ROAD TRIP, ROAD TRIP, ROAD TRIP

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It’s been a while.com and there has been quite a bit going on! As usual I’ll try to keep this fairly short but will fail miserably I’m sure.

The van is sorted and roadworthy, it’s cost a small fortune and a lot of worry but it has a Warrant of Fitness and I don’t have to worry about that again for another 6 months.

In my remaining time in Auckland, I continued to while away the time either staying in watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (am nearly at the end of season 4 having started at the beginning), visiting Jacqui and Sherylee at work and making little jaunts to regional parks around Auckland. Photos of these can be found on facebook but I will get round to posting some on here eventually!

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the help and support I have had from Sherylee and Jason and both their families. They have treated me as one of their own and gone out of their way to help me get through the camper debacle and on to the road. I really would have struggled without them and probably would have fallen to bits and gone home by now - so THANK YOU.

Skype has been a wonder! Saw Katharine’s face for the first time in 7 weeks and it really gave me a lift. Also Mum and Dad have conquered it too. Funniest occurrence was bank holiday Monday when I got Yan, Rach, Bex and Cottey all together. Yan and Cottey stripped off and sat there bare chested in an attempt to embarrass me in front of all the people in the internet cafe. I wasn’t actually in one but it made me chuckle anyway. Unfortunately, Bex and Rach were not topless!

My birthday - Spoke to Mum and Dad on Skype for an hour which was lovely. I’m not sure if I have mentioned it but every Tuesday since I’ve been here, Jason’s mum Theresa has fed me. For my birthday Theresa cooked a special meal and bought me a massive carrot cake which was delicious. The three Js (Jason, Jared and Jeremy in age order, oldest first) and Theresa and Glen (Theresa’s hubby) all sang happy birthday which was brilliant and just what I needed.

The drive down from Auckland has been fun and challenging. Getting to know ‘la belle’ as she is named (not by me) has been an experience. She is a thirsty bugger and I am trying to learn how to drive her to make more economically friendly. The scenery has been amazing, through hills and mountains covered in forests, through rain, mist and clouds, getting blown all over the road by strong side winds and trucks travelling in the opposite direction. All of these really hold your attention on the narrow, winding and hilly roads that make up NZ’s State Highways.

My first night away was spent with Damo and Fleur (some friends I know through Sherylee and Jason), these guys again were simply fabulous, treating me with amazing hospitality and doing so much to help me on my way.
First night in the van was just outside Wellington it was nice to finally use it for it’s designed purpose and I felt at home in it. It is great fun moving bits and pieces around to try and make it as ergonomic as possible. It feels a bit like when you first move desks and you unpack everything then spend 3 hours moving your phone, monitor, keyboard, pen pot and mouse mat to get the ultimately smooth running work station, or is that just me?

There is a chain of campsites called top 10 I have stayed in a few now. They are all amazingly well equipped, the kitchen and eating areas are ridiculous, worthy of a restaurant in some cases, the showers are so clean and erupt with lashings of hot water, perhaps it’s because it’s still off season! I know in the summer we’re going to have to book places and queue and share and stuff but for the moment, rock on!

Now I am on my way there will be more updates more regularly and hopefully a bit more adventurous! In fact I am having a great time already, just need to get it all written down!!

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Comments

[Chloe]

Great Blog Uncle Eeyore, keep it up!