The two men were basking in the sunshine on a bright but breezy Saturday morning, and revelling in the sight of young competitors charging into the surf for the start of the annual White Island Race.
It was a far cry from events at the beach nearly 50 years ago, when the waves were stained red by the blood of 19-year-old surf lifesaver Les Jordan after he was fatally mauled by a shark on February 5, 1964.
Messrs Graham and McDowell - surfers and fellow St Clair surf life-savers at the time - tried desperately, but unsuccessfully, to save Mr Jordan, carrying him to shore on their surfboards as two sharks followed the blood trail in.
The two rescuers, who both earned the George Medal for bravery, were back at the beach on Saturday with Mr Jordan's brother, Alan, to present a new trophy made of old St Clair beach pile timber to the winner of the White Island surfboard paddle race.
Mr Graham (75), of Christchurch, told the Otago Daily Times the reunion brought back memories, and was ''a bit nostalgic'', but his mind did not often return to the morning of the shark attack.
He had dealt with those memories years ago and enjoyed returning to the beach every time he was in Dunedin.
''I'm very at peace with the event and the place, but there's still the thought that 'gosh, if only we were able to do more'.
''I don't think you ever lose that, but it's nice to be here and see all the people enjoying themselves,'' he said.
Mr McDowell (68), a New Zealander who has called Australia home for 28 years, was on just his second trip back to the beach since the shark attack.
His memories of the beach, and his years as a surf life-saver at the St Clair club, remained vivid, as did those of the attack.
That included paddling out from the beach on his board to help Mr Graham carry Mr Jordan's battered body to shore, and trying desperately to avoid one of the sharks as it circled under his surfboard.
''We weren't trying to save Les. We were trying to save ourselves,'' he said.
''I haven't forgotten it. But I don't dwell on it.''
The publicity that followed was ''a bit of a bother'', but Mr McDowell completed university studies in Dunedin before moving to Peru, and then on to Australia.
The dramatic rescue attempt was ''a bit scary'', but only one of the adventures in his life since, he said.
The two men had stayed in touch with each other, and Alan Jordan, periodically over the years since the attack.
However, Mr Jordan (65) said their reunion this weekend was the first time he had seen his brother's rescuers since the attack. Nearly 50 years on, their efforts remained ''just incredible'', he said.
''They were brave. They didn't even think of themselves at all. They were lifeguards, and that's what lifeguards do - look after each other,'' he said.
