By Greer Batters

On the 14th of April, seven students aged between 17 and 18 (and one committed teacher) began the trek around Lake Waikaremoana in hope of completing their last Qualifying Journey for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold award. 

Starting out bright and early on Monday morning, our alarms were set for 5:30am, where we pounced out of bed, eager for the day to begin. Having our last breakfast of champs (bacon and eggs paired with some orange juice), we completed the final check of our bags and loaded them into the van. The previous night we had driven all the way from Pukekohe High School to a small AirB&B in Mahia, so we only had about an hour-and-a-half to drive until we arrived at the Onepoto base shelter a little after 9am. Little did we know what was awaiting us on this walk . . . 

Greeting us right off the bat was a huge, treacherous incline, which tested not only my own physical and mental boundaries, but also those in my group. After several rest breaks, toilet stops and everyone taking time to guzzle some snacks, we finally descended upon the Panekire Hut, where everyone felt a last-minute surge of motivation and cries of “We’re finally here!,” echoed around the open mountain.

However, this was not our final stop for the night. Only 9ish kilometres down, we continued on despite the sun slowly beginning to set, giving us a stunning view of the lake and the surrounding nature. Feeling ever so slightly diminished, we continued hiking through the night until we finally arrived at Waiopaoa campsite. With 17 km done for the day, we had never felt so accomplished . . . and tired. Putting up our tents in the dark was a bit of a struggle, especially after an intimidating encounter with a possum. After some much needed dinner, some hot choccy and a warm change of clothes, we were exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. 

The sun beaming into our tent woke us up the next morning. As we all hobbled out of our tents, our bodies were sore from the huge day of walking on Monday. Gobbling down some brekky, we packed up our tents and set off on the 4km walk to the Korokoro campsite, a nice break in comparison to the day before. Under the cloudy skies, we set up our tents and had a quick lunch before heading back along the track and taking the small walk to a stunning waterfall. A definite highlight was using a guide rope to get over rocks on the way there. Despite some beautiful scenery, we had some dreadful encounters with a fly-ridden long drop and an awful freeze-dried meal for dinner; however, we washed it down with a game of charades and called it a night. 

After a groggy start to the morning we said our goodbyes to the Korokoro campsite and then we took the 9km muddy walk to the Maraunui campsite. Standout moments from the walk included walking over some fun, but scary suspension bridges, learning about sticky grass, playing Antarctica with Mr. Anderson and falling over on some slippery rocks.

Powering through large stretches of muddy tracks we made it to the campsite, feeling happy to have made it (in one piece). A fire was awaiting us, which immediately we got going and proceeded to sit around it for the remainder of the afternoon. We were happy to find that this campsite was even more beautiful than the last, with the lake bordering the campsite and a clean (and much nicer) long-drop. After our daily hot chocolate and some much needed laughs, we headed off to sleep ready for our next day to begin.

The next morning we got straight into things, fueled by the fact that we would have a nice clean hut to sleep in that night. Feeling a wee bit over our breakfast of porridge, we pushed through as we needed the fuel for our 7km walk. Despite the dreary sprinkles of rain, we popped on some extra layers and set off. Lots of conversations and laughter later, we were pleasantly surprised by how quickly we got to Waiharuru Hut.

Excitement was abundant across the faces of our group as compared to the last three nights – staying in a hut was the equivalent of staying in a 5-star hotel for us. We picked our bunks for the night and had a swim in the freezing cold lake, which acted like a shower for us considering we hadn’t had one in days! The next few hours were spent inside eating away at our remaining snacks, playing a new card game courtesy of Mr. Anderson and getting to know some of the other people staying in the hut with us. As we all went to sleep for the night, there was a sense of eagerness as we couldn’t wait to get home and tell our families about all of the adventures we had gone on.

We were woken up on Friday morning by loud stomps up and down the hut as others prepared to leave. Once the last group photo was taken to mark our accomplishments, determination set in and we knew we were on the home stretch, pushing through our sore bodies and evident fatigue. The rain didn’t wash away our spirits though and FINALLY! The water taxi sign was like a beacon of hope for us as sighs of happiness and relief were prevalent. After a quick bite to eat, the water taxi whisked us away as everyone waved goodbye to the beautiful landscape of Lake Waikaremoana. Despite taking five days to complete the walk, our journey was summed up in a matter of thirty minutes along with harsh winds and a lot of sea spray.

A speedy change into some (thankfully) clean clothes and multiple stops at gas stations/takeaway spots took our group all the way from the Onepoto Base Shelter back to Pukekohe High School.

“I am endlessly thankful for the friendships I’ve built and the challenges I’ve overcome, all of which have helped shape me into a better person. This truly was the trip of a lifetime — made possible by my amazing friends, our incredible group leader, and the generous FMC grant that gave me the opportunity to experience it all!”

We’re delighted to share another trip report from recent recipients of FMC’s Youth Award Grant. These grants are awarded four times a year, so if you’re inspired to get some financial support, head over to FMC’s website to apply.