It had been 26 years since I last stepped foot on the green turf of the Manawatu Turbos' home ground.
Back then, we Massey students enjoyed its proximity to the Railway Hotel, and often turned up to support Manawatu as our adopted team, typically in the rain.
Two-and-a-half decades later nothing (apart from its name) has changed. Now with the endearing title of Central Energy Trust Arena Manawatu, three quarters of the arena is still dominated by open-air terraced stands - the likes of which you'd expect to see hammered together at a country sports club.
A discoloured speedway track sporting weeds, runs its circumference and acts as a limestone moat between you and the action.
Still, as we discovered all those years ago, this doesn't preclude fun.