Joe and Violet McNutt, who are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary today, credit respect, support and taking an interest in each other's interests for their lengthy marriage.
"We are all different so you have to respect each other's views and be supportive of each other's activities and take an interest in what they do," Mrs McNutt said.
"We also have a very supportive family. We have done right from the very early years."
The Roxburgh couple's actual anniversary is tomorrow but they will celebrate today by taking the family out to lunch in South Otago.
Joe (87) and Violet (88) met through mutual friends after Violet, then 22, was employed as a teacher at Patearoa Primary School and moved into the Styx Hotel in Paerau.
Joe, who was 21, worked as a handyman at the hotel, which his family owned.
They were married in 1946, a year later, at the St Andrew's Church of Christ in Dunedin and the following year bought a sheep, beef and grain farm in Waitepeka in partnership with Joe's brother who, coincidentally, married Violet's sister.
"It was real happy families," she said.
They had two children: Ian, who now has three daughters, and Pam, who now has three sons.
"We also have 10 great-grandchildren," Mrs McNutt said, proudly gesturing towards a side table covered in photographs.
In 1984, the couple left the farm and moved to Wanaka to "supposedly retire".
However, they found life there was busier than expected.
"We found ourselves involved in clubs, community groups and other activities," Mrs McNutt said.
Almost four years ago they moved to Roxburgh, where they now live to "be closer to family".
They still keep themselves busy.
Mrs McNutt said she had been a member of the Women's Institute since 1953 and, through that, attends Probus club meetings and plays bowls.
Mr McNutt also plays bowls and is a keen gardener and fly fisherman, though he says he no longer fishes as much as he would like to.
The couple also used to play badminton together, and represented South Otago as a doubles team.
"I reckon we were the only couple that did not have a row on court," Mr McNutt said.
Looking towards the celebratory lunch today, Mrs McNutt said: "It is such a blessing that we still have each other at this age and that we have a supportive family."
