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This trip into the Coromandel Ranges south of Thames included the Wires Track that followed an old pack
track and telephone line, returning down the Whangamata 4whd Track. 14 people came along.
Half
the group left The Bracken at 8am to meet up with the others at a café in Kopu. After coffee we went
on to the carpark at Wires Rd off Maratoto Rd. A group of scouts from Thames was setting out on a pack-carry
and survival camp expedition as we arrived. Some of them wondered if there was a railway nearby, having
heard the sound of a steam train whistle.
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We set out on the Wires Track 10:20am, crossing a paddock to enter bush. The track crossed a stream
and began to climb steadily. One hour later we left our packs and went down a steep and scrambly track
to see a lovely waterfall. Colin scrambled up the bush to the top of the falls.
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Once back on the main track we carried on and soon came to the remains of an old cattle pen made
from the old telegraph line.
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We stopped for lunch on the track at 12:45pm. David took three readings from The Word For Day for
our devotions covering five lessons from the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We need to
apply our possible solutions for problems before asking for help; we need to develop a relationship with
God instead of only praying in trouble; we need to relinquish our problems and trust God; we need to
have radical faith; God will restore when we invite Him into our situation.
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The final part of the Wires Track was climbing up steps through cuttings made in the old days when
it was a pack track. We came out to the top at 2pm to join up with the Whangamata 4whd Track.
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We returned along the 4whd track, an easy stretch with some views of the hills and the Maratoto valley.
Further down the track we passed a sign Closed - Trees Growing. We came out at carpark 3:15pm, to greet
someone whose dog had its own backpack for a tramp.
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Before we headed home we stopped at the Cheese Barn nearby for coffee. There were hens on the front
lawn. We could look into the cheese factory, but as it was a weekend day there was nobody working in
there. There were some large cheeses on display.
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Colin, Penny and John stopped for a relaxing swim at the Miranda hot pools while the rest of us went
off home to enjoy the Guy Fawkes celebrations after an interesting day in the Coromandel bush.
COST:
$24
DISTANCE: 11.4km
AVERAGE WALKING SPEED: 3.8km/h
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