Well, it ended well

Bad: They couldn't fix my car up here, so it's been taken to Auckland.

Good: I have AA plus cover which pays for a rental car and getting mine to Auckland.

Bad: There are no rental cars up here. So I had to go to Whangarei (an hour each way) on the car transport to pick a rental up there (but I got a pic of LIBR8R looking ignominious and ashamed it itself on the truck). And effectively lost yet another day of holiday. So I still didn't get to paint ceramics, which I'd hoped to do this morning.

Good: The car I got is powerful, luxurious, and even has seats you can adjust in height and inclination. Very cool. You can tell I drive a 12-year-old rattle-trap, can't you (cars here are expensive). But tomorrow we can have a day-trip to Mangonui in quiet purring comfort.

Making it all worthwhile: Talking of purring, Tigger, the resort cat, is curled up asleep in our couch beside me. He was on my lap before. I've taken several pictures of him; he's not a ginger tabby as you'd expect with that name, but black and grey marbled with snowy white nose and paws. Awwww. :-)