Introducing The Titanic aka The Beast...and other things.

I've got so many things to write about that I don't even know where to start. I suppose the first thing I should do is introduce our new home to everyone. Mr. Green (Kyle) might have a more detailed first story to tell so all I'm going to do here is put a picture up of our camper-van, and write a very quick and brief write-up of what we've been up to. More detailed stories will follow (I promise!)

Everyone, meet our old new home on wheels. 

We haven't agreed on what to call it. Kyle calls it The Titanic because it drives like one. I call it The Beast because it sounds more affectionate (and cute) than The Titanic (cold and not very cosy). 

We got The Titanic @ The Beast on Monday from an old couple who used it for six months. I'm going to be very frank here. It was a stinky mess when we got it. Layers of dust, dirt and grime covered almost every surface of it. We got it anyway. Mostly because we needed it, but also because despite the dirt it had everything we needed for our trip. So we agreed that all it really needed was lots of scrubbing, cleaning and TLC. 

So that's what we've been doing the last few days. Which is why we haven't been able to update (sorry!). We parked for two days and cleaned and scrubbed 'til the skin on our hands fell off (not kidding). I have never used so much Dettol or Jif in my life! The Titanic @ The Beast is now clean (at least, on the inside) and (yeay) sanitised. 

Camper-van life...well we haven't been driving around much, having spent the last few days cleaning, but we have realised that much of the RV/Motor-home community we've seen so far consists of erm...a much older crowd of people. We parked at a Motor-home site to do our cleaning, and from observing the other Motor-home/camper-van owners, we've come to the realisation that unless we were creative with how we use our time living in our van, we wouldn't be doing much else other than driving up to sites, setting up our van, eating, sleeping and occasionally straying a small distance to do some hiking or exploring on foot. It could get boring. Who am I kidding? It will get boring. We'd be bored out of our minds! What kind of living would that be? 

As much as we both like traveling and exploring, I think I speak for the both of us when I say that we also need to feel like we're doing something with ourselves. Accomplishing goals, growing, contributing to and being fully functional members of society. So in addition to traveling around New Zealand on wheels, we've taken it upon ourselves, the challenge of not only traipsing around the country, but making a real living out of it. To invent a lifestyle and occupation out of traveling and a living that cannot be called frivolous, insignificant or irresponsible. Or at least, we'll try our very best to. Living out of a van isn't exactly what you'd call very stable and it makes for some hardship and a lot of frustration when you're trying to do all that and more. We'll see what happens. 

Here's where we stopped on our second night of owning The Titanic @ The Beast. It's called Bethel's Beach and is directly west of Auckland. 

We've been having quick lil' meals in our van. Haven't quite gotten the stove working just yet. Here's what we've survived on this week :o). Cheese, gherkins (sweet ones. I'm going to write a whole other blog entry on New Zealand food. Of course. I am Malaysian after all and good food is a very integral part of our culture) and crackers.