General Competitor Information

The most important thing to keep in mind for our Australian and New Zealand competitors is that we drive on the right hand side of the road.

The most harmful thing you will find in Vanuatu is the Bus and Taxi drivers.

There are no venomous snakes or spiders and no leaches, so some of the dangers in adventure races are removed.

One big thing to keep in mind is wound care, no matter how small.  We are in the tropics and there are flesh eating flies that will quickly enlarge the smallest of cuts and the threat of tropical ulcers are a real threat.  Treatment is easy and effective.  Try and purchase some Bactroban before you leave home or it is readily available in chemists here, antiseptic creams and lotions are of no use.

So step one, liberally apply the Bactroban, Step Two keep even the smallest of wounds covered with Band-aides or bandages. 

Don’t ignore cuts and abrasions, it is a serious matter.

You compete at your own risk and you will need to sign a disclaimer before you compete.  In our research we haven’t found a Travel Insurance that will cover you for the race, if anyone knows of one could they contact the Race Organisers through the link on this website.

We will have Emergency Crews out on the course and we will get you to medical attention, but be warned the Public Hospital is Third World and the Private Hospital expensive, air evacuations are murderously expensive.

On Greg Toman’s visit we decided to mark the trail across the island with surveyors tape.  There are simply not the resources to mount a major search.  Navigation skills will be put to the test in this section by us placing the markers slightly off the track so that you will need to know where you are at all times.

Should you be asking directions of a Local Ni-Vanuatu that you may pass by, be warned they have absolutely no sense of time or distance.  They get there when they get there, do not have watches to time their progress.  If you ask them a Yes or No question the answer will always be Yes so as not to disappoint, even though the real answer may be no.

At least double any time indications that they may give and at no time believe them if they say it’s not far.

Do not fear the Ni-Vanuatu, even the ones brandishing huge  bush-knives, these are akin to us taking our wallets to the Supermarket.  They are a very friendly and delightful people.  Having said that Vanuatu is very much like Sherwood Forest, they will see you as the rich and they the poor.  The will not accost you for anything but if something can be taken with-out confrontation they will help themselves.  So don’t leave any expensive items lying about.

Water will be readily available through much of the course in creeks.  We are used to drinking it and you are not.  Water purification is advised.