NEWS # 052
Hi everyone!
Rather despondent, as my car may cost me a fortune to fix, I return to the
hostel. I head to a garage around the corner from the hostel and they tell
me I could be in for a 500 dollar bill to pass the warrant of fitness. I
agree to bring the car in the next day and they will have a look at it for
me. I go home and chill.
The next day I go to the garage early and they assess the damage. The car
needs the suspension and steering sorted, or so the report from the
assessors says. The chap from the garage agrees to get the suspension bits
in and I head off in search of the steering bushes, eventually locating them
at Honda NZ. The mechanic kindly agrees to come in on Saturday to get it all
fitted for me so I can sell it at the Sunday market. They assess that there
may be about five hours' labour plus parts.
I then head off to the auction house and eventually am confirmed as the
owner of the vehicle, after which I progress to the Post Office for proof of ownership.
I then head back to the hostel for an early night.
Saturday and I drop the vehicle off at the garage. I decide to stay and find
out how much it will all cost. It takes little time to fit the steering
bushes and then they start on the suspension, only they can find nothing
wrong with it. After adjusting the headlights (also required), they feel
that the car is now in perfect, roadworthy condition and issue a warrant for
me. Total cost 70 dollars. To say I am chuffed, would be an understatement.
I work out that the car plus all the work I've had done it, has cost me
about 1500 dollars. I decide to sell it for 1350. I head back to the hostel
and celebrate my good fortune.
The next day, Sunday, I'm up early and have to leave around 8.45 to get to
the market early. Mike, one of the guys at the hostel, is selling his van
and we head off together. I find a spot amongst the other cars on sale and
start ny sales pitch. Very soon I've had my first offer, from a young lad
very impressed by the car. Seems too good to be true he says and then offers
me 1000 dollars. When questioned as to his low offer, he says, that's all
the cash he has. Fair enough but I don't sell.
Another guy offers 1200 and I finally sell to a Brazilian guy for 1250 and
we are both well pleased. We go for a test drive and he hands over the cash.
We then go and swap over the registration into his name. I then head off to
find Mike who has unfortunately not been able to sell his van and blag a
lift back to the hostel.
I work out that the car has cost me less than five pounds a day, over the
last thirteen weeks, despite doing over 11000 kms. Not bad, eh? Am very
satisfied that things worked out fine in the end.
Back at the hostel, I check my emails and am delighted to find that Shenene,
a friend from the Cook Islands, is in town. We agree to meet up the next day
for a few celebratory drinks.
Monday and Shenene calls early. We agree to meet at three and catch up on
what's happened over the last few months. Shenene and I met in the Cooks and
I came to NZ while she went to Fiji, for a few weeks which turned into a few
months, culminating in an email asking me to go and get her if she didn't
arrive soon! Seems that she met a nice chap and decided to spend a little
more time topping up the tan rather than freezing here.
We spend a great afternoon and evening on the quay and have a few
celebratory beers. I walk her home and then head home myself feelimg
slightly the worse for wear. We repeat the adventure the next day.
Wednesday, my last day in NZ and I send another couple of packages of stuff
home as my rucksack is already filled to bursting point. I meet Shenene for
lunch and we say our goodbyes again. I pack my gear and crash out early as I
have to be up at 3.00 am the next day, to get my bus to the airport.
The alarm goes off all too soon and the bus deposits me at the airport at
5.00 am for my check-in. I get two seats as the plane is quiet, and some
extra leg room. Just after seven, we're in the air and we fly over Karekare
a fitting departure point from NZ. Just over three hours later, we fly into
Sydney, which seems freezing at 8C, despite being 27C last week!
Seeya,
Halesy