A day of adventure off the base!

Hey so on Saturday I took my first day off the base. It was some much needed air and city time! We went about 40 minutes out of Whangerie ( almost 2 hours from base) on a hike up a mountain. I can't remember the name- I am thinking it was Mount Manaie or something like that. It was a very intense hike! So steep! Staircase after staircase, but the view at the top was amazing!! Here are some pictures!

The first view point ( Richard, Benjamin, Linda and Par- a couple from Sweden)

Hiking through beauty... 

There were crazy cool trees and vines. 

Halfway- doesn't it look like a postcard?

Did I mention my love hate relationship with these staircases? There are four zigzagging back and forth in this picture. 

At the top and someone is tuckered out. He wore a bandana to protect his sweet little head. 

My sweet man at the top! 

We made it! That is ocean below behind us... 

On the way down

Off the path :) 

All done! Benjamin's bandana got twisted and I went to fix it but he was so happy I had to grab a picture. 

This is from the parking lot. We climbed it!!

After the hike my camera oddly died.. luckily I was still able to upload photos but these may be the last ones, since I no longer have a working camera :(. From the hike we headed to the beach for a couple hours. So pretty. Sunshine and a slight breeze made for a perfect day.  Benjamin even got to put his toes in the sand, but he didn't like the water. Rich went body surfing with the guys and we ended with fish & chips and L&P ( A New Zealand soda that is delicious! It reminds me of gingerale, but it is lemony. It is hard to describe but it is refreshing and the perfect thing for fish and chips)

We stopped for about an hour in Whangerie to pick up some groceries and we got  nappy pail for Benjamin's cloth diapers. Then we made the ride home. We were all exhausted after a good long hike, a sunfilled afternoon at the beach and then a long ride home. Today we are taking it easy until the students get back this  afternoon.