You can go almost everywhere within Christchurch by bus or bike, I chose my house largely based on its excellent location next to the bus stop to work, I asked people to deliver when I bought bookshelves and a fridge and such, and with the mall in my backyard you don’t need a car for shopping. If I need something from a store that is not in the mall I ride my bike.
BUT. To get out of the city, into the famous NZ outdoors, there is absolutely no way you can do that without a car, or getting on busses with drunken backpacking tourists. That deliver you to main tourist areas and that is not necessarily where I want to be. So I thought it would be better if Thomas and me would have a car to explore the country. As some of you know, we “fought” some “fights” over what sort of car. A van? A vintage Mercedes? A 4wd? (you probably don’t believe this after my 4wd adventure, but it was me who wanted the 4wd) But of course, in the end, I got to decide, hahaha! I tricked him by buying the car before he arrives (as he probably knew all along I would). And I actually wanted to do this on my own, sort of as proof to myself that I am grown-up enough to buy a car and that I don’t need a man to do that.
The car business has taught me many things. About cars foremost, but also about myself.
The more I got into it, the more bewildered I got by the things you’re supposed to look (out) for when buying a used car in NZ. The obvious: how old, how many km’s, damage, outstanding debt, warrant of fitness(wof)? The less obvious (to me anyway): have the cambelt/clutch/engine/brakes/exhaust/tyres/ … been exchanged? Is it registered? When (if) was it imported? How many owners since then? And the NZ specifics: Has it been lowered, modified, turbo’d? (the “boy racers” like to do that and then kill innocent people accidentally when they lose control over their appallingly loud and obnoxious vehicle while being drunk. Can you tell I don’t think much of that hobby?!) Has the cambelt been exchanged a second or third time too? (since they drive their cars until death do them part) Does it fit a bike and a surfboard and skis? Did the kea’s eat any of the rubber? And finally my own criteria: Can I drive it? Can I park it? Does it suit my personality? Is it NOT black? Can we sleep in it occasionally?
What it taught me personally is simple yet deeply psychological. I do take after my mother, and I do also take after my grandmother, no matter how I’ve always tried not to. I will give in.
At some point we asked ourselves (Thomas and me) Why not actually a small car? But then I said No it has to be a large car so if we have visitors they don’t have to bend over for 6 hours straight while we drive over to the Westcoast with our skis and surf boards and backpacks. I do want to be able to sleep in the car on the 1 or less occasion that we will want to do that. And “I just like to have a big car, it’s practical”. OMG! It is So Totally my mother speaking here!
Because everyone in NZ drives a Subaru, I decided it had to be a Subaru, and after much back and forth and left and right we thought a legacy would be the thing. But the one I drove I found very low (and it hadn’t been lowered) and I caught myself thinking “I like higher cars better, it’s easier to get in and out of and you have a better view over the road and other cars”. That is So Totally my grandmother speaking there.
I will put up better pictures in a nicer location than my now incredibly crammed garage soon
This beauty has low km’s for her age, no modifications, airbags and 4wd. We are going to have lots and lots and lots of adventures.
I am very scared the car will proof to be a complete failure, but we’ll see. So far the first 5 kilometers I drove went smooth (although of course I do need to practice shifting gears, with the wrong hand too, but that was one of the reasons to get this car too). The next drive planned is to salsa tomorrow and then probably to the airport within the next 2 weeks to collect a certain someone called Thomas …
BUT. To get out of the city, into the famous NZ outdoors, there is absolutely no way you can do that without a car, or getting on busses with drunken backpacking tourists. That deliver you to main tourist areas and that is not necessarily where I want to be. So I thought it would be better if Thomas and me would have a car to explore the country. As some of you know, we “fought” some “fights” over what sort of car. A van? A vintage Mercedes? A 4wd? (you probably don’t believe this after my 4wd adventure, but it was me who wanted the 4wd) But of course, in the end, I got to decide, hahaha! I tricked him by buying the car before he arrives (as he probably knew all along I would). And I actually wanted to do this on my own, sort of as proof to myself that I am grown-up enough to buy a car and that I don’t need a man to do that.
The car business has taught me many things. About cars foremost, but also about myself.
The more I got into it, the more bewildered I got by the things you’re supposed to look (out) for when buying a used car in NZ. The obvious: how old, how many km’s, damage, outstanding debt, warrant of fitness(wof)? The less obvious (to me anyway): have the cambelt/clutch/engine/brakes/exhaust/tyres/ … been exchanged? Is it registered? When (if) was it imported? How many owners since then? And the NZ specifics: Has it been lowered, modified, turbo’d? (the “boy racers” like to do that and then kill innocent people accidentally when they lose control over their appallingly loud and obnoxious vehicle while being drunk. Can you tell I don’t think much of that hobby?!) Has the cambelt been exchanged a second or third time too? (since they drive their cars until death do them part) Does it fit a bike and a surfboard and skis? Did the kea’s eat any of the rubber? And finally my own criteria: Can I drive it? Can I park it? Does it suit my personality? Is it NOT black? Can we sleep in it occasionally?
What it taught me personally is simple yet deeply psychological. I do take after my mother, and I do also take after my grandmother, no matter how I’ve always tried not to. I will give in.
At some point we asked ourselves (Thomas and me) Why not actually a small car? But then I said No it has to be a large car so if we have visitors they don’t have to bend over for 6 hours straight while we drive over to the Westcoast with our skis and surf boards and backpacks. I do want to be able to sleep in the car on the 1 or less occasion that we will want to do that. And “I just like to have a big car, it’s practical”. OMG! It is So Totally my mother speaking here!
Because everyone in NZ drives a Subaru, I decided it had to be a Subaru, and after much back and forth and left and right we thought a legacy would be the thing. But the one I drove I found very low (and it hadn’t been lowered) and I caught myself thinking “I like higher cars better, it’s easier to get in and out of and you have a better view over the road and other cars”. That is So Totally my grandmother speaking there.
So, here she is, a Subaru Forester. You are what you drive, right?
I will put up better pictures in a nicer location than my now incredibly crammed garage soonThis beauty has low km’s for her age, no modifications, airbags and 4wd. We are going to have lots and lots and lots of adventures.
I am very scared the car will proof to be a complete failure, but we’ll see. So far the first 5 kilometers I drove went smooth (although of course I do need to practice shifting gears, with the wrong hand too, but that was one of the reasons to get this car too). The next drive planned is to salsa tomorrow and then probably to the airport within the next 2 weeks to collect a certain someone called Thomas …
