I had just spent four days moving. Two days in Hamilton, two days in Palmy. A week of chilling in A camper was sounding good. Plus This one was going to be easy we were seasoned grey nomads. We had the camper van life sussed. Third times a charm. A myriad of tui billboard ads come to mind.
We had a plan. A good plan. Pick up the camper, not the old grunter model but the newer flasher model, no manky curtains or dodgy toilets for us. It would be easy as no orientation required, we knew our stuff. We had a plan. Head to Arthur’s pass enjoying the scenery, taking picture postcard shots and arriving at Jackson’s retreat where we walk the old quartz mine trail, check out the glow worm walk at night, then do the waterfall track in the morning.
I forgot the travel mantra of, “go with the flow” and breathe. First I lost my watch then I got the camera out to make sure it was primed and ready for action only to find I had forgotten the charger. We head to pick up the camper and the pick up takes forever. An empty terminal soon filled and somehow we seemed to get to the back of queue but all was good as when we finally got the keys we could miss the tour until I opened the fridge and the pungent odour leapt out the door …… it was a sign and I should of paid attention as I pointed out the mould and rotting spills on the fridges shelves.
He offered to send it back to detailing and get it cleaned and assured me it has been cleaned as it had been ticked. Well if it’s been ticked then it must be good and by now I am so over it that I just wanted to leave.
A brief handover ensued but with fridge BO still hanging in the air I asked for cleaning product and was given a pack of wet wipes and a squirt bottle of yellow stuff that didn’t squirt.
Did I mention it was raining. Pouring actually. On the road again.
Missed the turn off for the supermarket. Stopped at the four square, ouch. Drove through the picturesque Arthur’s Pass, or at least I am sure it would of been had the rain, mist and fog cleared.
we arrive at our campground and are met by the lovely owner and we park up with the plan of having a better day tomorrow as at least the forecast is for sunshine.
We step out of our camper and in a break in the rain we go to put the awning down so we can move in and out without getting soaked every time we open the door. Problem is the awning came out, a little bit, but didn’t go back. Not forward, not backward, nothing. It was all bundled up at one end and was obvious that it was never going to work. Guess they ticked that too.
There is no cell phone coverage here so WH heads up the office and rings the 24 hour 0800 help line and they will pass on the message to the team in the morning but hey if we want we can ring back then. Morning comes and at 8, WH wanders back to the lovely lady in the office and the 24hr assistance doesn’t begin until 8.30.
with contact made and an AA man dispatched there is nothing more to do than the washing of course and walk the waterfall track.
So here I sit people, 60 kms from Hokitika waiting for an AA man to come and perform miracles on our broken, lopsided half in half out awning and then we can get on the road again.
