Living Like a Small Green Hairy Fruit

Getting Kiwi Vehicle Practical

When we first got here we had a tiny budget to get everything done.  We now have no budget at all  !!! as we're all spent up but we've achieved loads on what little we did have.

As you'll know if you've read the blog so far, we bought a Toyota Celica when we first got here.  It was under $5k so within budget and I thought it was a great car! 4 wheel steering, sports mode, automatic, great cd player, good reliable engine, sun roof, 1991 model, 3 billion miles on the clock etc.  But it only had two doors so the kids, who aren't so little anymore had to keep climbing in and out and you were very low to the ground so it felt like you were scrapping your bum on the ground when driving!

Here's that pic again just to remind you;

So one weekend we're off out for an explore in the car. Great sunny day, as usual, driving along admiring the scenery, getting closer to the snow capped foothills, when we turned a corner and the long, straight, tarmac road just stopped... no warning ... no signs ... just a continuation of gravel road for as far as the eye could see!!!  Despite all the twiddly bits on the car, the 4 wheel steering and sports mode etc, it was like driving on ice and sadly we had to turn round and go back.  Not home though.  Mark didn't like the car much anyway and here was the perfect excuse to head into the city and look at 4x4s!

We spent a couple of weekends just trawling car lots and taking 4x4s out for 'test' drives.  It was great fun, as here you aren't assumed to be intent on stealing the car so you don't get accompanied by a salesman who insists you test drive a set route.  Nah! Here it's keep the car overnight if you want, take it out, give it a good thrashing, see if you like it!  We didn't take any off road but we keep one for most of the afternoon and took a drive out over the Port Hills to Governor's Bay for lunch. 

We were just driving back when the salesman rang our mobile. It was Sunday and they were closing soon.  He was just enquiring if we liked the car and asked where we were.  Mark replied 'just coming into Picton'.  For those that don't know Picton is a good 4-5 hour drive up north of the South Island.  And the salesman's reply? 'Picton????? oh, ok!'.

Five minutes later we pulled up on the forecourt.  We all loved the car and yes it was far more practical than my lovely little Celica.  We got an ok trade in price and Mark would have a car he could trash around the beaches and river beds in at the weekends.  And me? I get to drive the monstrous tank during the week. It's like driving a bus but at least you're really high up so I can finally see over those roadside hedges at what lies beyond.

Having a 4x4 here seems to be the norm and you'll see many of a weekend out on the road looking like they've just been raised from the depths of a swamp.  Literally covered from roof to wheels in thick mud and the driver peering through the tiny gap in the windscreen the overworked wipers have managed to scrap clear.

In the UK we are used to keeping up with the Jones's and polishing our prized cars at weekends and heaven forbid if the kids should drop a crumb on the back seat!  Nah, not here mate!  The muddier the better.  Cars here are for getting from A to B and for fun - exactly what they were designed for! And what a breathe of fresh air that is - I don't need to panic so much with my less than perfect parking skills should I perchance put a little ding in the bodywork, who'd know?  Ha ha! Oh, how I love this freedom!!

We can now drive on the beach and sit in the back of car when we're fishing, and bomb through the dunes when we're bored of not catching anything.  We've spent a few weekends up at Amberley Beach driving through the lagoon and marshland doing handbrake turns with Mark getting out to see how muddy the car is and deciding not enough and going round again. We've been down to the Ashley River after heavy rainful where there's a 4x4 trial along the river bed and grassland.  It might seem futile and childish to some but we love it, and it seems to be a really popular way of spending the weekend here.

Last weekend Andrew and Michaela had gone off to their mates houses so Mark and I had an unexpected but very welcome few hours to ourselves.  And what did we do with this precious time? Jumped in the tank and hit the Ashley River.  It had rained heavily the night before and the trials were heavy rutted and thick with mud. We were like two big kids enjoying sliding around and bombing across the streams and up and down steep banks.  We headed out through the woodland and that's where things didn't quite go according to plan! 

It was difficult to tell just how deep some of the ruts were as they were full of rainwater.  We were on our way back to pick the kids up and we got stuck!  Not just wheels spinning in mud stuck. But bottomed out and two wheels not even touching ground with the side step buried in mud! Mark had to force the driver's door open to see exactly how bad it was.  My side was perfectly dry by the way as the passenger side of the car was on a grass verge.  We couldn't have avoided this one, the wheels were stuck in the deep ruts and the car just slide along the mud until it came to a halt.  The diff was buried in mud (this is something Mark told me - I have no idea what it is or why that's important - but I do know it is under the car and turned out to be very important!).

We had a spade with us so just got out and started trying to sort it out. There were loads of fallen trees and branches so we hauled over huge logs and tried to get them under the wheels to try and get some purchase.  But the ruts were so deep the logs just kept floating back up.  I stood at the back at the car with my foot on the end of the log whilst Mark tried to reverse it out.  Fortunately he did this gently so that I didn't get splattered in mud and spray.  But we were going nowhere and were now late for getting the kids as it was 4.45pm.  We still thought it was funny but it would be dark soon and although Michaela's friends dad had said to give him a call if we got stuck, we didn't actually know exactly where we were to give anyone directions! 

I heard voices shouting in the distance and just about 500 yards up from us there were other 4x4s and people. Deep joy!  Mark carried on tried to do what he could and I waded over through the thick gloop to see if anyone could lend a hand. 

One guy saw me approaching and said 'how ya doin?' (a standard Kiwi greeting).  'We're stuck just back there' I said waving in the general direction of back there as I wasn't too sure which way I'd just come. 'Just wondering if anyone could lend us a hand'.  'No worries' came the reply, 'just get this one out and we'll be over'.  I hadn't realised but as I looked over I saw that one swampy 4x4 was completely sunk in deep mud, all 4 wheels nearly covered.  I didn't feel so embarrassed now at asking.  It was difficult to tell where the car ended and the mud started.  Another equally mud covered 4x4 was spinning and sliding trying to pull it out.  The guy I'd spoken to got in his truck which looked tiny compared to the other two.  He put a rope on too and they both revved up, one took the slack, the other pulled.  It was like a giant flat mud rink.  There was steam/smoke billowing all over as all three trucks were reving and straining and the two doing the work were skidding all over the place, narrowly missing smacking into one another. But out of the mud popped the stuck truck to a round of applause from us onlookers.

The 3 trucks then sped over to Mark.  One truck pulled us and one stood by to help if needed, whilst the guys from the third truck got out and had a mud fight.  'Follow us out' they shouted as they led the way out of the woodland and we did.  But then the truck in front of us skidded and got stuck, his mate in front spun round and drove back and just rammed the front of his truck till he was free!  And then they sped off back through towards the river bed, mud flying everywhere and obviously having just a great time.

We headed back up to the road.  It was amazing to feel so relaxed and unstressed. We weren't too bothered about getting stuck or worried about the car at all.  The Kiwis are so friendly and helpful and we didn't feel stupid or foolish.  At last the truck was getting right proper muddied up and we'd had fun. We were late getting the kids but no-one was worried about that as no-one seems to stress here about the clock (in my opinion yet another great bonus of NZ). 

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures our adventure... but no doubt we'll get stuck plenty more times so I'll get some photos then.

And for all yous back home polishing and valetting your status symbols... just chill - there's so much more to life!!!