And then there were three...

Chris made a hasty departure from Rotorua this morning to return to Christchurch. His landlord contacted him to inform him of a “small fire” that broke out in the apartment next to his as a result of an electrical short. His wall is a bit scorched, and some things may or may not be melted beyond repair. In order to get all of the repairs complete in a hurry, Chris’s stuff had to be moved to a less-than-secure location. Needless to say, he was a bit concerned and decided to cut his road trip short. Or maybe it was his way of saying, “I’m tired of traveling with three girls, waiting for hair straighteners to heat-up and cool-down, hearing less-than-ladylike conversation, and seeing the darker side of females.” Don’t worry, Chris, we all think you deserve a medal.

Sadly, any group photos from this point on will make it seem like this was a girls-only road trip. We might have to experiment with PhotoShop.

On the bright side, there’s a bit more breathing room in the Toyota with one less body and luggage. Shannon and I had heaps of fun blaring the stereo and singing along to our homemade country CD on the way to pick Lindsay up in Thames.

The drive up to Whitianga on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula was really scenic -- and windy, with sharp shoulders and dangerous curves – definitely not for the faint of heart. This has been the most challenging stretch of road to this point, and we’ll be traveling it again on our way back to the main Auckland-bound highway. The twists and turns were worth is because the Coromandel Peninsula has been my favourite part of our trip.

Shannon might beg to differ. The road left her feeling a bit like a running shoe in a dryer. Her carsickness lasted a painful 24 hours, so she’s had to experience the Coromandel vicariously through the photographs Lindsay and I took on our tiki-tour along the coast.

So Chris is gone and the car is lighter, but our list of accomplishments is getting longer and the days ahead promise more good times on the open road.

Until the next exciting update,

L.