Project Tongariro 40th Year Anniversary

CELEBRATE 40 YEARS WITH US AT OUR ANNUAL AGM!

We are thrilled to announce that bookings are now open for our 40th Anniversary celebrations, taking place alongside our AGM from November 15th to 17th, 2024, in Ohakune.

EVENT DETAILS

Friday, November 15th:

6.00 pm Welcome: Kick off the weekend with us as we welcome you and provide an overview of the upcoming events. Enjoy drinks and a casual dinner at King’s in Ohakune. Please make your own dinner booking with Kings for this informal evening.

Saturday, November 16th:

7.00 am Breakfast at King's or at your preferred accommodation/café.

After breakfast, join us on your chosen field trip. Please remember to make a booking; details can be found at the bottom of the page.

Rata Street, Okahune, photo credit Russel Street.

8.30 am Field trip one: South East Basin Walk

Join Karen Grimwade and Kiri Te Wano on an alpine meander starting at Turoa Base.

We head up into the alpine landscape, travelling via the Turoa Wintergarden then traverse east to the South East Basin; viewing the alpine landscape and sharing a few stories along the way.

At the South East Basin, we pause to see the amazing volcanic features and one of the unique South West Ruapehu alpine flush zones. This is a great time of year to see alpine flowers. If the weather is clear the views of the Maunga and south over the Rangataua lava flow and the Waimarino plain will be outstanding. This trip requires Alpine-appropriate footwear & clothing. Grade 3 walk / Challenging. This trip is weather-dependent.

9.30 am Field trip two: Memorial Crash Site Visit

Join the executive board members Allan McKenzie and Paul Green on a walk through low alpine scrub to the beautiful and poignant helicopter crash and memorial site. Grade 2 / Easy but with uneven ground.

3.15 pm Whakatau / Welcome In the afternoon, we will meet at Kings on Rimu Street for a Whakatau (Māori Welcome). We will be welcomed to Kings by Ngāti Rangi representatives. Please note this has changed from the original plans to meet at the Marae on Burns Street.

4.30 pm Meet and Greet at King’s. After our visit to the Marae, we'll reconvene at King's for a meet and greet before the formalities begin. Drinks and light nibbles will be served for those with a dinner reservation.

5.00 pm formalities: Our 40th Anniversary celebrations will commence at 5:00 PM, with past president and lifelong member Paul Green as the MC. The programme will feature Karen Williams speaking on behalf of the crash victim families, followed by a reflection on our journey by past president Bruce Jefferies. A dignitary from the Department of Conservation will then share a few words, followed by Project Tongariro CEO Kiri Te Wano providing a 'Where We Are Now and State of the Nation' address.

7.00 pm Dinner & Guest Speaker: Join us at 7 PM for dinner and dessert, with our guest speaker, Les Molloy, presenting between courses.

SUNDAY, November 17th:

7.00 am Breakfast: at King's or your preferred accommodation/café.

10.00 AM AGM: Our 40th AGM will commence at 10:00 am

11.30 am - 1.00 pm Tree Planting and BBQ: At 11:30 am, we’ll celebrate this special occasion by planting 300 trees beside the Mangawhero River Walkway. We invite you to join us and plant a tree or two, then we’ll gather for a sausage sizzle and a hot drink.

This marks the conclusion of our 40th anniversary celebrations.

IMPORTANT BOOKING INFORMATION. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

ACCOMMODATION

Project Tongariro have secured accommodation at Kings in Ohakune. We have made a block booking of accommodation for both Friday and Saturday evenings. There are double and triple rooms available.

You must book this accommodation directly with Kings. Please call them on 06 385 8648 or email them at info@kingsohakune.co.nz to secure a booking. Please note that you will not be able to make the booking via their website, with us or via any other booking website, you must contact them directly.

Bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note, that you must still reserve directly with Kings, even if you indicated your stay in our save-the-date email.

DINNER AND MEALS

Our AGM buffet dinner will be held on Saturday evening at 6.15 PM. Please book this directly with Project Tongariro. The cost is $72 per person and includes nibbles, a main and dessert. If you have dietary requirements such as vegetarian or gluten-free, or other requests, please let us know—additional fees may apply. Please note, that dinner bookings are non-refundable, but we will maintain a waitlist to help resell your ticket if needed.

TRIPS

We have planned the following excursions and events for the weekend. Please make a reservation to help us gauge attendance. All activities listed below are free, except for the formal dinner on Saturday. You will need to arrange your own accommodation, the casual dinner on Friday, breakfasts, and lunches.

South-East Basin Walk, Saturday morning at 8.45 am (please choose this or the Memorial Crash Site Visit. Cost: Free
Memorial Crash Site Visit, Saturday morning 9.15 am (please choose this or the South East Basin walk). Cost: Free
Pōwhiri at Maungarongo Marae, 2pm to 3.30pm. Cost: Free
Meet & Greet, nibbles, 4.30 pm, followed by Dinner at 6.15 pm at Kings Cost: $72 per person.
AGM, Sunday 10.00 am at Kings. Cost: Free
11.30 am Tree Planting at Mangawhero River Walkway, followed by a Sausage Sizzle. Cost: Free

Please be aware that Project Tongariro reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the schedule due to weather conditions or changes in third-party plans.

BOOK NOW!