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An Otumoetai resident was given a belated birthday wish by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at the party's annual Christmas luncheon today.

Winston is in Tauranga today meeting with elective members and enjoying a Christmas lunch where he gave a special presentation to Peter Harvey, who celebrated his 100^th birthday in November.

Winston Peters presents Peter Harvey with his birthday card. Photos by Daniel Hines.

About 50 NZ First supporters filled Daniels in the Park Wedding and Function Centre to celebrate Peter's belated birthday and the party's achievements for the year.

Addressing the crowd, Winston says the centenarian's secrets to longevity include working hard; keeping a high protein diet and eating a bowl of porridge for breakfast every morning.

When SunLive spoke to Peter last month, he had recently renewed his driver's license and was intent on keeping behind the wheel for a while yet.

Peter was brought up around rugby. His father, also named Peter Harvey, was a former All Black in 1904 – and in 1905 was picked to travel England with the All Blacks.

In 1930 Peter joined the National Bank of New Zealand in Christchurch and met his late wife Joyce in 1937.

The couple married in October 1938 and moved to Palmerston North to start a life together. Peter worked as a radio mechanic in the New Zealand Air Force for three years – including 12 months in the Pacific as a member of the Corsair Party – 'before going back to work at the bank”.

Transferred to different branches throughout the country – Peter moved to Wellington three times. He was manager of the Courtney Place branch in Wellington before retiring and later moving to Tauranga in 1980 with his Joyce, who died in 1987.

Three years later, in 1990, Peter met Blanche who he shared 17 'happy” years with before she died in 2007.