Highs (and Lows) of a “Free” Afternoon
When the New Zealand study abroad students get an unscheduled afternoon, they tend to head in different directions. On Monday, some took the bus to Mount Maunganui for a soak in the hot, saltwater pools, others stayed "home" to study, and three headed off with me (Peg) for a hike up Papamoa Hills, an historical Maori defensive site. Due to limited public transportation we took an Uber to the trail head and enjoyed a beautiful 2 hour hike.
Arriving at the bottom of our rather strenuous hike we were faced with a classic L.T.M. (low traveling moment) when we realized that, although an Uber dropped us off at the trailhead, the system would not pick us up at the trailhead!! Since a taxi would take over an hour to get to us, we decided to walk...what ended up being an hour and a half back home!! The students were troopers...keeping their (and my) spirits up as we tromped alongside busy byways, through farm land, and finally back to our familiar beach road. Here's a picture of us enjoying a meal at our little neighborhood Indian restaurant to celebrate the end of our adventure. Kudos to Danielle, William, and Noah for their fortitude, flexibility, and positive attitudes! No surprise that I was not the only hiker to make use of our relaxing hot tub last night.
