Friday Most of the group travelled to Coromandel in the afternoon, and we settled into our allocated accommodation. Seven people stayed at Paul and Ruth Ungemuth’s own holiday home, The Old Parsonage, and the rest of us stayed at the Tidewater holiday park in motel units and cabins. Everyone staying at the holiday park had to provide their own breakfasts. Some of us opted to go to a restaurant for dinner, others brought takeaways back to the holiday park, and one or two were happy to have a cheap meal outside feeding the sparrows and seagulls. The whole group got together at the holiday park for a briefing meeting at 8:30pm, where we were explained the programme for the weekend. These included the harder option A, who would do a tramp from Coromandel over the ridge track to White Star Station near Colville over two days, and option B doing easy walks in Coromandel on the Saturday and Monday, and New Chums Beach at Whangapoua on the Sunday. Saturday Group A of 16 people set out to climb the Success Track to the main dividing ridge, then go on northwards to Kaipawa Trig and come out at the Kennedy Bay Road carpark. The highlights of the first day included extensive views across Coromandel Harbour, offshore islands and across the blue waters to Waiheke and Auckland. The number of gold mine tunnels discovered beside the track was also of interest, as was the history of gold mining, starting in 1852 and including shafts from the top of these mountains down to sea level. The Success track rises steadily then after 1.5 hours reaches a T intersection at top, where we turned left. The ridge track rises and falls amongst regenerating bush before reaching the saddle at Kennedy Bay Road. The ridge track now has DOC signs so appears to be maintained by DOC. Much of the surrounding land is still owned by mining companies. The afternoon was free for a rest, visiting the town or swimming at Oamaru Bay. Distance 8-9 km, 4 hours. Group B set out from the holiday park at 8:40am, and first of all we went up the Kauri Block Walk to a lookout overlooking the township and surrounding countryside. We carried on to the start of the Harray Track and went down to the  road, and roadbashed to the motor camp at Long Bay. We did the short coastal track to Tucks Bay before going up to the kauri grove in the hills. This finished back at the Long Bay motor camp at 11:30am, with the kauri dieback cleaning station having stand-on boot spraying instead of the hand trigger spray. The setup of this station with fencing made it compulsory for everyone to do this. After a morning tea break we returned to Coromandel along the road, getting back to the shops by lunchtime. Distance 9.5km, maximum speed 6km/h, average speed 2.3km/h. Some of the group had lunch at cafes, while others went back to the holiday park, and one or two of us were happy to have lunch in a park with sparrows and seagulls. The afternoon was at leisure doing such things as relaxing at the holiday park, browsing the galleries, and taking a dip in the local swimming pool. We had our BBQ meal at the Old Parsonage at 5:30pm, many of us choosing to take the 15 minutes walk from the Tidewater holiday park. One of two of us took more time to walk there, taking a roundabout route and looking at reserves, historic buildings and a streamside reserve. We had to bring our own eating utensils for the meal. Afterwards we gathered outside the front of the house for our formal time. This began with a briefing on the next day's activities, and Paul told us about the Old Parsonage, which was a category 2 historical building. Katrina Tulip presented the devotions, telling about her second year of the Spiritual Directors Formation Programme, run by Spiritual Growth Ministries. One point she shared was to keep going, don’t give up, there is a great view just around the corner. Katrina concluded with the idea that at the end of each day before going to bed, to go back through the day in prayer, thanking God for each event or happening and praying over any needs. Sunday Group A of 7 people went back to the Kennedy Bay Road carpark to continue along the ridgeline then drop down to the White Star Station finishing at its headquarters. 19km, 5.5 hours (+ 0.5 hour for lunch). This route north from Kennedy Bay Road saddle follows a formed road on a mostly clay surface. This was the first attempt to build a road north to Colville but was superseded by the coastal road now used today. Our access required permission from the White Star Station and the payment of a koha. The bush on either side is sometimes scrubby and at other including taller natives or pines. After 1.25 hours the track veers left toward the Telecom transmitter and then out to the main north road but our route turns to the left and then north again along the ridge for another hour before another wide track turns off on the left (this is a farm road leading NW down toward the White Star compound), which we ignore continuing north but now on a much steeper track now which goes down and up many times for about an hour before we came to a gate. Here we enter dry farmland. The track is now a farm road, exposing us to sun as the cloud clears away. We continue north for about 40 minutes past the main farm road (off on our left), across two lookouts: the first one with great views of Kennedy Bay and Waikawai Bay on the east coast, the second (408m) with views up to Moehau and Great Barrier as well as the coast around Colville and the islands to the west. We stopped for lunch around 12 noon and then returned south 30 minutes before descending on the main farm road down to the farm compound near the main road (another 30minutes). We arrived there at 2pm before being picked up at 2.30pm by two cars that had returned from the Group B walk at New Chums. Over two days we had walked 28km and now returned 27km to Coromandel by road in half an hour.

Group B went to Whangapoua, leaving at 8:20am and getting there at 9am. We set out on the New Chums beach walk, going along the sandy beach at first before following the top edge of the rocky coastline. Further along there was a bush track that followed the coastline, with one fallen tree to climb over, and later the track went over a small hill to drop down to New Chums Beach. We got there at 9:30am, and walked all the way to the far end of the beach and back. We returned the same way to Whangapoua, finishing at 11:40am, and had a swim in the surf beach on such a nice hot day. Distance 4.75km, maximum speed 6km/h, average speed  1.8km/h.

Peter, Colin and Hua went to Long Bay to do the walk group B did the day before, and Peter and Hua rode the Driving Creek Railway on Saturday once back from their tramp. Geoff went to the morning service at the Elim church. Our dinner at the Old Parsonage was lasagnes with salads. Afterwards we gathered outside the front of the house again, this time for Paul to give the devotions. Referring to a book The Grace Outpouring by Dave Roberts and Roy Godwin about a spiritual renewal on a Welsh hillside, he brought out some points. The grace of God, Jesus comes even though we don’t deserve it. The people in the book don’t judge, they have an attitude of grace, they pray for those people, and amazing things happen. They have a policy of blessing people and communities. Paul quoted the familiar blessing often used as a benediction - the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. This is the blessing of Moses in Numbers 6:24-26. Monday Group A of 10 people tackled the challenging Castle Rock. Driving first down the 309 road we turned left immediately after Waterworks and continued about 4km before turning right at Sheps Road. Parking near a side road, we then walk about 400m up the road before a track sign on the left. Although it warns of danger and says "no trespassing" Paul has gained permission from the chairman of the Ngati Huarere Trust to climb Castle Rock, so we proceed. Through native bush the track gradually gets steeper then after an hour we clamber up the final (near vertical) rocks to the top. We have split into two groups to allow more room at the top. Phil’s group goes first and then Paul’s. There are extensive views over Coromandel harbour and east to Whangapoa with the pine forest below us to the south and west. Phil’s group also climbs the second pinnacle to the west which is almost as high as Castle Rock. We get photos of the other group waving to us. We return to Coromandel to eat our lunch before people depart to travel back to Auckland.

Group B walked the Harray Track in Coromandel, a track running north of the township through bush, pasture and wetland boardwalk. Barbara, Joy and John went to Driving Creek Railway for the train ride up through the bush to Eyefull Tower and return. Peter and Hua went on the zipline at the same location. We were away by lunchtime for the journey home, having had such an enjoyable Waitangi weekend.