Friday 7th – We drove up to Stratford and met up at the Holiday Park where we had space in the bunkhouse.
Saturday 8th – The forecast was good so we made an early start at the Stratford Mountain House road end. It was chilly at first but warmed up as we went past the ski field and around the track to the TV tower above North Egmont. From here we followed the main route up the north side, first on boardwalk and then onto hard scree. A few of us stopped at the crater while most of us did the scramble to the summit. After photos we headed back down.
Sunday 9th – The weather was only mediocre. Not raining but cloud on the mountain and cold. Marcia suggested we do the Mangorei track up to the Pouakai Range on the north side of the Egmont National Park. A couple of people headed to New Plymouth for easier walks. We arrived at the hut in time to carry on to the tarn and view point of Mt Taranaki before lunch. It was a case of us and a steady stream of other people. We had lunch in one of the bunkrooms in the hut before the plod back down the steps.
Monday 10th – It was raining in the National Park so there was no enthusiasm for a walk. Instead we headed down to Hawera for coffee and then checked out the nearby Museum at Tawhiti. Not a bad place to visit on a scungy day. After that we headed for home.
Whanganui Botanical Gardens - a diversion on the way to our accommodation in Stratford
