I am back in New Zealand after a lovely week and birthday celebrations in Palm Beach.
Palm Beach was fabulous but it's lovely to be back...
And back to my new home.
While I was away the name the previous owners had endowed it with was removed...
It's about to be renamed...
'The Dawdling Hare'...
A delicious oxymoron...
My friend Keith has 'The Flying Tortoise'...
Hence the inspiration.
As soon as I can find a cartoonist to draw me a picture...
Then the 'naming' will happen.
The name depicts my lifestyle. Although the bus is old, 1970, it has a 6 speed Isuzu motor so is actually quite fast...
Trouble is...
In the story the tortoise wins the race...
Not that there is one, in fact quite the opposite.
Back to my bus...
Then on the road...
I have to admit I was rather anxious.
I had driven it around Paeroa and Thames...
But onto the motorway and over the Auckland Harbour Bridge!
The only reasurring thing was I am bigger than the cars so they would probably avoid me.
The big trucks were a worry though.
I started off following my friend, we both have CB radios, so the occasional information about the road and corners was very helpful.
Then the motorway and just before the bridge we went in separate directions...
For the first time I was totally on my own.
"Get a grip" I told myself...
"Shoulders down, relax" were my instructions to myself...
"I can do it, I will do it"...
I kept repeating.
The thing I find most difficult with the Bedford is the gears, the old gear stick in the middle of the floor...
So when the lane of traffic I was in suddenly banked up and came to a standstill half way up the bridge incline...
I had to gather all my wits and courage and talk myself slowly through the gear and brake process and...
I did it, I got to the other side...
No mishaps.
So what is known in the local bus community as my 'Baptism of Fire' is over for the moment and next time it will be much easier.
It was a slow journey...
From Paeroa, firstly I had to fill with diesel and fill the 2 9kg LPG bottles.
More about that tomorrow.
We went as far as a place called 'Ray's Rest', on the Firth of Thames. It's a freedom parking place, a tidal salt marsh sort of place but thousands of birds gather to migrate so it's very interesting and beautiful in its own way. The tide creeps silently in and out and leaves a huge muddy estuary that the birds love.
We spent two nights there then the 'big' drive as far as Orewa.
I braved the supermarket car park as shopping for food was essential, no mishaps there and some help with backing.
I'm about to install a reversing camera, that's essential for me as I find it hard both to see and judge the distance 8 meters behind me.
So after my 'Maiden Voyage' of about 300km I am now back at Uretiti DoC camp, not far from Whangarei.
Pictures:
1) My Bedford
2 & 3) Ray's Rest
4) Auckland Harbour Bridge
5) Supermarket
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