My Future Plans For the Summer

I've just purchased my ticket back from Australia, which solidifies my plans for the summer. Here's the scoop.

October 7th: Ellie Arrives. Still in spring, but for as much as we care, it's pretty much summer. I'll be balancing on a tightrope showing Ellie around New Zealand and going on adventures while trying to pass all my classes.

November 6th: Finals end. Celebrate, say goodbye to everyone who is leaving this semester

November 16th: I leave for AUSTRALIA! Flying to Sydney where I'll stay for a week. Ellie will leave around the 19th from NZ, doing whatever she feels like.

November 26th:I leave from Sydney, doing whatever means necessary to get to Melbourne on a college student's budget.

December 3rd: I leave from Melbourne back to Christchurch

December 4th-7th: I leave Christchurch on my way to Auckland to meet mom and Dad.

December 7th-25th: I try to show the Parents New Zealand in less than three weeks.

December 26th-early January: I try to sell the car with Sophie, split our profits and I start planning my motorcycle adventure.

January/February: I'm on the road. I have no residence, and therefore I go from campsite to campsite, couch to couch, bumming off as many friends and strangers as possible. Everything I need for the 1.5-2 months will be on my back and on my motorcycle, and I will tour both the North and South Islands.

February 22nd(ish?): I come back to Christchurch in hopes of finding a flat for the remaining semester, and start school shortly after

I'm pretty excited for all this traveling, but it wont be an easy task. From November 15th on I have no residence, until I start up school again in late February. I will also have a completely relaxed schedule, going where I care to, and stopping wherever I, (or the bike) pleases If the bike fails, depending on the condition I may just salvage what I can and walk. or who knows, ride sheep.

The trips will either have me done with traveling for quite a while, or only make my taste for traveling/adventure into a sick addiction, dependent only on my bank account. Hopefully during my travels I will be able to do small jobs in return for food or accommodation.

Car!

Sophie stumbled across this 97' Mazda 626 Station Wagon. so we decided to check it out!

240,000km (~150,000miles), inspection is due soon but the only problems we saw failing inspection were the two rear tires. I noticed in the records there was a radiator replacement. So noticing the engine I could see some oil build-up around the heads, seems like it overheated at one time and slightly warped the heads. It's been driven almost 20,000 km with no problems, and if we keep checking on the heater gauge, oil and radiator we could get away with the problem.

Barry met up with us to check out the car downtown. He had started at 2,000 NZD, and after a week decided 1600 may sell it faster. I pointed out the head leakage, and said I'll take it for 1500. Not bad, with Sophie and I splitting the cost i came to 525 American dollars each! It's a gamble with the engine, but worst comes to worst, we lose 525 each.


It also came with a lot of stuff! a tent, sleeping bag, 2 Frisbees, cooking equipment, bedding, and air mattress and yes, that weird wooden duck. All of these things Sophie needed anyway, so it only made the purchase more reasonable.

I met up with Barry downtown, treated him to a beer at a bar downtown and sorted out all the paperwork. Pfft paperwork? I gave him 1500, I made a bill of sale (even though i didn't have to, just precautionary) walked to the local post shop, and in less than 10 minutes we had waited in line, paid 9.20 for change of ownership and i officially owned a car in New Zealand. This is not the nys dmv.

Barry and I walked to the car, Barry gave me a few tricks he's learned for working and traveling from many trips around the world (main tip: be open for any job, he worked skinning sheep when he first got here) and I jumped in the car and left.

The Life

Currently I'm resting because I feel good about my fluid mechanics test I just took, just finished my homework for the week and I am about to start studying for the rest of the day for my test tomorrow in Classical Mechanics.

After tomorrow's test I will pick up sophie and my car, and this weekend i'm going to the ENSOC BBQ (one of UC's biggest parties, typically over 2,000 people) and Seafest, a musical festival on the shores of Kaikora.


It's about 70 degrees out, sun shining, and a cool breeze. For me I'm calling this the official start of spring. I'm taking a walk through the gardens across the street enjoying a Corona.

This is the life.