The five have 6/60 per cent vision - that means they can see up to only two metres what non-visually impaired people take for granted up to 60m - a prerequisite to be affiliated to the NZ Blind and Visually Impaired Indoor Bowling Federation.
Oliver holds a white paddle about a metre in front of the players on the mat to give them an idea of where the jack or kitty is for them to arc their shots along the 8m-long indoor lawn.
A dozen provinces, comprising more than 200 people, competed at the nationals.
"It's just amazing to see a train of 4 to 5 people, with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them, following a guide dog," says Oliver.
The Hastings team claimed silverware in the singles, pairs and fours.
Says Evans: "We won every category we competed in, bar the women's singles championship."
Last year's singles women champion, Green, won with the help of Evans as her guide but this year their matches clashed so she had to use a different guide.
The Hastings team won six trophies last year.
This year Evans won the men's singles title and the champion-of-champions crown which includes the top female versus the top male.
Green and Evans won the Open pairs bragging rights.
De Lundi, Evans and Green combined with Tangi Rouvi, a totally blind player from Otago, to clinch the fours. Every fours had to have a totally blind player or they were allocated one.
The team is indebted to Tong & Peryer, Terry Longley and Sons and the Disability Resource Centre for transportation funds. The players also raised money to help with costs.
"The toughest part for us was to pull all the cups to pieces before we took our flight back home," says Oliver with a grin.
A sense of humour goes a long way to foster the group's camaraderie which spans more than a decade.
The club is thankful to the Hastings RSA for letting it use the premises as a clubhouse.
Despite their varied backgrounds, the players share the common emotions of shock and despair in discovering they had lost an integral part of their five senses.
A sort of sixth sense kicked in and they carried on with life but their loss remains vivid.
"It was 1995 and it just happened. It was most shocking," says Green who was harvesting asparagus on the family farm at Bridge Pa when others realised she kept missing the stalks.
Says Grant amid laughter: "Her husband sacked her right there and then."
A jovial Green carries on: "Someone asked, 'Who's missing all the beautiful asparagus?'
"'Not me', I replied. 'I'm a good picker'."
Anderson and Atkins are the "new girls on the block".
Losing her ability to read or drive was the hardest for Anderson when she was diagnosed three years ago.
"I was so upset I cried my eyes out but then I moved on - you have to.
"An old member of the club, Katie Portas, invited me to join the club otherwise I'd still be sitting at home right now," says Anderson.
Ironically, she comes to the realisation that she would never have met such wonderful people had her sight not deteriorated.
Evans became visually impaired at 21 after radio and chemotherapy to remove a brain tumour.
"It scarred my optic nerves," he says.
While it's a degenerative condition, De Lundi is the exception.
"I'm the odd one out because my condition is genetic," she says, revealing her other siblings are also in a similar predicament.
England-born De Lundi is involved in a research to find a cure for her condition in London.
Atkins' degenerative condition surfaced 13 years ago but she took it in her stride to embrace the services available in the community.
"I was totally useless. I couldn't do anything."
The Foundation for the Blind helps with domestic chores.
Having the Hawke's Bay Today read to them, via the Masonic Trust, is something they relish.
Says a spritely Atkins: "You will not believe how much you need your sight until you lose it."
