An 8.30 start on the shortest day means the sun is barely coming up as a small group from Milnes Beatson sets out to clean up the section of beach we’ve been given to look after.

From Motueka Port along to the golf course, there wasn’t a great deal of rubbish to pick up; the beach is clearly well tended to by the residents and other locals who use the pretty stretch of foreshore for their daily constitutional.

We still managed to fill three bags to go the transfer station and felt as if we’d made our small contribution to keeping Motueka beautiful.

Then of course we had to finish with coffees at the wharf, thanks to the bosses.