Alpha Patrol

Delta One Niner, this is Alpha Patrol !

Auckland. City of the sails. As soon as I landed from New Caledonia, I had to take care of my car and to sell it. I didn't want to spend my last kiwi week on that and was quite relieved to sell it quickly. For the first time the day before I wached it and discovered it's hidden beauty. But such a strange feeling... If there is one feeling above all the other to describle my car, it would be freedom. All this year, having this car was being free, to move where I wanted to and to do whatever I wanted. And quoting Jack Sparrow, "what the Pearl truly is... is freedom".

Igor, Guerge and another chap.
I sold the car to 3 Romanian guys freshly arrived in NZ and ready to tour around. Right from Dracula's den, coming out from an eastern europe cheap movie, with big tressed beards and strong accent, when I saw them I thought they were exactly the right guys! As unexpected as friendly. I took a picture of them in front of their new car, and I could feel my heart beats on the last glance I gave to my beloved car.

I walked back to the hostel with a french girl who was interested in my car but couldn't afford it and we had a long chat on the way. I couldn't be sure if she was more interested in the car or in me, but what's for sure is that she didn't get any. She was such a mess!

Tauranga.
Saturday afternoon I took a bus and headed there, not in the mood to stay in Auckland all week. I met Mathieu and my former boss at the Gold Mela restaurant where I worked back last winter. Then we both went for a drive to Taupo, New Zealand skydiving mecca. My head already in the sky, I've been told I couldn't do it as too dangerous to my ears. I'm subject to ear problems and already broke my eardrum twice. Doing this would break it again as they told me. So I had to make a choice. I could have jumped. My ear would hurt badly for 3 days but I didn't really care. What I cared about was loosing earing and the fact that one week later I had a 24 hours plane trip back home and I didn't want not to be able to do it. Jamais 2 sans 3... Well, then let's say I just delayed the third time for another stupid thing...

So I stayed on the ground. Now I'm in Mount Maunganui, next to Tauranga, at friends place I met tramping last April and where I stayed already for a while. Such a cool family, my NZ home in a way. I had a late spa under the storm yesterday evening, an early walk on the beach today, and I'm heading back to auckland right now. Just enough time to drink a Montheith's and a good Mac's Gold before...

Roger that Alpha Patrol, this is One Niner. I got an O.K. on your position.