They say mental stimulation helps put off the start of dementia. If that is true, I have probably delayed any onset by a few years as my brain was getting a work out adjusting to driving in New Zealand. I actually adjusted to driving on the left quickly. I am also quite comfortable using the round abouts. I do miss the keyless car entry I have on my Prius. I keep having to find my key. The thing that I still haven't adjusted to is having the turn signal on the right. I keep flipping on my windshield wipers instead of signaling for a turn. I also somtimes go to the wrong side of the car to get in to drive.
I sure am glad I had a backup plan for navigation. I thought I would be using my Garmin GP that I brought with me. I had found free maps that work with Garmin and installed them before I left. Unfortunately, I think they only cover the major metropolitan areas as it often could not find where I wanted to go. I used the one that came free with my rental, but it was having problems getting to the menu where I put in a new address. I ended up switching to my iPad using the Map app which showed my location on the big screen and also gave very clear verbal instructions such as "take the second exit in the roundabout toward ... ".
It was a bit stressful the first few days driving on winding, narrow roads when it was raining. I am thankful there are lots of passing lanes as I am driving a bit slower than the locals. I am surprised at the number of one lane bridges. I always seemed to be driving the direction that has to yield. I keep wanting to take a photo of a bridge with the sign showing I have to wait to cross if a car is coming from the other direction, but I haven't found a place safe to stop to take the picture. The shoulders on the roads are narrow to non-existent. I often get a glimpse of a great view and wish there was a place to pull off to the side of the road to take a photo.
I promise some photos in my next post.
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