It's been years since I've seen a sunrise. This failed whitebaiter was standing alone at the Esk River mouth pre-dawn, where Whirinaki's Saturday boasted rubbish weather.
But nonetheless a horizontal strip below cloud on the horizon provided the stage for a kingly orange orb to rise like a free-range yoke.
Hawke's Bay was beautifully still.
I was reminded that August is the region's month of hibernation; the month where our flagship industries of tourism and horticulture enter a state of hiatus. Hence, timing is one of the few positives of the gastric outbreak last week.
I understand from the accommodation industry that the eighth month is historically the quietest; visitors on our streets are fewer.