Letter to the LDNZ Editor

Another year has rolled around already. I’m sure the years are getting shorter! Five years in a row now, we have made the trip to Richmond at New Year. (Psst - it’s well worth it.)

The inaugural Line Dance New Year celebrations and get-together by Sue & Mike Fisher, Richmond, has been enjoyed by heaps of people traveling from as far afield as Hamilton & Invercargill, with everywhere in between (and a number of locals). It has been going for a number of years.

I’m sure most of you know Mike & Sue Fisher. They travel the country in their RV to attend socials or classes, do the music whether it’s a small event or a large event like the Dunedin Line Dance Gala, or just go because there’s a social and the dancing is good. They have been dancing for numerous years, at least half my age! 😊

It’s the trips away where you really start getting to know people. One of these trips was at the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018, where we discovered Sue & Mike were also there, so we all had lunch together. We danced the weekend away at Sunsation. We’ve had some memorable trips away since, two others being Stewart Island & Hamilton (Thanks, Phoenix & Jon for the Phoenix celebration of teaching 10 years & Jon’s big 0 birthday. 😊). We had so much fun. So, of course, when the invite came to come up to New Year for their celebrations, we jumped at the chance. Their hospitality over the years has been brilliant. Thanks heaps.

They organize and put on at least three days of celebrations: meeting for dinner on the first night, two nights of dancing, and a New Year’s Day barbecue at their place, all free. Oh, and don’t forget the karaoke till the early hours of the morning, usually 2–3 am.

So now, a group of us travels up on one day. We usually have 3–4 stops on the way. There are the second-hand shops at Murchison, well worth exploring, some sightseeing spots, a picnic lunch at Springs Junction, and numerous toilet stops, lol, until we get to Sue & Mike’s some hours later! We stay with Mike & Sue in their garage! (We do pay our way and help with setup, cooking, etc., and certainly help out where we can.)

The next days we explore the local area, shopping & markets. The cheese shops are a must, and swimming at Rabbit Island. Last year, this was not quite as much fun as numerous jellyfish (the stinging variety!) were washed up on the beach. We tried the Nelson beach and only found three, so I swam there. This year I was on the hunt for Magpie moths for work, so off I go with insect net in hand exploring some parks & some of the walkways at Rough Island. Finally saw one, but Murphy’s law—it was way above my height… and yes, I know I’m short, but even with the net, it was too high! I’ll just have to come back. 😉

The dancing at the hall was great. Dances chosen were a mix of new & old, some written by choreographers present, some of the popular ones on Copperknob chart, and Sue & Mike managed to keep most people on the floor with split floor choices, even one dance having four different dances. The first night was a warmup for New Year’s Eve. We did three hours of dancing, and of course, New Year’s Eve was five hours with the highlight being midnight, then back to Sue & Mike’s for some karaoke. I’m still not keen on doing it, although I’m sure that’s not what comes across!

It’s not a sleep-in either as we have to go and clean up at the hall. Usually, 4–5 people can get through it fairly quickly. We have to get back to finish the prep work for the barbecue at 4 pm. Some very sore feet turned up on New Year’s Day for the barbecue. (I love seeing the support for Sue & Mike from all the locals too. Great to get to know you all.) Sue & Mike catch and supply all the meat—venison, snapper—and get it processed (it’s yum… as long as you’re not a vegetarian…). They make all the salads, and desserts are all assembled (bought pavlovas…. Shhh!!). We are spoilt! Usually another late night, this time before midnight though.

We go home absolutely exhausted. Lol… I know what you’re thinking… at our age! And we’ll do it all again next year.

From the bottom of my heart, a big thank you for all you do and such fun at New Year’s celebrations. I’m sure a shoutout to Sue & Mike comes from a huge number of line dancers around NZ as well, wanting to acknowledge all your hard work and commitment too. Thanks heaps.

Cheers,
Jenny xx