My husband, Kevin, came home from work with a wide smile on his face. “Fancy a road trip to Auckland? I’ve volunteered to drive a double-decker bus up there.” He had just spent a couple of weeks refurbishing the vehicle which was destined to be a primary school bus.
We left early one August morning and I soon learned my first lesson about traveling in a double-decker: the view from the top is amazing. Christchurch looked completely different from that angle and I could see into gardens, over walls and into upstairs windows.
We had company on the first part of the trip – a teenage choir who had been in Christchurch for a competition. The atmosphere was lively and it was impossible to feel bored. As we approached Kaikoura, a small fishing town, I learned my second lesson about double-deckers: they are very big. Kevin told me the bus had a few inches to spare when passing through the Kaikoura tunnels. We went through very slowly and carefully.
In Kaikoura itself, lesson number three was waiting. Drivers are required by law to take regular breaks when transporting passengers and our first stop was a 30 minute break for morning tea. As a thank you to drivers for directing passengers to their coffee shop or diner, the owners normally don’t charge them for their food.
The bus handled the road well and along the way, I learned lesson number four: bus drivers and truckies lift their hand in acknowledgement every single time they pass each other. Kevin told me that when it was dark, they flicked their indicators instead.
In Picton, we bade farewell to our passengers and headed towards the Bluebridge Ferry. It was a strange sensation driving up the ramp into the gloomy depths of the hold. Staff directed us to a parking bay and the bus was secured by chains. I wondered if they would hold if we hit nine meter swells during the journey.
The Bluebridge Ferry is geared towards freight and large vehicles and – lesson number five – the meals served are for men with big appetites. I was handed a plate with a massive helping of spaghetti bolognaise which tasted superb after a long morning on the road.
Two hours later, the hills of Wellington appeared from the haze and I realized I was feeling quite tired. Just before docking, we wandered down the decks to the bus and sat in it waiting as vehicles were unchained and drivers given clearance to drive out onto the wharf. We were staying overnight in Wellington and I learned lesson number six: you can’t park double-deckers just anywhere – they’re too big. Kevin arranged parking in a yard by the ferry terminal and we caught a taxi to the hotel.
Early next morning, we collected our wheels and near Levin, I learned my seventh lesson: double-deckers are thirsty. Ours had a fuel tank that held about 460 liters of diesel and it averaged about 2 ½ kilometres per liter.
We headed north along the Desert Road and by the time we neared Taupo, it was definitely time for lunch. Lesson number eight: double-deckers don’t fit through McDonald’s drive-thrus. Instead we spotted a truck stop and parked the bus alongside an assortment of oversize vehicles. As in the ferry, the food was good and wholesome and the burgers about three times the size of their fast-food counterparts.
As we drove I had asked Kevin to stop several times so I could take photos – and as we passed alongside Lake Taupo, I asked him again. After mumbling about the size of the bus and time passing, he did so. I took some great pictures, filled a shopping bag with pumice and learned lesson number nine: people look at you strangely when they realize that two people have a double-decker to themselves.
Late that afternoon, we headed into Auckland along State Highway One; a new experience as prior trips to Auckland had been by air. Our drop-off point was Hobson St and in the thick of rush hour traffic, I learned lesson number ten: maneuvering your way around unfamiliar streets in a double-decker is not for the fainthearted. We eventually found a place to park on Victoria St and Kevin called his boss to ask if he could pick the bus up there. He arrived within 15 minutes and it was rather sad to say goodbye to our traveling companion.
We spent the next day sightseeing in the Auckland area and then headed to the airport to catch a flight back to Christchurch. All in all, it was a fabulous trip and I’ll always remember the lessons I learned on the road.