Fishing at home was never like this

BONUS: Wild horses on 90 Mile Beach, a bonus for an enchanted fisherman. PICTURE/KEVIN MUNISAMY

Anyone who has ever contested the 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza, or even witnessed a weigh-in, can hardly avoid being struck by the breadth of its appeal.

Grizzled, hard core fishermen, teenagers and superannuants, novices and experts, rub shoulders for five days, all with their eyes on the cash or the four-wheel-drive lesser spot prize. Some hope simply to catch a snapper, others just enjoy being there.

HOOKED: Kevin (Snappyboy) Munisamy, who collected $200 with a fifth-placed snapper (7.4kg) in 2014. PICTURE/SUPPLIED

Among them next year will again be a South African expat living in Taranaki by the name of Kevin (Snappyboy) Munisamy, who is not only a passionate competitor but has become something of an evangelist for the biggest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

He wasn't sure what it was that specifically lures him back every year, but he and his team, The Musketeers, spend much of the intervening 51 weeks looking forward to the next one. And the attraction begins before they even drive onto the beach.

"The drive itself from Taranaki, although very tiring, opens one's eyes up to the stunning coastline and landscapes here," he said.

"Not often do we realise how fortunate we are in New Zealand. Truly blessed."

This year's competition had been special for him, because he finally managed to coax eldest brother to be here. All it took was a few weeks of Skype calls, emails and the Land of the Long White Cloud video, and the ticket was finally booked.

Morgan Daniel Munisamy landed in New Zealand a week before the competition and preparations began in earnest.

"We grew up in a fishing crazy family but given the issues plaguing South Africa due to a high crime rate, one has to be on constant guard when out fishing South African beaches, which is rather sad," Kevin said.

After a week in the 'Naki they headed north "and Morgan Daniel had the look of a kid in a candy store when he saw 90 Mile Beach for the very first time. He could not stop talking about it.

"One of the highlights for our team this year was to see the wild horses for the very first time. What an exceptional sight, New Zealand beauty at its best.

"In the days leading up to the Snapper Bonanza the community of Kaitaia certainly comes alive," he added.

The camaraderie of the fishermen and women all through the competition is absolutely amazing.

"Much work goes into to the preparation for the competition. Hats off to the team behind the scenes. They certainly do a stunning job, keeping the public informed as we near the next competition date.

"John Stewart, Dave Collard and their team have been stalwarts in keeping this competition alive. It certainly hasn't been smooth sailing for them and is by no means an easy feat, but their perseverance triumphs every year.

"And so, every year, the quest begins again. Catch the biggest snapper, win the team event, bag the average snapper or just win something. Morgan certainly enjoyed every single day, although tiredness set in towards the end, as it does for all of us fishing day after day. This hasn't quenched his enthusiasm though. Even though he didn't catch a snapper he very quickly set his sights on the 2016 competition.

"So I get to see my brother again, and I hope he joins me every year."

In 2011 Kevin asked his good mate Rudie Pansegrauw to join him and he's been there every year since. The same year he met the third team member, Murray Morris, at a fishing forum.

"I have dragged my brother 11,836km to this competition," he added.

"Who can you convince?"