It was not the beginning of a single story, but the start of multiple yarns spun to celebrate the 80th birthday of one of New Zealand’s foremost writers and passionate conservationists, Brian Turner.
Mr Turner, who has lived in the Maniototo village since 1999, was variously described as a counterpart of Keats, possibly the oldest training partner ever for the Tour de France and a kind man.
Born in Dunedin, Mr Turner was one of three brothers, all of remarkable sporting ability. Brian, the eldest, played hockey for New Zealand in the 1960s, senior cricket in Dunedin and Wellington and was a veteran road cyclist of note, who still enjoys riding. His mountaineering experience included ascents of a number of major peaks, including Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Glen played cricket for New Zealand and youngest brother Greg, who was MC at the birthday bash, was a professional golfer turned course designer.
Speeches were made by a diverse range of people, reflecting Mr Turner’s true stature as a genuine Renaissance man.
Preserving Central Otago’s landscape from a 176-turbine wind farm in the early 2000s was recounted by former St Bathans resident Graye Shattky.
Mr Turner’s ability to know when to say nothing and allow the atmosphere to build — ensuring when he did speak, all were listening — was eloquently described.
Mr Shattky co-ordinated the push back on Meridian Energy’s plan with the help of painter Grahame Sydney, then All Black Anton Oliver and Mr Turner, all of whom had homes in the Maniototo at the time.
"My biggest contribution was to shepherd a poet, a painter and a rugby player towards the goal," Mr Shattky said.
Fellow cyclist and seven times Tour de France competitor Julian Dean had come from Rotorua for the celebration.
Mr Dean had heard once that a really good reflection on someone was when they could magnetise a varied group of people, and the crowd gathered yesterday showed the breadth of Mr Turner’s influence.
Tenacity — sustained and constant effort; connection — with people and the environment; history and culture all featured in cycling, as well as in Mr Turner’s life.
Mr Dean, his wife Carol and their sons had all learned the importance of connections from Mr Turner.
Connection was not a passive process; it required a lot of energy, and that energy had to be upheld through pedalling a bike, through writing or via the many other avenues that Mr Turner had chosen to be an exemplar for.
While Mr Dean and his family were living in Spain, Mr Turner came to stay and enjoyed cycling there, Mr Dean said.
Mr Turner joined Mr Dean and his colleagues as they were preparing for the Tour de France, making him probably the world’s oldest Tour de France training partner, Mr Dean said.
Mr Turner’s partner of more than 11 years, author and editor Jillian Sullivan, said only twice in all their time together had he been at all critical.
Once was when, in a howling wind, they were attempting to cover hay bales with a tarpaulin.
"You’re being a bit instructional," was Mr Turner’s concise comment to Ms Sullivan.
Mr Turner was a good, kind man, she said.
"He just goes about doing good things."
They had been on a journey with "that bastard Alzheimer’s, as Brian refers to it", and there was a day when the doctor took away his power of attorney.
After that appointment, Mr Turner asked to read the document from the doctor to the lawyer.
Ms Sullivan warned it was pretty harsh, and not comfortable reading.
Mr Turner persisted, and after reading it handed it back to her with "three spelling mistakes and one sentence not properly constructed".
Other speakers at the lunch included mountaineer and writer Philip Temple who recalled climbing together with Mr Turner, and shared a poem he wrote after one of their adventures; poet Michael Harlow who said after first reading Mr Turner’s work as he prepared to move to New Zealand thought "holy s..., look at his relationship to nature, which is the most important relationship we can have" and Matt Sole from the Central Otago Environmental Society, which presented its inaugural honorary life membership to Mr Turner last year.
