Auckland, New Zealand -- Day 1
We were unceremoniously dropped off from the bus at 6 a.m. McDonald’s to the rescue again. Open at 6:00, clean, well lit, spacious tables, wifi, hot food and coffee.
Our third camper van was waiting 19km away, so we “Ubered” there to see our new home. It is even bigger and older than the last. Only 375,000 km (233,000 mi). The five speed diesel is no powerhouse demanding constant shifting in order to maximize what little torque exists. The solar powered refrigerator seems barely to drop the temperature below room temp while the side by side dash vents spew out cold air from one and hot from the other seemingly with no regard to the dial setting.
We enjoyed a relaxed afternoon at the little campground spending a couple hours chatting with a local woman, Carmen, who came with her 4 year old son, Jake. She had moved to New Zealand more than a decade ago after meeting her husband during a hiking trip.
The Pyffer’s arrived around 7:00, this time with a tiny VW van. Apparently, the van they were meant to pick up was not ready, so they were temporarily given the VW with the understanding that they would swap it out the next day. What fun to see them all yet again. Since I had read at the New Zealand museum that they often consider their island nation a separate continent, I joked that this must be the fourth one we have met on.
The kids wasted no time starting a game of tag and/or hide-and-go-seek. Whatever it was, it involves a lot of running and yelling. No matter, we were all in good spirits though tired all around due to short nights. Ah, together again.
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