Living on the Road

As things would have it, 10 days before our scheduled departure from Texas, Tony’s appendix decided that it no longer wanted to be a part of him and must be taken out.  I am sure that normally an emergency appendectomy is a pretty inconveniencing, but right before moving to New Zealand it is flat out chaotic.  We had to delay the trip by the week due to doctor’s orders, which is why we arrived on Nov. 29th. Due to this surgery, he is unable to lift more than 20 lbs until January. All of these things made our plans change, as most well thought (or not so well thought) plans will. Instead of getting to New Zealand and finding a job, this leaves us a month to camp and play until he can use enough ab force to do some good old fashion work! Now I know to most people that driving around a mini-van, camping from site to site, sounds like a pretty easy lifestyle, it has not always been a “walk in the park” as you would say.
    Due to the lack of ability to work for the moment, we our on a good old fashion backpacking budget.  We do the best to find free camping, but most of the sites are so far off the road that it isn’t worth it in gas money, since gas is double the price of fuel in the states at a whopping $2.12 per liter. Otherwise campsites range from $6-$15 a night per person, which doesn’t sound like a huge expense, but it adds up over time. Tonight we are splurging on a Kiwi campground in Nelson again (at $17pp), for our weekly shower and to stock up on groceries and get some internet time. Tony and I are pretty cheap people and sometimes it goes a little too far, for instance our laundry is attempting to dry on a line in the mist outside instead of spending $3 on a dryer, lets hope it quits raining outside.
    If there is one thing I am sure of, New Zealand is expensive. Our $1 is worth $1.20 here, so we actually gain a little on the exchange rate, but it does not make up for their cost of living. A hostel room is at least $26 per person, so that means that Tony and I can share a room with 4 other people for $50 a night. Hotels and B&B’s are at least $120 a night on average, so we have not had that comfort yet. A cup of tea or coffee is $3.70 minimum, with a latte being at least $4.70. And don’t even get me started on their WiFi. Every coffee shop here gives you a voucher with a purchase to use the internet for ½ hour to an hour, it is never free. Some places even make you purchase internet time at $5 an hour, even after you have bought an outrageous cup of coffee. The only places with free WiFi is the library and McDonalds (for an hour). A dozen eggs ranges from $4-$8 and one chicken breast is $8 at the grocery store. Needless to say that money does not last here and we have eaten a lot of Ramen noodles (they even have baked ones that aren’t fried!). However once we start working in January, things should even out as their minimum wage is $13.50 an hour compared to the US at $7.30. We are hoping to find jobs fruit picking (strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, apples, or vineyards) for about a month, then take some more time off to travel further south and start working again when we need to. 
    But after taking everything into consideration, it is pretty amazing opportunity we have. Although we cannot go see all of the sites that we would like to due to gas prices, entry costs, or Tony being unable to put a pack on and tramp into the woods for some scenery, we still have had some great views and even some sunny days.