another country, another entry stamp

There is one born every minute. I had a look at getting the Warrant of Fitness (WOF) extended on the car, but it failed and needed a minimum of NZ$300 work done, mainly welding. Niels the star who works at the Brown Kiwi, told me to just try and sell the car. After cleaning it up, and painting over the rust patches with a touchup brush, I took it down the car fair by Quay St. I sold it within half an hour. I hope part of the reason it sold well, was my salesman skills. I found out the blokes buying it were from Bangalore, and we talked about the bars there, and about Kolar Gold field just outside of town. They were so relaxed, they didnt even notice the WOF was about to expire, and I got NZ$1600 for the car. A loss of NZ$400 but then thats not bad for 3 months motoring and not having to do NZ$300 of work.

After that, I seemed to just be passing the time until my flight to Sydney. Some people I had met before turned up. Bob had been off on school holiday but couldnt get back in to 217, and arrived with Frank, plus Lisa and Ryan showed up. I went to one of Ryans gigs in Devonport along with Lisa. A latino gig, with the spring afternoon sunshine streaming through the windows, and girls dancing to the latin rhythyms. We got a lift back by another band member, a scottish nutter who drove like he knew the roads, but to a different city and on the other side of the road.

The rest of the week was spent reading, until I decided to try and see Trev and Maria before I left the country. Lisa was a bit bored what with Ryan gigging all the time, so she fancied coming with me. i had booked a coach, but Lisa wanted to hire a car. After ringing round a number of places, and me ending up missing my coach booking, Peter told us t just go and hitch.

Us? Hitch? Its 180km to Whangarei, and it was 2 o'clock. I had no idea if we could make Whangarei and by 630 we were in Orewa and going nowhere fast. We had got a ride north of the arbour bridge in Auckland by a builder, then a ride for 4 exits from a banker, then some stoned girls drove us to Orewa. After that, nobody looked at us. We stayed the night at Pillows, a place I had been to
before, and ate fish and chips on the beach. There the strange spectacular of a sunset with people practising martial arts on the beach.

Orewa is a sleepy coastal town, so that affected us and we went to bed.

I spent the morning writing a nice sign for Whangarei on some card, Lisa drew some flowers on it and we sat by the side of the road. No sooner had we sat down than a car screeches to a halt and we pile in. The driver hadnt even seen our beautiful sign, and we should have taken the hint. Eamon drove hard and fast and all us passengers found virtual brakes had appeared at our feet.

Once we arrived I found out that Trev and Maria had closed the cafe. For good. Still, the next few days were spent seeing all the friends I had met through Trev and Maria. Chris turned up with some friends. Danny showed up, and recognised Lisa from the meditiation centre. Lawson was still in town and seeing him again is like being hit with a 100 metre wave of friendly Glaswegain. We also paid a visit to the land Maria and Trev are buying as Warwick rang in the morning.

Seeing the land showed what Maria and Trev want to do. The tipi site was being excavated ready for the following week when the tipi gets delivered. It was also chance to say goodbye to Warwick and Jenny.

After a fairly messy night involving music, good food and wine, and some of my bad drumming, and a few hours sleep, Lisa and I were on the coach to Auckland.

It feels like I have condensed the past 2 days too much. It was exciting but fun, but random, but cool, but fattening, but drunk, but friendly, but tipi. . . .

Im going to miss New Zealand, the Warriors, the Maori town names, green culture, rural communities, amazing vistas, huge national parks, clean tasting beer, dangerous roads, glaciers, rivers, huge forests, cleansing rain, amazing animals, creative resourceful people, fascinating culture, but the Marmite is SHOCKING.