The end of an era in Wairarapa politics has arrived with the decision of Masterton's rural district councillor Roddy McKenzie to call it a day after 30 years' continuous service.
Mr McKenzie will not be standing at this year's local body elections and will instead devote his time to his farm,
his wife and family _ especially his three grandchildren _ and will mull over ''a few offers'' he is not yet ready to disclose.
Never afraid to speak his mind or make a stand, Mr McKenzie started in local government in 1981 as a Masterton County councillor.
He became the last county chairman before amalgamation, taking that role when Royce Callaghan retired through illness.
Joining the new Masterton District Council, Mr McKenzie remained unshakeable, and unbeatable, topping the poll in the rural ward at each election.
He had three unsuccessful cracks at the mayoralty and was deputy mayor for nine years. Yesterday, when confirming he was giving the game away, Mr McKenzie said it tied in with the end of his year as president of Masterton Rotary Club, making it a ''double whammy''.
He said he had thoroughly enjoyed the politics of local government and meeting many good people.
''Where else would I have met the likes of the late John Read?''
Mr McKenzie also publicly thanked his wife Jan, saying that in all the years of endless meetings he had never had to scramble about for agendas and other council papers.
''She always had them ready on the bench for me, otherwise I would have gone away without them, many times.'' He had many achievements to look back on, not the least being the work done as steering committee chairman for the Riversdale Sewerage Scheme.
