Team Marahau Beach Camp is back in the lead as it came off the spectacular 110-meter Walter Peak abseil early this morning and headed back down to Lake Wakatipu. The team is now heading around the bottom of the lake to checkpoint 31 where it will kayak across to 12-Mile Delta, just west of Queenstown. Australian Team Wombat, which overtook Marahau during the night, is now in 2nd place.

Queenstown teams Edge Orienteering and Outside Sports have also made it through the abseil and Edge Orienteering was only half an hour behind Team Wombat. Six teams are expected to reach the abseil throughout the morning.

There was a mass start on the water at Kingston at 6am as dark zone restrictions lifted. Eight teams (16 kayaks) set off within 20 minutes of each other on a clear but crisp morning.

Race directors Geoff Hunt and Pascal Lorre have announced a change in the course: once teams arrive at 12-Mile Delta they will cycle directly to Moke Lake (TA 8) and from there will continue cycling as per the original course instructions.

Team High Country is doing well after one of its teammates was diagnosed at TA 5 with early pneumonia. Medical staff began treatment with antibiotics and after much discussion the team decided to carry on. Dr. Jorian Kippax saw the team at TA6 in Kingston and said the team member was recovering. High Country got on the water this morning and was performing well, but will see the medical team again before starting the mountain trek.

Teams 16 and 24 Withdraw
07:37:27

Team 16 announced it is withdrawing and returning to Queenstown. Team 24 decided to withdraw this morning at TA4.

Team 47 and 34 Battle for Position
02:48:16

Lead teams 47 and 34 are moving through the Cecil Peak Mtn Trek leg within seconds of each other. [Click for Last Night's Full Report].

Headlamps Visible from Queenstown
02:46:58

A short walk to Queenstown Bay allows you to see the unranked teams scaling the front face of Cecil Peak.

Many Unranked Teams Pulled from Course
02:46:25

At CP 33 12-mile delta, after completing the kayak leg, the following unranked teams will be removed from the course and then return to the race at the kayak section. They are: 57,02,41,39,53,44,05 and 07. Team 38 may continue on the course. The unranked teams who have done the entire course (32, 51, 48, 09) may continue, as long as they meet the "general" cut-off at 0900 Friday morning at CP 33.

Snow is Falling in the Eyre Mountains
02:44:01

Check Point Officials have warned the assistants waiting at CP 25 to have plenty of hot food and drinks ready for the arriving teams who have been exposed to snowstorms tonight.

—Courtesy, Southern Traverse Ltd.