Chapter one, "We're gonna take this damn car down to Invercargill! Or to the gas station next door."
It's around seven a saturday afternoon. It's sunny in 40, Mansel ave. The kids hug Bendik and wave and smile, and such. They drive away.
And stop at the gas station about five-hundred meters away from home. They check the car, and find out something is leaking. A little fountain of an unknown liquid (is it water, oil, beer? Who knows.) pumping out from somewhere in the motor makes Jesper, Hansi and Maria suspicious. Jesper puts a little tube back into a place where it looks like it's supposed to be, and after filling the car up with oil and fuel, they drive away. To ignore the problem is the best solution when you're dealing with the Chariot. The amazing thing about it is that I'm not joking. The chemist and the "media-people" drive towards south west, listening to music and laughing, disappearing in the dark of the night, passing Taupo, still driving southwards.
Chapter two, "Of when they woke up in the middle of somewhere"
The Velvet Underground play Sunday morning, and we open our eyes. We're laying inside the car, the sun is raising. Wellington is not far, the air is cool.
We devour the remaining road, and enter the capital. We book the ferry for tomorrow through the hostel, and suddenly there we are, walking in a whole new world, like those who appear day after day, when you travel from place to place. We enter no museum, we stop under no church. We enter and exit shops and streets, emptying pockets and filling eyes and hands.
We stop in front of a cinema, and a new journey of laughter starts in front of the big screen. Monster Vs. Aliens 3D is definitely recommended. We fall asleep knowing that a ferry and a whole island are waiting for us tomorrow.
Chapter three, "The narrow streets of Wellington and the dark ones of Picton"
Wellington is the most windy city I've ever seen. The clouds fly by like birds on red bull. The kids leave the hostel for a last tour through what we still see as a pretty chaotic city. I like though, it's a chill chaos.
Hansi, Jesper and I walk through shops and streets again, up narrow and strange stairways, clicking and pulling focus though tagged walls and autumn-painted leaves.
The chariot gets packed and ready to float. At six O'clock the Jespers sir drive the car into the ferry, and the waterrooute is set, destination: Picton, South Island.
Our first thought when we bought the ferry ticket was "Ooh, yeah! Leaving at six p.m. we get to see the sunset on Cook Strait!". Yeah right.
A few minutes later we're floating in what I'd call with little or no doubt "pitch black". We don't really get to see anything at all after leaving Wellington. The view of the city at night from the sea is pretty cool though.
We drive through Blenheim to drive towards the Abel Tasman and Nelson (it takes me a little while to get that we're driving in the wrong direction).
After being stopped by the police because of not turning the lights on after having stopped for a little while in the center of town, we get on the right route again. Westwards!
