Wayne and Christine Shadbolt have each completed 999 climbs of Mauao in the six years since Wayne turned 60. Today he turns 66 and he can't wait to start his 1000th climb.

However, it's going to have to wait until Saturday morning.

I had caught up with him at dawn on Thursday at the Te Ranga Battle commemoration in Te Ranga, Pyes Pa. It was another dawn he wasn't climbing Mauao, but he didn't mind at all, given the significance of the commemoration.

'What about Friday? Can you complete 1000 climbs then?” I'd asked, thinking it would be a perfect way to celebrate his 66^th birthday.

'No,” he grinned. 'On Fridays we have our Rotary Club meeting which means I need to get there at 6.30am to help prep for the meeting. But the bonus is the people to have breakfast with, and the awesome sunrises from where we have our club meeting in the Devonport Towers.”

Some of his family and friends want to join him for his 1000^th climb, so Saturday fits better for many of them.

I've been doing it since I turned 60,” says Wayne. 'I've been regularly counting each time I go up the Mount. Christine and I have been doing it regularly three times a week, and during the summer we bike from Papamoa, climb the Mount, go around it, go home and have breakfast.

'Christine has also been doing it regularly three to four years prior to me so she will have done a lot more than me.”

Wayne and Christine Shadbolt.

They are normally up out of bed at 5.30am, starting the day with half an hour of stretching exercises.

'Then we go for our walk. Rain, hail or snow, we're up there three times a week. And then I go to work and it allows me to get cleaned up, have breakfast and be ready to go by the time the boys arrive at 8 o'clock.”

Wayne is usually at Interlink Communication in Devonport Road by 7.45am, and has a shower and breakfast before his five staff arrive at 8am.

'Mauao allows me to clear my head and prep for the day energized to tackle anything,” says Wayne. 'It works out well, and we do Papamoa Hills as well sometimes. But the Mount has really got a spiritual part for me, seeing I've been here at the Mount for 57 years.

'Since I've been walking up there, I find that it gives you a better outlook on life and gets my day sorted as well.”

In March 2017, as president of the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise Wayne was delighted that his club initiated a three-year commitment to fund Alzheimers Tauranga/WBOP. The grant of $10,000 per year for three years from the club allows Alzheimers Tauranga to keep offering their sought-after Befriender Service, which provides specialised training for volunteers to become a listening ear, a conversationalist, extra pair of eyes and a vital source of socialisation for people with dementia.

Wayne has also thrown his support behind the Graeme Dingle Foundation BOP. As part of the Drop Your Boss event, he abseiled off Regional House to help raise funds for Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K, all programmes that are run by the Graeme Dingle Foundation to help youth become confident, healthy individuals who can contribute positively to society.

He and Christine have also taken up the Mount Everest challenge, where participants climb the Mount 38 times in 50 days, helping raise funds for the Tauranga Womens Refuge.

'When I'm climbing up Mauao, I meet some wonderful people who have done a heck of a lot more climbs that I have,” says Wayne.

One of the sunrises photographed by Wayne from Mauao.

In 2011, he and Chris also started doing the ‘Hello Project'. This social cohesion project used social media to encourage people across Papamoa to say ‘hello' to each other.

Every day while walking up the Mount, they would pass a runner heading down. They started to say ‘hello' to her as she went by. The first day she looked blank, the next day grunted, the third day said ‘hi' back to them and by about day five, she stopped and they had a conversation.

'And we continue to do that,” says Wayne. 'We say ‘hello' to people. We've made some good contacts up there, and a couple of friends as well. We see all the regular ones for our time slot.

'We normally head up the Mount about 6.30am and finish by about 7.30am.

'I have some fantastic sunrise photos,” says Wayne. 'There's bonuses too. What I love about it, is seeing all the people up there, the animals and birdlife, and the moreporks in the morning. Also by taking some photos and putting them on my Facebook page – the friends who come from this area and live around the world – they absolutely love them and it keeps them up-to-date and connects their spirit with the feeling they have for the Mount.”

On Saturday morning, keep an eye out for this quietly remarkable couple completing their 1000^th climb of Mauao together. Wayne says Christine is not one for photographs.

'She is a quiet lady, and we work together well, she is my rock and soulmate!”says Wayne.

I think if you see them and call out a ‘hello' you'll get one back.

Wayne Shadbolt with Charlie the sheep, who is a regular above the camping ground with his sister Molly and her lamb Monz.