Road trip with myself, Nicola & Christine

  Russell, New Zealand
Saturday, January 5, 2008

Thursday January 3rd - Still in Auckland and I need to escape, so after much deliberation I decided to purchase a Nissan Serena 'people carrier' which had been altered slightly with curtains and mattress allowing it to double up as campervan for $3,600 NZ Dollars. That purchase certainly depleted my bank account however if the vehicle can survive a whole year in New Zealand and be sold on for a slight loss I will be a happy boy plus it appears that this people carrier could be a babe magnet as I had a good looking English lass asking for a lift up to Paihia. Let's say I didn't need much persuasion to allow Nicola to join me.

Friday January 4th - Picked up the car from its' Irish owner, paid $120 NZ Dollars for 12 months 'third party' insurance (a bargain at £46 British Pounds), met up with Nicola and started my journey north. We made two short stops to Mangawhai Head with its sandy coastline and finally at Whangarei Falls (the most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand well that's what the entrance sign said). By now dusk was starting to set in and we were getting hungry so we pulled onto a grassy car park beside another gorgeous bay (name is either Woolleys or Whale Bay?) with its sandy beach. So time to cook dinner and I could have tried to impress Nicola with my culinary skills, however with just tuna, pasta, onions and a tomato sauce in the van I didn't fancy my chances. Although I did manage to produce an edible meal, where me and Nicola wined and dined under the starlight sky beside the beach. The rest of the evening was spent small talking and being freaked out by shadows produced by people walking in a nearby house. By midnight we retired back to the campervan and test out the mattress for the first time (and for those readers with dirty minds - I do mean sleep and not shagging). Unfortunately our peace with quickly disrupted by the arrival of a car full of youngsters who parked next to our van and spent the next 3 hours drinking, smoking and listening to their loud music. Annoying but the fear and adrenaline running in that bus made it an exciting night as we resorted to spying through the curtains acting like peeping toms. Considered stealing a kiss during our spying activities but thought better of it, didn't want to ruin the night by making an un-gentlemanly move.


The most photogenic waterfall in New Zealand - Whangarei Falls


Nicola standing beside my new motor vehicle

Saturday January 5th - Woke up relatively early with the intension of going for a early morning swim into the Pacific Ocean, however the warmth of the van and observing the sleeping Nicola put a dash to that. After rolling up the mattress and consuming our fruit breakfast we were on the road again. We stopped at the nearby settlement of Whananaki South where we crossed the longest and probably the narrowest footbridge in the southern hemisphere. From here we continued northwards to Russell in the Bay of Islands. There was a quick visit to Bland Bay, which isn't particularly bland as me and Nicola strolled past a selection of sand cars, mermaids and castles however the lack of sunshine meant we didn't stay long. Its true New Zealand does feel like England and a typical UK summer day.
At Russell will decided to stop at a campsite, giving us the opportunity to shower and shave before heading to a local party at the boat house to celebrate my last night as a 25 year old, dancing to a lively band and getting rather intoxicated. Otherwise the party was relatively uneventful with the exception of Nicola pulling a Kiwi guy and blagging a lift back down to Auckland. Back at the campsite I got told off by security for jumping on the trampoline in the early hours of the morning, but since there was no sign of any birthday hanky panky from Nicola to help burn off my excess energy I spent the next hour on the playground swings. Still one of my better birthdays and it seems that I will have to find another girl to take the campervan cherry!

Sunday January 6th - Drove to Paihia where I dropped off Nicola and then continued for another 25km north to the town of Kerikeri, where I hope to start working again for the first time since my travels began 28 weeks ago.

You are probably wondering who the other girl is, sorry to disappoint you readers but it is the name of my new car, Christine. (Sorry Nicola, I couldn't name it after you despite its blue colour matching your eyes)