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Saturday This trip involved four participants, three travelling from Auckland on Saturday morning two departing Bracken Avenue about 7.20am and picking up a third passenger at the BP service centre prior Drury and arriving at the end of Franklin Road at 9am meeting up with Alisdair Nicoll who had travelled from Hamilton. We started walking with our packs at 9.30am. The weekend was blessed with hot weather and our first walk involved climbing up to approximately 500 metres to reach the spectacular Ananui Falls. The falls sighted from a cliff fall 106 metres. The ascent in the heat was very worthwhile. The 6km took 3 hours. From here we travelled to the Waitawheta hut. After descending down into the valley to a lovely stream to cool down we needed to ascend a final ridge to walk through bush kindly providing shade to descend close to a river leading us to Waitawheta hut to enjoy the executive suite of the wardens quarters. Alisdair was the hut warden for the weekend so we got insights to the duties performed by a warden. We arrived at this hut between 5.45 and 7.00pm. We had experienced a very hot day and it was noticeable that conditions only cooled down about 6pm making walking pleasant. The temperature for the day may have been as high as 28 degrees Celsius. We appreciated the cool running water either from waterfalls or streams. A hearty meal of pasta and smoked chicken was very much appreciated. Waitawheta hut is situated at 376meters above sea level. Alasdair gave a devotions about the “Trees” in our inner sacred groves are the people around us our circle of friends, our immediate family, our colleagues, fellow workers and those whom we share our lives in any way. For the Celts the circle would be wider including wisdom figures that have gone ahead of us our ancestors, our saints and angels. Reflect on personal groves and on the springs that feed them and give them life. From being in an area rich in vegetation and water resources one could ponder on the following reflection questions: What “springs” supply energy to you personally or to any group of people in which you feel at home? Memories, experiences of particular relationships that give you life e.g. have they inspired your onward journey. Have you ever been aware of discovering a “spring” of life giving energy in your life? New positive energy may have spring out of people or situations you would have preferred to avoid at the time, what seemed like a well can become a spring. In the bedrock we are all one, how can our lives become living springs of creative energy for others? At Waitawheta hut one can walk out in the evening and five minutes from the hut see glow worms an evening treat. Sunday We walked with our daypacks to Cashmores Clearing keeping close to the Waitawheta River then ascending to over 500 metres to enjoy a view of Tauranga. This walk was just over four hours. We enjoyed walking close to the river listening to the flowing water then on our return sitting close to a lovely waterfall glistening in the sunlight. On our return we soaked in some of the history of the area looking at the old sawmill. It was good to relax the evening away in reflective sharing sipping a hazelnut latte coffee the treat of all trampers in 10 star accommodation cherishing a hot shower. Monday We cleaned up while Alisdair was carrying out warden duties. We did a small walk around the loggers loop about 40 minutes close to the hut then had a final coffee saying our farewells to the Waitawheta then about 9.30am headed out to Franklin Road in hot conditions. Along this walk we were privileged to cross two new swing bridges that had just been opened but we still had our stream crossings all good fun! The walk wandered close to the river giving us good views of cliff faces while being intoxicated with some of the old logging history. We arrived at the end of Franklin Road about 1.30pm and travelled onto Paeroa to enjoy lamb burgers and creaming soda milkshakes at a milk bar before saying our goodbyes and heading back to Hamilton and Auckland respectively. The costs for this trip included: $20 for fuel, $30 for two nights accommodation in the hut and $15 for breakfast and evening meals for two nights. |