14/11/2017 - Car pickup

An eventful day was ahead of us - picking up our first own car. Six days after signing the contract, Chilli Rentals contacted us and informed us that the car was ready. The scheduled handover was at 2:00 pm.
Since we caught an earlier train, we used the extra time to visit the bank again. Our hosts gave us a proof of address, finally allowing us to change the registered address at the bank.
We arrived at the workshop at 2:00 pm and saw that work was still being done under the hood. Welcomed warmly and knowing who we were and why we came today, the father of the family business briefed us on the next steps. The first thing to do was to take out insurance. There is a branch of the AA, the New Zealand equivalent of the ADAC, nearby. The weather here in New Zealand is completely crazy at the moment - classic April weather, which we know from Germany. After beautiful sunshine, thick rain clouds followed. That was the case on this day as well. Suddenly it started pouring heavily, and the grandfather of the company was so kind as to drive us to the AA. When we arrived there, the car was registered in our name, and we took out car insurance. When we finished and waited for the grandfather to pick us up again, we learned that the car was not yet ready. So he dropped us off at the shopping center across the street for an hour. He assured us that Chilli Rentals would get in touch with us.
Once again, we used the newly gained time to visit the post office. After successfully changing our address at the bank, we were finally able to apply for a tax number for New Zealand. We had all the necessary documents with us, and after the employee carefully checked them, she sent our documents and completed forms to the appropriate authority. We would hear from them by email in ten days and receive the ID. Another point on our to-do list could therefore be checked off.
As always, after so much excitement, hunger set in. Since we hadn't heard anything from Chilli Rentals yet, we decided to have an Asian lunch. Satisfied, we spent the rest of the time walking around the shopping center, buying CDs for future trips, and planning the upcoming route.
Around 4:00 pm, the relieving WhatsApp message came that the car was ready and that the junior member of the family would pick us up. There it stood in the workshop, the red Mazda - ready for its new owners.
After payment, an explanation of the car's features, and a photo for their Facebook page, the time had finally come. We could finally start. The first time driving on the left with an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads.
The first stop followed just a few minutes later - the tank was empty. With the friendly help of a New Zealander, we successfully refueled. But now we had a 20-minute drive ahead of us, and we immediately headed for the motorway. It's quite nerve-wracking to have so much newness all at once. But we arrived safely in Glen Innes. ;)

After this exciting day, our heads were buzzing in the evening. But happy to have our new companion Sam by our side, we hope that he will safely accompany us through Middle Earth.