Football's northernmost outpost in the country, the Kaitaia-Awanui Football Club has finally hit the big-time with promotion into the Northland Premier Division this year.
The club's closest rivals in the competition are more than an hour's drive down the road at Okaihau-Kaeo but the distances they travel are made easier by
their purpose and their love of the sport.
The transition into the top grade, after finishing as one of the top sides in division one last season hasn't always been an easy one, with the side suffering two big defeats already this season.
The team held out one of the stronger teams in the division, Tikipunga, on Saturday to a 0-0 scoreline at halftime but then were given a lesson in the second spell with the home side rattling in five goals.
But the visitors weren't deterred by the result, preferring to take a long term approach to their season.
"Our focus is to chip away at it and come the end of the year, we'll look back and see how much our standard has improved," coach Laurie Williams said.
"Our challenge is to build enough to make us competitive at this higher level."
The club is conscious it is a vehicle for young players into senior competition and without it the youngsters would have nowhere else to play. Many of the other players in the side are immigrants from other countries, giving the team a cosmopolitan edge.
The club has won two games as well, beating "neighbours" and fellow newcomers to the league Okaihau 2-1 in the opening match and also defeating Madhatters.
Fitness remains an eye opener for many of the players making the transition into premier grade football for the first time.
The other match played in the premier division this weekend saw Madhatters and Onerahi draw 1-1, with the other matches postponed due to Chatham Cup commitments.
In Chatham Cup qualification round matches, FC Whangarei beat Internationale FC 5-2, Kerikeri beat Western Springs 2-1 and Okaihau-Kaeo were beaten by O'Carrolls FC 6-0.
