The second annual Try-Whānau event took place in Bluff on Sunday 12 February. Try-Whānau encompasses a healthy community event. In alignment with the previous year, Try-Whānau was a smokefree, alcohol free, violence free community event that encouraged whānau participation across all fitness levels, generations – from kaumātua to pēpi. The whānau festival was held at the celebrated Oyster Festival site on the corner of Barrow and Lee Streets which provided the site for registrations, fun activities, food and market stalls, mirimiri (massage) as well as the bike-run/walk transition zone and finish line.

While the event included the basic triathlon events (swim, bike, run) there were many smaller events that eventuated on the day (long course walk, short course walk etc.), the beauty of this event is that it gives whānau the freedom to decide which events they would like to compete in and teams could have up to five members. Swimming took place at the Bluff pool while both the bike and run/walk course covered a designated loop through town and along the foreshore road.

As with the inaugural event (in 2016) our aim is to provide a free community event in Southland for families, an affordable triathlon event, encouragement for families to be active together, fitness opportunities for all, connections with whakapapa, oranga, wairua, oranga tinana, oranga whānau, kotahitanga, and optional training for whānau in Bluff and Invercargill for Try-Whānau through an AWS run little sister programme (TP3).