War-themed singles ball 'brilliant' (+ photos)

Laura Robertson, Toni Walter and Mikaeyla Hall, of Outram, gather at the Dunedin Railway Station on Saturday evening.

Dan Andrews and Hugh Edward, of Waikato.

Re-enacting a wartime scene with a vintage Jeep.

(Back) Cheryl Calder and Helen Goble, of Invercargill. (Front) Marlene Helm, Keren Flannagan, Kay Giggins, Diane Morris and Esme Kennedy, of Dunedin.

Middlemarch station as the train arrives.

Jane Merry (22) and Jodi Westaway (23) both of Timaru.

Pru Renshaw (25) of Mosgiel, Rosie Gordon (25), of Dunedin, Emily Collis (25), of Manawatu, Emma Golder (26) from South Australia and Jean Wilson (25) of Mosgiel.

Patrons outside the Strath Taieri Hotel.

Emily Collis (25), of Manawatu, tries to catch up with a friend inside.

In the marquee.

Stacey Collings (23) and Brooke Hopkins (23), both of Christchurch.

Grant Kennedy (25) and David Lindsay (26), farmers from Drummond, Southland.

The dance floor.

Annette Winter, of Dunedin, Mavis Scott, of Waitati and Linda Fraser of Pleasant Point.

The dance floor.

Morgan France (18) and Matt McCloud (19), both of Rocklands Station, Gemma McDonald (18) Taieri Mouth and Dylan Weir (19) of Middlemarch.

Tom Bloor (25), Simon Robinson (32) and Stuart Pile (33) all of Queenstown.

Paula O'Kane of Dunedin.

Nicola Reid, from Outram and Alexia Papahadjis, of Carterton.

Vicki Kean (25), from Hyde, Susan Anderson (24), of Queenstown and Nicki Kelland (24) from Clyde.

Ball at the ball.

Hearts were set aglow at this year's Middlemarch Singles Ball; and some were stolen.

A good mix of locals and visitors made for another "awesome" night, ballgoers said.

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"It was a really, really good night. It was such a good atmosphere, the food was great and we were really surprised to see how many people we knew there," Waldronville woman Toni Walter (20) said.

She and Outram friends Laura Robertson (19) and Mikaeyla Hall (19) went to the ball for the first time this year and partied into the night, well past the midnight departure of the Taieri Gorge "Love Train" back to Dunedin.

"The whole weekend was really awesome."

But was it lucky on the romance front?

The young pharmacy assistant was coy, and simply said the evening was "not unsuccessful" for all three girls.

Dairy farmers Dan Andrews and Hugh Edward said they drove from Matamata to attend the ball after they won tickets through their Young Farmers club.

"I milked the cows Friday morning, and we were away by 5.30am," Mr Edward said.

Speaking from the Picton ferry yesterday, he said the ball was a "top night".

He went home with a new friend, but Mr Andrews was not so lucky, despite some hard work on the train back to Dunedin, Mr Edward said.

Organisers, too, were once again happy with the sixth annual singles ball.

Chairman Barry Williams said having several hundred tickets left two weeks before the big day had been somewhat concerning, but after a late surge in sales to mainly local people, 750 tickets were bought and the event was a sellout.

"It was a brilliant night."

As in past years, the crowd was largely made up of people from outside Central Otago, including a good crowd from central Southland, quite a few North Islanders, and at least one person who travelled from Australia for the big night; a 30-year-old man from Perth.

"He did leave here alone, but I have heard a report that he might have done a bit of spade work on the train between here and Dunedin."

And it seemed he was not the only lucky one.

"I think there was a few came up on the train ashamed this morning, and a few that went home ashamed in it."

About half of the ballgoers dressed in 1940s clothing to go with the war-period theme to mark Anzac weekend.

"It was pleasantly surprising how many dressed up. They looked very dapper."

- Photos by Craig Baxter and Gregor Richardson; prints available from otagoimages.co.nz.