Sparkleypoo the Magic Wagon

We are now in Rotorua. How did we get to Rotorua?



IN OUR CAR.

Yep, we’ve bought ourselves a higher class of crap-can than is normally iconic of self-driving backpackers. It is a 1995 Subaru Legacy station wagon, automatic, with a sunroof and a moonroof, and a very temperamental air conditioning control system.* The price was cheap (you've got to love the promise of a quick cash sale for negotiating a lower purchase price), the timing was perfect, and the vehicle is in good condition. It contains a great deal of concrete chips and dust, as the previous owner was a construction worker and put his work stuff in it. It is definitely in need of a vacuuming, which will happen once we find a self-serve car vacuum place. There is room for us to bed down in the back and plenty of space for hauling our gear. We have named it Sparkleypoo.

We left Auckland on the very same day that we purchased the car, and headed to Rotorua to enjoy the sinus-cleansing sulphuric smells and the fantastic natural wonders of the geothermal hot-spots. We will be taking in the natural beauties, the natural geysers and hot water boiling up from the ground, and the mud baths. Thanks to a wonderfully budget-friendly choice of motels, we have our own suite, shower, and kitchen for three days at the same rate as a double room in a hostel would cost us. It is a fat time, a time of plenty (despite the initial cost of getting the car, which will quickly pay for itself due to the cost of bus fares), a time of personal space and self-determined mobility.

For the record, driving around in Aukland's central downtown area is terrifying. I was behind the wheel on the first two very short excursions, and as it was my first time driving on the left in a left-oriented car, it involved a great deal of cursing. All cursing was done at the top of my lungs. Needless to say, Glen's been doing the driving ever since.

In other news, Glen’s hair is now red:








*Note: The air conditioning works just fine, it is just that it takes some very persistent prodding to get the buttons to recognize your commands when you first turn it on. The easiest way to deal with it is to simply not turn it off, but to adjust the fan, thermostat, and intake until it maintains a comfortable cabin temperature.