21st September – It’s the End of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).

This morning I remembered the camera on my morning run and got some pretty views of dawn at the lake.

We drove from TeAnau down to Bluff. Bluff was a little disappointing, in terms of scenery. We drove past an industrial dock and through an industrial area to a residential area at the end, with two cafes. It’s New Zealand’s equivalent of Land’s End. At lunch I ticked another box, and ate Oysters at Bluff (in a pie with salad rather than raw or battered – done battered and not brave enough for raw.) The pie rested quite heavy as it was my first pastry for months – and it was steamed Scottish style.

The pastry reminded me of the U15’s tour to Hamilton Scotland. The after match meal was a Scotch Pie. J saw it twice, as she couldn’t get the hang of left handed drinking and had to pay the price by ‘heading’ half a pint of wine, followed by the Scotch Pie. Tour theme was ‘Little Britain’, and dressed as Annie, she got off the coach back at barracks, throwing up over her bedjacket and nightie.

After an hours walk to Bluff Look Out, we saw Stewart Island, an hour’s ferry ride away. New Zealand is very like the British Isles with thousands of little islands around the coast.

We drove down to Invercargill, Southland’s Industrial centre, with many Victorian and Edwardian buildings. We were too late to explore properly, and ended up in Waxy O’Sheas – the inevitable Irish pub at the end of the universe. In front of a roaring log fire, with Irish stew to warm me up, we watched the Tonga Japan game – a great open game – locals surprisingly supporting Japan.

Sadly, while watching rugby, a text came through letting me know that DHM had passed away. A true stalwart of Burton RFC, he put far more in than he ever took out, as both player – excellent flanker, and Promotions and 200 Club operator. For years the all women Promotions committee, plus DHM, looked forward to the monthly draw of his balls (200 Club ones of course). I will miss him.

The day also saw the demise of REM as a group, hence the choice of song.