Getting Lost

In New Zealand-- you will get lost. If you rent an RV (motorcaravan) or car, they'll give you a map to get you out of town. Most towns have Tourist Information Centers which have free maps. Jason Route Planners are the best. They cover smaller areas and point out major attractions. Top Ten Holiday Parks and HAPNZ (Holiday Accomodation Parks) provide free touring maps with directions to their next park. Each town will also have a free local map and maps of walking tracks indicating length and the kind of shape you better be in to make it back to your car. Even with a map, you'll get lost. You can't rely on the sun-- it's in the wrong place. Even if you know where you're going, there's no warning when you get there--just tiny signs you can maybe read as you're going past with a truck on your tail. And, only the cross roads are marked, so you're never sure which road you're driving on.

Maps are a trick to read. Papakura, Papamoa, Papatoetoe. TeAnau, TeAraroa, TeAwamutu.

"What road are we looking for? Papa--something."

I don't recommend traveling alone. You need a driver-- and a navigator to read the map and yell at the driver, "There it is! We just passed it-- I think."

Lyn

Warning: Watch those greasy roads.