Mahia Peninsula is one of the great enclaves of the New Zealand coastal lifestyle where fishos reign supreme. It's also a place where, 28 years ago, a group of scraggly students from Massey University would follow their inimitable leader, Poss, for a weekend (or many) of surf and good times.
Poss's parents owned a bach in the very heart of Mahia and it was set-up perfectly for friends and family. We'd surf till we couldn't move our shoulders and then retreat to the bach to laugh the evening away. It left an indelible mark on all of us that took on even more importance when our beautiful friend Poss succumbed to her tumour several years later.
These past few days in Mahia, Poss has been omnipresent in our minds as we tapped back into the laughter and mateship that bound us all so tightly together all those years ago. The stories flowed like wine. The nights shrunk. The mornings started at first light like we didn't want to spill a drop.
The weekend had it all from stalking giant kingfish around rainbow-coloured pinnacles 60m below the surface to watching our very own next generation explore Mahia's waves and begin to weave its magic into their own hearts. There were 30 of us occupying that beachfront lawn and I love every single one of them like family. Just epic humans – couldn't ask for any better.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS I'm writing this edition at a friend's house in Wainui in Gisborne. A new swell is due to arrive overnight. It's 11:30pm and a set just cracked across the bow of the house. The anticipation is driving me crazy. See you next week.
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