June 20th 2017: Friendliness

I was sneaking out for an arvo surf this week – one of those ones where you realise the conditions are all-time, but the daylight hours are quickly vanishing. Every second counts. I had just packed my board and wetty in my car when I noticed a guy taking photos of my house from the other side of the street. I gave him a friendly wave.

Turns out his grandparents owned my house fifteen years ago, he was down for the Lions game and taking a walk down memory lane. Half an hour later and he and his two friends had had the full tour, every bit of renovation, every bit of landscaping, and the whole future plan for a house he'd walked around in as a toddler. He told me stories about the windows he'd smashed and the art on the walls of the basement. Finally, I dusted off an old framed picture of a New Zealand representative team of some sort that I had found in a wall we'd taken apart during a renovation. Turns out his grandfather had competed for New Zealand.

His friend shook her head, thanked me and said, "this would never happen in Auckland". But I think it would, in the right parts ... it's the Kiwi way and I hope we, as a nation, never lose the nicety of friendliness. It goes such a long way.

I never did get into the surf that day, but my actions were repaid a few days later when I visited Invercargill for a commercial job and needed some talent for some shots. Within a couple of hours I had everyone I needed, and they turned out to be some of the friendliest people I've ever met. In fact, everyone in Invers seemed to have a good, positive buzz about them. Maybe it was the perfect, warm weather, but I suspect the unshakable happiness of Mayor Tim Shadbolt has rubbed off on the people in this southern enclave.

Today we launch a new Box of Light competition and, thanks to the good people at Treble Cone, you can win a TC Pass with a full day's lift pass. We have one to giveaway each week for the next six weeks. To go into the draw to win one all you need to do is subscribe to Box of Light. If you're already a subscriber then visit our Facebook page and comment or share the TC Pass promo post to enter. If you're already a subscriber then get your friends on board!

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Seventeen-year-old Otago surfer Elliott Brown has been selected to represent New Zealand at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships to be held in Japan in September. He's in fundraising mode to help pay for his travel costs ... help him out with a donation right here. And make sure to check out his surfing in the promo video ... off the hook.