39th-40th day 24.10. - 25.20. Car purchase

Wednesday 24.10.

So, in the new hostel I immediately took advantage of the complimentary breakfast. Then I went online to search for cars on gumtree.com.au, the Australian counterpart to eBay Classifieds. There are also some nice backpacker cars online. Done, let's go to inspect and test drive a total of 3 cars. Since I want an SUV with four-wheel drive, the selection is not as big as I had hoped. The biggest problem I had with the cars was the registration, because after hours of research I didn't get any closer.

Thursday 25.10.

Boom, and I struck. I decided to buy the car I inspected yesterday, mainly because of the workshop visit and a short conversation with the workshop manager. We took care of all the formalities at Matthew's workshop, as there was a printer we could use. After several hours, a lot of paperwork, and two letters that were sent to Perth, Western Australia, I can proudly call myself the owner of a Nissan Pathfinder. It included a lot of camping equipment, new tires, three fishing rods, and everything a man needs.

Nathaniel, the previous owner, bought the car in Brisbane and drove it up to Cairns, so he wasn't on the road for long. Another positive aspect is the registration, which is valid until early January. In the afternoon, I drove to Spencer's, completely emptied the car, disposed of old food, and thoroughly cleaned the interior with a vacuum cleaner.

Meanwhile, I also came up with a name, because a car as a companion on such a long journey needs a name.

I didn't have to think much and her name came to me. María! On the one hand because María is a beautiful name, but mainly because I thought of my grandma, whom I definitely want to see again after my trip.

In the evening, I met Daniel Garcia in my hostel room, a backpacker from Madrid. Since we briefly spoke and neither of us had a plan for the next day, I suggested taking a trip with the car and see where it takes us.