Christian Perez's Travel Journal

Near Death Experiences and other facts of life, Thu Aug 3, 2006

So many things can happen to a person when one is just living normally. Its a wonder we make it to the dairy across the street without losing a limb, or at least getting clipped by a fast moving car. But in my case, it was an exploding tyre.

For example, consider my last few days on the road. We have been driving over curvy roads in the mountains of Fiordland National Park covered with grit/gravel for the "ice" that wasn't there. Try walking on marbles; its easier. A few days later, we're in Wanaka. As I slow down to take Ben down the scenic lakefront drive, I notice a wobbling. Its not the earth, or my eyes, or even my brain on some wild trip--its the car, and I can't tell where its coming from...

This really bothers me, as I know it's a wheel or tyre. It must be one of the back ones as well because my steering doesn't wobble. Just the car. And the back tyres are the ones in bad shape anyway.

But I table the matter for now. At speeds over 60 kph or so, its no longer there, so how bad can it be? (I'm really rationalizing to myself at this point.) We park and use the internet, but for way too long. Not only does it cost us $10 each, but I've left my car in a 30 minute zone so I get a $21 ticket...which I'm not going to pay.

I'm also getting sick. Again. Nothing like having pneumonia on your holiday.

We can't find a place to sleep in Wanaka. Everything is booked up. So we have to drive on a wobbly tyre a few km out of town. We make a pizza and pastry crust. Yum. The next day I drive into Wanaka and up to the BP station with a garage attached. He takes one look at my tyres and says the one in the back is shot. Great. I pay 60 bucks to replace it for a brand new one. After he takes off the old tyre, he shows me the problem. There is metal showing on a spot around the inside wall of the tyre where I can't see it from the outside. Its bulging strangely as well. Oops, at least I'm alive.

Next stop is Christchurch and perhaps a new tyre. Then we're blitzing up to the North Island. The weather sucks everywhere, but its August, the wettest month of the year. Hopefully, the ferry across the straight doesn't tip over like the other two almost did...