25 years – the GeoQuest Adventure Race Legacy

For more than two decades, GeoQuest Adventure Race has stood as one of the most enduring and respected expedition-length adventure races in Australia.

First run in 2002, GeoQuest quickly established itself as a true test of endurance, navigation, teamwork, and resilience. Set across some of New South Wales’ most diverse coastal and hinterland terrain, the race has continually challenged teams to adapt to the unexpected — long stages, complex navigation, weather extremes, and the inevitable physical and mental lows that define expedition racing.

GeoQuest is not simply about results. It is about shared hardship, problem-solving under pressure, and the quiet satisfaction of moving through wild places under your own power. For many teams it has been a first expedition race; for others, a stepping stone to international competition. For all, it has been an experience that lingers long after the finish line.

Race HQs Through the Years

A defining feature of GeoQuest has been its movement across regions, bringing new landscapes and character to each edition. Over the years, Race HQs have included:

• Nelligen (2002)

• Bendalong (2003)

• Eden (2004)

• Bonny Hills (2005)

• Stuarts Point (2006)

• Sawtell (2007)

• Emerald Beach (2008)

• Forster (2009)

• Port Macquarie (2010)

• Nambucca Heads (2011)

• Forster (2012)

• Harrington (2013)

• Crescent Head (2014)

• Hawks Nest / Tea Gardens (2015)

• Port Macquarie (2016)

• Sawtell (2017)

• Diamond Beach — Wildside Special Edition (2018)

• Yamba (2019)

• Shoal Bay, Port Stephens (2022)

• South West Rocks (2023)

• North Haven / Port Macquarie region (2024)

• Barrington Coast / Forster region (2025–2026)

Each location brought its own mix of paddling environments, trail networks, navigation challenges, and logistical puzzles — ensuring no two GeoQuest races were ever the same.

Mountain Designs — A Foundational Sponsor

From its very first edition, GeoQuest was supported by iconic Australian outdoor brand Mountain Designs.

Mountain Designs founder Rick White was present at the inaugural race and committed the brand’s support early, helping establish GeoQuest as a serious expedition-length challenge from the outset. That early backing became one of the longest-running sponsorship relationships in Australian adventure racing, quietly supporting the race’s growth and credibility over many years.

Voices from the Course

Across its history, GeoQuest has generated countless stories — of exhaustion, resilience, humour, and teamwork. Race reports from teams capture the experience best:

“If there were any doubts that this race is the premier adventure race on the Australian calendar, they were well and truly quashed. The organisation was dialled in, and the course demanded respect from start to finish.”

“Plans changed, rivers rose, and the race evolved in front of us — but that’s GeoQuest. You adapt, work as a team, and keep moving.”

“There were moments we questioned everything, and moments we laughed uncontrollably. Somewhere between the two, GeoQuest became unforgettable.” — Liam St Pierre, Team Quality Nude Time (GeoQuest 2016 race report)

“As first-timers with little experience, just getting to the start line felt like a win. Balancing training with work and family, and learning navigation and kayaking along the way, made us incredibly proud of what we achieved.” — Lisa Matuzelis

“The scenery was spectacular — from whales offshore to crisp winter days — but what stood out most was the camaraderie. With no pressure and strong teamwork, it became a weekend to remember.” — Dave Schloss, Thunderbolt

These reflections — repeated year after year — speak to the essence of the event: challenge balanced with camaraderie, seriousness tempered by perspective.

Wall of Fame

GeoQuest has crowned many outstanding champions, but the Wall of Fame recognises more than winners alone. It represents consistency, commitment, and excellence across some of the toughest terrain Australia has to offer.

Over the years, winning teams have included:

• Mexicans

• AROC Mountain Designs

• Adventuregear.com.au

• APEX

• Macpac

• Seagate

• Peak Adventure

• AdventureJunkie.com.au

• Thunderbolt AR

• Thoughtsports.com.au

Their performances reflect the evolving standards of the sport — faster racing, smarter navigation, and ever-higher expectations — while remaining grounded in expedition racing’s original spirit.

Voices from the Course — The Hike-a-Bike

Some sections of GeoQuest have passed into race lore, none more so than the infamous hike-a-bike up Mt Yarrahapinni near Grassy Head — a climb that came to define “real adventure” for an entire generation of teams.

“There was no riding. Just pushing, dragging and carrying bikes up what felt like a near-vertical wall of bush.” — Team ICCY, GeoQuest 2006

“It stopped being about speed and became about persistence. One step, one lift, one team at a time.”

“Everyone came off that climb with the same look — exhausted, scratched, and quietly proud to have made it through.”

Moments like Mt Yarrahapinni captured the essence of GeoQuest at its most uncompromising: terrain that demanded teamwork, adaptability, and resilience long before finish times or placings mattered.

Kaiarahi — Culture on the Course

In recent editions of GeoQuest, the presence of the Kaiarahi Collective teams has become a defining feature of the race.

Led by Jeremy Nikora, Kaiarahi teams have featured regularly since 2022, bringing a focus on strength, resilience, and connection grounded in culture. Their performances have been matched by moments of quiet significance — most notably the haka performed at the finish line — a powerful reminder that GeoQuest is as much about identity and shared journey as it is about competition.

GeoQuest NZ — Taking It International

In 2023, GeoQuest took its first step beyond Australia with the Mountain Designs GeoQuest New Zealand 48-hour Adventure Race, held in the Hawke’s Bay / Napier region. This inaugural NZ edition brought the classic GeoQuest format — trekking, mountain biking and paddling across mixed terrain — to an international field and stunning new landscapes, with teams racing full and half courses against the backdrop of rugged rivers, coastal trails and vineyards. It marked an exciting expansion of the event concept and demonstrated GeoQuest’s potential to thrive beyond its Australian roots as part of the Adventure Racing World Series (Oceania) circuit.

A Lasting Legacy

GeoQuest’s legacy is not defined solely by finish times or podiums. It lives in the shared memories of long nights, problem-solved checkpoints, support crews waiting patiently, and teammates who became lifelong friends.

As one of Australia’s longest-running expedition adventure races, GeoQuest has played a quiet but significant role in shaping the national adventure racing community — inspiring athletes, testing limits, and proving, year after year, that true adventure still exists for those willing to seek it.