Happily married for 50 years

When asked to sum up what 50 years of marriage is like, Tauranga man Murray Ellis did not pause for a second.

"Not long enough," the 74-year-old quickly answered.

"I have the most wonderful wife," he then said of his soulmate Sheila, who is 73.

The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary yesterday and were given an early morning surprise by a group of their neighbours, who knocked on the door with baking and other small gifts at 8am to congratulate them.

"When we looked out and saw all our neighbours in the street coming to see us at 8 o'clock in the morning, we knew that maybe we've been quite successful," Mr Ellis said.

Sheila and Murray met at a dance in 1961 and were married four years later, spending the first four decades of their life together in Otara in Auckland - which Mr Ellis said was a "wonderful community".

They then moved to Ngatai Rd in Tauranga in 2005 and have since formed a strong relationship with the people living around them.

The couple have a son who lives in Scotland - where Mrs Ellis was born - and a daughter who lives in Auckland.

They have four grandchildren - three boys and a girl.

They drove up to Waihi to celebrate their anniversary with family yesterday and returned home in the late afternoon to have a celebratory drink with their neighbours.

Mr Ellis said there were three things that made their marriage such a success - they talk to each other, they enjoy each other's company and they are friends.

"She's my best friend and the funny thing is, people have actually criticised us because we go together everywhere. And that tells me they're unhappy and we're not."

Sheila and Murray's love tips

1 Talk to each other.

2 Enjoy each other's company.

3 Be friends.