Pete and Paul’s unflappable bromance
Perhaps it was Paul Goulding’s smile.
Maybe it was the way he laughed. Who really knows the way to a duck’s heart?
But when Pete the paradise shelduck set eyes on Goulding five weeks ago, it was love at first quack. Since then, the pair have been inseparable – not that Goulding has had much say in the matter.
‘‘It’s quite unbelievable how attached he’s become, but it does get a bit much,’’ Goulding says of his feathered admirer. ‘‘He attacks everyone else who comes near me, especially women. He doesn’t bite them or anything, but it can be a bit scary when he runs at them.’’
Pete was given his name by Goulding’s daughterin-law Alaina Goulding. Pete showed his appreciation by chasing after her. Goulding and Pete’s paths crossed in Ongarue, south of Te Kuiti, where Goulding runs his bike hire business – Epic Cycle Adventures.
The business is based out of a converted shipping container or, as Pete likes to think, his bachelor pad.
‘‘He follows me inside and just sits down next to me and has a nap. The container has two doors and if he can’t get in through one, he’ll eventually try the other door.’’
Goulding doesn’t feed Pete and wouldn’t describe himself as an animal lover. But none of that matters to Pete who, on one occasion, flew alongside Goulding’s van while he was driving down the road. The flight of fancy was captured on video and shows Pete comfortably keeping pace with Goulding’s van doing 40kmh. The video has been watched about 1600 times on Goulding’s Facebook page. Goulding was told Pete was hand-raised by an Ongarue village local but doesn’t know any more details.
‘‘There are a couple of female ducks that have been trying to get his attention but he’s not interested in them. Pete only has eyes for me for some reason.’’ Although Pete can act a bit possessive around Goulding, it hasn’t hurt his business.
‘‘People love getting selfies with him. He’s very popular.’’