Friday The eight trampers departed Bracken Avenue in our hired minibus at about 4.30pm. After suffering the gridlock on the southern motorway we had a good run to Otorohanga where we stopped for dinner. At around 10.30 we arrived in New Plymouth where we stayed in the hall of the Central Baptist Church – thanks for their generosity in opening their buildings to us. Saturday Porridge was served at 7.00am in the church kitchen – after packing and cleaning up we had a quick tourist stop on the New Plymouth waterfront where we inspected the "Wind Wand" and admired the city centre. By the time we arrived at the North Egmont Visitors’ Centre we could see blue sky and the bottom half of Taranaki – so we knew we were in the right place! We were assured by the ranger that the track was good and the river was safe to access the Holly Hut – so we all set off. The track climbed steadily up through forest before opening out into alpine tussock – and continued to climb most of the morning to the highest point at over 1300m! After a lunch stop on some large boulders we came to the Boomerang Slip which was the most challenging part of the track – we ventured across one at a time and took heed of the warning sign not to dislodge any rocks. As we began our descent towards the hut Hua shared a devotion about a parable in her life that encouraged her to step out in faith into new and challenging ventures knowing that God was with her – an encouragement and inspiration for us all. The 32 bunk Holly Hut was a welcome sight and we were particularly pleased that the Minarapa Stream bed was completely dry! Seeing the solar panels on the roof as we arrived was also encouraging, as was the fire heating the hut! After boiling the billy for afternoon tea four of us set off on a half hour walk down a narrow valley to the Hangatahua River where the 31m Bells Falls could be seen upstream. No sooner had we returned than the rain started – it didn’t ease until the morning! Sunday As we left the Holly Hut at around 8am the rain had stopped but it appeared the mist had settled in for the day. The track crossed the Ahukawakawa swamp on a series of boardwalks most of which were covered in water following the downpour overnight. At an interpretative station along the boardwalk the swamp was described as "nature’s kidney" – filtering and cleansing the runoff of the mountain. As we climbed the ridge on the other side of the swamp we looked back to catch glimpses of the swamp, the hut, parts of Taranaki and finally saw the whole peak. Murray shared a devotion as we looked back across the swamp in which adjectives were suggested to describe the mountain – majestic(al), misty, mighty mysterious. The start of Psalm 121 was quoted to remind us that infact our strength comes from the Lord. The track continued to circle around the sides of the Hump and the Pouakai Plateau and we soon arrived at the Pouakai Hut in good time to find a bed and set up for hot soup and lunch. While some sat in the sun and read a small group set out along the Kaiauai Track to find the tarns and look for the reflections – only to be thwarted by the return of the wind, mist and rain. There was no let-up in the weather overnight – we all enjoyed good conversation around the table after our meal and appreciated the warmth of the fire as the wind whistled around the hut. Monday We all rose early and had breakfast before sunrise. Five of us departed the hut at 7.00am to head back to the Visitors Centre along the Kaiauai Track while the other three left later to descend the Mangorei Track and wait for the mini bus to pick them up. While the forest offered protection from the wind on both tracks the Kaiauai Track rose to the summit of Henry Peak at 1224m – the wind was so strong that one tramper’s glasses were blown away as we struggled across the exposed parts of the track.  No views from the lookout today!! (reports suggest you can see Ruapehu on a clear day) There was a long descent through the forest to the Kaiauai Shelter then a well deserved lunch break at the road while Murray returned to the Visitor’s Centre to pick up the minibus. After a short drive to pick up the three trampers from the end of Mangorei Road and a refuelling stop in Te Kuiti we all arrived safely back at Bracken Ave just before 7.00pm.