Arrival and Departure Procedure
Location
The Waitawheta Base Camp (439 Waitawheta Road, RD 2, Waihi) is the location of the Central North Island Region Summer Camp and is situated in a farming community adjacent to the Kaimai Forest Park being 10kms from Waihi and 16kms from Paeroa.
If traveling to camp through Paeroa, Waitwaheta Road runs off to the right across the river near the Eastern end of the Karangahake Gorge which runs between Paeroa and Waihi, just prior to reaching Waikino. If coming through Tauranga and Katikati, you can turn left into Old Tauranga Road once through the Athenree Gorge and left into Waitawheta Road at the crossroads intersection. The camp is around 30 mins from Katikati.
See the Contact Us page for further directions to camp
Arrival
Each Contingent will be allocated an arrival time from 1pm on the 10th January. Please do not arrive before your designated arrival window - arrivals are staggered to ease congestion on the road around the Camp and to ensure that there are appropriate adults to supervise the youth. The road is a busy 100km road and we want to ensure everyone's safety.
On arrival you will find Camp staff on the road slowing traffic and directing you where to go depending on whether you have camping equipment or just luggage to drop off. Please follow all instructions for stopping and parking. Once parked - head to the registration point to sign in before unloading bags etc. Do not walk along the road. Staff will help you with crossing the road. Once registered you will be guided to your Contingents camping site. Camp staff will be on site to help you unload and set up so please do not linger moving your car off site to our allocated parking area. An assistant will guide you to the appropriate camping area. Please ensure you and your Cub have had lunch and/or snacks prior to arrival, as no food is supplied at Camp until dinner. Only vehicles with trailers carrying contingent equipment will be permitted onto the campsite itself.
Staff will be showing each Contingent around the site at allocated times from 3.30pm.
The Quartermasters Store will be open from 3.30pm to 5.45pm for each Contingent to collect their stores for dinner, supper, breakfast and lunch the following day, as well as snacks. Dinner is at 6pm each evening on your Contingents site - we recommend each Contingent has an allocated Coordinator for meals and Health and Safety who is able to stay on site during the day. This could be someone different each day.
Contingents will be allocated a swimming time from 4.00pm (see Swimming guidelines on our Cub Camp page).
Both the Trading Post (Tuckshop) and Badge swapping will be open between 4.pm and 5.45pm.
Opening Circle will be at 7.00pm finishing at 8.15pm with Supper on each Contingents site.
At 8.30pm there will be an Adult Camp Briefing / Welcome over Supper in the Camp Dining Hall. We ask that most Adults attend this meeting leaving only 2 or 3 Adults on site to finish Supper and get the Cubs ready and into bed. We are here to answer questions so you are prepared for the rest of the Camp.
Camp Quiet is 10.30pm.
Top tip: Cubs sleep best when they have a full tummy. Ensure they have a warm milky Milo and a snack supplied prior to getting ready for bed. While this may not be part of your diet at home, you will find that they are in a different environment and have possibly exerted themselves more than usual and history shows this trick works every time!
Departure
Camp will finish at 11.00am with a Closing Circle followed by a staggered leaving time for each Contingent. All Cubs and Adults are expected to be off site by 12.45pm. If you are a Contingent Leader, you are responsible for all your Cubs until they leave.
Our Camp Staff will have Traffic Control in place from 8.00am if you have other Leaders and Parents arriving to help you pack up the site. We will also allocate staff to assist you and your team to pack down and pack up and where possible we expect all sites are packed into trailers and cars where possible in time for the 11am Closing Circle.
All equipment must be packed, your site cleared and a Site Clearance obtained from your Camp Director or their Representative prior to leaving the camp. The first Site Clearance to be gained with be the first Contingent to leave after Closing Circle. It is ideal to have your site cleared by 10.45am.
Cubs and Adults are not permitted to depart until the camp is cleared. It is everyone's responsibility to tidy up after a camp.
11.00am is CLOSING CIRCLE – Troop or Pack T shirt and Scarf required - parents and caregivers are invited to join the closing ceremony.
As Cub Summer Camp Staff are required to clean and pack up the whole site before they leave, they are not able to look after Cubs until Parents arrive to collect their child after 12.45pm. Please ensure arrangements have been made to have all Cubs collected by this time or before the Contingent Leader leaves the site.
Top Tip: Bring food for your child and don't expect much conversation on the way home - they will be tired!