Nick packed a lot into his all-too-short life.

He was a talented sportsman, a qualified builder, a dedicated hunter and outdoorsman and, perhaps most important of all, a friend to many.

Nick loved the Mackenzie, its people, its landscapes, its sense of place.

But he was born and brought up elsewhere – in the city.

He was born at home in Christchurch, attended Tamariki School and Shirley Boys’ High School.

It was there he fostered his love of cricket and rugby.

He played for the school, and was selected to open the batting for the age-group Canterbury Country squad.

And that love of sport continued when he had the opportunity to move south to Geraldine and Fairlie.

Fairlie, and the Mackenzie, won his heart.

He played senior rugby for the Mackenzie, did a building course in Timaru, and convinced a Timaru builder, Ricky Shore, to take him on.

That work took him all over South Canterbury, and even to Waiheke Island, where the company secured a contract.

All the while, Nick fished and hunted all over the Mackenzie, shown the ropes by the many locals he befriended.

He also worked for many weekends with other volunteers to build the Macaulay Hut inland from Tekapo.

Those friendships were enduring.

He loved the Mackenzie’s wild and open spaces, and it is fitting that his ashes are scattered there, and a memorial oak is planted on Peace Avenue, just past Kimbell.