KERRE MCIVOR

The Irishman and I recently celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. (I initially wrote “my husband and I”, but all I could hear was the Queen beginning one of her speeches, so I changed the old boy’s descriptor.)

And when I say celebrated, really we just sat outside on the deck, soaking up the last of the sunshine, drinking champagne and chatting, and that was pretty much it. There was talk of going out for dinner, but by the time we’d run through the options and decided on a restaurant we both liked, it was too late, so we ordered in Uber Eats. Fine by me.

We’ve been together for nearly 22 years and he is still the most interesting man I know, and a man who continues to surprise me.

We’ve enjoyed some incredible highs and trudged our way through a few lows, and I know that we’ll be together for life. I suspected as much when I met him the very first time, but it’s good to have it confirmed.

Tom’s coming up to retirement age and I never imagined for a second that I would still fancy the pants off a superannuitant – but then I once met Sean Connery and that paved the way for me to appreciate the charms of an older man, especially an older man with a sexy Celtic accent.

As you do when celebrating milestones, we talked about our past and our future – specifically, when we should retire, where we should live and whether we would have enough to live on.

We’re both employees, so there are only a certain number of pay cheques left for us to collect. We still have a bit of a mortgage, but I’m okay with that. It was a choice we made.

My dad died far too young, at 59,

KERRE DRINKS THE LAST OF THE SUMMER CHAMPAGNE

and all the plans he and Mum had made to travel when he retired became redundant. I didn’t want that for us, so I’ve put money we could have put on the mortgage into memories. And with my daughter and son-in-law, and our two grandchildren living on the other side of the world, it’s even more imperative that we spend time and money travelling. If that means we have to keep working, well, so be it.

We’re lucky that we enjoy our jobs and they’re not physically taxing, so we can keep going for as long as our employers want or need us.

But I caught up with my old friend Wendyl Nissen the other day for a lovely long lunch. She has pretty much moved up to the Hokianga. She looks incredible and has never been happier. She loves pottering about in the garden, taking the boat out fishing, caring for her elderly parents and doing the odd writing job when she feels like it. She’s a brilliant advertisement for living the life you really want to live.

I fantasise about the time when Tom and I will say goodbye to the big smoke, and head up north to our own Hokianga paradise, and I know it would be better to get up there sooner rather than later.

It was lovely to sit outside, drinking the last of the champagne and swapping dreams, hopes and aspirations. Some will happen, some won’t. We’re hale and hearty, but we don’t take that for granted. Life tends to throw curve balls.

Right now, I’m just very grateful that I have a best mate to travel with. It’s a privilege to have found someone with whom you want to spend the rest of your life, whatever that life might be.