Camper Van Pick Up

For a good portion of the trip leading up to our arrival in Christchurch I couldn't stop thinking about and subsequently worrying about driving during our South Island journey. Not just driving but driving on the wrong side of the road in a foreign country, on foreign roads with roundabouts and 15 different signs and lights at every intersection. I'd wake up in the middle of the night in Fiji and my mind would start racing at the thought. Fast forward 2 weeks and I'm at the counter of the rental shop getting the keys to a van that looks like a space ship a 3 year old would design while waiting for his flu shots. Nothing about the van was ever really explained to me, in fact I still don't know where the tire iron and jack are. Anyways I get the keys, jump in and take off. This is trial by fire. Not only do I have to worry about all the things mentioned before but I'm also centrally located in the most populous city in the South Island. This brings a whole new layer of complexity to the situation. However, I'd like to mention that unlike in the States, pedestrians in New Zealand don't have the right of way, and they most certainly act like it. No one walks into the intersection unless there isn't a car within a mile. So I've got that going for me...which is nice. Jesikah and I take off without the slightest clue of where we're going other than we need to find a gas station (the car was given to us with under 1/4 tank left). We make our way with only the map my wingman has in her lap. Everything seems to be going fine until I reach my first roundabout / stoplight in downtown Christchurch. I'm almost positive I spun around and was spat out going down a oneway the wrong way. But disaster was avoided because no cars were oncoming. A few more blocks down I'm waiting behind a car turning right at a light I wish to go straight through. I see the light turning yellow so I nudge over to get around just as a car barreling behind me decides to do the same, and missed me by inches. We finally find a gas station and I pull in to fill up and change my Calvin's. Jesikah being my navigator suggests a route which coincidentally is the fastest path out of town. The rest is history, drove the next 3 hours through the foothills and mountains on the way to the west coast, a camp ground, and a cold beer.

Closed circuit to Brian Holmes at WDPI; I read your comment. I felt really bad taking off from work without settling up. I'm pretty sure this includes Weiberg & Pollman as well. So if you noticed the picture below of Jesikah and me with the van you'll also see a Heineken sitting on top of said van. Like I was saying I felt really bad bolting on you guys so I took the liberty of buying a 6 pack on you. I figured you would have wanted it that way. If this action doesn't please you go talk to Jay I'm sure he's still in my pocket, tell him I'll take it off his tab and collect the remainder when I get back.

-Jon