Auckland Baptist Tramping Club 2003 Thursday The trip went really well with great weather after we left light rain in Auckland   behind.  We had a comfortable night staying in Rotorua Baptist Church on Thursday night.  Apart from being startled by the security alarm going off soon after we had all gone to bed we had a comfortable stay - the security guard came in after we had all gone to bed and turning on the alarm, which promptly went off soon after he left. Friday We left around 9.00 am taking 1.05hrs to the Minginui turnoff.  A few 100m up the road we met Kevin Aldridge and his very talkative mate Ross who drove us through the maize of forestry road to the Plateau Rd end of the Park where we started our walk at around 11.30 am.  (This is not a journey to attempt without very clear instructions as it would be very easy to get lost on the forestry roads and miss the start of the track!) After lunch and devotions on the way we arrived at Upper Whirinaki Hut around 2.30pm.  The hut sleeps nine so we put up the tents. After tea we enjoyed a long discussion around a warm fire outdoors before hanging all our food from roof (away form the mice!) then retired for the night.  Those in the tent were not surprised to wake in the morning to everything being white and crisp with a heavy frost! Saturday We had an easy walk down the stream to the caves and on to Central Whiranki Hut for lunch.  Sighting blue ducks, cave wetas and hearing bats in the cave made this an interesting morning.  The warm sunny afternoon was spent relaxing in the sun. There was room for all in the hut (18 bunk) and a 6.00 am wake up was set so that we could make a our pick-up by 1.30 pm at the River Rd carpark.  Stuart and Phillip's challenge that it always take 2 hours to get ready to leave in the morning spurred everyone on and most set out after only 1hr 20 minutes (well done everyone!). Sunday A lovely walk through beautiful forest, a short diversion to the waterfall, devotions in a sunny clearing, saw us to the carpark around 1.00 pm, where we had lunch . Bowing to extreme pressure from passengers, the drivers Phillip and Stuart, deviated while going through Rotorua for a stop at the Fat Dog for lattes, yummy cakes etc. before heading on to State Highway 27. All arrived safely back at Bracken Ave around 6.30 after a very enjoyable weekend. COST: $100 BREAKDOWN OF COSTS: Van Hire $300; Petrol$100; Car 726 km @ 6c x 4 = $174; Rotorua Baptist Church donation$5/person x 11 = $55; Food $240.71; Ferrying vehicles $100; Hut Tickets 9 x ($5 + $10) =  $135. Total $1104.71 - averaged $100 per person. (2 had annual hut passes)