Michele's Travel Blog: January 7th – A Beautiful Drive, a Disappointment & a DUI Checkpoint

The heading has got your attention, hasn’t it? It is human nature for us to go straight to the “negative stuff”. It peaks our interest sometime more so then when things go great. We want to know that others have disappointments like ourselves and their lives aren’t perfect. Kind of weird, isn’t it?

Top it off with a DUI checkpoint well now you’re really interested, right? The story is a bit long, so I apologize upfront. Imagine yourself in my shoes as the day comes to the end. I don’t expect you to have pity on me as I am vacationing and you are still grinding it out every day at the office. But the story, confirms we are all vulnerable and human no matter what our circumstances.

I wake up from my comfy bed and open the drapes. To my dismay the rain has arrived and yes it has “rained on my parade”. It is really becoming annoying. Not only for me, but the locals are complaining too. It has to wreak havoc for those businesses providing outdoor activities. Fishing, sailing, cruising, flying, golfing, etc. are not happening today. I’m told by multiple Kiwis’ this is one of the wettest summers they have had on the North Island in years.

The big decision this morning is “how do I spend the day’? Option 1: Sit in my room and watch the rain come down knowing that it will not clear until tomorrow. Then meander to the pub and drink with the rest of the tourists. Option 2: Pack up my belongings and head to Doubtless Bay. I could stop for lunch at Mongonui Fish Shop (best place for fish & chips according to the locals) and afterwards make my way over to Opononi (located on the west coast). I am not good at just sitting around and have “ants in my pants”, so I opt for the drive to Opononi. Before doing so, however, I need to make sure there are accommodations in Opononi.

With the help of my hotel, we find me a room at the best hotel in Opononi, The Copthorne, which is a chain in NZ. They originally were 100% booked but had a cancellation. I count my lucky stars that my timing was perfect and we booked the room. For whatever reason, this small town is fully booked. Go figure. The drive will be about 1 ¾ hours to Mongorani and then about another 1 ½ hours to Opononi. Total time with a lunch stop is estimated at a little over 4 but could be longer with the rain.

Although it is raining, it’s not a downpour. I am able to maneuver the country roads (two lanes) without a problem. The countryside is charming and dotted with sheep, cattle and native bush. What is challenging are the roads. They have minimal signage and there are a lot of one lane bridges. I must have been over 20 plus on this little jaunt. And seriously, if you miss a sign you may not see another until the next town.

On a few occasions I pulled off the road to confirm I was heading the right way. A co-pilot would have been incredibly helpful during the drive. At one point I was the only vehicle on these open country roads. Absolutely no one is in sight. It was a bit uncomfortable and I begin to start playing those dreadful mind games. What if I get a flat tire? I have no clue how to change a tire. Is someone following me? What if this road is not the right road…how much have I gone out of my way? But this is NZ and the Kiwi’s are one big family. They look out for each other and help each other out. There is nothing to fear. What a great concept.

I stick with my real estate instinct and continue on. I hit my destination, Doubtless Bay, for the famous fish & chips and am quite pleased with myself. It was worth the trip. It maybe raining, but that has not deterred anyone from dining at Mongonui Fish Shop. It is packed folks. Get in line and wait your turn. Seating is family style. So I peruse the joint to see what is available and who I might possibly conjure up a conversation. I meet Lynn and her husband James who drove over from the Opononi area to get out of the house. We discuss each of our countries politics, economic woes and real estate prices. New Zealanders follow the US politics closely and believe that the decisions we make has a direct impact on their country. The election comes up in the conversation. It is of great interest and has been a staple in all my kiwi conversations. This further substantiates their concern about where our country is headed and if we can recover from our economic crisis. As I am about to depart, they encourage me to take Hwy 1 through the Ratea Forest. They warn that the roads will be a bit curvy towards the top but the scenery spectacular. Thereafter, I will catch the car ferry and be moments from Opononi. Off I go.

The journey to Opononi was spectacular even in the rain. I enjoyed every minute of it. The forest is subtropical and lush with vegetation. There was a lot to look at, but not very many places to pull over and take pictures. I did my best.

The drive took longer than expected (6 hours) and I finally arrive at The Copthorne. Yippee. It looks great. I can’t wait to take a shower and grab a cocktail and dinner. Well it looked great until they informed me that they did not have a room for me. They basically made a mistake and they are 100% booked. They inform me that the town is booked solid because there is a concert in town. Some well known jazz guy on a worldwide tour. Don’t ask me who it is, I don’t care to remember. I am devastated, tired and annoyed but keeping my calm. They profusely apologize and offer me a complimentary bottle of wine with dinner should I choose to dine with them and complimentary breakfast. They continue by informing me that they called all over town and found a room for me. It is a rental property and the gal is waiting to show it to me. I went, I saw and I said “we have a problem”. I am really upset now and I think I might cry.

I noticed a motel that had a vacancy and asked the manager to check their availability. Luckily, I guess for me they had one room left with twin beds. I need a clean place to sleep tonight, so I am good with twin beds. I get to the motel and it is basically a home stay. The owners live upstairs and they rent the three bedrooms downstairs. The place is immaculate and my room is acceptable. You will see in the photos. The owners are really nice too. What I didn’t know is that I was sharing a bathroom. I can share a bath with my mom, sisters, and girlfriends and yes a boyfriend. But a stranger would not be at the top of my list. In all fairness to the motel, she communicated to the Copthorne it was a shared bath. The Copthorne just failed to leave out that minor detail. I know I sound like a spoiled brat. But you’ve been there. Your expectations are set for one thing and you are delivered the opposite.

I settle into room, but not happy how the day has concluded. A free bottle of wine and a free breakfast is not acceptable. I will not go into the professional conversation I had with the manager (and yes, it really was handled professionally) but we settled on the hotel picking up the majority of my nights stay. We both shook hands and agreed it was a fair resolution.

I order a drink (martini) to be exact to settle me down. Then follow up with some dinner. I am exhausted from the drive and dealing with my accommodation mishap. Lastly, I am not having any fun. I just want to crash and get out of this town as fast as possible. I can’t wait for tomorrow morning.

The two hotels are minutes apart. As I am making my way to my hotel I notice two cars pulled off on the side of the road and a man waving a red light. I thought there had been an accident. No, I am incorrect. All cars are being asked to pull over. I roll down my window and this is the communication starting with me:

What’s going on?

Checkpoint

Checkpoint for what?

Alcohol, (he waves this tool in front of my face ) What is your name and address?

Michele Babcock, 1361 Antigua Way…..

Have you had any alcohol

I had a glass of wine with dinner

Blow into this.

What if I don’t want to? (I was panicked guys. In a foreign country and I don’t know their threshold. What if I was over the limit, probably not, but what if?)

Then we will put you in the booze pen

I blow…but barely

You didn’t blow long enough. You need to blow for 5 seconds.

Do I have too? . Officer, I just want to go to my motel. It has been a bad day. I was supposed to be at the Copthorne and they lost my reservation and now I am at the Dolphin Motel. I have been driving all day, I am tired, upset and want to go to bed.

Yes, you have to blow otherwise I am not doing my job

I blow again longer. I am holding back the tears

See there, you passed. You can go.

I got out of there as quick as possible. I don’t know whether I passed or he just felt sorry for me. Either way my emotions got the best of me. How could a day that started out so great end up so crappy. I burst into tears when I crawled into bed and wish I was back at 1316 Antigua Way. There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home……..