sunset — carefully stepping between tussock, bog and hidden streams while hunting control points.
Some teams planned 12 hours for this section only to take 30+hrs. Our CP-focused strategy paid off and we were back down around 1am, ready for a sleep before the next challenge.
Stage 9 – Bike (a-hike)
Morning began with the brutal challenge of carrying bikes back up the Blue Mountains. Windfall trees made progress slow, but pure grit and teamwork helped haul bikes and bodies over seemingly impassable obstacles.
Once over the top, we enjoyed spectacular views and a long descent to a riverside hotel selling ice creams — perfect fuel.
Stage 10 – Bikerafting the Clutha
Next came strapping our mountain bikes onto packrafts and navigating down the Mata-Au. The four-hour paddle passed through beautiful wide banks and swirling water. By the end we were very ready to get out of the boats and eat — but also aware that the finish was finally within reach.
Stage 11 – Final Ride to Gore
The final stage: 75km of biking with a sneaky 1000m of climbing. With the thought of the finish line — and a pie — pulling us forward, we pushed hard through the last hills and gravel roads, nailing the CPs on the way.
Just after midnight, we rolled into the finish back in Gore.
Exhausted, muddy and incredibly satisfied, we had completed an unforgettable edition of the Magnificent Adventure Race 2026 — a race full of wild weather, tough navigation, incredible scenery and moments of real teamwork.
A magnificent adventure indeed.
That’s what real-world testing looks like.
Not in a showroom. Not on a fair-weather hike. But deep in the bush, in the wet, in the dark — when your gear gets dragged, smashed, soaked and pushed to its absolute limit.
And still shows up. Massive respect to the team for putting themselves through it — and for showing exactly what Swazi gear is built for.
If you’re heading into the wild and need kit that won’t let you down… You already know where to look.
Swazi. Built for it.
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