Overseas license suspension

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Overseas license suspension

1 | 2 | 3

RunningMan

8953 posts

Uber Geek

#3200594 27-Feb-2024 18:56

frankv: There would be a significant cost for Hertz to move that car to where it needs to be... air fare to South Island, transport to location of car, drive it to Picton, ferry crossing. At least a day's wages plus air fare plus ferry plus petrol, so probably close to the $1000 that's been mentioned earlier.

Car transporter or free relocation hire is how they would do it.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8846 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3204345 8-Mar-2024 08:43

@cruxis How did this pan out?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

cruxis

480 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3204497 8-Mar-2024 13:46

eracode:

@cruxis How did this pan out?

It turned out to be a really good time.

He was pulled over for speeding at 144kph on a passing lane on the Canterbury Plains. The police cut him some slack and allowed him to reach the next motel since it was nighttime. It was probably too risky to make him walk along State Highway 1 at night. We met up at his motel, exchanged introductions, and then contacted Hertz to add me as a driver and confirm insurance coverage. He "mentioned" he could no longer drive, but Hertz assured us that it was not uncommon and everything was in order. Leaving the ute behind would have incurred a $2500 recovery fee. He had no prior bookings and was improvising his travel plans, paying as he went. 🐳

We headed to the motel car park, where to my surprise, he had rented a 2023 Ford Ranger WildTrack he is from Texas it made sense. I checked that the speeding warnings was working with a wink 😉 and took over the driving duties. We went to Moeraki, then on to Dunedin for the night. The next morning, I drove us to Sandfly Bay for a swim, visited an old castle, Tunnel Beach, St Kilda, and more. At 4pm, he suggested we head down to Bluff and then up to Queenstown for the night, but I pointed out that it would be a six-hour drive and we'd be driving in the dark by 8pm. So, we opted to stay in Alexandra for the night, exploring sights along the way. In Alexandra, he was finally able to go to the pub for drinks, etc.

The following morning, I drove us, visiting Clyde, Cromwell, and the Kawarau Gorge before reaching Queenstown. Once again, he suggested we 'just' pop over to Milford Sound 🤣, but I explained the realities of the journey. Instead, I dropped him off at Queenstown Airport where he caught the next flight+cruise and a meal in Milford Sound, while I explored Queenstown and Arrowtown on my own, picking him up at the airport later that evening.

He then decided to stay and enjoy Queenstown, planning to fly up to Nelson and then onward to Auckland at his leisure, while I returned the ute, driving it at least back to Wellington. The next morning, after he arranged the ferry and plane tickets, I drove home to Christchurch for the night and then on to Wellington the following day. After spending the night in the Hutt Valley, I dropped off the ute at Hertz Wellington Airport at 6am in the morning, caught a Jetstar flight home to Christchurch, and that was that. He stayed in Queenstown for another day, taking a tour to Doubtful Sound before flying out to Nelson.

I have reminded him to pay his fine or he may get stopped at the Airport when leaving the country.

johno1234

2793 posts

Uber Geek

#3204498 8-Mar-2024 13:49

Wow @cruxis!

Can I hire you next?

qwertee

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3204547 8-Mar-2024 13:56

well done @cruxis. Awesome result. Hats off to you!

Qazzy03

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3204568 8-Mar-2024 15:06

@cruxis stellar update and glad it all worked out in the end.
Definitely a story he can take back to Texas.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8846 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3204589 8-Mar-2024 16:24

@cruxis Brilliant - he was very lucky to have found you. You’re a credit to us all.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

Eva888

2427 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3204609 8-Mar-2024 17:17

Wow, I bet NZ will be on the agenda now for a few Texans after he gets home. I also suspect you might get a few requests to be a driver @cruxis.

Congratulations on being a great ambassador.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#3204610 8-Mar-2024 17:18

Someone in Texas will have a story to tell about a good kiwi person.

invisibleman18

1360 posts

Uber Geek

#3205571 12-Mar-2024 11:31

Great story. Just back from holiday in Queenstown myself and went to many of the same places. Also chuckled at the "pop over to Milford Sound" comment. We did a day bus tour + cruise. We had a rental car but figured that took the stress out of driving the roads we didn't know and having to make it to a boat time, plus allowed us to admire the scenery properly etc.

1 | 2 | 3