Trevor Page celebrates his 100th birthday with his
daily walk up Sugar Loaf in Taradale
Trevor Page celebrates his last day of being 99 years old by conquering Sugar Loaf Hill at dawn. Photo / Paul Taylor. Trev100.JPG
The day before Trevor Page hit a century dawned wet and muddy, but the Hawke's Bay man wasn't prepared to pull stumps and give up.
Page, 99,turns 100 on Saturday, but decided to celebrate his final day in double digits by keeping his astonishing regular routine, climbing Taradale's steep Sugar Loaf Hill for fun.
Initially the plan was to go up on Saturday, but with foul weather forecast, he decided to do the ceremonial walk on Friday.
But the rain arrived early and when Page woke from his slumber it was splashing down.
The damp pre-dawn darkness is something Page has been braving for more than 40 years.
He said he'd always had a strong philosophy that to stay in good shape and good spirits one has to keep moving.
Once you stop "you're sunk", he said.
"Getting up isn't too bad, it's getting down that's the hard part. It's hard on your knees, your knees get wobbly when you get old.
"By the time I get up there and back, I'm done for," he laughed.
The walks are also somewhat of a birthday tradition. Page scaled Sugar Loaf on his 97th birthday and again for his 98th.
Trevor Page reckons you have to use your legs or you'll lose them. Photo / Paul Taylor
Page will be celebrating his 100th birthday at the Hawke's Bay Club on Saturday with close friends and family, with two granddaughters travelling from Australia to be with him.
"I'm really excited as there's a whole lot of cousins coming who I've never met before, so it'll be great to see all of them."
Page said he's excited to make it to 100 and puts it down to positivity and drive.
"I was determined I was going to get there somehow. I was married for more than 70 years and I loved the job I had ... an electroplating firm here in Napier. I retired and closed the doors when I was 95.
"I never had to worry about retirement, because I was doing the things I wanted to do and I loved it, so I think that has a lot to do with making it to the age I am. I also do very well physically."
Page's daughter Jan said her father was an inspiration to many.
"He's just an amazing man, he's very active and it's all rubbed off on us. I said to him, 'Are you looking forward to your 100th birthday Dad?'
"And he said, 'Do you know what ... I think I am.'
"He lives on his own in the Greenmeadows, he's very capable of looking after himself and still drives himself around and does all his own grocery shopping."
Page might use a stick to help himself get up Sugar Loaf, but he said he has never tumbled and although his worst enemy is maybe the alarm clock, his passion for making the most of every day doesn't falter.
"You just never give up on anything."
As he came down the hill on Friday he looked up at the sky and said he might just give the walk a crack on Saturday too.
