Dunedin is a special venue for Bev Corbett (Wanganui), who has won two of her nine New Zealand titles in the city.
It was the location of her first national title in the open championship fours in 1997 when she was a member of the team skipped by the great Millie Khan.
Corbett added another title yesterday when she skipped the winning Waikato pair from the Hinuera club to win the national club championship pairs at Westpac Bowls Stadium.
It was also a special day for Matamata banker Debbie White, the lead, who won her first national title after just six years of bowls.
The day ended in a special way for Corbett when she was presented with her Bowls New Zealand silver star for winning five national titles.
The gold star is only awarded for titles won at the New Zealand open championships.
''It's fabulous to win another New Zealand title, and gain my silver star,'' Corbett said.
''It's a wonderful feeling. I'm happy with what I'm doing.
''My first national title was a very good one but to come back and get another one here is great.''
Corbett, a retired dairy farmer, has been playing bowls for 34 years and has won 23 Waikato titles.
The unbeaten Waikato pair beat Wanganui East 20-11, Gisborne 23-11, Browns Bay (North Harbour) 16-10, United (Nelson) 15-12 and Forbury Park (Dunedin) 22-10.
The most difficult game was in the first round yesterday against United.
The scores were level at 9-9 after 11 of the 18 ends.
The Waikato team then took control and scored six shots on the next seven ends to win the game.
The 49-year-old Pinker twins - Cary and Warrick (49) - won the men's section to claim their first national lawn bowls title.
''It feels amazing,'' Cary said.
''It still hasn't sunk in that we've won it. My brother played awesome all day.''
Warrick was in raptures.
''Winning this one is amazing. I can't put it into words how much it means to me.''
This was the second time the twins from Wanganui,, who have been playing bowls for 24 years, had made the national club finals in the pairs.
They finished last in Invercargill two years ago.
The Pinkers beat Mount Maunganui 19-14, Nelson 20-8, Kaikorai (Dunedin) 20-10 and Masterton 26-14.
They lost the third-round game to Mangere (Auckland) 18-12.
The Kaikorai pair of Craig McCaw and Geoff Wilson were leading after the first three rounds on Monday but went out of contention in the first round yesterday, when they lost to Wanganui.
They finished second.
Wanganui is the home town of triple world champion Peter Belliss, who has inspired the Pinker twins with their bowls.
''We know Peter well. He is a master of the game,'' Warrick said.
The biggest influence on their bowls has been Wanganui stalwart Bill Gannon, who nurtured the twins when they started playing bowls.
The twins represented Wanganui at softball and football in their youth and have also excelled at indoor bowls.
They won a national fours title in 1999.
Final placings.- Men: Wanganui 1, Kaikorai 2, Mangere 3, Masterton 4, Nelson 5, Mount Maunganui 6.
Women: Hinuera (Waikato) 1, United (Nelson) 2, Browns Bay (North Harbour) 3, Forbury Park (Dunedin) 4, Gisborne 5, Wanganui East 6.
