Memorial to Tanya Burr, killed 15 September 2002

Back Home Safely: 14-15 September 2002

The following afternoon (14 September), after catching up with her auntie and family in Dannevirke, as well as the various members of Anita's family, Tanya headed off home to Rotorua. 

However, to my surprise, I had came across her once again while driving through Dannevirke at about 2:00 pm. By that time, I had been sure that she'd have been well on her way to Rotorua. 

I had spotted a little red Integra parked at the curb, and just thought to myself that it was one like Tanya's. Then when I got closer I suddenly realised that I was staring at the distinctive brown undercoat patch on its back bumper. 

And so we had what would be our last little meeting together at the State of Art restaurant, where Tanya proved to have just arrived to show off her photos and bits and pieces to Anita's mum. In fact, she had to pop out to another shop to buy a drink for the trip, so I ended up telling people what many of the photos were of. Fortunately, in hindsight, I had learned these lessons the night before.

Tanya and I left the restaurant together. I headed a few metres northwards to my car, while she did the same in a southwards direction. I remember thinking at the time that I should have gone back and given her a farewell hug, seen as we'd parted with a cheery wave in such a casual, but happy and bemused fashion the previous afternoon.

Hugging mums was not Tanya's favourite activity - but I'd managed to extract a last minute hilarious farewell hug before we'd parted at Årnes on 22 August. At that time she was already in the car (!) and soon to be en route to Gardemoen Airport to fly out of Norway. So I elected to leave the hug for a future occasion, and then set off quickly to avoid an Integra (on petrol)  v Corona (on diesel!!!!) attempt at a drag race between Dannevirke and Norsewood. My ego would never have stood that! Also, I worried about some mishap occurring in the attempt.

And so my last glimpse of Tanya alive was as we parted to walk in opposite directions toward our respective cars.....

The following morning around 10:30 am, I phoned briefly Tanya from my sister's home in Lower Hutt, to say that her uncle and new aunt (the ones who we'd just seen married in Norway), had just arrived safely back in the country - and also to check that she had got safely home to Rotorua as I'd run out of time to do that the previous night. Anyway, she was fine, but tired and all was well. These were our last contacts.....

Above, Russell and Jenna at Lower Hutt on the morning of Sunday, 15 September 2002, at about the time I rang Tanya for the last time. Jenna is sitting where I photographed Tanya sitting four days earlier, when she also got home from Europe. 

Below, home at last - about four hours before what was to be Tanya's time of death. 

About an hour after the above photo was taken, 'Murphy the farm dog' crashed at full gallop into the side of my Corona just down the road - pictured below. At the time, I was driving home congratulating myself that all had gone so well. Then followed the 'Murphy's Law' jokes - for a few hours anyway - but none of these in any way could have comprehended the extent to which the common interpretation of 'Murphy's Law' (what ever can go wrong, will go wrong) was about to apply in our case.

(Continued...)