Me + T-Rex

Hey everyone!

I've been moving south for several days now, and finally have got some wifi and time to share some updates. First and foremost, I'm pleased to announce I'm a van life convert. Van life is the best! Why wouldn't you want to be able to just drive your bed around with you? My eyes have been opened. I have seen the light- and surprise, it's just the musty headlights shining from my 2009 Toyota Estima. Hell yeah.

Anyways, I picked up T-Rex on Tuesday from Auckland and promptly hopped on the highway. Things have thinned out considerably outside of Auckland, with less towns, people, and traffic. A blessing, with a menace like me on the roads! Driving on the left has been easier to adjust to than I thought. The roads are well marked for all us idiot tourists driving around, and I've only got a couple dirty looks. I'm thankful I'm no stranger to mountain roads, because the narrow and more windy routes down the island are a bigger problem for some people then driving on the left.

It's also been a pleasure to grocery shop and cook from my little camp cookstoves! So much produce is grown on the island, and the food and fruit is all so fresh. Yesterday, while waiting in line to board the ferry with all the other vehicles, a woman walked around just passing out fat watermelon slices she was trying to get rid of. Sorry, are you kidding me? Yes I would love some watermelon slices, thank you very much.

I've gotten in a good rhythm with my campsites as well. For the rest of my trip I've booked out Department of Conservation campsites (which usually run 15-20 NZD a night), with the occasional nicer stop for a shower. I've found this great chain of holiday campsites that have consistently incredible water pressure and are absolutely spotless. So far, the most troublesome night I've had has been last night, after getting off the Wellington Ferry at midnight and then making my way to a campsite. The original campsite I had planned to go to was all locked up, so I had to rework my plan and find another one. But then, I saw a kiwi bird on the road driving to my second site!! Thank goodness I didn't run it over- New Zealand would never have me back. That marks my first and last time night driving here!

There is also dead possums all over the road, as they've got quite the possum epidemic here. Some of the world is trying to be carbon neutral by 2050, but not New Zealand. This island wants to be possum free by 2050. It's an entire government initiative with like 20,000 employees. Their possums have evolved into this weird super rodent that is about twice the size of a regular possum, and has become carnivorous. Possums have been decimating local kiwi populations, and other native species, by eating the animals and their eggs. Somehow, all this is true along with the fact that a sweater made of possum-merino wool is like 200 USD? Girl, you just told me you have 30 million possums on this island. I know that sweater is made of roadkill! Why does this sweater cost so damn much? My apologies to anyone who I waxed poetic too about a merino possum sweater. I will not be bringing any home.

Anyways!

I've got a great route mapped out for the next week and half. My time will be split in six national parks, which is just phenomenal. I can promise my photos are about to get significantly more impressive.