By 5:10am, activity was already underway by the lakeside, with utes and trailers lined up near the wetland by Kaitangata.
The atmosphere was cold but not frosty, and the still air carried the sound of numerous birds through the darkness, skimming across the lake’s silvery surface.
Between 6:00am and 6:44am, eight additional vehicles arrived, and groups started launching their dinghies before dawn. Among them was 21-year-old Sam Bonney, equipped with a Beretta A400 shotgun featuring a recoil-reducing Kick-Off stock.
Over a dozen men and women, accompanied by their dogs, had gathered from Dunedin and the Clutha District.
The Bonneys, among others, have been part of the ongoing tradition at Tuakitoto for generations.
At 6:44am, the first gunshots echoed, quickly followed by a chorus of gunfire resonating through the sharp silhouettes of dawn.
The sun did not rise above the hills until after 8:00am, but it was fully daylight by about 7:20am. A breeze briefly threatened but then subsided, giving way to calm, clear sunlight and warming temperatures.
By 9:00am, shooting had become less frequent as many birds found refuge on the tranquil sea waters nearby.
Larger waterfowl like swans and geese stayed on the lake, seemingly aware they were safe as long as they remained grounded.
