Couple get cosy in Invercargill's 'Tower of Love'

While the rest of Invercargill settled into a chilly night, a couple of lovebirds were snugly perched 40m above the ground in the city’s historic water tower.

Noel and Hilary Atley, of Invercargill, were the winners of a Trade Me auction for a lavish night for two, in Venture Southland’s ‘Tower of Love’ promotion.

Mrs Atley said the couple used the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate their 38^th wedding anniversary. And celebrate they did, with many special treats included in the experience.

“We were treated to a steam, soak and massage at Beauty and Beyond before arriving at the tower and having our very own chef from Emberz Restaurant cook a delicious dinner, followed by a love cake for dessert from Sticky Beak Café.”

The pair then settled in for some ‘quality couple time’ amidst the stars and magnificent views of the city before retiring to their ‘luxury camp bed’ from E Hayes & Sons in their special linen from H&J Smiths.

“To be the first people to stay overnight in the Invercargill Water Tower was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we loved every minute of it!” Mrs Atley said.

The romantic overnight stay was made even more memorable by the early-morning arrival of Mayor Tim Shadbolt, who, dressed in full mayoral regalia, put on his best maître d’ impression to deliver a continental breakfast-in-bed to the couple.

The Venture Southland promotion stemmed from that of Sky City Auckland offering a Valentine’s Day package, where two people had the chance to spend a night at the top of the Sky Tower on February 13.

Venture Southland Tourism Marketing Manager, Lisa Buckingham, said being at the other end of the country from Auckland, Southlanders also deserved a unique, romantic tower opportunity and the Invercargill Water Tower provided a fantastic one.

All proceeds from the auction have been donated to the Cancer Society’s Support Services in Southland.