The Long, Long Trailer

For those of you who haven't seen The Long Long Trailer starring Lucile Ball and Desi Arnez it is a must see to have some understanding of our experience in Betty . For the readers who don't know her, she's our old RV which we took to drive across New Zealand. Our journey was not nearly as disaster filled as theirs but when Lucille tries to cook in the back of the trailer, that we can somewhat relate to.

Riding along in the back seat of Betty makes it hard to enjoy the scenery. With the suspension shot every time you hit the slightest bump it is multiplied by ten in the back. Riders are prone to car sickness. So instead of enjoying the beauty that makes up New Zealand you are more likely to by laying down listening to your i-pod with you eyes closed trying not to barf. There is also the matter of devices broken. Such as the fact that the table does not stay up but instead wobbles from side to side and is ridiculously hard to remove. Or that when we parked at the Bumbles Hostel in Queenstown, the water tank emptied its contents all over the parking lot. Or that when there are sudden stops or turns your likely to slide forward a few inches because the seat belts don't stay. Or as we were driving through the small town of Oamaru the temperature gauge suddenly went from warm to beyond hot. But the lovely people of New Zealand pulled through once again and quickly fixed the engine in no time flat - no charge. To Betty's credit she kept us mostly dry, her brakes work and she bears no resemblance to a rental vehicle so we don't look like a driving billboard, just some crazy tourists. This has not changed the way we feel about New Zealand. It is one of the loveliest places on earth with some of the friendliest people you will ever meet in your natural born life. But heed the warning to this tale, should you ever rent an RV, always see the vehicle before you pay.
-Maya