Party time as Bailey counts down the days

One News team members Ian Burney and Tati Urale lead Judy Bailey to her farewell dinner. Picture / Paul Estcourt

There was no red carpet, but a who's who of New Zealand television donned their glad-rags and grabbed champagne flutes as they funnelled into Judy Bailey's farewell bash last night.

The Mother of the Nation has a week left anchoring TVNZ's news flagship, but last night was the official party to pay tribute to her 18 years' reading the news.

A preen of television celebrities made their way to Toto's Restaurant, just a few metres from TVNZ's central Auckland headquarters.

Bailey's heir-apparent, Simon Dallow, arrived with wife Alison Mau, from Prime.

Others on the guest list included head of news Bill Ralston and deputy head Steve Rowe, long-time colleague and former weatherman Jim Hickey, host of the recently ended Sports Cafe Ric Salizzo, investigative journalist Cameron Bennett and former sports presenter April Bruce.

A source told the Herald that Close Up presenter Susan Wood would arrive later after her hen party at Ponsonby's SPQR bar.

More than 370 people had responded to the invitation to the private function suite, the Montecristo Room.

It was to be no formal occasion: a sit-down meal was off the menu in favour of drinks and "lots of dancing, hopefully", said one party-goer. A live band was made up of in-house talent from the state broadcaster.

Bailey arrived fresh from the 6pm bulletin to cheers and whistles.