Trucking
Years ago, maybe it was 1977, Jedd and I hitch hiked from our place in Paraparaumu, north. We left home at about 4 or 5 on Friday afternoon and arrived in Bulls just as it was getting dark. We hadn't decided when we left home where we were going we were just having a weekend away from the kids as a friend was staying at our house looking after them. Because we didn't have much money or a reliable car we'd made the decision to just hitch and see where we ended up.
We went into the pub in Bulls that used to be on the corner of State Highway 1 and 2, it might still be there, I never go north that way so who knows. We were sitting at the bar having a drink and we got talking to these two guys who were also sitting there. They said they were on strike workers at the Feilding freezing works and were just trucking and if we wanted to they'd take us to Wanganui. When we got out to their car there were another two guys sitting in the back. One was pretty heavy looking, he felt scary and didn't say much but we had both trusted the guys at the bar so we got in.
We drove north to Wanganui. Jedd and I didn't talk much but we must have told them we could sing because we sang some Paul Simon and Bob Marley songs. We were pretty good singers and could harmonise and I remember feeling pretty good about it. I don't remember talking much just driving and maybe answering questions about what we did and our kids and stuff. They were definitely interested in the fact that we could sing together in harmony.
When we got to Wanganui it must have been round midnight. We drove around for a bit, I remember going through a park with the lights lighting up long expanses of grass that looked sort of misty. They didn't want to stop anywhere in Wanganui though, "nah bad Maori here," they said so they drove on to New Plymouth. I remember having to stop at some point to go to the toilet on the side of the road, I wonder were we in danger. I think Jedd thought we were and I think the guy in the back was probably not into the two skinny pakeha middle class passengers but he didn't say anything, was just very quiet and watchful.
We arrived in New Plymouth at maybe 2am and went to their Aunties Place. She got up and so did her kids and she made a feed, Maori bread and sausages I remember and then she insisted that we sleep in the kids bunks. I think they all stayed up talking and drinking but we went to sleep.
In the morning the guys had gone so we went and bought some bread and stuff and had breakfast with their Auntie and the kids and then walked off down the road back to Wanganui later that day. It was years before I saw New Plymouth in the daytime.
We drove north to Wanganui. Jedd and I didn't talk much but we must have told them we could sing because we sang some Paul Simon and Bob Marley songs. We were pretty good singers and could harmonise and I remember feeling pretty good about it. I don't remember talking much just driving and maybe answering questions about what we did and our kids and stuff. They were definitely interested in the fact that we could sing together in harmony.
When we got to Wanganui it must have been round midnight. We drove around for a bit, I remember going through a park with the lights lighting up long expanses of grass that looked sort of misty. They didn't want to stop anywhere in Wanganui though, "nah bad Maori here," they said so they drove on to New Plymouth. I remember having to stop at some point to go to the toilet on the side of the road, I wonder were we in danger. I think Jedd thought we were and I think the guy in the back was probably not into the two skinny pakeha middle class passengers but he didn't say anything, was just very quiet and watchful.
We arrived in New Plymouth at maybe 2am and went to their Aunties Place. She got up and so did her kids and she made a feed, Maori bread and sausages I remember and then she insisted that we sleep in the kids bunks. I think they all stayed up talking and drinking but we went to sleep.
In the morning the guys had gone so we went and bought some bread and stuff and had breakfast with their Auntie and the kids and then walked off down the road back to Wanganui later that day. It was years before I saw New Plymouth in the daytime.
Hitch hiking experiences are often quite strange. I know I had a few. I do like travelling in cars, but hitching means you really are relying on the fact that the people who pick you up a) can drive and b) are nice people. I guess most of them tick both boxes. I have definitely had one that didn't tick the first box and that was scary! Sounds like your experience was good, despite the strangeness of it all.
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