Speights

  stunning, but after a day of driving, the small pizza hit the spot.  Looking over the selection, Speights seemed like a good choice. Bugger the Peroni and Budweiser.  Bugger the can of XXXX. I won't drink that. Don't they say when it comes to beer, drink local? Bintang in Bali. Chang in Thailand. When in the South of New Zealand, you drink Speights. Besides, I'd been told years ago that Speights was a pnemonic.

• Superior
• Piss 
• Enjoyed
• In
• Great
• Hotels
• Throughout
• Southland....

I was told this years ago. Pnemonics seem to stick. 

It's been a long day of driving. I made it down to Invercargill, and Bluff the lowest populated area on the Mainland. (There is Stewart Island, but I don't have the time or inclination to go there)

Leaving Dunedin around eleven, after a quick stop at the University of Otago. I remember being blown away by these buildings as a seventeen-year-old. They're still pretty amazing. As we discussed the other day, there are some good things to come out of colonialism. 

Dunedin is just Scotland, transported. I left the hotel early to have a good walk around. I found the two main churches - the glorious Presbyterian or First Church, and the Anglican Cathedral at the top of the Octagon - the central area, resplendent with Robbie Burns sitting on his plinth. The latter had an unfinished feel about it. Talking to a verger, it seems they run out of money doing up the impressive front. 

The thing which has struck me about the cities of the South Island - the visible homelessness. Maybe it's because I've been in city areas - or maybe in the smaller cities, it's not swallowed up as much. 

But now, I'm in Te Anau. No driving tomorrow - somebody else - a small bus, will be taking me to Milford Sound for the day. Then on Wednesday, on to Queenstown. 

I'll write about Te Anua tomorrow night. It's a tourist town. You've seen one, you've seen them all...

Right, off to bed. 

Today's song: