Climbing Mount Eden

Reason 42,736 that I hate busses. . .
Pil, you wouldn't hate them if you could use them properly.
Humph.
Ok. What's the matter now?
Well, I did get to Mount Eden, and I did climb it all the way to the top, but getting there was a bigger pain than it had to be, and, yes, I bear significant blame for it.
I looked up travel details on the internet this morning, and figured since the weather was uncertain this would be a reasonable activity.  I got some more cash and strolled around town, then went in search of the bus stop, which I could not find where the internet said it was.  I asked at the tourist office and got the straight scoop.
The bus came, I hopped on board with my magic transportation card--which then registered empty.  I hopped off.  I was right there at the Britomart Transportation Center, so it was a simple matter to go in and use one of the machines to add value to the card.
That doesn't sound so bad.
No, it wasn't.  I went back to the bus stop and did not have too long a wait for the next bus. I got on and we rode off.  These buses do not announce stops, so I have to guess.  Counting stops doesn't work because these are "request" buses, and if no one requests a stop or there's no one waiting to get on at a stop, the bus passes on.  I stayed alert, and then I saw a mass of trees in a park-like setting.  Was this it?  I got off.
The place I got off was indeed park-like and very pretty.  It just happened to be a cemetery.  Sigh.
This was not the bus's fault, Pil.
Meh.  I waited for the next one, got on, rode, and this time I guessed right.  I was deposited at the bottom of Mount Eden, and I soon found an entrance.  It was not the main entrance and was kind of rough.  There were paths--some of them mere tracks.  I climbed a flight of spooky stairs, and at the top I found--a style.
I have not had to cross a style since I was wandering around the border land between England and Wales twenty years ago or more.  For those of you who think I'm talking about fashion trends, a style is a way for humans to cross fences while leaving animals helpless to do so.  There are stair like affairs and then one swings oneself over and goes down the stairs on the other side.  This was a lot easier to do when I was younger.
But this took me to the main way up the mountain.  Mount Eden is an extinct volcano, and the Maoris regard it as a sacred mountain, but tourists are welcome.  The road up is long, but the walk is actually not that bad or else I have gotten fitter since I've been here.  The weather cooperated, too.  The sky spat at us a couple times, but there was no real rain, and it was warm.  I shared the way with joggers and bikers struggling up and zooming down.
The walk is lovely with lush foliage on the downward slope, and the views of the city are spectacular!  You can view the crater and walk around it, but no one is allowed to climb down it for safety and culturally respectful reasons.  I had a pleasant stroll down and easily found my bus stop back.  I am getting quite bold at crossing busy streets with no lights or crosswalks.  Here I am back safe and sound.