Taupō had a distinctly golden glow this morning as 200 golden retrievers and their owners descended on the town for a convention celebrating the breed and the joy it brings.
The idea came from Scotland, where the 'Gathering of the Goldens' has been celebrated for almost 160 years.
Organiser Lynda Galbransen said she was inspired after seeing the Scottish event first-hand.
"Seeing the thousands of golden retrievers there I thought, oh my god, I'd love to do that."
The Gathering of the Goldens brought dogs and owners from across the North Island together for a parade, photos and plenty of wagging tails. (Source: 1News)
At first she wasn't sure anyone would turn up.
"We didn't have an aim at the start. Let's get the goldies together, if we can get 50 that'd be amazing, and then we had to cut it off at 200 because it was growing so fast."
Owners and their dogs lined up this morning to collect official bandannas showing they had registered, while Who Let the Dogs Out played in the background. Some had travelled from as far as Auckland, Whangārei and Tauranga.
One man, who fell for retrievers at the age of 10, said seeing so many of his favourite dogs in one place nearly brought him to tears.
"Never go any other way than golden."
Two bagpipers led the parade from the Taupō Domain to the Love Taupō sign beside the lake, where one bystander quipped: "Makes me want to buy a border collie." The retriever owners laughed it off.
Galbransen said the breed's appeal was easy to explain.
"There's just something about a golden retriever, their fluffy waggy tails. They're just the people's dog."
Fellow organiser Robyn Wilson said her family's retriever was a carefully researched decision.
"My daughter and I did research about what sort of dog we should get because my husband said it would be a divorce if we got a dog.
"They're just the perfect family dog, they're loving. They don't live long enough is the only thing, the only drawback."
The official photo was taken in front of the Love Taupō sign, though the sign itself had disappeared behind a wall of golden fur and proud owners.
Regional tourism organisation Love Taupō spokesperson Victoria Jackson said the town was happy to host.
"We're just really happy to host this event here in Taupō, perhaps the most dog-friendly place in New Zealand."
She said they hoped to host another Gathering of the Goldens next year.
Proceeds from this year's event will go to Taupō Hospice.
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