Love-starved bachelors from the Catlins, the rugged coastline area of South Otago, are bracing themselves for a night of fun and possible romance with a group of women from the big smoke of Dunedin.
Sales of deodorant, aftershave and gel are expected to boom over the next two
days as the rough, ready and single men of Owaka prepare for a night of speed dating and socialising.
Yes, tomorrow, love is coming to town. And it's about time, according to the growing number of single, lovelorn men wandering the streets alone.
A busload of Dunedin women will be counting on the luck of the Irish this St Patrick's Day as they travel south to meet some of Owaka's most eligible men.
Dating dynamo Jane Metcalfe, whose company, Dunedin Dating, has pioneered speed dating in the south, has responded to a call and lined up 20 willing women for a weekend's fun.
The inaugural "Busing to the Bachelors" adventure weekend begins in Dunedin with a stop at Kaka Pt for afternoon tea where the ladies will meet some eligible coastal bachelors.
The women will arrive in Owaka in time for a meal with around 20 of Owaka's finest at the Catlins Inn Pub, followed by a speed-dating session and a "good old-fashioned country pub shindig".
And the chances of finding the perfect southern man were pretty high.
"Apparently there's five men for every woman ... and there's some pretty rich deer farmers down that way."
Miss Metcalfe said she had heard excitement was building in the town of 360.
Too right it is, says Catlins Inn manager Lionel Mason, who will host the gathering.
The idea was hatched at a barbecue in Alexandra. Mr Mason and Miss Metcalfe, who went to school together, soon realised they could provide a valuable service if they joined forces.
"We've got a real shortage of women down here," the happily married Mr Mason said. "There's more bachelors here than you can shake a stick at."
Miss Metcalfe soon had a potential solution.
So far, about 20 women aged in their early 30s to their early 50s had signed up, but there was room on the bus for 25. Miss Metcalfe, herself an eligible singleton, was confident she would fill the seats.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
