Episode 3 What I have learnt since being on the road

Freelance Nomad Episode 3:

What I have learnt since being on the road:

Car Parks are my friend - but I always thought they were just somewhere to put your vehicle whilst otherwise occupied by going about a “normal” life.

An interesting feeling, to get your PJs on, brush your teeth, in what is basically a car park, to live in a car park . . . Make your tea, wash up, put the telly on - in a car park . . .

Sounds awful but not that bad actually considering its free and also considering the the alternative of “normal living”.

At least I can move on, I can change the view, I can change the neighbours.

Feels surreal that I can release the hand brake and go . . . . take my home anywhere I choose.

Stop, stay, enjoy, move on, explore . . .

Top Tips from the frontline:

Rays Rest, Miranda Thames

Time: Take your time it’s not a race, it’s a way of life, a journey . . .

NZMCA: NZMCA parks, read the rules and abide if at all possible, at all times . . . seems some people have a hobby to find fault with any and everything, a newbies worst nightmare!

Planning: Plan ahead over tea n toast in the morning, rough out a plan, plus plan B.

There is more than a few times already I have kept driving not just because I like driving my VW but because the planned stop felt uncomfortable for an unspecified reason. Then you gotta find a dump & fill up water again, so planning ahead pays off.

Thinking: Don’t over think it . . . not had a problem yet finding a safe haven. Once the blinds are down, the lights on, you are as snug as a bug - does it really matter where you are ?

Laundry: A definite need - find a laundrette or pull into a campsite and spoil your self with long hot showers and all the other facilities maybe once every week/10 days or so.

Shopping: Go Shopping in new towns, new places - it can be fun . . .

Explore the town, take time to see whats there, no I mean really there . . . . we breeze through too fast too often.

Exercise: Break out the bike or walking boots, enjoy fresh air and exercise, if nothing else gives you an excuse to chill out later.

Social: Be brave, go out say hello to the neighbours, it usually results in an interesting conversation at least.

Or possibly an advisory telling off in the nicest possible way at worst (so far)  . . . In my case for parking like the last occupant of that space (parallel NOT perpendicular to the boundary - OMG!) A most heinous crime in the book of NZMCA, doesn’t matter that this was NOT an NZMCA park but a public space in a TCDC area  . . . I was still tarred with the rebellious brush of an infidel. Giggle . . .  hides and runs away . . . .

Grumpy: Ignore the grumpy Gits who could spoil anything, even a fresh fruit salad, you will meet them in all strata of society and walks of life.

Damage: A stone chip, a lorry flipped me a stone or two, on the way back from Raglan, I heard it but didn’t notice anything until Hamilton. Huge stone chip mid windscreen, COVI came to the party and covered it. A BIG thanks to Novus Hamilton for fixing it super fast.

Water: Why is potable water from a decent tap hard to find and or hard to reach . . . Whats with the stupid press button taps? I got 300 lt tank, guess how long I will have to lean on that button . . . .  I’m not doing it, gone else where, just maybe, that is what they want?

Dumping: Other peoples poop, look now there is no getting away from it, thats what your looking at . . . please folks who ever you are wash down the dump station before leaving - groan.

Neighbours: Sorry got to mention it, I have a new pet hate  - Noisy whizz bang tourist camper vans, that creep in after I have settled in for the duration. Sounds snooty and elitist I know, but, for the love of what ever gods are appropriate out there, please, do you really have to open and close that fecking sliding door so loudly 100 times a night and talk so loud. Also when there is acres of space to park up just inches from my rig?

On the road: Letting the impatient masses pass, travelling happily along at 85kph to reduce speed to almost nothing at the glimpse of a suitable pull over, feck no, you have a chance if I’m currently doing less than 60, I’ll consider it but when barrelling down the road at full pelt do you think its a good idea to stamp on the brakes? Wrecks my fuel consumption if nothing else.

Food: Cooking from scratch, is a joy with ingredients sourced locally, seasonally, and with plenty of time to plan & prepare.

Rubbish: Recycling, not been so good of late. Once upon a time I was the diligent type to separate everything, even the organic waste to top up the compost heap. No longer, it seems very hard on the road to find bottle banks or recycling stations, never mind basic rubbish bins sometimes.

Respect: Have seen it three times now in just 6 weeks, a local (non camper) pee in the bushes instead of using local facilities nearby, no wonder it’s the campers who get the blame.

The Worst so far:

Dump station pressure, yes, it happened again, another impatient camper pressurising, causing me to forget to empty my rubbish and not completely filling my fresh water tank.

The Best:

Waking to sunlight & bird song when I am ready, opening the blind to a vista of natural loveliness or the occasional car park. Walking in nature and having time to enjoy.

Sunset in Raglan Rugby Grounds

Episode two - the adventure begins

Freelance Nomad Chronicles Episode 2

Single woman of a certain age . . .

on liquidating a Sticks & Bricks life to go on the road NZ.

 “Haven’t had this much excitement

since Christmas 1972”

Just one key left on the keyring:

Leaving Whangamata early morning October 4th with a single a car key. No house key, no work key, no other keys. Just all my chattels and worldly goods crammed into the back of my dear old ute. A vintage 1990 Toyota Surf, ahhh we have such fond memories together.  It was low mileage, one careful Lady owner, full service history - honest !

Traded in for a whole bunch of keys and a my new way of life.

An apartment on wheels that is so ridiculously easy to drive, thanks VW

The TrailLite Oakura 300+ on the all New VW Chassis.

When you mature, you know, get old, or even older still, even, what is there to get personally and proper excited about? That tiny frisson of excitement at the local club or RSA raffle? The odd Lotto ticket? Opening a parcel all the way from Wales UK from my Mum, that even smells like her kitchen?

By jove, sure had my share this week! Better than Christmas 1972 when my brother got a new bike and got to have his hand me down Raleigh chopper!

Because it was finally the hand over & moving in day, what a buzz!

Just a few firsts:

My first for me:

Owning & driving a Motor Home. Traillite.co.nz

Had done the caravan thing way back in the mists of time with the lads, when they were small and angelic. A Bailey Beach Comber caravan an entry level match box flimsy, mechano  kit chassis . . . yeah, you got the drift.

Kerstin my lovely TrailLite mentor, showed me the ropes, but also thankfully a pile of manuals (you have heard the mantra “RTFM” - Read The Flipping Manual) however this time with the leisure time to read them.

A First for TrailLite:

New 300+ series on the VW:  I got two lovely young men from VW, showing me all the features the vehicle, telling me this is the first VW Crafter (new version) motorhome conversion in NZ. Loving the lane assist and huge infotainment screen, full of pulling power and comfy too.

First RedArc:

The lovely young man from RedArc telling me this is the first RedArc Redvision control system installation in a TrailLite. Amazingly its got this real cool app, which allows me to monitor my batteries, solar and tanks remotely, fancy that, and turn things on & off from a distance. Nice easy colour graphics to see whats happening on board.

First drive:

So car like!  Since I’m so used to my crusty old Ute, the new cab is like the command deck of the starship enterprise, no kidding, “beam me up Scotty”.

First for Navigation:

Just plugged in my phone and it talked to my VW, big screen with surround sound navigation - awesome. Like having a co pilot but they don’t argue or answer back but can’t open and close the gates or watch you back that is the job of the duel reversing cameras.

First night:

Pleasant surroundings very friendly staff and neighbours.

Pukekohe A & P Showgrounds - oh the trains, a great place for train spotters.

First NZMCA park:

Ardmore Airfield. Met Colin & Nancy, who very helpfully pointed out that my wee blue sticker was not in evidence.

OOpsy, but lots of top tips from them though, brilliant!

First Dump station:

Twas day 5, “she’s full laddie she canneee take anymore laddie” . . . . pulled into the Thames public dump station then made classic rookie mistakes (plural) despite watching those videos on You Tube . . . groan.

Do you really want to know about it? Yes, thought so . . .

like not getting the cassette tube thingy into the main drain hole thingy and forgetting to lift the grill, no gloves on either to do so . . . . worse still a bloke hanging around while I try wash away and hide my doings. The bloke was a good natured but impatient caravaner. He pulls up as I start my run, so to speak, who is not prepared to hang back and wait, walks up and puts his cassette down alongside so that totally put me right off it did, all of a tiswas, I was, no wonder it all turned to custard . . .  no need for pictures, mental imagery will suffice.

So now today marks 12 days into the adventure and an adventure it is, ready to write episode 3 - loving it!

Tales of a Freelance Nomad

Christina Scurr 

The Epiphany

Single woman of a certain age . . .

on liquidating a Sticks & Bricks life to go on the road NZ.

Did you ever get fed up with paying bills? The mortgage, the rates, the insurance & all the other outgoings. Did that drain all the fun out of life and stop you actually living?

The Epiphany, was the third in my life . . . . to work less and live more.

The first epiphany led to divorce in 2002 . . . should have done it sooner (18yr sentence but two lovely handsome Son’s to be proud of)

The second led to emigration from Wales to NZ . . . with both sons Russell and Gareth back in 2010, a good move!

The third and hopefully final, came over Christmas 2017.

Whilst Sweating (oh sorry, ladies just glow) in the summer heat, working at the Beach in Whangamata, part time - four days a week selling bait, tackle, LPG refills and general hire. Every other moment was spent tending to my real business as a professional picture framer from my studio at home (but, I’m an just an Artist really honest! ) 

However the picture framing industry at the beach did fluctuate a little too much seasonally, to make the bank comfortable, therefore a job of some sort was required. As you may or may not know a single female of a certain age is lucky to get a mortgage, TBH, so thank you BNZ.  The sobering realisation that I would have to keep working like that for another 20 odd years to pay off the home loan in order to live in my 3 bed house at the beach and that to be honest it was now far too big for me, it was an empty nest, my fledglings flown.

Burdens: It’s not just the bills being a burden, it’s the gardening, I love growing my own organic food, but it is a full time job. The lawns, the maintenance, it is so much space to fill, to clean and to look after.

In recent years I noticed that I tended to live in just two rooms, what more did I need?  After over five years in that house there were bookshelves, decor, stuff, more stuff, even whole rooms almost untouched or needed in all that time.

What I need is enough, not more or different, but, just enough . . .

Next?

The ideas came & went like the tide in the night, all carefully considered of course . . . 

 Just Downsize - Nah, still got home loan & bills to pay, still no time for fishing 

Errm, Tiny House - Nah, hard to move around, change the scenery, work from, still no time for fishing.

Sell up and buy a slice of land - Build a studio (work & income) and live in a caravan - Nah too expensive, so, not round here . . . where then? Somewhere, but do I really need to work all the hours and still have no time for fishing? 

Hmmm, Motor Home, RV, Bus, Camper Van whatever you like to call them . . . . Yeah? Nah? Pro’s Con’s - Mobile, self contained, few bills, would have to give up my precious studio space and sell the business, could freelance work for the next few years until investments mature to provide an income. Happy to work here and there, because I want to, not have to.

Hmmmm, lets run the numbers on that one . . . so I did, the numbers added up.

So, being awesomely inspired by people who have actually done it and are still doing it, happily and successfully. I have to give my thanks to:

Riches Have Wheels https://www.facebook.com/richeshavewheels/

Bus Life NZ https://buslifenz.com

Traveling K http://travellingk.com

The Bus NZ http://thebus.nz

Last but not least: Timber Hawkeye (Buddhist Boot Camp) https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com

Liquidating my assets!

Epiphany at Christmas, by June the house is sold, sold the business, sold all my stuff, thats actually lots of stuff. Having shipped a forty foot container full of a four bed late Victorian Manse and Studio workshop from Wales to NZ 2010, there was lets be honest lots of stuff. 

Local Face Book Buy Sell was my friend, listed one minute gone the next. Sounds hard, but it was all very easy and so liberating. Absolutely liberating, like sloughing of an invisible skin. Maybe that was the shell of normality going, going, gone. No more sticks and bricks, hello New Zealand lets go explore.

In what then?

Where to start:

There are plenty of words written about how to choose a motor home considerations are not least of all the budget.  

Layout - I started there . . . that bit is pretty easy. A big comfy bed, always there to lounge on, nap on, snuggle down in.

Kitchen - an oven, a decent hob, some space. I like to cook from scratch, so I know whats in my food, that takes a little space and some equipment. Too many of the European Motor homes (in my humble Opinion) had not enough space available for this important part of living in a minimalistic way.

Then I looked online, at loads, heaps, masses, of available Motorhomes in NZ.  I did not want second hand, didn’t want used, unless pristine, because there is always a reason why a vehicle is being traded, my concerns were about reliability and unseen condition. 

The Funny thing is, after so much research I narrowed it down to a short list of three, then eventually stepped into what I thought was going to be my prime contender only to be disappointed with the build quality. Rapidly followed by chassis, servicing, getting parts, etc. For me it was all about getting  the near perfect vehicle/home on wheels with all the warranties, back up and more. 

Now arrrgghh! The Wait . . .

Just one catch, even when you make a decision you got to wait.

My choice of choices, after much deliberating over pro’s con’s advantages, cost, benefits analysis and many, many short lists, getting shorter, was . . . . drum roll please . . . .

TrailLite :

Yes, I know! Not the cheapest on the market, hopelessly over my initial budget of $100-120k but, when your living in it, not just weekending you have to get it right, right? Something that will not need upgrading or tinkering with in the near future, fully warranted and guaranteed. Lets hope - I’m right (wink!)

I signed on the dotted line back at the Covi Motorhome show back in March for the all new TrailLite 300+ Oakura on the VW Crafter Chassis. 

Currently I am house sitting for friends, working on my rest & relaxation techniques and of course fishing . . . will be on the road October 2018, so watch this space for updates.

TrailLite Oakura 300+ on VW Crafter chassis in construction August/September 2018 

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