The Arranging of things!

Over the next week I dedicated my time to getting myself sorted as a teacher applying for jobs and finding transport. I looked on the Internet a lot so spent time writing out my cv and making sure I had a decent covering letter. I also searched 'trade me' the NZ equivalent of ebay. Suzie was feeling much better than she was when I first met her and she was there to clean her mothers house from top to bottom. For Penel and given her cash to do so. She often stopped to pour over the vehicles I was looking at for she had a good eye for a second hand car. I eventually found a few that I liked and rang to arranged to test drive them but I could only get through to one. Penel and I went to meet this chap, an Asian guy, and I had a good look at it and I drove it around the block. It was an automatic with the gear shift in the steering block and I felt a little like I was in a bumper car. One peddle to go, one peddle to stop! It wasn't quite right though, it was expensive and the drivers window didn't work so I decided to let it go.
In Auckland there are car fairs and this seemed to be the most logical lace to fine something to suit me. I had decided on a vanette or people carrier because it made sense to pull a bed about with me. They were usually at the weekends on a Saturday in the city and on Sunday they were held at the racecourse. I was on my own at the city car fair and as much as I wanted a car I was preparing myself to walk away without one. I did a quick sweep first, trying not to look to interested in anything while I got my bearings and had a look at the prices. Humm, not cheap! The average price for the vans were about $3000 to $5000. I hadn't been expecting that. I saw a 1991, Nissan people carrier for $2450 and went in for a closer look. I was in reasonable condition and had all its seats this was a novelty for many people carriers had been converted into mobile homes. The vans had had their back seats taken out and replaced by wooden platforms ready for a mattress and other storage areas. Most had curtains and occasionally they had a small safe built in! This car was nearly whole, had all its seats and not to many thousands of kilometers on the clock. The owner came up to me a tall Iranian, he had ample body mass and I could tell he was a dealer ... 'You interested in this car?'
'Maybe' I replied. 'What can you tell me about it?'
He started to go on about how the car was a good buy and it had been brought down in price from $3200. I wasn't interested in that, it was irrelevant to me!
'Yeah okay, but what was the last thing that had gone wrong with it?'
'There is nothing wrong with it' He said, laughing as he said it!
'I mean it is an old car, it can't be entirely original. What was the last thing you replaced?'
'I've replaced nothing!'
'How long have you had it?'
'3 months.'
'Okay, so what was the last thing that the previous owner replaced or mended?'
'Nothing, nothing. It runs fine and it is serviced regularly'
'Humm!' I talked quickly, and to the point.'You mean to tell me that there has been nothing changed, has gone wrong, or has been replaced on this vehicle! Come on it is over 15 years old and has over 160,000 kl s on the clock!'
' No, there is nothing wrong with this car!'
'Okay! Well I need to have a think, I'm not a backpacker I'm here for over a year so I need a car to last. Are you a dealer?'
He told me that he was and that most of the people there selling were dealers. So I took his name (it was Alex)and number and I walked off. I would see him tomorrow at the Sunday car fair.

We walked down the hill to the car fair, Penel had Mojo on a lead and I could see it was going to be another sticky and hot day. He had two cars there that I was interested in. The automatic and another vanette that was a manual car it was more expensive and seemed not massively different to the other one. He boldly walked up to me, called my name and opened his hand. I took it, I was still wary, I was trying to think back to Morocco and the bartering over the bowls, scarves and shoes that I had so successfully won for a close to reasonable price. I wasn't going to be conned, but I so desperately wanted a vehicle, and soon. If I was going to make it to Queenstown for Christmas which was my plan then time was slipping away from me. He showed both cars to me and asked me which one I would like to take for a test drive, I replied that the cheapest first and he laughed. It seemed fine but again it was an automatic and I felt that I needed to control myself, to not use my left foot which felt redundant and twitchy, ready to spring into action when speeding up or encountering a hill. We made it back and Penel noticed that there was bubbling under the paintwork. It was not so hidden rust and if it was so obvious under the paint what would it be like under the chassis? So I went away for a little while and had a think and a wander looking at all the other vans on sale and gave Alex lots of space while he dealt with some other people who were thinking about buying the other van I was thinking about. The people seemed to leave and I went over and asked if I could take this one for a spin. It was altogether tidier and there was very little obvious rust. It was a 5 speed also. I felt much more comfortable and I was in control. Again I walked away... It was more than $500 more than the other one I had to think carefully.
I slept on it and the next day I tried to arrange for a mechanic to take a look at it. If it was sound I was going to just do it. Buy the thing and get on the road. The sooner I left the sooner I could start to explore this country. In the end I spent $2700 on it. It had a few small issues, new rear tyres and a service it needed. The main thing though was that it was mine!! Yippee...

Over the week Penel was very kind to me and fed me and furnished me with every thing I had needed. She had let me use her car and treat her home as my own and this was exactly what I needed. She was my surrogate mother for the week. I e-mailed her niece, Dinda and thanked her for the connection. She was delighted that I was with her family. haha I had a great time with them all, Sues, Frankie and Katie.