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Published: December 22nd 2007
Turner Auctions
Where we ended up buying our vanWeek 2: Auckland, NZ
We arrived in Auckland and made it through the most friendly customs ever - they opened our Christmas presents but didn't tell us what they were, we didn't even peek! We found some maps and caught a shuttle to Evelyn and John's place in Albany (North Shore of Auckland). Their home, aptly called the Treehouse, is beautiful and surrounded by trees with a path leading down to a stream. It was hardly what we had pictured when arriving in New Zealand's largest city. They welcomed us with open arms and spoiled us rotten with great meals, laundry and internet. We rented a car and began looking for a vehicle of our own at auctions. After a few days looking we found two we wanted to bid on, both vans that we could sleep in and use as our home whenever necessary. The auction was intense and really got our hearts racing, the first van prices were too high so we didn't bid. Next up was the van we really wanted, Kirby's bid and we got it! Our new home is a 1996 Toyota Liteace van, its name is Tui (named after a neat NZ bird). We had
Who's Beard is Better?
Santa came to the auction too. We wondered if he was trying to replace his sleigh for a newer model... to return the rental car and now had a van so we both had to drive all the way through Auckland on the right side of the road... After wiping off the sweat and Christina hitting a curb (that is a curb with a "c" not a "Kirb") we both made it safe and sound!
It was Christmas time at the Gauntlett's that night (December 16) and we got to meet John's two daughters and their boyfriends (Emma & John, and Rosie & Brett), and Michael Miller (the walking Lonely Planet guide and relative from Canada) also came for the festivities. We enjoyed a dinner and even got some gifts from Santa - not sure how he found us. For Christmas we also got some lost photos back... we accidentally erased our Fiji pictures one night as the download hadn't finished correctly. Thanks to Evelyn and the photo newsletter she edits we used some software and got them back, what a huge relief. (Insert commercial for Recover Plus Arcksoft software here)
Most of our first week in New Zealand seemed to be focused on getting, inspecting and insuring a vehicle but we also took the time to go
Our rental car
This was the first vessel we used to navigate the left side of the road. mini golfing, go for drives, catch up with Michael and his adventures, and get to know John and Evelyn which has been awesome. John and Evelyn took us out sailing on their boat Sunday afternoon - a real treat for us prairie folk! They are taking Michael sailing for three weeks over Christmas.
Now we have a mattress, camp stove and a few necessary items to survive so we are hitting the road South. Our goal is to meet Charlotte and Duane (fellow Canucks and dear friends) in Dunedin on the South Island by Christmas Day (also Charlotte's birthday). And for the news watchers out there, no, we were not affected by the earthquake near Gisbourne - we haven't even run over any possums yet!
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Twiddle Dee Dum
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Hikin' Down the Possum Trail
Wow, that is one awesome sunset from the treehouse! Can't believe how many big tropical trees are around their house. So neat. Re: Kirbs at the helm - is that a sunspot or is there a wierd capri / sock tan going on???