The end. The end to months of planning, saving, buying and building. All you doubters can get down off your high-horses. And all you supporters, thanks, why don’t you go grab yourself a horse, a whole herd just opened up. Despite all the nay-sayers, the negativity, the no-you-won’ts and the nuh-uhs, I have done it. I’ve converted a Toyota Hilux Surf, complete with double bed, fridge, gas cooker and secure lock-away expensivities drawer. It took many weeks, most of my money and much of my will power, but I’m 

glad I did it. I narrowly came in well over budget, always needing something else that would define my trip. But I did manage to save something, and as such have left the comforts of home and made it to the beginning of my journey, the Far North. Specifically Pukenui Holiday Park. 

The inaugural leg was pretty uneventful, in spite of being the longest leg of my two-month journey. This was simply a ‘get from A to B’ kind of trip, a prequel to the main event. As such it featured highlights such as: half an hour in stand-still traffic thanks to the hard working road workers of Whangarei, the always forgettable Kaitaia, frequently bypassed Kamo and of course sweet old Kawakawa and it’s famous work of art that sums up the entire town. Yes, if there’s one thing the Far North has to offer, it’s the letter ‘K’. 

One thing of note was a sad, literally life-or-death situation that involved me, a truck and a duck that was fresh out of luck. I was following a truck for a while, I do that sometimes when I’m driving, when suddenly I noticed up ahead something flying off the front of the truck and onto the road behind it. As I got a little closer I noticed it was a duck that had been hit, but not killed. With one wing moving, and a what-just-happened look on its little duck face, it rolled helplessly around on the road. Then, like a truck travelling close to 100kph, it hit me. This duck isn’t going to make it. Should I or shouldn’t I? What if it’s just finding it’s footing? No, I saw it get hit, nothing could survive. But how arrogant to think I have the right to smite. Mighty human with my mighty machine. I swerved. Did I hit it? I don’t know, I think I felt a bump. I did the right thing though, it was in pain, it wouldn’t have made it. Don’t judge me. It all happened in a matter of seconds. That duck would have done the same in my position. I stand by that. Rest in peace my ducky friend.