Kia Ora and hello! Welcome to the fourth edition of the CJ weekly. Week four on the road was a bit like an Oreo, smooth and delicious and then all of a sudden, crumbling and chaotic. It all started when we were driving along a road, minding our own business, singing along to A Star is Born (will Shallow ever get old?) and we pulled over to let the traffic behind us pass. And then our handbrake fell out.
OUR FAVOURITE PHOTOS
OUR WEEKLY EXPENSES
TOTAL $2,214.51 (combined - weeks one to four).
$422.96 for week four only.
Petrol is expensive!
OUR WEEK FOUR VIDEO
FIVE THINGS WE LOVED
Timing it perfectly so we managed to go straight through the traffic lights on the Takaka Hill and also be the last car in the queue!! It truly felt so wonderful not having cars right up Vinnie’s bum as we went 20kph.
The kind hearted group of people we met near Lake Wanaka. They pulled right over beside us, jumped out and raced over to meet Vinnie. They were so lovely we ended up sitting down and chatting with them (we covered a range of topics including medicine, drones, star signs and the meaning of life). I hope our paths will cross again one day.
People honking, waving and flashing their lights as they overtake us. Extra points if they do a thumbs up. I know I say this pretty much every week, but it really is the little things isn’t it.
Deciding to leave the West Coast after relentless torrential rain. In Perth we say the West Coast is the Best Coast. Here I reckon we should say the West Coast is the Wet Coast.
A little girl literally sprinting outside in her school uniform (before school started) and shrieking at her dad “Dad I’ve never seen a Kombi before!! BUT NOW I HAVE!!!”. Is your heart alright? Cause mine stopped beating when this happened.
FIVE THINGS WE DIDN'T LOVE
Vinnie’s handbrake failing. Even though we told him how many hills there are here. If he thinks we're going to treat him to 95 now, he's got another thing coming.
(This one is Jimmy's one). Preconceived notions about young people and how easy we have it/how lucky we are (although now we’re in our late twenties do we even fit in the ‘young people’ category anymore?). Anyway - luck doesn't have anything to do with it, we worked hard, saved our money and made the brave decision to quit our permanent jobs so that we could travel. Amen Jimmy - well said!
People parking us in and then laughing when I asked them to move. Remember when I said last week I was the most enraged I had ever been (when we found toiletpaper and knickers on our favourite walking track). Well this took the cake for me. It took all the cakes. It took a bloody cake shop I was so furious.
Being stung by a wasp for the first time. And trying really hard not to cry. And failing.
HAVING TO PAY $10 PER PERSON TO WALK ACROSS BULLER SWING BRIDGE. That’s a nine pack of Cookie Times EACH.
THREE THINGS WE FOUND FUNNY
Becoming attached to our temporary handbrakes – we had three lovely rocks which we named Rocky, Rocknina and Rockerfeller. As Rocknina was taking up too much space, we ended up only continuing on with Rockerfeller and Rocky. Still feeling bad to this day though... so I guess we don't have hearts made of stone? I'm trying way too hard to pun eh? Or did I rock it?
Trying really hard not to say “Oh that’s so nice” when people overtake us and wave/smile/beep etc. It’s literally an automatic reaction and SO SO hard not to do. Also I don’t know why we were even trying not to say it. I think it had been a long day of driving and we were trying to spruce things up a bit!! Living on the edge hey!
A lovely older lady in Takaka stopping by for a chat while we were parked up outside BP. She told us how she lived in Rangiora for a wee while and James said how we loved the little library out there and she responded as quick as anything saying “What – you – an Australian went to the library?!”. I mean she does have a point… he was probably only reading about how to cheat in the cricket. Again..
FIVE THINGS WE PONDERED
Why is Fresh Choice calling Trolleys Trundlers? No wonder they’re going out of business.
Do glow worms know they glow?
Are moths attracted to glow worms?
Does Wilson Car Park own the Buller Swing Bridge?
Do wasps and bees know if you are a sting virgin?
THE WEEKLY TALLY
And that’s all for week four! We hope Stan will be fully healed by next week, and Vinnie can get booked in for a service! Not that we don’t love carrying Rocky and Rockerfeller with us (especially when we have minimal space haha).
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