We didn't find out we'd been the lucky recipients of a speeding ticket until it came time for us to return our rental car. The conversation between us and the friendly girl in the rental car agency went something like this:
"It looks like you got a speeding ticket."
"No we didn't."
(Reading from a computer screen) "It says here you did."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Well, how much is it for?"
"It depends on how fast you were going."
"Okay. How would I know how fast I was going if I don't know where I got the ticket?"
As it turns out, the brand new Motorway up in the Auckland area (which, coincidentally, is where we also likely cost the New Zealand government several dollars in 1-800 call fees to pay a NZ$2 toll), has cameras that can photograph and, apparently, record the speed of your car. Kiwis that are caught speeding by this system get a ticket and a bill for a fine in the mail few days after the infraction.
Now we finally understand why everybody was driving so slowly on one of the only sections of New Zealand's highway system where you can actually go really fast. Obviously, these people live in fear of the secret traffic police!
You might think, from our reaction, that Laura and I have read 1984 just a few too many times. But it is worth noting that very few communities in the USA would tolerate this form of policing and the invasion of privacy that it would necessarily entail.
And when we found out about this ticket, I'll admit that I briefly thought to myself, "Hehe, too bad, suckers!! I'm on a plane in another hour and half. I'm outta here!"
But I want to be able to come back to New Zealand some day. And then we also realized that the rental agency, which would otherwise get stuck with the bill, has our credit card information. Oh well.
We still don't know how fast we were going, where our alleged infraction actually occurred, or what the fine will be. So I guess we'll just wait for Big Brother to tell us what we owe.
Anyway, here is our advice to you if you're planning a trip to New Zealand. Don't speed in Auckland or the surrounding area. They'll get you.
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
A Tourist's Guide to New Zealand Road Signs
While we're on the subject of driving, here's a collection of some of the more interesting road and traffic signs we saw on our nearly 3,700 mile (6,000k) drive throughout New Zealand. We've supplied explanations where neccesary.
One of the more mundane "curve ahead" signs that we saw on our various drives. If I remember correctly, this one was yet another example of Kiwi understatement.
Dan found these signs particularly interesting. But don't get too excited--they simply warn drivers that there's a bumpy road coming up.
This next one I think you can figure out on your own:
Nearly every town of nearly every size across New Zealand featured signs like these, notifying drivers of public toilets, camping facilities and picnic areas.
Laura's favorite sign. Could you imagine a "When Frosty" sign in the USA?
Warning: Rockvalanche.
The famous One Lane Give Way signs. This sign tells you that a one-lane road (or more likely a one-lane bridge) is coming up, and the oncoming traffic has the right of way.
Just in case you are unsure about which side of the road to drive on. I'll admit that as lifetime right-side-of-the-road drivers, there were times when we were unsure:
Some of the bridges can be a bit rickety in New Zealand, particularly in the less-populated regions of the South Island.
Yet another One Lane Give Way sign. There are hundreds of bridges just like this one scattered all over the country.
Another excellent example of Kiwi understatement.
Parking signs. This one says you can park for up to 10 minutes between the arrows.
One of Dan's favorites. Some New Zealand roads are made of gravel, or of small pebbles essentially sealed to the road with tar. This sign warns drivers to slow down so their tires won't kick up loose pebbles into other cars.
Free coffee for drivers. Is this country a paradise or what?
One of the more mundane "curve ahead" signs that we saw on our various drives. If I remember correctly, this one was yet another example of Kiwi understatement.
Dan found these signs particularly interesting. But don't get too excited--they simply warn drivers that there's a bumpy road coming up.
This next one I think you can figure out on your own:
Nearly every town of nearly every size across New Zealand featured signs like these, notifying drivers of public toilets, camping facilities and picnic areas.
Laura's favorite sign. Could you imagine a "When Frosty" sign in the USA?
Warning: Rockvalanche.
The famous One Lane Give Way signs. This sign tells you that a one-lane road (or more likely a one-lane bridge) is coming up, and the oncoming traffic has the right of way.
Just in case you are unsure about which side of the road to drive on. I'll admit that as lifetime right-side-of-the-road drivers, there were times when we were unsure:
Some of the bridges can be a bit rickety in New Zealand, particularly in the less-populated regions of the South Island.
Yet another One Lane Give Way sign. There are hundreds of bridges just like this one scattered all over the country.
Another excellent example of Kiwi understatement.
Parking signs. This one says you can park for up to 10 minutes between the arrows.
One of Dan's favorites. Some New Zealand roads are made of gravel, or of small pebbles essentially sealed to the road with tar. This sign warns drivers to slow down so their tires won't kick up loose pebbles into other cars.
Free coffee for drivers. Is this country a paradise or what?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Anakiwa: Undiscovered Gem of the South Island
We stumbled on to an undiscovered gem in the Marlborough region (the northernmost area) of the South Island: the tiny little town of Anakiwa, New Zealand.
Anakiwa is situated on Queen Charlotte Sound, and it's about halfway between the towns of Havelock, where we had one of the best restaurant meals of our lives (more on that in a moment), and Picton, where you catch the ferry to the North Island. Here's Laura, patiently explaining to me yet one more time exactly where we are:
This little town doesn't even get a mention in the guidebook, and you can only get to it after a really fun (or stomach churning, depending on your perspective, of course) drive across skinny, steep and curvy roads. And as we have come to expect, there are plenty of places to pull over and enjoy a stunning view.
In one inlet, we were treated to a sight that you can only find Down Under--black swans! Readers of this blog who know Dan will know of his special affinity for this particular animal.
We stayed in what was supposed to be a budget youth hostel, the Anakiwa Lodge, part of New Zealand's excellent hostel system. But this place was more like a glorious bed and breakfast, with a huge king sized bed, full kitchen, free internet (something we've found to be highly uncommon here in New Zealand), a big jacuzzi/hot tub, and most importantly, rooms for only ten or so guests.
Here was our view out of our window in the morning:
Last but not least, our host recommended a restaurant in nearby Havelock, NZ that was so good that you should make a side trip just to eat there: The Slip Inn (at first we thought he said Sleep Inn, but it was all straightened out once Dan asked him to spell it out for us).
We had local, steamed green-shelled mussels and locally caught scallops. The green shelled mussels are particularly striking--their shells (not the mussels themselves, fortunately) are a bright, almost electric green, and they are delicious.
A little wine, some great food and great conversation, and a relaxing view of the marina. It was another good day in New Zealand.
The Slip Inn
At the Havelock Marina
Havelock, NZ
03 5742345
Anaikiwa Lodge
9 Lady Cobham Grove
Anakiwa, New Zealand
03 574 2115
Anakiwa is situated on Queen Charlotte Sound, and it's about halfway between the towns of Havelock, where we had one of the best restaurant meals of our lives (more on that in a moment), and Picton, where you catch the ferry to the North Island. Here's Laura, patiently explaining to me yet one more time exactly where we are:
This little town doesn't even get a mention in the guidebook, and you can only get to it after a really fun (or stomach churning, depending on your perspective, of course) drive across skinny, steep and curvy roads. And as we have come to expect, there are plenty of places to pull over and enjoy a stunning view.
In one inlet, we were treated to a sight that you can only find Down Under--black swans! Readers of this blog who know Dan will know of his special affinity for this particular animal.
We stayed in what was supposed to be a budget youth hostel, the Anakiwa Lodge, part of New Zealand's excellent hostel system. But this place was more like a glorious bed and breakfast, with a huge king sized bed, full kitchen, free internet (something we've found to be highly uncommon here in New Zealand), a big jacuzzi/hot tub, and most importantly, rooms for only ten or so guests.
Here was our view out of our window in the morning:
Last but not least, our host recommended a restaurant in nearby Havelock, NZ that was so good that you should make a side trip just to eat there: The Slip Inn (at first we thought he said Sleep Inn, but it was all straightened out once Dan asked him to spell it out for us).
We had local, steamed green-shelled mussels and locally caught scallops. The green shelled mussels are particularly striking--their shells (not the mussels themselves, fortunately) are a bright, almost electric green, and they are delicious.
A little wine, some great food and great conversation, and a relaxing view of the marina. It was another good day in New Zealand.
The Slip Inn
At the Havelock Marina
Havelock, NZ
03 5742345
Anaikiwa Lodge
9 Lady Cobham Grove
Anakiwa, New Zealand
03 574 2115
Friday, February 6, 2009
But We DID Read the Soin
After all the driving acclimation, after driving three-quarters of the way around the South Island, and after more than two weeks of being tentative tourists here, we finally got honked at today, in Nelson, NZ. As pedestrians.
As we were walking across an intersection--with the light by the way--a car rounded the corner, hit his brakes, honked, and yelled out, "read the soin!"
It's funny though: the sign said "Turning Traffic Give Way to Pedestrians." I know because I went back and checked.
This was the first New Zealander we've met what wasn't all that nice. And we've gotten so soft here that Laura didn't even shake her fist at him.
We can understand though. It must get extremely frustrating if you're in a hurry, trying to get to where you need to be, and you're surrounded by dopey tourists wandering around, lost, with stupid grins on their faces. I'd honk too.
As we were walking across an intersection--with the light by the way--a car rounded the corner, hit his brakes, honked, and yelled out, "read the soin!"
It's funny though: the sign said "Turning Traffic Give Way to Pedestrians." I know because I went back and checked.
This was the first New Zealander we've met what wasn't all that nice. And we've gotten so soft here that Laura didn't even shake her fist at him.
We can understand though. It must get extremely frustrating if you're in a hurry, trying to get to where you need to be, and you're surrounded by dopey tourists wandering around, lost, with stupid grins on their faces. I'd honk too.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Time to Make Tracks: Driving from Franz Josef Glacier to Motueka
Our clockwise driving tour of New Zealand's South Island is going amazingly well. We've more or less acclimated to driving on the left, so driving on the highways here has become a truly fun and relaxing pursuit, much like it is back home.
But today, we have a big trip ahead of us: a seven-hour drive from Franz Josef Glacier to the town of Motueka, New Zealand, which is way up on the north side of the South Island. Clearly, we'll have to summon our inner Americans and get into "power vacation" mode: getting up early, screaming down the highway, and putting some serious distance between us and the west coast.
It's time to make tracks.
One reward for getting a really early start was seeing excellent morning lighting for misty landscape photographs.
We drove for over an hour before even stopping for coffee, since finding an open cafe on the South Island's west coast can be next to impossible at 7:00am. We stopped off in the tiny town of Ross, NZ for a cup of the good stuff, while a jukebox played cowboy music in the background. This coffee was so strong that I spontaneously sprung several new hairs on my chest...
...and Laura had to put about seven sugars into hers.
We drove through Hokitika, a sizeable town featuring a sphagnum moss processing plant, big farm equipment outlets and several outdoor stores.
There was a slight delay as a "wide load" driver had to check the clearance under a one-lane trestle. He had just inches to spare.
Another feature fairly common to this region of the South Island is the combination train-and-car one-lane bridge. In the case of this particular bridge, the traffic coming from the other side of the bridge gets priority, while the traffic coming from my direction gets last priority. The train gets the right of way all the time.
Ho, hum: another typical, everyday, shockingly beautiful New Zealand landscape, just begging to be photographed.
A very typical type of New Zealand camper, almost all windows, which to us seemed like a metaphor for the people here. Everyone knows that New Zealanders are friendly, but they are also modest and don't talk about themselves much until you draw them out a bit.
But that's when you learn all sorts of things. It feels as if New Zealanders have nothing to hide.
The open road. In two days we will have driven four-fifths of the entire length of the South Island and seen a glacier. The photo below shows the kind of traffic that was typical throughout our drives on the South Island--we would soon find this to be typical in most areas of the North Island too.
One of the many, many war memorials we saw throughout the South Island. This was in a tiny town which was not much more than a crossroads; just a gas station and a couple of dozen houses. Every community across the country made sacrifices.
But today, we have a big trip ahead of us: a seven-hour drive from Franz Josef Glacier to the town of Motueka, New Zealand, which is way up on the north side of the South Island. Clearly, we'll have to summon our inner Americans and get into "power vacation" mode: getting up early, screaming down the highway, and putting some serious distance between us and the west coast.
It's time to make tracks.
One reward for getting a really early start was seeing excellent morning lighting for misty landscape photographs.
We drove for over an hour before even stopping for coffee, since finding an open cafe on the South Island's west coast can be next to impossible at 7:00am. We stopped off in the tiny town of Ross, NZ for a cup of the good stuff, while a jukebox played cowboy music in the background. This coffee was so strong that I spontaneously sprung several new hairs on my chest...
...and Laura had to put about seven sugars into hers.
We drove through Hokitika, a sizeable town featuring a sphagnum moss processing plant, big farm equipment outlets and several outdoor stores.
There was a slight delay as a "wide load" driver had to check the clearance under a one-lane trestle. He had just inches to spare.
Another feature fairly common to this region of the South Island is the combination train-and-car one-lane bridge. In the case of this particular bridge, the traffic coming from the other side of the bridge gets priority, while the traffic coming from my direction gets last priority. The train gets the right of way all the time.
Ho, hum: another typical, everyday, shockingly beautiful New Zealand landscape, just begging to be photographed.
A very typical type of New Zealand camper, almost all windows, which to us seemed like a metaphor for the people here. Everyone knows that New Zealanders are friendly, but they are also modest and don't talk about themselves much until you draw them out a bit.
But that's when you learn all sorts of things. It feels as if New Zealanders have nothing to hide.
The open road. In two days we will have driven four-fifths of the entire length of the South Island and seen a glacier. The photo below shows the kind of traffic that was typical throughout our drives on the South Island--we would soon find this to be typical in most areas of the North Island too.
One of the many, many war memorials we saw throughout the South Island. This was in a tiny town which was not much more than a crossroads; just a gas station and a couple of dozen houses. Every community across the country made sacrifices.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Driving from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier
We're starting to think that in New Zealand, it's better going places than actually getting places.
Once again, we were treated to astonishingly beautiful scenery on our drive from Queenstown on our way to see the Franz Josef Glacier. This was a fun drive, with great views of lakes, skinny and steep switchback roads, and plenty of places to stop and get out the camera. I knew it would be fun driving here, but I never expected it to be this fun.
This photo doesn't quite do this scene justice, but this section of road had probably a dozen switchbacks. The slope felt like it was about a 30 degree angle or steeper. You were right on top of the cars coming up on the road beneath you.
More scenes from the drive:
Stopping by one of the lakes to have a snack:
More scenes from the road. It's worth noting that in the United States, you have to drive for hours, even days, to get really good views like these. Here, they're lurking behind every bend in the road:
Even the public rest areas on the drive were beautiful.
We stopped off to make a hiking detour and visit the Haast Pass, which involved a steep, switchback hike. Pure quadriceps.
Another surprise on our drive: a rock-valanche! There was just a slight detour--we still had time to clamber around along the guardrail-less side of the road and look down at the Tasman Sea.
Here's Laura enjoying the heights:
This is a scene from Bruce Beach, on the South Island's West Coast, just north of the town of Haast, NZ. I thought I'd add my own humble contribution to the cairn collection here.
The reason this beach was practically deserted was because there was a 40mph wind blowing constantly. Even the sandflies couldn't stand it. This beach was cool in the summer, and I can only imagine it in the winter. But oh, what amazing natural beauty there is here, everywhere you turn!
Once again, we were treated to astonishingly beautiful scenery on our drive from Queenstown on our way to see the Franz Josef Glacier. This was a fun drive, with great views of lakes, skinny and steep switchback roads, and plenty of places to stop and get out the camera. I knew it would be fun driving here, but I never expected it to be this fun.
This photo doesn't quite do this scene justice, but this section of road had probably a dozen switchbacks. The slope felt like it was about a 30 degree angle or steeper. You were right on top of the cars coming up on the road beneath you.
More scenes from the drive:
Stopping by one of the lakes to have a snack:
More scenes from the road. It's worth noting that in the United States, you have to drive for hours, even days, to get really good views like these. Here, they're lurking behind every bend in the road:
Even the public rest areas on the drive were beautiful.
We stopped off to make a hiking detour and visit the Haast Pass, which involved a steep, switchback hike. Pure quadriceps.
Another surprise on our drive: a rock-valanche! There was just a slight detour--we still had time to clamber around along the guardrail-less side of the road and look down at the Tasman Sea.
Here's Laura enjoying the heights:
This is a scene from Bruce Beach, on the South Island's West Coast, just north of the town of Haast, NZ. I thought I'd add my own humble contribution to the cairn collection here.
The reason this beach was practically deserted was because there was a 40mph wind blowing constantly. Even the sandflies couldn't stand it. This beach was cool in the summer, and I can only imagine it in the winter. But oh, what amazing natural beauty there is here, everywhere you turn!
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