Tag Archives: Money not Enough

1600km, journey from despair to hope

After south island trip, I’ll leave NZ in 3 weeks time.
My original plan is sell my car at south island and continue my north island journey with hitch hike method

For 4 hours journey from Dunedin to Christchurch, I picked a Germany hitch hiker.

His hitch hike experience inspire me to try out the hitch hike travel

At Christchurch, the car fair already changed it location after waiting at old location for whole morning.
And the host offer 300 NZD for my car.
I can’t believe he open such low price! Even a Taiwanese student offer me 1000 NZD.
However, both offer is not within my range, all I can do is put my hope for my very last station in South Island, Motueka

I planned to backed to Motueka is because I brought the skydive discount coupon in Motueka from Grabone.
And there is a friend who still working in Motueka wish to buy a car.
So I drove another 6 hourse from back to Motueka.
No hitch hiker for this time because I use mountain road.

However, plan also change and change to worse.
The friend ask her host to value my car and her host is a racer.
My poor car unable to reach his expectation and the offer is also out of my range.

For Skydive, I thought there was finally a good thing to do.
But the Air plane is under maintain for 3 days.
I requested to refund because I already have trip at south island after 3 days.
However, Grabone voucher cannot be refund.
Mean I wasted my 255 NZD skydive coupon?

Unable to skydive, unable to refund, unable to sell car.
The most important no money!
All of these made my most despair day in NZ

I think I had no choice because I really out of money.
I don’t have enough money to drive all to way to Auckland and sell the car.
If I sell it cheap over here, I’ll lost my saving for University.
But I already promise myself to save this money!
If I don’t sell it, I have no place to go.
Although my friend willing to borrow money, there is also a risk for not selling good in north island.

This problem trouble me for whole day, until the day before north island trip, I still have no idea for it.

Thanks God because He always keep last door open

The last day morning, I saw a vacancy post at chinese NZWH forum.
There is a 2 weeks work at Warkworth (north of Auckland) need urgent vacancy.
Really thanks God because there is still job during the end of winter.
Beside that, the timing is just enough for me to work, sell my car and travel the south island!

After secure my position, I cancelled the north island trip booking and begin the 1000km, from Motueka to Warkworth
But I still lack of money to drive my car all the way to there, especially ferry fee and petrol.
I’ll not able to catch ferry if I waited my borrow from my friend after they finished work.
But what I can said is

God always provide

At this time, I remembered the conversation with a bank reception in Malaysia.

If you local ATM Card have Logo MEPS CASH Logo,
You can withdraw money at any ATM machine with same logo.
Although there is a processing fee(for CIMB is RM8), but the overall rate is better than the rate I change before I come to NZ.

Without any farewell, I started my 1000km journey.
(Feel really sorry to my Motueka Friend, you all treat me so well but I left in suck urgent. Thanks for all your caring)

From Nelson to Picton, I picked another hitch hiker, a monther and a son.
They are same as me, rushing for the ferry.
We have a great chat along the way.

It’s almost night after I cross the ocean.
To save accommodation, I slept in car before continue the journey.
It’s still a cold night in the end of winter at north island.

过了船已差不多傍晚时分,还为了省钱。
就随便在路边小站过了一夜。
虽然是冬天尾,还到了北岛,不过晚上还是非常的冷!

And finally I have some mood to shot some photo.
*Just realize that almost no photo from Dunedin to Motueaka

For this 1600km journey from Dunedin to Warkworth
It seem like walking to a deep valley of sorrow.
But there is no dead end in God, but always a door of hope left opened.
Greatly Thanks Giving to My God for this 1600km journey.