Gone Fishin’

A Man from New Zealand, having spent the day at a funeral - drinking the whole time - decided it was time to go fishing. Needing a way to get to the coast from the central part of the northern island to the coast, he found a likely vehicle. Provisioning himself for the journey with a case of beer, he set out. Just him, the case of beer and the hearse he stole from the funeral home.

Police said the 46-year-old sickness beneficiary, who brought a carton of beer for the trip, told them he was heading to the coast to "check out the sea conditions."

The man had been attending a funeral near the tourist town of Rotorua on central North Island when he allegedly stole the blue Ford Forte hearse.

There was no dead body on board at the time.

Snr. Sgt. Ian Campion said funeral directors chased their $15,200 hearse as it was driven off, but eventually lost track of it and called police.

The man had the carton of beer with him in the front of the hearse when he was stopped by police.

"He said he was wanting to go for a ride to (the coastal town of) Maketu to check out the sea conditions before going fishing," Campion was reported telling the "New Zealand Herald" newspaper.

If he had taken the guest of honor at the funeral with him, it would be a Hollywood movie by next week. (And if the Hollywood writers go out on strike, I might be available to write a screenplay! Hey, a blogger has to eat, too.)