Another memorable weekend is over. It was a weekend of laughter, conviviality and darn right pleasure for all associated with the event. One could say it was the best event in the fourteen years. Do we say that every year? Gordon Hosking opened the event this year mentioning that with the proliferation of Walking Festivals round the country Mangawhai is the longest running. We had 530 people doing 1200 walks.

Expectations were fulfilled and we have the eighty guides to thank for that.
The 530 people happily scrubbed their boots and stamped on the disinfectant laden pads to help control kauri die-back. Clean in – clean out, so boots were sprayed exiting the bush.

Almost all walks were full so even though many walks have been on the programme for years there are still people keen to explore unknown parts of Mangawhai. It is with pride and privilege we offer these walks over private and public land. Our thanks go to all those people who provide the opportunities.

In some ways this year was different. There were less people probably because the event followed an already short week but the slightly smaller numbers resulted in much better walks and secondly the people who came seemed to be fitter and younger than usual. These casual observations can only auger well for the future.

Most of the guides have been volunteering for many years so experience along with extra training made for a cohesive well oiled production. We need a constant supply of new guides and those we welcomed into our event this year easily fitted into the routine. Some ended up with more than they bargained for but commonsense and initiative carried the day.Our unique and magnificent Friday afternoon Troubadour Trail with the five outstanding performers, was the best yet. We still have not been able to convince the locals of this special outing. Although round 200 attend each year, at $10 per person we have not yet been able to cover the cost of the performers. Nowhere can one experience such top-class entertainment so cheaply. The ten helpers at this event did a great job hosting the performers and leading the groups. Most of these performers have not ever taken part in such an event so are curious as to what they have agreed to do but all leave exhilarated with their outdoor performances. Why is the magician always the most popular? That old newspaper trick always gets us!

Every year we say the Food and Wine Festival was the best yet. This year was no exception. People danced the afternoon away to well-known popular music from the outstanding band ‘Room 2 Groove’. The short little shower sent people to the food tents which pleased everyone. It is great to see the local producers with us.

Many of the walkers made time to go on the Art Trail. One lady had difficulty buying her piece of art because the ATM was out (as usual) on a busy weekend. She managed somehow as she just had to have the two paintings she had chosen.
Mangawhai can be very proud to have produced another excitement-laden Walking Weekend.

Maria O’Flaherty Trio on the Troubadour Trail.

The 14th year is now over. 4th – 7th April. For me it was the best year yet. 530 people enrolled in 1200 walks

The weather was great as usual. A light drizzle on the Troubadour and at the Food and Wine. Saturday began very cold but the sun soon came out and was very hot. Although Thursday began in drizzle but it was over by 10am and everyone turned up. Then Sunday was magnificent.

So you can see the weather is important and no one can believe we have continued to have good weather for every Walking Weekend. 

Now I can do mail merge I was able to bombard the guides with messages, We had an excellent Training Day with a specialised  ‘search and rescue’ trained woman who runs training days for her tramping club before people can join. She gave all sorts of hints that we had not touched on and the 44 people who turned up really benefited from this. The training morning is for more than training as it gathers people together and ensures that the guides come to know each other and each other’s walks which all helps everyone to feel they belong and share the responsibility for the weekend. After all it is the guides who run the show and are the most important people present.

Many of the guides have been with us for some years and know the procedures so all the new guides catch the enthusiasm, the positive attitude and sense of responsibility naturally fulfilling expectations as they follow the examples before them. It is so exciting sharing in all these positive vibes and high energy.’ Knowing your walk ‘is stressed over and over. They should be able to walk it backwards like the girl who guided us round US Davis University the day I went with my grandson when he was looking at places to attend, but unfortunately we still had one walk where they found the fences had unexpectedly been altered. So this is the main reason the weekend was the best yet – the guides were better prepared and this showed in their confidence, the size of their packs as they catered for the unexpected and in the evaluations that came in. Jill was delighted to be able to use her roll of duct tape as well as her nursing skills as she expertly wrapped a sole back on a boot.

On Sunday, a week later we had 55 people gathered for the hamburger night. WW paid for it and it was time to read the evaluations. The room was packed as even the partners wanted to listen too. Each guide gave their reminiscences of their walk. They were all keen to talk, were outrageous in their descriptions, confident, prepared to shout  so all were very involved and enthusiastic  - an amazing experience of unity, support and youthful right good spirits. They are all fit; love the outdoors and all have chosen to live in this community of Mangawhai. One said he was too modest to read out his evaluations but another said he was not but was anxious about the two that only gave his walk a 4 when all the others were 5. It really was a night to remember. Don always gets a mention as he is very much part of the whole event as he writes everyone’s name tags and all notices.

Wrap up for the Mangawhai Walking Weekend 2012

Another memorable weekend is over. 600 people who enrolled in 1300 activities attended. It is a weekend of laughter, conviviality and darn right pleasure for all associated with the event.

Expectations were fulfilled and we have the eighty-five guides to thank for that.
Everyone happily scrubbed their boots and stamped on the disinfectant laden pads to help control kauri die-back. Clean in – clean out, so boots were sprayed exiting the bush.

Almost all walks were full so even though many walks have been on the programme for years there are still people keen to explore unknown parts of Mangawhai. It is with pride and privilege we offer these walks over private and public land. Our thanks go to all those people who provide the opportunities.

Our new walks were quickly fully subscribed ensuring they will be on the programme again. With thirty five walks it is impossible to pick any out for mention as all were worthy of a place on the programme. Two walks proved rather more adventurous than anticipated but that is part of the diversity of tramping. Overcoming these challenges provides a measure of oneself and proof that one can actually do anything – if one is fit enough. Maybe we will never solve the problem of unfit people registering for walks where a modicum of training is required.

The tail-end-guides do a magnificent job of
1 heaving people up slopes,
2 keeping the slow pace required until they lose sight of the main bunch,
3 supporting men who the guide is sure have been enrolled by their wives in order to extinguish all breath from them
4 finding the man who wandered off on his own only to be found 15 minutes later in the next door property totally disorientated and his wife not interested in helping in the search,
5 being surprised at someone thinking the track should be mown,
6 helping the woman who enrolled in the wrong walk because she didn’t listen to her friends
7 sympathising with the kind lady on the photography walk who did not have a camera but who enrolled on the walk to keep her friend company. The friend did not turn up
8 coping with two bossy schoolteachers who forgot I was in charge when they thought they were
9 binding up soles that have come adrift from the uppers. Guides really have to carry duck tape in future.
10 tolerating one person who thought the estuary should be dry.
11 watching dental floss being used after lunch
12 patiently listening to someone complain that the sea was too noisy.
13 recording that there should be a walk for people recovering from surgery

As you can see it is great fun being a guide so there was much shared laughter at the
hamburger night we had for the guides as they went thought their evaluations

All the extra events were all well supported. The Art trail was very popular; Pat Scott
provided a magnificent breakfast; Kristine Robertson, by bringing in the line-dancers,
had people up dancing by 3.30pm and the Olive Grove humming for the afternoon;
Maxine Macdonald and her team ensured the Troubadour Trail ran like clock-work.
These paid professional performers were as diverse and as entertaining as usual.

To really appreciate the happiness and spontaneity and unleashed joy one really has to
be part of the weekend. New friends become old friends. Fond farewells are fueled
with love and promises to meet again next year. Our Auckland visitors with a sprinkling
of local people had a great weekend. Congraulations to the local guides for another
successful year.