New Zealand 9 When BAMMM!!!!

 It took about an hour and a half but was a very easy walk so we just took our time. When we got to the cove we soon discovered it was worth the walk. We layed down on the rocks for awhile and I was just falling asleep when a Japanese film crew came over to interview Matt. Yes, I am absolutely serious. The interviewee, a young Japanese man, spoke to Matt in Japanese while Matt waited for his translator to translate. They were going about it pretty well and I was just getting my camera out to get a shot of the actual interview when BAMMM!!!! ...... a HUGE wave crashed up and doused the film camera with salt water. You can imagine how upset the guy was, furiously trying to dry out the camera. Thank goodness I was a distance away.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 8 Hot Water Beach

 This time, we made it. We drove straight to Hot Water Beach, hired a spade and dug a hole to lay in. It was fabulous.

Really, really hot water in some places...so hot you could not even touch. But some pools were the perfect temperature. It was sooooo relaxing. The hot water pools cannot be accessed until low tide. The tide went out at 5pm so we did not leave the beach until about 6.30pm. 

We spent the night at a holiday park complete with hot showers, kitchen and full laundry ... We awoke a little late this morning. It was our first night spent in the camper van (first night spent in any camper van) and, all in all, it wasn't bad. It was chilly so we ate a quick breakfast, showered and began our walk to Cathedral Cove. It was a fantastic coastal walk with lots of pretty foliage and animals along the way.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 7 Fretful Night On The Phone

 Finally made it back to Auckland around 9.30, tired, more than a little agitated and with no place to stay. We decided not to be picky and checked into the Kiwi International, an establishment of less than desirable inhabitants (as many residents seemed to live there?) and very dirty carpets. But they had a shower, at this point, my only requirement. Spent a fretful night on the phone with the credit card company trying to halt transaction. Oh, joy.

This morning we made our way back to the rental company and after lengthy and exhausting discussions, we decided to take their offer of a refund for all of the time beyond 30 days plus an upgrade to their best vehicle (and I use the term "best" very loosely). It was a newer vehicle though and more spacious so, once again, we headed out of Auckland.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 6 A Few Choice Words

 So, Matt went down back to Tairua with the couple while I stayed behind to sulk.

To make a long story a bit shorter, the rental company called a mechanic who could not unlock the steering column and eventually, to our dismay, broke about the entire ignition and steering column. By the time he was done, there was no key hole or even a place to put a key. We called the rental company again and they suggested we drive the van with a screw driver acting as the key.

Needless to say, we were not happy campers. I had more than a few choice words for the manager and he was actually speechless by the time I was out of breath. So, we informed him that we were bringing the vehicle back and expected a full refund.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 5 And Then... Nothing

 This time, we made it a couple hours north of Auckland to a small seaside town, just lovely, called Tairua. We had a nice, leisurely lunch by the water, had an ice cream and were on our way again. We were headed for Hot Water Beach, a famous little place on the coast where you rent a spade, dig a hole and lay in a hot water pool. We were really looking forward to it. We got about 10-15 minutes up the mountain to a prettyish

lookout and after a quick stop, got back into our van to continue and then..... nothing. The key simply would not turn - the whole steering column was locked up. At first we thought it was just a safety lock so we tried different things to disengage but.... nothing. We were quite anxious to get back on the road so we asked a couple to try and have a go at it. Both the husband and wife tried to turn the key but.... nothing.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 4 Until-Your-Teeth-Rattle

 We picked up the van first thing this morning and paid, upfront, for 49 days. Hurt a little, as it was a tremendous amount of money, even with the exchange rate. We got about, oh, 15 minutes out of the city on the expressway and the van began to shake violently. Not a gentle shake, not a mis-alignment, a jolting shake-your-bones-until-your-teeth-rattle sort of shake. A little alarmed, we pulled off and called the rental company. They took it all in stride  (maybe they get these calls often?!) and said "no, problem, bring it back". So we made our way back into the city, switched out the van and after an hour or so, we were on our way
again.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 3 Chinese Lantern Festival

 Last night we went to the Chinese Lantern Festival and it was fantastic. We ate lots of street vendor food, enjoying every bit, as we know we will NOT be able to do this in Asia. There were several performances, my favorite being the traditional culture dances. Once it got dark, the colored lanterns were all lit in the park and it was really beautiful.

We spent the day walking around the city trying to find a respectable place to rent a camper van. Unfortunately,  all the respectable places were booked clear through to the third week of March. So we settled for a cheap rental company that had vans on hand that were a little "used". We put down a deposit and pick up the van tomorrow. Decided not to go the "tourist bus" route as we want to experience New Zealand at our own pace. Later in the afternoon, we walked to Victoria Street Market (a very long walk) to check out some of the craft jewelry. I bought a few pieces and some old coins, nothing much. Off to bed early so we can pick up the van first thing.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued)