He was Mike Hamblyn (64), of Opoho.
Stepson Carl Sagstad, of Sydney, said Mr Hamblyn had been like a second father to him.
His stepfather had been a unique character who was always armed with a cheesy pun and a smile.
"He didn’t think people really liked him that much, but they did and we knew they did.
"I just wish he was here to see all messages we’ve been receiving about him because people really did like him immensely," Mr Sagstad said.
Mr Hamblyn had a long list of interests and loved to try new things, including charcoal sketches, painting, photography, weaving and astronomy.
He had been building his own telescope to complement his interest.
He also had a fascination with the natural world and loved animals.
"Anytime we saw a dog, he’d go bounding over to see if the dog was friendly, and they usually were for him," Mr Sagstad said.
He was prolific writer and had written a book about the Taieri uplands — Up the hill: Blackrock, Lee Stream and Hindon: the story of the Taieri uplands — and had almost finished another about the history of Dunedin’s Newbolds Bookshop.
Fishing was a relatively new interest of his and while crossing the Waikouaiti River on a trip to the Moeraki about three weeks ago, Mr Hamblyn had decided he wanted to try catch a trout there.
A day trip was planned for last Wednesday with his wife of 33 years, Cheryl.
She dropped him off near Orbells Crossing and waited in the car, with puzzles and a book.
They called each other a few times and about 3pm Mr Hamblyn said he would head back soon, sounding a little disoriented and frustrated.
After that call, subsequent calls to his phone went to voicemail, probably because it was submerged in water, Mr Sagstad said.
About 5pm, Mrs Hamblyn drove to the fire station in Waikouaiti, where they informed local police.
Within 20 minutes a search party was mounted and a rescue helicopter had been called to aid search efforts.
The family was expecting Mr Hamblyn to show up tired, wet and with a few stories to tell, but were left in disbelief when police informed them about midnight he had been found dead.
The official cause of death was drowning, but he had also suffered a head injury.
"We believe he wouldn't have been conscious when he fell into the water," Mr Sagstad said.
The water had been shallow and calm, and it appeared Mr Hamblyn might have fallen down a bank or tripped, although they would probably never know for sure.
The family were grateful to Waikouaiti residents and for the efforts of Search and Rescue volunteers, police, firefighters and the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust, Mr Sagstad said.
