Well, this trip is all about "Testing the Limit" and today opened another test for me.  I rented a car in Auckland and took off.  All by myself........ let the test begin.

With the kindness of another Auckland Constable, "Charlie", I managed to take flight.  She picked me up from the home I've been staying at since my arrival, carted my ass to the car rental place and then led me out of town through rush hour traffic.  Terrified doesn't begin to describe the emotions I was experiencing.  I lost count of how many times I asked myself:  "What the hell are you doing?"  This was truly the first time being on my own.  I was nervous about driving backwards and navigating a new world.  The reality check came when the clerk told me that the rental included basic insurance with a $2,000.00 deductible and asked if I would like to upgrade the insurance to cover all damage with zero deductible.  Without hesitation I said, "hell yes" knowing I would most likely return their car with some level of damage so I might as well cover my ass with zero deductible.

The driving actually fell into place pretty well, I was surprised.  Within 30 minutes, I was thinking backward and pushing the memory muscle to the back of my brain to allow this old dog to learn a  "new traffic pattern."  I cleared the heavy traffic of Auckland and was soon driving the rolling roads of northern New Zealand.  I even ventured a few glances at the scenery as it passed!  The roundabouts were challenging at first but after the first 100 or so, I had a handle on those as well.  All in all, I arrived at my location with the car still intact, haha.

So here I am in northern North Island in a small beach town of Paihia.  I had reservations at a hostel here and this is my first experience with the hostel system.  Gotta say it's pretty cool.  I'm here for 3 days, using it as a base for exploring this area of NZ.  There are four beds in my room and I have two roomates,  from Amsterdam and Canada.  The guy in the room reside me is from Finland.  I'm really loving this!  And the best part is the price, $32 bucks a night.  Our room has a small fridge and microwave and the hostel has a large main kitchen where everyone can cook their meals and a large 'common area' with pool tables, fooz ball and other games.  It's pretty cool.  I've got reservations in other hostels as I travel NZ and I think this is going to be a great way to travel and meet people from all over the world.

Wifi access is limited.  Tomorrow I will take lots of pictures of this beautiful area of NZ and will try to post some of them later as I can.  The car and I arrived in one piece.  I'm sure there will be hiccups to come but so far, it's all good.