March 25: Auckland to Paihia

Previously: March 24

While in Paihia, we'll be staying at the Seabeds hostel.

Today was a travel day, off to Paihia on the east coast of New Zealand's north island, about 3 hours north of Auckland. Our car rental company (Pegasus) came to fetch us at the hostel, which was nice, because otherwise we’d have had to schlep out to the airport and then back into their part of town. The process of getting registered for the car was quick and painless, and we quickly got on the road. The driver who came for us was pleasant and chatty, and the woman at the counter was efficient and very helpful, warning us about how to avoid a toll road by taking the scenic route and suggesting that we refill the tank outside Auckland when we return the car, since Auckland fuel is 10 cents/litre more expensive than fuel elsewhere.

Our tradition is that for counties where driving is on the left side of the road, I do the driving for the first few days, and then Shoshanna takes a shift when she gets comfortable with the altered geometry. She does the navigation, which is invaluable, since it means we don’t have to rely solely on GPS, which historically has not always been the most reliable solution. (I’m particularly reminded of our GPS in Sicily, which was clearly out to get us; it frequently insisted that we turn sharply to the right NOW!!! despite the 500-m chasm in that direction.) And it lets me focus on the road rather than where we’re going next. It works for us.

I find that so long as I think things through and make a conscious effort to remind myself to drive left, I can overcome my reflexes to drive on the right. But it does take concentration for the first several days, and when we get back home, it takes several days to unlearn this new habit.

The car is a disappointment—some Nissan econobox I’d never heard of, with nearly 200K km on the odometer. It’s a tiny thing, with an underpowered engine, and handles like a stubborn horse. The steering is vague, and the car tends to drift first to the left and then to the right, so itrequires a firm hand at the reins to keep it centered on the road. But eventually you get used to it. Anyways, since the price was literally half that of the other companies, and we knew that we'd be getting an antique when we rented from them, we can’t really complain.

The drive was fine, with the only significant problem being that the windshield wipers and turn signal are inverted, on the wrong sides of the steering wheel, so it took a bit of effort to overcome decades of habit and choose the right lever for the job. We passed through some significant rain, ignored the 100-kph speed limit when this would have been clearly suicidal even with a more tractable car, and found our hostel with nary a hitch. And it turned out to be every bit as good as it looked from the Web site. It’s spotlessly clean, bright, and spacious, at about twice the size of our previous room. And it has a gorgeous view across a field and the main road into the Bay of Islands, with turquoise waters and the sound of surf to lull us to sleep. (So I have to finish this entry quickly before the lulling kicks in!) The only drawback is that it’s about a 10-minute walk outside the downtown core. This continues our other tradition of choosing a place to stay that is outside of town. But to be clear, the 10-minute walk is really a minor inconvenience.

Had a quick nap, then went off in search of food and tourism info. There’s a small but adequate supermarket about 10 minutes walk, so we stocked up on breakfast food and a few treats (a bottle of white wine for Shoshanna). Then into town to collect tourism brochures. Our plans are to try to fit in a few things. First, visit the Waitangi historical site, where the treaty with the Maori that created New Zealand was signed, and also to participate in one of their special Hangi dinners, complete with cultural performances (song and dance, etc.). Since it's Maori run, we expect it won't be too cheesy. Second, spend at least half a day sea kayaking, since the bay is beautiul. Third, we'll try to do more island hopping, probably to Urupukapuka, another nature reserve island. Weather has been gorgeous and sunny since we arrived, so with luck we’ll be able to fit it all in. However, rain is blowing in later in the week, so we'll have to juggle schedules on the fly.

Our hostess at the hostel doesn’t eat out much, and thus had no particular recommendations, but one thing she did suggest sounded funky enough to be worth a try: the Retired Serviceman’s Association runs a club for the eponymous veterans, with a bar downstairs and restaurant upstairs. Nominally, you’re supposed to be a veteran to enter, but it’s an open secret that if the volunteer working at the door likes you, they’ll look the other way. Basic notion is that you buy a drink at the bar, if so desired, then head upstairs to order from their menu. I opted for a Speight’s Old Dark beer, which was excellent. Good enough I went back for a second glass. Shoshanna was saving herself for the white wine, but helped out with the beer, just to be polite. Dinner was braised lamb shank for me, served atop an ocean of mashed potatoes swimming inbrown gravy and a sampling of the salad bar. Shoshanna opted for the seafood platter, which was two kinds of shrimp and kalamari.

A quiet starlit walk home afterwards, and off to bed to prepare for another few busy days.

Next installment: March 26