To kick off the year with a bang, the first-ever Tauranga Big Buddy Day Out was hosted with 24 Big and Little Buddies in attendance, some even coming from as far as Hamilton to join the fun.
The sun was out, and the boys were ready for a swim! Grant, Paul and 5 other lifeguards from the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service generously gave their time to show our boys around the water and teach them a thing or two about surf safety. This included how to use lifesaver tubes, how to jump through waves, treading water, boogie boarding and how to catch waves.
Once lunchtime rolled around, everyone enjoyed a BBQ cooked up by some of the Big Buddy team, with food kindly provided by PAK’nSAVE Papamoa. A good fill-up was certainly needed, as the rest of the day was spent kicking balls on the beach, or taking walks around the rocks to try and spot seals.
To add to the excitement, the Tauranga Half Triathalon happened to be on at the same time, which provided some extra entertainment as the competitors journeyed through their run and bike legs of the race.
One of our newest BB pairs mentioned how much fun it was to get out with a group of other Big and Little Buddies and enjoy a day out together. For some the highlight may have been the water, for others, it was definitely the lunch (hint: one LB quickly demolished 5 sausages).
A big thank you goes to the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service and PAK’nSAVE Papamoa for their support on the day, and of course to all of our Big and Little Buddies for coming along and soaking in some vitamin D.
See you next year!
