Goodbye dear Odhi

We are back in Auckland and for a good reason. Our extraordinary, very special journey is slowly but surely coming to an end. Before our final leg, however, there is still a big challenge ahead: selling our brave and old companion. If we manage to sell it, we will have a small budget cushion for further experiences. However, it is clear to us that even if we have to give it away in the end, it has served us incredibly well and has more than fulfilled its duty despite all the little obstacles. We have also tried to roughly summarize how many nights we spent in this car... we had the car for ten out of the twelve months. Approximately half of the time, our faithful Odhi was our mobile hotel room. And a large part of those nights didn't cost us a single dollar. If you calculate that based on the absolute cheapest accommodations, it becomes clear that we easily recouped the purchase price despite repairs and maintenance.

Just before we traveled with Pia, we posted the sales ad on several platforms. Of course, we tried to present our Odhi in the best possible way. Not so easy when you are simultaneously traveling around the country and living in the car.

Like many others, we had to think long and hard about the price. Instead of selling in Christchurch, we sold in Auckland, which should be an advantage in terms of price. Since Auckland is the most common starting point for backpackers, camper prices here are correspondingly expensive, up to 30% more during the peak season. We didn't want to choose a too daring price, as time was running out and the worst case scenario would be not selling it at all.

At the time of our sale, the market was not yet flooded with offers. Odhi would probably be the longest-serving car on the list. The 300,000 kilometers, however, did not worry us. Our starting bid was $4,000, as we had new tires and a valid WOF. With a fresh coat of paint and fully furnished, we were sure that we would hand over Odhi in a better condition than we received it.

Initially, there were some interested parties who quickly backed out when the publicly available information was repeated. Tim's slowly growing concerns were only surpassed by Caro's dream of shipping Odhi to Germany by ship.

To be on the safe side, we lowered the price to $3,500 and it immediately caught the attention of some backpackers. Then there was only one last hurdle, where on earth do you offer a suitable viewing appointment with a possible test drive in a city with 1.7 million inhabitants? This was a big challenge for us non-city dwellers. In addition, the old Odhi is not exactly agile and struggles with short distances and stop-and-go traffic. The first interested party impressively demonstrated this. Our suitable place was a holey, narrow parking lot under a bridge in the city center. The appearance of the parking lot was only surpassed by the potential buyer. The lanky young Frenchman was one of those people who visibly needed glasses even without a hangover (no offense to glasses wearers, I am one myself). While getting to know him in a friendly manner, he also talked about a long night of celebration. The conversation was relaxed, but the test drive was not. Jerky driving around the block, stalling here and there, struggling with left-hand traffic, and almost removing side mirrors. At the latest, when he drove through a red light at high speed and admitted that he didn't even have a driver's license in France, the famous saying "Drunk people and little children..." came to mind. Caro was sweating bullets and was glad to have survived the trip together with Odhi.

After several other appointments were canceled, our uncertainty grew. The few remaining appointments had to succeed! Three days before we wanted to leave Auckland, we had two appointments with two German female travel buddies each. Both meetings were promising and we really enjoyed them. We felt that we could pass on important information and experiences about the vehicle and the journey.

After the meetings, we had high hopes and both of them agreed. Now we just had to make sure not to make any mistakes and a) get the best price and b) choose a reliable buyer.

Then everything happened very quickly. We agreed with a couple and agreed on all the details. Within 24 hours, we said our emotional goodbyes to our faithful steed with a thorough cleaning, packing up, a final delicious dinner, and a bottle of wine.

Then the final drive. Once again to Auckland, the hilly district reminiscent of San Francisco, an overpriced, incredibly narrow parking garage, and the accompaniment to the written handover at the post office, which caused us considerable tension for the last time. And then, finally, the moment arrived. A handwritten list of tips and tricks, a warm hug, and one last photo. Bye bye dear Odhi, may you serve your new owners just as faithfully *sniff*.

Despite the emotional situation, Tim emphasized, 'Let's get out of here before they change their minds.' And so, shortly after the farewell, we found ourselves at the Auckland harbor... off to Waiheke Island.