"I thought you'd be older," are the first words Andrew of Cruzy Campers says to us when we meet him outside our hotel this morning. He has driven straight from Christchurch to deliver our camper van and after dropping it off and giving us the run of things, will hop on a plane back to Christchurch, the home base for Cruzy Campers.
He expects us to be older because we had explained to him in an eMail that we are in the middle of a life shift, something he and his wife did several years ago as well. "But, I was fifty when we did it. You're much younger. That's good. Very good!"
He grins. He's another one of these likable New Zealanders. Short and stocky with a mischievous gleam in his eye, he is a ringer for Bob Hoskins. A Scot by birth, Andrew worked in real estate until a couple of sudden losses — a death and illness in the family — made him realize he was working himself into an early grave too. "You're a long time dead," is his favorite expression. Thus the change and now the new business, running a small and very personable camper van company. He and his wife, also a Jenny, run operations from November to April and then whisk themselves off to Australia for five months to cruise about in a camper van of their own.
He talks to us. And talks to us. The parking meter man comes by and chastises us for being parked so long across the street from our hotel while we chat about Fiji and world travel and his family. Andrew puts coins in the meter to keep him happy.
He gives us the run down on the van. A few quirks and tricks to note, but basically it's straightforward. His wife Jenny stocks all the camper vans and ours is filled with her flourishes — good kitchen gear, a clothes line and pegs, hot water bottles (??) and extra linen. Andrew settles at the camper's table to do the paperwork and talks some more. A few more stories to share (and then a few more...did we mention the man can talk!?!) and then he's off with his bags to catch his flight. "See you in Christchurch!" he says.
Only once, heading out of Auckland, do we almost smack up the van by driving on the wrong side of the road. Not too bad, we figure. Jenn catches my right for left quickly and we're righted (or lefted) again and barreling down onto the highway as we head out of town. To the northland!
We take Highway 1 until just before the toll road, veering off at the town of Silverdale and heading back towards the coast road. The Cruzy Van handles fine. It's a diesel so it has some good muscle for going up the hills. The day is fine, lots of sun and plenty of breeze. It feels good to be out of Auckland and on the road.
We pull in to the town of Orewa for a snack and pester the lady at the i-Site information booth (our new favorite hangout) for a good place to pick up groceries. She directs us to the New World down the street where we first stock up on fruits and veggies from a Chinese grocery across the road and then staples from the supermarket. We hit the dollar store to buy a shower bucket for all our toiletries and a $2 straw cowboy hat for me.
"Oi" says Jenn, "I'm riding with Kowboy Keir now am I?". There are a lot of seniors in Orewa, we notice. It's like Barrie, a retirement town with a beach north of the big city.
In fact, we are surprised at how developed things are here. We'd expected a more rural experience, but it full of Pizza Huts, surf shops and very large homes. We are only a hour outside of Auckland, so perhaps it is to be expected. It is also a beach town with a very fine, long beach, which seems to attract families and young people who want to surf.
With the groceries stocked in our little fridge, we head along the Whangapararoa Peninsula to find out more about visiting Tiritiri Matangi Island and Bird Sanctuary. There is a ferry that goes from there, but Jenn is reading in the guide book that it only runs on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The Peninsula is also very developed, with some stunning views of the bay and back at Auckland. At the end, where the ferry runs, we find a marina full of some massive yachts.
The ferry station is closed as we suspected, so we drive back into Orewa, back to the i-Site Information Centre to check on a campsite for the night and to see if there are any other boats to TiriTiri. And we're in luck! Jenn's poor guidebook skills help us for change as the lady at the I-Site informs us that boats run FROM Wednesday TO Sunday and she can books us in for tomorrow! She also sets us up with a camping spot at the Top 10 Camping Site just down the road. As I said, we love the i-Sites! Good folk!
Our campsite brings back memories of travelling with the family around Europe in a camper van. Finding your site, checking out the showers and bathrooms for cleanliness, trying to create some semblance of privacy between you and your music cranking neighbours.. It is fun though and we spend an hour or so just "sussing" as the expression is here — getting the camper all set up, our clothes laid out, the food stored. It begins to feel like home.
Sussed, we go for a swim in the ocean and try some body surfing. The water is cool and refreshing, ideal for swimming. We come back and shower up in the very clean showers, have a beer (Summer Ale - a gingery concoction from Monteiths - from our very cold fridge and then set up our outdoor cooker and make dinner — mushroom burgers on the outdoor cooker, corn on the cob boiled on the van's stove and a fresh salad to boot! Add a little outdoor ambience to accompany the meal — we're campin'!
After dinner, we wash up, go for another long walk along the beach with the tide out and then come back and swat all the mozzies in the van before reading the guidebooks for tomorrow and testing out the bed.
Yes, we're cruising New Zealand. Day one. And it's a good start. As Jenn says though, "I want to know who's going to have the first "VAN-trum."
We'll let you know...
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