Dogsledding... in New Zealand?

You might expect to see teams of sled dogs racing across snow in Alaska, but they’re a little more out of the ordinary in Taupo.

This year’s New Zealand sled dog championships will be held in the Kaiangaria forest near Taupo in late July.
Last year, current national four-dog freighting champion Mark Roberts trained his team of Siberian huskies five days a week, up to 13km a day – and this year he hopes to win the six-dog freight event, which he says is “the most difficult”.

“The dogs are pulling140kg in weights, plus the 40kg cart and me,” he says, a total weight of 260kg.
“It’s tough for me too because if I’m working up a hill or through mud I have to get off the cart and work with the dogs.”  

Around 50 people and more than 100 dogs will compete in the championship.