Luxury mai-mai prime waterfront property

The self-styled New Zealand Duck-shooting Team's new mai mai at Becks. Taking in the view are (from left) Steve Airey, Marcus Hamilton, Reese Jones and George Flannery. Photo by Lynda Van Kempen.

So say the self-styled New Zealand Duck-shooting Team, based at Becks.

The highlight of their year is the opening weekend of the duck-shooting season and the anticipation is almost as much fun as the event itself.

Farrier Marcus Hamilton, of Becks, accountant George Flannery and labourer Steve Airey, of Alexandra, Becks farm worker Mark Armstrong and Matamata jockey Reese Jones get together every year for opening weekend.

Their new "headquarters" is a waterfront property with stunning views of the Dunstan and Hawkdun ranges, yet it only gets used one weekend a year.

They built the 4m by 5m facility on Mr Hamilton's pond to replace their old tin shed mai mai and said it could accommodate up to 20 people.

"Our aim was to wear slippers in here if we wanted instead of needing gumboots and, in fact, you'll see we've got camouflage slippers inside, to match the rest of our gear," Mr Hamilton said.

The timber for the building cost $900 and recycled materials were also used.

The floor was made of old bridge piers and the ranchsliders and windows facing the veranda were from the old Becks golf club building.

It was a joint effort, taking several weekends to complete, complicated by the fact that none of the friends claim any building expertise.

"It was a mission, especially when none of us knew how to build a roof," Mr Flannery said.

However, the structure is weatherproof, carpeted, and boasts a dart board, a machine that fires clay targets (for practice), a gas heater and a comfortable sofa, a bar and bar stools.

It also contains an electronic duck caller, with five different variations on the call, to complement the hand-held duck callers the men use.

Opening weekend surpasses Christmas as the most eagerly anticipated occasion in the year, the men agreed.

"I travel down especially for it and nobody tries to book me for races in early May because they know I'm away duck-shooting," Mr Jones said.

"We look forward to duck-shooting opening day more than Christmas."

This year's tally by mid-morning on opening day was lower than usual - about 30 mallards.

The best bag was 116 one year, they said.

They stop shooting in the afternoon and then the serious socialising begins.

Hunters on the five surrounding ponds in the district gather at Hamiltons for a "debriefing" and barbecue.

Mr Armstrong missed opening day this year but he had a good excuse - he and wife Penny welcomed their first child, a son, a few days earlier.

Bad timing, the rest of the duck-shooting team agreed, but added that the baby was a couple of weeks overdue.

Until then, the next generation of duck-shooters had been an all-girl line-up, with six daughters between the team members.

They were pleased to hear a boy had been added to the mix and celebrating the new arrival was also on the weekend's agenda.