Ah Friday morning in sleepy Picton – coffee in Gusto cafe, French toast with bacon and banana all dressed up with maple syrup and a berry compote – stunning. Coffee I’m sorry to say was a poor, flat white more white than flat but the long black had a great taste to it, must have been the pressure or a lack of beans in the first one, I’ll call it my 1-100 bad coffee – funny that I think it’s been a 100 days that i left London, Phileas Fogg’s record is safe from the Doyle’s!
So its about time I did my admin work, I tried to do some ‘work’ during the week and failed miserably – catching up with a friend in California on skype (Feeling so international!) So it gets to departure day from the south island I’ve got nothing planned – best crack on then!
I’ve to to do a road trip of the north island in just over two weeks, I have Wanaka to thank for keeping me so long! The bus will take about a year to see the island, only one train line so that won’t work and two fucked knees. I need a car.
A call into the bank to see how my funds are looking as It’s mainly outgoings at the moment but all is reviled to be good so best plan for a nice bottle of vino to go with Friday fish dinner and get searching as the decision on the car is vital.
I’m sorry to say and I will admit to this now, I’ve got the wrong car! As the Red Barron always says to me when I buy a new car “yea its fcukin schweet dude bit its going to end in tears” I pray for no moments like the early morning jaunt to Goodwood where Red down shifted fourth to third and Rhonda let a Medusa like scream out as she hit the 9k red line limit of the vtec, let’s say around the upper high teens number flashed up on the speedo then he tipped it into a very slight left – I felt the last five letters which were stamped on the drain gutter vibrate through the seat, let’s say it’s was close to the kerb a fraction or two more and the and the gutter stamp would make more sense than ‘ucked – thankfully we were not!
But taking the wrong option seems to be a recurring theme for me at the moment, Beyonce was the right girl we just met at the wrong time – looking back on it the owner started great guns in Aus picking up from last year when I was on a bike every moment of the day thanks to “gardening leave”, but the sun came first so I sat on a beach, then the rain came so i sat on my arse – not much prep work went in. Excuses no, not looking or providing any just highlighting the lack of a p-l-a-n.
No my choices..
The mustang was not going to happen wrong colour and it was a convertible so no if I’m going to tick the Steve McQueen road trip it has to be a GT 390 in return I was offered a ‘down’ pimped Elinor but it was lowered with high polished Chrome rims it wasn’t right!
The E-Type was a series 2 convertible in blue not bad it looked right but the $750 per day price took the piss and the mg midget price of $350 was again too much for 13 days – anything else European is a fortune and not much to chose from! Typical car hire standard of euro ‘jimmy choo shoe’ boxes; BMW Z4/Audi TT/Porsche Boxer all in automatic option only!
Next anything Aussie or even America cool 50’s style like what I saw In the toy and transport museum in Wanaka could work, but nadda nothing found so with a budget of either a kings ransom or a daft mileage limit the option were coming down quickly to things like Infinity G35 the Nissan 350 was the same cost as the engine size – I’ve always wanted to try that V6 It’s supposed to be a peach but the body or package it comes with is wrong but you forgive it because of that engine but not at that rental price. (Or the badge) After that a string of cars made by companies that I have absoultly no interest in talking/typing or even thinking about – for me its like wine, life it to short to have the shit stuff!
Oh god am I actually going to admit to this – I’ve slumped for the what the bank account will allow or the best of a shit list – MX5 2.0ltr manual (oh even now typing this I know its sooo wrong) I wanted the older model 1.8ltr which is the purer option and lighter one but the only manual left was painted in a Union Jack with the number plate of ‘shagmobile’ – I am not kidding either! Like wise with the older 2.0ltr model were all out – there must been some annual holiday trip for the ‘hairdressers of Auckland’ on at the moment – but brave hairdressers all the same they went for manual not the auto!
So what’s the plan well a party weekend in Wellington a quick flight to pick up the car from Auckland, again my rule is if you rent a car you fly onto to collect it the day will come when I can drop in via a Cessna and jump into the classic, but a 60 minute Jetstar will do for me – for now! grab the keys and head north I hope for Sun and roads are like the south island – if the roads are right the car will shine and I’ll make sure I don’t go past big shop windows with the roof down!
Doyle what have you gone and done!?!?
the bean hunter 