Category: Struggle Bus

Port Motueka


by KandE

Eric’s suffering multiple burns. I was hit with sun stroke. F that giant, fiery ball in the sky.
And on the note: happy summer solstice!

Originally we had intended to spend the entirety of the day, 5:58AM to 8:39PM, outside basking in the rays of a bountiful, life-giving sun. But after yesterday’s struggle fest on the mountain, we scrapped that plan, slept in, and just ate sunny side up eggs instead.

Other struggles today include keeping the car batteries charged; the displeasure at finding warm, spoiled food in the fridge; accepting the champion length of my leg hair; and using my thighs and/or glutes for any length of time.

In contrast, victories for the day include but are not limited to: finding the right shade of bight blue thread for a potentially disastrous new sewing project; starting a new book; making camp at the next town north, then combing for rainbow shells at low tide; and going to the bathroom in a real toilet at least one today.

All in all: doin’ pretty OK!

2015-12-28_0001

^ Montana wine get’s a 3 out of 10, solstice eggs (they can’t all be winners,) and rainbow shells.

untitled-38

^ More adventures in cooking: vegetarian quesadillas. Diced tomatoes + black beans + queso inside with ample avo on top. One of my favorite meals yet.

-K

Wakefield


by KandE

I wouldn’t be surprised if I lost 10 pounds on our hike today! It was a great physical exertion and a test of our fitness. Also, we were horribly underprepared with no food and one bottle of water to split for 10 miles.

What started as a jaunt à la “I feel great!” and “My body loves me for this!” turned to drudgery before long, trudging up steep, shit sprinkled hills under an unrelentingly full sun. My dehydrated mind was convinced those seagulls flying peaceably overhead were predators circling our beat brows.

Legs started wobbling a bit on the final peak at mile 5.
Game faces became difficult towards cheerful passersby at around 7.
We were on severe water rations for the last 3 miles, openly cursing every goddamn incline AND decline. (You know you’re in rough shape when it’s easier to go up than down.)

F-ing. Rookies.

Although it wasn’t completely torturous the entire time. I’d hiked a small portion of the Cable Bay Walkway a few years earlier with my BFF, and I was excited to share an experience with Eric that is in my top 5 best of all time. The views were just as splendid as I remembered and it was still a thrill to be hiking across active grazing land with goats, cows, and SHEEP to chase, emulate, and ogle. I’m glad(ish) we did it, but even more pleased we made it out of there alive and in reasonably decent spirits.

For the remainder of the day, we rewarded our toils with a hot $2 shower, a double scoop of gelato, and a couple of steaks from the grocery store. After hanging out with all of those healthy cows today on the hills–“You guys grass-fed, eh? Free range?”–our assumptions proved correct that New Zealand beef is top notch. And after a day like today, never have I felt that I deserved a steak more.

-K

untitled-6

^ A steak and a bottle of wine, of course. 3/10, Old Coach Road.

Blenheim


by KandE

“Kimberly, Kimberly.”
“Whaaaaa.”
“Can you come help me push the van? We’ve been in the 30 minute parking for 16 hours. We need more time.”
“What time is it?”
“6.30.”
“…No?”

And so the morning began. A little dreary, a bit desperate, and too damned early. After our charming pet/cranky beast  decided to take a long, illegal nap in a sunny short term parking space, we spend the entire day in problem solving mode. Or more accurately: Eric spend 6 hours charging, testing, and rotating Paula’s batteries, buying jumper cables in vain, scratching his head over useless Google results, and hunting around town for an outdoor plug-in. (Had he been able to reach the outlets up in the town square’s tall trees, he would have Grinched the hell out of those quaint Christmas lights.)

Meanwhile, I made myself comfortable in my bucket seat and knocked out several chapters in my book. I ate some cheese, swigged some wine from the bottle, and even snuck in a nap. It’s not that I didn’t want to help (which is true, but not the point) but that I possess zero knowledge and/or skills regarding anything automotive or electrical. Any attempt to understand would frustrate both parties with no reward. I did at least offer my coffee and beer retrieval services, which were both declined. Twas self preservation on both sides to allow Eric to exert his male prowess for analyzing large mechanical devices with blinky buttons. (Notice I did not say fix.)

After several hours, numerous chapters, and the prolonged good fortune at avoiding both ticketing and towing; we booked a room at the nearest motel one block away. At $130 NZD, it was an investment to charge our car batteries more effectively, avoid another potential ticket for not only parking but sleeping illegally, and for the opportunity for a SECOND hot shower in TWO days.

Side note 1: hotel reception is a strange business in this land and closes for the night anywhere between 6 and 9. We were lucky to get a room 20 minutes after the posted open hours + w/ all the nearby lodging windows dark.

Side note 2: We navigated to a truck stop the day before in earnest pursuit of clean hair. Dropping that $2 coin into that machine like it was a ride at the carnival, produced 6 steamy minutes that I count among the most transformative of my life. Showers are god in this new life  of ours.

The hotel turned out to be a bit of an unnecessary indulgence (see also: our conversation from the morning) however, we did have the most delightful exchange with the owner and his wife for 30 minutes following check-out. A business card was also thrust into our hands, an email address scribbled on the back, and an invitation to let them know how we “end up getting on in New Zealand.”

In the end, we decided to walk to a nearby auto shop where we entreated a pleasant fellow named Geoff for help. After declining the option to tow the van ourselves–“It’s a manual. Are you comfortable with that?”–we handed over our keys, number, and car location, and gave the green light for them to fetch and fix whatever was wrong.

One hour and a few hundred dollars later, our Paula has awoken from her deep, stationary trance, full of fresh juice and ready to roll. It did turn out to be a battery problem; there just happens to be FOUR in this van, some of which were in hiding.

We plan to leave all manner of civilization TOMORROW for at least a few days of outdoors time + camp stove meals for two. Speaking of which: we never did get that macaroni and cheese from the other night. The gas tank was empty, we had to take it in to be filled, was informed our current set-up was illegal which required a new valve to be installed, and have since failed to get THAT upgrade up-and-running. OH, the joys of a newly-purchased, faulty, fickle vehicle in a foreign country!

untitled-110

-K

“Luxury Motor Lodge”


by KandE

Simplicity, patience, connection was my mantra this morning, indulging in an early AM walk along the waterfront. While I hunted for shells & watched for birds, these three words rose to the surface as I contemplated this whole grand adventure and what I hope to gain from it.

Little did I know how patient i would need to be, waiting for our car battery to simply fucking connect with a charge this afternoon.

If anyone was taking bets, we lasted 4 days before our 1993 Toyota broke down.

-K

[Still] Auckland


by KandE

Le siiiiiiigh.

untitled-1

The good news: Our transpacific wire transfer has successfully gone through. We’re cashed up and ready to ride dirty.

The bad news: I’m updating the blog from yet another dingy hotel room instead of the back of a bitchin’ new campervan. Four thumbs down.

The problem: There isn’t a vast selection of vans in a close proximity meeting the qualifications we’ve set. They’re too far, too expensive, too cheap, or too dirty. Most aren’t self contained (meaning your access to campsites is far more limited + you really do have to make your dumps in the woods) and the high summer season in New Zealand is just getting underway. It’s a seller’s market. And we’re on the losing side.

It didn’t really occur to me this might happen. That we’d be stranded in a string of hotels, decreasing our daily budget as each calendar day disappears. With our to-do lists dramatically shrunk, we now spend an increasing amount of time doing research into the various options we have. I’ve found old ambulances, converted ice cream trucks, and quirky trailers. (All ideas Eric was quick to pull the plug on.) We’ve considered flying down to the south island, taking a train, and bussing towards a different pool of options. There’s still a slim chance of renting until the right opportunity to purchase comes along, but that seems like a potential waste of time and an even bigger waste of money.

This trip is starting to feel like a stressful, stagnant waiting game.
If we’re in Auckland much longer, I think Eric might wake up to a little surprise parked in front of our hotel.
Wood dumps be damned.
I’m rooting for ice cream.

-K

Auckland


by KandE

I forget the nature of business in this part of the world.

After 45 minutes of online searching for the ideal breakfast cafe where scuffed white low-tops aren’t out of place, and the menu is still fresh, we set out from our new hotel. (See also: Eric is not partial to the more creative establishments where exotic flowers are growing out of your crêpes, and most of my selections ended up being “too fancy.”) Heading west towards 2 closely situated options, we were dismayed upon arrival to discover that one cafe was belly-up and the other: vanished. I forget the nature of business here: no one gives two shits to bother updating Mr. Internet over anything. (This has not been our first experience with this phenomenon since arriving nearly 4 days ago.) Thilly Americans.

Anyway.

After settling for some nearby bagels–overpriced and decidedly yuppie–alongside a beautiful latte with gracious and redemptive qualities, I now feel properly fed, caffeinated, and prepared to divulge our current status report.

Have Done

1. Set up our bank account
Our biggest trial yet. Apparently large financial institutions aren’t so keen to issue cards to a couple of homeless foreigners. Oh, right. Homeless and unemployed. During this whole back-and-forth dilemma I mostly took naps of frustration, while levelheaded Saint Eric sorted through the mess. Bless him.

2. Acquire a new phone + NZ number
Our quickest accomplishment yet. The salesman asked a total of two brief questions (Which one? Name, please?) and we were on our merry way, with a payment of $39.95 NZD. By comparison, it took us longer to select toothpaste at the corner market outside the hotel.

3. Mail back my airport badge

4. Successfully hunt down the Kerry Rocks stockists in Auckland
Eric accepted this as an important task, and allowed me to add it to our to-do list between items such as “exchange currency” and “go to the car fair.” Both of which we failed to do, along with item #1: buy wine. Our to-do missions for today are quite clear.

-K