A sunny day, a view over Whanganui, the only sounds are birds singing, the thwack of mallet on ball and the banter of good friends playing a round of croquet.
The Wanganui Croquet Club has eight greens in Parsons St on St Johns Hill and a large clubhouse. Photographs of past players are on the walls. The club celebrates its centenary next year.
With about 80 members and most of them active players, the game of choice is Golf Croquet, a faster form of Association Croquet, the traditional game.
And the people you see there. Dave Cohen offered me a cuppa, Terry Coxon reminded me of an upcoming event, Peter Thiele loaned me his mallet and I played a truncated round with Velga Coley, Lynne Beaven and Carolin Reweti, with Cherie Hawkins offering much needed and often heeded advice. Cherie is club coach.
"The appeal is the competitiveness of it," says Carolin. "It can be quite aggressive."
It's also a game of strategy and thinking.
While everyone has some notion that hoops, balls and mallets are involved and that the hoops are for the balls to pass through and the mallets to get them there, it's a little more complex than that.
Hoops are played in order and the balls are coloured, with the order of play based on the colour of the ball – blue, red, black then yellow. There are elements of snooker in that sometimes the best option is to block another player's ball, or like lawn balls, in that you hit an opponent's ball out of the way.
Velga's husband, Trevor, reckons it's a spiteful game, and he could be right. The competitiveness is real, but fun, and there is always a lot of laughter. Velga says people of all ages can play, and for some it's a way to enjoy the company of others.
"There are people who will be competitive and who want to play inter-club and things like that, but there are some who come solely for a bit of exercise and the enjoyment of the company."
Lynne Beaven says it's a great way for good people to let the bad side out. She's a writer and has a way with words.
We started with the stance, position of the feet and the grip on the mallet. Then the swing and follow through. Next, the order of the hoops and how each hoop is played. Everyone was keen to offer advice.
"Keep your eye on the ball: it's like golf," says Cherie.
I don't play golf either. The swing is pendulum style between the legs, which must have been difficult for ladies of a century ago when their long dresses impeded the swing. Some of those ladies are in photos in the clubhouse.
I found distance difficult at first and my first round was a disaster, but it was a beautiful day, the company was fun, swallows swooped past us, skipping across the turf in formations of two and deadlines seemed a long way away.
Cherie was good with the advice and pointed out strategies to improve my play.
"I've played bowls, I've played golf, hockey when I was young, but this is better by far, just for the strategy and the thought and planning you have to put in: and I love the angles, fascinating."
Cherie likes snooker and eight ball, so this appeals.
Even with four of us playing, each turn came around quickly and the game was over too soon.
Wanganui Croquet Club has an open day on Sunday, October 11, from 11am to 1pm. Club members will available to introduce visitors to the game.
All are welcome to visit, have a try, meet some people and maybe develop a liking for the game. Please wear flat soled shoes.