Libby Gudmundsson and Matt Boggs got engaged at Whangamata at the weekend.
Libby Gudmundsson and Matt Boggs got engaged at Whangamata at the weekend.
Matt Boggs' carefully laid plan to propose to his girlfriend at one of her favourite places in Whangamata nearly sunk when his old wave ski started taking on water and he was reprimanded by the harbour master for not wearing a life jacket.
But the 29-year-old narrowly escaped a fineon Saturday afternoon and instead the harbourmaster took him to Donut Island, just out from Whangamata Beach when he heard he was on his way to propose carrying a plastic bag with an engagement ring, bottle of sauvignon blanc and two plastic cups.
The engineer had been planning to pop the question to Libby Gudmundsson at her favourite spot for about two years, but had not considered that the wave ski he had specially dragged from his family bach in Hahei to her family's holiday home in Whangamata might leak.
The Auckland couple, who had been together for five-and-a-half years, had planned to meet at the Whangamata Surf Club after a run but when Miss Gudmundsson arrived at the beach she could not find him.
She went to the ask at the surf club if they had seen him and a friend of the couple, who was also the head lifeguard at Whiritoa Beach, Ken Takano, managed to get her on the IRB under the pretence of collecting buoys used in the annual surf boat competition.
Miss Gudmundsson's suspicions grew when Mr Takano suggested they detour past Donut Island, also known by locals as Middle Island, and she saw Mr Boggs waiting on the shore.
The IRB then floated away for five minutes and Mr Boggs got down on one knee to ask the 28-year-old to marry her.
"I said 'yes' straight away. I think I said "of course" even ... We had picked up a ring a while ago so I knew it was coming at some point but I'm a pretty inquisitive person and he got me completely off guard."
Miss Gudmundsson was touched her fiance had come up with such a thoughtful plan as she had spent many summers at Whangamata as a surf lifesaver and always spoke about how magical the island was.
When the couple arrived back at the beach on the IRB, Miss Gudmundsson's parents were waiting to congratulate them and her dad had champagne chilling at the bach. The celebrations continued this week when they visited Mr Boggs' family. The couple were hoping to get married somewhere in the Coromandel. "It is an incredible way to start the new year," she said.
