SPECIAL EVENT - Coomalie Creek - Bush Rogaine
In conjunction with 80th anniversary commemorations...
Our next event is taking place on Saturday 16th August 2025.
This will be a BUSH ROGAINE located at Coomalie Creek and will coincide with 80th anniversary commemorations for the last operational RAAF mission from Australian soil during WW2. This mission was flown by No. 87 Squadron using a Mosquito aircraft. The Mosquito returned to Coomalie when peace was declared, marking the end of operational flights from Australian bases.
This rogaining event focuses on the traditional form of rogaining in the natural bush environment. The “Coomalie Fly In” is an opportunity to traverse over an area of bush that still bears some of the structures, diggings, fortifications and remnants that existed more than 80 years ago when Australian and US Airforce and Army personnel were based in the area, defending Australia.
The area is superb country in which to participate in rogaining, with its high rocky ridges and curvy creek systems. It provides a varied and interesting choice of route no matter which way you decide to go.
There will be two foot events on Saturday 16th August – the 6 Hour “Forage” and the 3 Hour “Amble”. Maps will be out from 12:00 with the events starting from 14:00.
The entry fee includes course maps, dinner on Saturday night, camping and a bacon-n-egg breakfast on Sunday morning.
In addition to the rogaine and the “Fly In” activities on the airstrip and above you in the skies, Top End Orienteers are also conducting an orienteering event on Sunday morning. Check out their website: Top End Orienteers
So get your team together, get your camping gear organised, get your entry in and get down to Coomalie for a memorable weekend of navigational and aeronautical fabulousness!
There will further updates as information about the weekend activities develops.
ENTRY FORM AS ATTACHED below
 250816 Entry Form - Coomalie Fly In.xlsx | [Entry Form] | 421 kB |
What is Rogaining?
Rogaining is the sport of long distance cross country navigation. Teamwork, endurance, strategy and map reading are features of the sport. Rogaining is a team activity for people of all ages and levels of fitness, which aims to support and encourage people to develop respect for and enjoyment of rural and bushland environments, and to encourage the development of navigational skills, self reliance, general fitness, and the ability to work in a team.
About the NTRA
Rogaining found its way to the NT in 1999 (about a quarter of a century after the sport's invention in Victoria), courtesy of the energetic Andy Black and David Palmer who organised the first NT rogaine, the Croc and Rock, at Litchfield National Park in August of that year.
With their rogaining experience from southern states, Andy and David spent much of early 1999 battling Wet season humidity, flooded creeks, thick high grass and the almost totally unroaded bush of Litchfield National Park to set the course for what turned out to be an historic (and for many competitors very tough) 24 hour event.