Honour sandwiched between training for Evers-Swindell twins

Rowers Caroline (left) and Georgina Evers-Swindell were thrilled with their investiture. Picture / Mark Mitchell

The lure of tea, sandwiches and mixing with New Zealand's outstanding achievers is not enough to keep Olympic rowing gold-medallists Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell from their training.

The twins flew down to Wellington yesterday morning to be invested as officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit - but only after rising just after 4am to fit in some training.

Their frenetic pace did not let up after the ceremony. While others waited for the chance to taste Government House delicacies, the Evers-Swindells dashed to catch a flight back to Hamilton.

They arrived about 3pm and were training on Lake Karapiro half an hour later.

"We didn't want to miss out on any training," Caroline said.

They were thrilled with the ceremony, she said.

"It's such an honour to be recognised."

Kayaker Ben Fouhy and triathlete Bevan Docherty also savoured the moment when they were invested as members of the Order of Merit.

For all the recognition and honours he had received in kayaking, Fouhy said it was great to get wider public recognition.

Retired Speaker Jonathan Hunt's 94-year-old mother, Alison, was at the ceremony to see her son receive the Order of New Zealand - the country's highest honour.

The most moving moment was Carol Neal's acceptance of the New Zealand Bravery Medal on behalf of her son, Hamish, who drowned five years ago trying to rescue a fellow student while swimming in the Waihao River, south of Timaru.