It began with a standing ovation. For many in the sold out Civic Theatre, it was like an audience with the Queen. They were reverent, wide-eyed and humbled.
In actual fact, it was far more interesting (one imagines) than meeting Her Majesty, for Sir David Attenborough is a raconteur of the highest order. From nine-year-olds to 90-year-olds, the audience was enthralled, hanging off his every descriptive word.
Sir David may just have the broadest vocabulary of any living human. Recalling adventures from across the globe, he painted a thrilling portrait of a life well lived, a life bursting with colour and adjectives - not one of which was awesome.
![David Attenborough de-bogging a jeep in Java, 1956.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/HMEOO7YPQBM6MJBZTZS6242ZMY.jpg?auth=5a20b2de9b55d7536d5a80db1527c23b8d9e66e58fef38af8e8c000972ad1882&width=16&height=13&quality=70&smart=true)
He recalled the early days of his career, when he was rejected as a BBC radio presenter but invited to work on this new little side project, television.