There’s been rain, there’s been wind, and there’s been sunshine. There’s been an election, an international obsession with the Roman Empire, and my mate Rich caught a really big fish. It’s been a time. Spring has completed her important work of thawing the frigid bones of this fine whenua, and now, finally, summertime is upon us.
I don’t know about you, but where I come from summer means a time to explore: behind the back paddock, turning left instead of right onto that trail you‘ve always wondered about, prospecting a random patch of reef out in the boat for tasty marine critters, or pitching a tent on the tops and stakingout a promising-looking south face.
For you, summertime might be the inspiration you need to pull on a helmet and mount up, like James Fisher on page 4; get out the longboard for an evening wave sesh, like our ColorCote Tradie this month, Rhys Fitt, on page 14; whack a (swordfish) steak on the barbie, like Simon Walden on page 24; or head for the hills like hungry carnivores Ashlee Strange (page 25) and Gabe Ross (page 26). Whatever you decide to do this summer, just don’t let it pass you by. Find an excuse to knock off early and get out there, into that big, scary, exciting world where we all belong. As Matthew McConaughey would say, “You gotta just keep livin’ man. L-i-vi-n.”
And now, the time has come for me to announce that this issue will be my last as Editor of this esteemed publication. Though, as consolation, you can look forward to the laconic wit of Nick Jones, who will be returning to his post as Rheem Offsite’s Editor after a brief hiatus spent doing other, far less important things.
If you‘d like to see yourself in Offsite one day and you’ve got a story to tell or a picture to share, then you can reach out to Nick directly at nick@ nzfishingnews.co.nz.