Our Steep Journey Up Mount Manaia

Our time in New Zealand is quickly running out so we’re trying to fit in all the things before we leave! We try to make the most of our Saturdays and explore as a family. This particular weekend was supposed to be good weather, but as we got closer to our destination, it looked cold and rainy. But that didn’t stop us! We unloaded from our car and piled on our layers and started our steep journey up Mount Manaia with our friends.

If we thought Mt Maunganui was steep, then that was an ant hill compared to what we were in for! The hike up Mount Manaia was straight up. And up a whole lot of stairs! Our legs hurt good…we could feel the burn!

Ethan and Gavin did awesome and just kept walking. But the younger two had to stop frequently for short rests to rejuvenate those little legs. And I wasn’t complaining about those rests either ;) But even with our stops, we made it to the top in good time.

Once we made it to the peak, it was wiiiiiindy! Like blow you over the edge and icy cold kind of windy. We had to take off our hats and firmly plant our feet onto the rocks. It was crazy! It was so windy that we couldn’t stay up there for long to enjoy the gorgeous view. But what we did see was stunning. By looking at the picture of Cody, it looks blissful, but when you look at the picture of me, you can see the realness of the wind. Crazy I tell ya.

As we trekked back down the track, Trevor took the job to count all the stairs we climbed. It kept him busy and his legs moving while we were all curious to see how many of those steep buggers we had just marched up. 1,117 just in case you were wondering....

By the time we got back to the car, we were pooped. But it was a great workout and we had a fun time with our family and friends. The view and workout was definitely worth the tough trek! We were all starving after the calories we had just burned so, we hit up a takeways and got some hot chips for the journey home.

Rose: The gorgeous view from the top, the good workout, and being with friends!

Thorn: Getting a $30 speeding ticket on the way home. Cody was going 88 kph in a 80 zone (which is equivalent to going 55 mph in a 50 zone) Weak sauce.