Coromandel owner, Maureen Irvine sent in this post about the recent WWW get together.
As pensioners on a tight budget, John and I had been bemoaning the fact that it's not easy - or very practical - for us to get to any of the GAP monthly walks in either the Waihi or Hamilton areas. We jokingly suggested to Victoria (our GAP Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo & Rotorua Regional Co-ordinator) that perhaps the monthly walk could come to us for once. And so the idea for the Winter Wonderland Weekend was born.
So, very recently, our little village was host to twenty greyhounds, one poodle, and around two dozen people who all made the not inconsiderable journey to the northern Coromandel Peninsula. Like Topsy, our germ of an idea had grown beyond our wildest expectations, and we had people and hounds here from Whitianga, Waihi, Hamilton and area, and even four intrepid souls and their four beautiful hounds all the way from New Plymouth.
The weekend was blessed with balmy weather, blue skies and sunshine, and our venue, Colville Farm, was stunningly beautiful. John and I met up with the early arrivals on Saturday morning, and once everyone was here, we had hot drinks and a bit of food to sustain us all! We set off on the bush walk on Saturday afternoon, and had a fantastic time. Our intention had been to make it as far as one of the landmarks on the property, but the warm weather and distance defeated us, and we stopped gratefully at the Dutchman's Camp bush lodges, where hounds and people all enjoyed a welcome drink of cold water.
Once we were all back at the house, there were more hot drinks and more nibbles in preparation for the evening feast! Most people retired for an hour or so to allow the hounds some time to themselves for dinner and a rest before we all gathered inside the house for stronger liquid refreshments and mountains of delicious food, provided and prepared by everyone present. What an evening! Some of us shared our own poetry, and then we were treated to a great music session, courtesy of John Irvine on guitar, Trefor Ward on saxophone and Derek Birt on blues harmonica! A few of the hounds weren't too keen on the saxophone, but most of them just carried on doing what greyhounds do best, and slept throughout the entire evening! They were tired boys and girls, and it was so lovely to see a room chock-a-bloc with happy hounds all over the floor, snoozing soundly.
Next day we met at the beach for a brisk walk. The tide was in, which was a bit of a shame, but we still managed to walk right to the end and back. After that, it was back to Colville Farm for a last hot cuppa, and - yes! - even more food, before everyone said their final goodbyes and headed off home. When we brought Solo and Krissy home, they slept for the rest of the day!
Maureen Irvine
Colville
* A great event like this is only going to be as good as its venue, and we are indebted to Ngaire at Colville Farm Holidays (http://www.colvillefarmholidays.co.nz/) who was extremely helpful and friendly - if slightly bemused when we first approached her. GAP hounds and humans booked out the entire property for this weekend, and Colville Farm is 100% dog-friendly, allowing all the hounds to stay inside the accommodation.