After a few tense and fruitless countdowns, New Zealand's biggest amateur rocket roared through the skies trailing smoke and gold sparks.
It had taken five rocket enthusiasts 10 months, almost $35,000 and about 70 litres of homebrew gin to complete the project.
From a paddock near Huntly, hundreds gathered for New Zealand Rocket Association's (NZRA) National Launch Day on Sunday, an event which has been running since 2001.
