Getting Road Ready

I am the proud owner of a Toyota "camper" van . . . I use the term "camper" loosely. The van is a Toyota mini-van with a bed platform instead of the two bench seats. I bought it from Chester St. Campers, which is associated with the Chester St. Backpacker Hostel. They specialize in getting visiting tourists on the road. I could tell you about the whole process, i.e. Warranty of Fitness (WOF), Change of Ownership, Registration, Insurance, and Roadside Assistance, but that would take more time than I have on the computer right now. Suffice it to say I'm glad that the folks at Chester St. Campers were able to walk me through the whole process.

My next project is getting a kayak, which may be tougher than I originally thought. Used kayaks for sale are few and far between here. I've been told that I really should have brought mine with me. With the economy not doing very well here and the cost of shipping things so high, the kayak stores are cutting back on what they are bringing into the country. . . dang it.

I'm heading up to Murchison this weekend. I was hoping to have a kayak with me when I did so, but it's not looking as if that'll be the case. There's a big birthday party tomorrow night, Saturday, for the director of the NZ Kayak Schook in Murchison, which is supposedly going to bring kayakers in from all over, so maybe I'll have some luck there.

A couple of things I learned today: a cooler is known here as a "chilly bin" and newer cars have sturdy side mirrors that bend all the way back without any damage to the mirror (got a little close to one on my first left side of the road driving adventure).