Nola McKee, of Gisborne, celebrated turning 100 years old with her favourite hobby on her birthday cake - the NZ Herald crossword.
Nola McKee, of Gisborne, celebrated turning 100 years old with her favourite hobby on her birthday cake - the NZ Herald crossword.
Nola McKee can't start her day unless she's ticked off her NZ Herald crossword.
The puzzle page has been a part of McKee's life for nearly as long as she's been alive - the Gisborne great-grandmother turned 100 on March 31.
She celebrated her milestone birthday surrounded by family before being presented with the surprise cake by daughter, Margaret and son, Murray.
The NZ Herald has been part of her family since they moved to Auckland when she was aged 5, and she's been doing the crosswords every day for the past 80 years.
After meeting her late husband, Grant, and eventually moving back to Gisborne in 1947, her newspaper subscription continued.
The cake - which is adorned by family names and birthday synonyms - had meant so much to her that she was unable to cut through it.
"I wont cut it, I won't cut through the names, I get other people to cut it."
Nola McKee and great-granddaughter, Scarlett, 3, during Nola's birthday celebrations on May 31. Photo / Supplied
"It was my daughter's idea, completely, and she got the heading and everything ... I'm not sure how she went about it, but the actual crossword contains the names of every one of my family down to the great-grandchildren and there's even one clue - plus one - which is a baby due in May.
"How she did it I don't know ... it must have taken forever."
Margaret said she carried the surprise cake with her on the flight down.
"She loved it, absolutely loved it, and has got more joy out of it."
Asked how tricky it was to pull together, Margaret said it was relatively easy, after multiple attempts.
"It's quite simple, it's done on an excel spreadsheet and it's printed out on edible rice paper ... nothing magical. It was really fun to do.
"Mum has had a lot of mileage out of it. It's linked all the family together too because, of the five grandchildren, there's only one in New Zealand."
Nola McKee was born in Gisborne, schooled in Auckland and got a job as a librarian at the Auckland public library in Wellesley St, which is now home to the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, for about five years, before the move back to her home town.
"I got married, raised a family, and I'm still here.
"It used to be very quiet, but now it's been discovered so it's come to life.
"Once the surfies got going, they all started to move."
McKee was an avid tennis player, then golfer in later years.
When I gave up tennis, because of my bifocal eyesight - you'd go to hit the ball and it wasn't there - I took up golf. Loved it, loved the grass and the fresh air.
"I was a good club member... until I gave up with old age."
The couple's other child, David, worked as the NZ Ambassador in Chile, but had to come home and died of motor neuron disease in his early 50s.
Nola McKee admires her 100th birthday cake made by daughter, Margaret. Photo / Supplied
Asked about the secret of getting to 100, McKee said she didn't have any theories.
"I have no idea. It's just a number, it's just happened. We did have a marvellous vegetable garden though."
As for her party, McKee said she loved having the family together, especially catching up with her two of her six great-grandchildren, Scarlett and Jasper.
"To me, it's been marvellous because I didn't really want to have a fuss, but it's been marvellous, so there we go."
