My first car

I always thought my first car would be awful. I would buy something barely road-worthy and drive it until it became both undrivable and unsellable.

Then I moved to New Zealand and my perceptions started slowly to change. At first, I didn't think I would be able to afford a car. Even though I have a great job, my salary is about half of what I would get in Denmark (sure, lower taxes helps, but still).

As time went by, I discovered, with mild surprise that my colleagues drive very nice cars and in fact it would be fitting for me to drive a proper car. Take that, and add the fact that NZ has almost no tax on cars and suddenly I can seriously consider buying a decent car.

Car fair
I went to the car fair this Sunday, without knowing if I would buy a car or not. No need to hurry with an important decision like this.

The first car we test drove was a Toyota (model?). It felt exactly like expected. Reliable. Heavy. The seller was a nice guy from Fiji, who seemed eager to negotiate for price. My experienced trader friend, Ross, handled that on my behalf. Without wasting any time, he got us a good idea of the actual price of the car before we moved on.

Not a bad car, but the steering is heavy

A couple of short inspections and chats later, we found another car to test drive. Ross was leading the conversation and I stood back looking sceptical. The seller kept on talking about how good it was to drive, but that didn't impress me much. My rational brain told me that a powerful engine doesn't come cheap and there is no need for one in New Zealand, where the maximum speed is 100 km/hour.

Somehow, my reservations disappeared once I got inside the car. The Holden Epica 2010, 2L diesel engine, runs incredibly smooth and accelerates faster than I will ever need. It's got Tiptronic transmission, so I can run it almost like a manual or leave it in automatic as I see fit. There's also cruise control and all the other little benefits of a reasonably new car.

It's a deal

The drawback is that it's got 200.000 k's on it already. It used to be a lease car for Repco, so it has covered some ground in it's short lifetime. I know it's a risk. And I don't like risks. But there's a limit to this one, because the car was so cheap I bought it for cash. Yes, a lot of cash.

I look way too happy

Straight to Piha

So what's the first thing to do when you get a car in Auckland? Go to Piha. Everyone has been telling me about the west coast beaches, but they are completely inaccessible to a carless person. I have wanted to go for a long time, so it was an easy decision for my first small road-trip.

I can't describe my feelings in words here,
the west coast sea does something to me

What a day
Exhausted emotionally, I parked in the driveway outside the house at seven. Just in time for Ross and I to cook dinner for the flat. Sin Yat is going away soon for a holiday in Europe, so it was nice to say goodbye with a meal.