"I was due to fly from Whangarei at 7am but the fog was really bad so they couldn't fly out. The team was flying out at 9.30 from Auckland so I completely missed that one and had to fly over by myself at 4.30.
"It wasn't an ideal start to the Commonwealth Games and I imagine my coach [Mark Hager] was freaking out but I got there in the end on the same day."
It didn't matter in the end as New Zealand went through their campaign unbeaten, helped by their Northland quintet of Gunson, captain Stacey Michelsen, Brooke Neal, Sam Harrison and Madison Doar.
Gunson was incredibly grateful for the support they received from home.
"To our Northland hockey community and all the rest of Northland, thank you so much for your support," she said.
"At the end of the day it makes such a huge difference. Seeing all those messages from home means so much to us and drives us that little bit further."
While the England win garnered rapturous celebration from the Kiwi side, the Australian victory aftermath was a more muted affair.
"All I felt was relief. In the semi we were ecstatic but when we got over the line in the final it was pure relief," Gunson said.
"It was relief, not just from reaching the end, but winning the final after years of trying. We've had quite a few heart-breaking moments along the way but it made it so much sweeter at the end."
Northland's influence was undeniable through the campaign as they all played leading roles on both sides of the ball.
And Gunson wasn't surprised to see so many in the team.
"When we were younger we were all such good friends and all loved hockey and spending time with each other," she said.
"We'd go down to the turf and train together and go in our extra time to hit the ball around since we all got along so well.
"Also the coaches we have up north are great. Grant MacLeod, Angeline Waetford and so many others like that care so much about you and invest so much time in getting you better.
"The way we are up north helps. We are very tough up here and that takes you a long way in sport. If you've got a good mindset and handle adversity that helps a lot and we do that well up here."
Gunson forms a highly experienced defensive core with Michelsen and Neal. The 185-game veteran was vital in New Zealand conceding just two games all tournament.
Gunson paid tribute to her captain as she led the side to Commonwealth Games glory.
"She [Michelsen] is a fantastic leader. She is no frills in the way she leads," Gunson said.
"She goes out there and does it herself and you see her doing that and want to follow her. She's really passionate and incredibly talented and that funnels down to the team.
"If anything she leads by her actions and you want to follow her because of how much she cares."
The Black Sticks will get to enjoy their spoils for a period before beginning preparations for the 2018 Hockey World Cup in July.
