Celebrating 65 years of married Kiwi life

It is 65 years today since two 20-year-olds fresh off the ship from Holland walked down the aisle at St Joseph's Cathedral in Dunedin to be married.

Wilhelmina and Nick Mayen were engaged in Holland but, aware New Zealand at the time was taking only single immigrants, put the wedding off until October 30, 1954, by which time they had been in their new home country for a month.

Mrs Mayen had trained as an invisible mender and worked for a few weeks at the Roslyn Mill before beginning work from home, and Mr Mayen was a carpenter who worked in Dunedin for Ralph Glasson.

The couple had two sons, Henry and John, and in 1986, with a shortage of building work in Dunedin, moved to Wanaka.

Celebrations with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be held on Saturday.