Trusty Triumph and Venerable VW

Stolen

While I was in with Owen mending my burns, removing the soot and polishing my leather seats,my faithful friend the VW Kombi van visited from Wellington. P&E loaded the van up with the couch, chairs, table and chairs, beds, mattresses, bedding and kitchen stuff so that they could live in the renovated garage. It was a big load!! P loaded up the JD trailer with the furniture and took it slowly and carefully down the track to the house.

It took over three years of patience and resilience living in the garage while the new house was being built. Every day for over a year Jamie and his builder friends walked past me resting quietly in the newly painted garage.

One day while Jamie and the boys were working on the new house I heard someone trying to get inside the garage!!

Rattle, rattle!! Bang, bang on the metal door. Then silence. What was that? Next thing I hear is a loud thwack like an axe crashing on the metal door! A minute or so later the handle turned and in walked a strong looking man. He had no idea I was watching him as he hastily searched on shelves and cupboards. What was he looking for?

The big man rummaged at the back of the basin cupboard and came up with a set of keys to make me go!! Oh dear, another disaster!! He drove me away down Queen Charlotte Drive to find out where his ancestors were buried. The police told us this after they found me abandoned at The Grove near Anakiwa at the head of the Sound. I had run out of petrol so he left me at the side of the road and ran off. Thanks to the local people the police were able to track the thief down. He told them he enjoyed driving me and wanted to look after me.

A week or so later the Picton Police rang P&E in Wellington to tell them I was safely waiting in their carpark ready to be picked up and taken back to my garage. They quickly booked the ferry and came over to get me. Phew! I didn’t want to be stolen again!!

With me safely tucked up in the garage again it was time to move into the newly built Sounds house. The JD and trailer carefully carried all the furniture down the track. It took many trips to get it all down! My JD and trailer friend did such a good job.

Since all this excitement in my life, things have settled down to a quiet, safe existence in my garage in Queen Charlotte Drive. Here I look after P & E by driving them into Picton when they need groceries, yummy things from the Picton bakery, second hand books from the High St, Marlborough rubbish bags and DVDs from the Picton Library, timber and tools from the hardware store, petrol for me and in to Blenheim to the NZVT station to get my 6 monthly warrant of fitness, to Owen for any mechanical issues I might have, to Bunnings or Mitre 10 for hardware and to Raupo Restaurant for a nice lunch. There’s always somewhere P & E need to go!

One day I know that they will sell me to a new owner who will look after me in my old age. It’s been a great life for a Trusty Triumph.

You can see more photos in A New Sounds House album