The Huxster bike race is an event where as a pair you take turns mountain biking through McCleans Island tracks for three hours or one and a half hours. You get timed and have to race as hard and fast as you can.

• 16 riders from Raupo and Totara spent the day mountain bike riding in pairs at McCleans Island. The course was in three parts; a shrubby and dusty track, over a hilly flood bank and the pine forest track. When you got back to the start you switched places with your team mate and we had to swap over our ankle time transmitter. We liked the feeling of going fast and having the wind in our faces was very refreshing. After finishing each lap we felt super tired but had to get energised again for the next lap.                       By Ngaio Dann and Sid Hoggard-Wells                                                                                                                                                                                                  
• First we drove to school to meet the other people doing the race from school. Secondly we drove out to McCleans Island, there were lots of school tents and people with bikes. I was VERY nervous. My mum parked the car and I got out and listened to the briefing. Eliza went round the track first, when she finished her lap we strapped the timer around my ankle and off I set. I went round the track and I was feeling so hot!! I went up hills and down into the forest. It was nice and shady under the trees. When I finished it was Eliza's turn again. I was much more fun than I had thought. I did a couple more laps before the time was up. I drove back to school with Aabha, Caitlin R and Eliza. My team came 14th out of 38 girls teams.                                                                                                                  By Iona Garrett