Happy Birthday Fi!

Happy Birthday Fiona!

Dawn awoke, stretched its limbs, took one look at the weather and pulled the blankets back over its head.  Some time later we got up to breakfast with the other guests, Stu from Carlisle and Ellie.  Marion served up an extensive and delicious breakfast and we all exchanged stories as we ate.  Then it was time to go and follow the trail of the missing glasses, so we headed off down the main street and dropped in at the Three Bean cafe for a coffee while we waited for Waxy O'Sheas to open. 

One coffee later, still not open, so we walked around in search of postcards and a paper.  We found them in Whitcoulls and discovered Fi's birthday surprise from the local Invercargill paper, the Southland Times:

Front Page of the Southland Times 15/9/2011

 We nipped across the road to the newspaper office and bought a digital copy of the photo (and, as always, had a fifteen minute chat with all and sundry regarding the World Cup).  After which we went round to Waxy's, open by now.  Alas, no glasses.  So we called our optometrist in Fremantle and they sent through Fi's prescription (isn't technology wonderful?).  Tomorrow we'll get some replacement glasses in Dunedin. 

So off to Riverton, a fishing village about 40 kms away recommended to us by our friends Robert and Mandy, who were over here last year.

Testing the theory as we leave for Riverton

Now, please excuse a brief digression, as we pass on some experience. Traditionally, when going somewhere, you look out of the window and if the weather is reasonable, off you go.  In the Southlands, you have to adopt the opposite strategy, as rain and shine alternate fairly quickly.  So the theory is, look out of the window, and if it is raining cats and dogs, set off immediately as it will probably be fine by the time you get to your destination. 

Riverton

It was a pleasant (if damp) drive to Riverton, and we lunched at the Beach House Cafe. Highly recommended. And the theory worked.  Fi had a lovely piece of salmon on a fresh pea risotto, while I settled for a steak with a glass of the highly recommended Scott Base pinot noir.

After stuffing ourselves to repletion, we left the cafe and drove back to Riverton main street for a bit of a wander.

Riverton Main Street

Along there we found a lovely craft shop where Mike got to exercise his inner spooky man (chained up for the last few weeks) and bought a new hat and discovered a Riverton shed to admire.

The shed is alive and well in Riverton

After that, we headed back to Invercargill and went for a drive to Oreti Beach, only to discover that it was entirely possible to drive the last four kilometres of the road at 100 kmph in a stright line and straight onto the beach and into the waves (no barriers, no gates - a situation that would have had Hamster, May and Clarkson running for the nearest performance car for a spot of moto-surfing). It was still raining when we got back to town so we headed off for a nap at the B&B and then fully recharged, we headed off to have dinner at the Speight's Ale House and watched the Cold War (Russia vs USA) play out on the best possible arena - a rugby field in New Zealand.  A close game that the USA won.


About that time, food, booze and Fi's cold caught up with us, so we headed back to the B&B for an early (relatively) night.