The evening opened with the bagpipes and the royal stag, carried through the room by Freddie, CEO Gwyn Thurlow's son.
Broadcaster Leah Panapa was our MC, and she was superb. She read the room, kept the night moving and had everyone entertained from the first word to the last. Anyone who has sat through an awards night that dragged will know exactly what a good MC is worth.
Roger Lentle was our guest speaker. Roger is one of the most respected authors on hunting in New Zealand, with more than 50 years of experience behind him. His latest, 'Advanced Techniques for New Zealand Deerstalkers', covers rifles, bullets, ballistics and sighting, how to judge the age and condition of an animal, the effect deer have on the country they live in, and the part scent plays when you are hunting.
His other titles include Red Deer in New Zealand, Stalking the Seasons Round, Alpine Hunting in New Zealand and The New Zealand Hunter's Companion.
Having someone with that depth of field experience speaking to a room full of deerstalkers was a real highlight of the weekend.
Thanks to Nicole McKee and Cameron Luxton for joining us on the night. It's great to have MPs in the room who will sit down with hunters and hear what matters to us.
We also ran a fundraiser on the night, and it would not have gone as well as it did without the people who chipped in. Special thanks to CSC (NZDA app partners) for donating a gift card, and to Glacier Rifle Company for donating a stock. Both were popular and both helped the fundraiser along nicely.
The NZDA National Competition results will be published shortly, so keep an eye out. Congratulations to everyone who entered, and to everyone who took home a prize on the night.
Links
Leah Panapa, broadcaster and MC: https://www.leahpanapa.co.nz
Glacier Rifle Company: https://glacierrifles.co.nz
Nicole McKee MP: https://www.facebook.com/nicolemckeeact
Cameron Luxton MP: https://www.facebook.com/cameronluxtonact
Roger Lentle: Advanced Techniques for New Zealand Deerstalkers
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