It is possible to steal a car in New Zealand by going to the post office, supplying the woman behind the desk with a meager fee, and filling out a new registration form for the vehicle you wish to commandeer. All that is required is a license plate number, the new owner’s name, and local address. The former owner will get a notice in the mail of who you are and where you live should they wish to contest the transaction, but failing this, the car is yours! Congratulations, auto owner. Presto change-o at $9 NZD. Not saying we stole our van, but jussayin’. The way NZ conducts official matters such as this is laughable compared to our native land. No fine print. No signatures. Just an honest word and some coins scattered across a high desk coated in plastic. I can dig it.

And so, we are nearing the 3 week anniversary with Paula, the 1993 Toyota Hiace we purchased from a young, like-minded couple from Germany. She was 3+ driving hours away from our post in Auckland, but after seeing no other campervans with school bus yellow cupboards, I was convinced we could do no better. A purchase was all but inevitable given the effort it took to bus down and our dwindling list of options. Eric still did a thorough walk-around, pressing his thumb into the tires and looking at the engine, while I pretended I understood terms like “cam belt” and “self contained.” I had been told not to appear too eager or uneducated about the process, to give our future bargaining more weight. I was happy for my lover’s sage council, otherwise it would have been a DEAD GIVEAWAY had I started cheering enthusiastically to hear that the tires had been recently rotated. Whew! After the male in our party was satisfied that the milage wasn’t too high, and the female fell in love with the cheap plastic Christmas lights strung inside, an offer a few hundred below the asking price was made. All parties held their breath, an eventual nod was granted, and an adorable, surprisingly formal handshake sealed the deal. After wiring several thousand Euros to our seller’s account, we parted ways, and Eric and I celebrated our long awaited acquisition in true American fashion with a cheeseburger and a beer. Prost!

So far the list of potential renovations has a whopping 21 items penciled inside a neat column. I don’t think a wine rack will be feasible, but we’ve at least been able to handle the most crucial modifications. Several unnecessary and bulky items have been donated to the Salvation Army, a new color scheme has been chosen, a full bedding set + coordinating ukulele purchased, and a complete curtain revamp is underway. Never in my life have I been so excited about a sewing project. Hand sewing, Jesus have mercy. Photographs to come of a more personalized, polished space once the window treatments are completed. Crafting catastrophe or not, that’s a promise. 😉

-K

^Most definitely a BEFORE shot

^Making our way into a spacious kitchen!

^ What the bedroom looks like when it’s doubling as the dining and lounge area in the daytime. Not pictured: the bathroom. All of my before photos are a bit half assed because I wasn’t too jazzed about documenting this portion. I’ll get to more about the toilet later… Yeesh.

^ Happy with our new home. 🙂