Alison Williams, who has climbed a few mountains during her time in charge of the Waikato District Health Board's Mothercraft unit, is lining up a real mountain to start her retirement.
First up is the 6200m Island Peak in the Himalayas … then there's a 30-day France-Spain Camino pilgrimage trek with her husband, who luckily shares Alison's fitness drive.
"I hope there'll be no tears on Friday, I've been looking forward to this like a long holiday ahead," she says of her last day after 24 years in charge of Mothercraft.
"There are things I want to do while I still can."
Alison was an experienced nurse and midwife and had done Plunket training when she applied for the job in 1989, and admits being "quite shocked" to get it.