Oh, those were the days.......

I don’t want the readers to get depressed about the cost of living these days, but then the following facts may be all relative to the time anyway.

At the end of 1970, some friends and I took two Austin A30s from Invercargill to Nelson, for a week’s holiday over Xmas/New Year. We stayed with a friend’s sister while there.

With me being a pedantic record-keeper all my life, I jotted down a few notes on the costs during the trip. My friends used to jibe me about bothering to do this, but I’m now glad I did, as it is amazing to look back over them nowadays.

I found these notes a while ago, while looking through an old suitcase of precious papers and memorabilia from a long time ago.

So here goes: Fuel was 10c a litre ($2.70 to fill my A30 chokka). I used $21.60 to get to Nelson and back home again, plus another tank-full running around the Nelson area (eight tank-fulls in total). Beer was $2.75 for a dozen quart bottles in the cardboard box. We bought a dozen each, every day for six days (boy, am I glad those days are over, not to mention the drink-driving), so $16.50 for ‘refreshments’. All the food cost us each an average of $2.50 a day, so $15 there. The grand total for the week amounted to $55.80.

When I returned home to Invercargill and had a count-up, I had spent exactly $56.00, so 20c missing from the ’till’ somewhere?

We didn’t need ATM’s back then, you could go half-way round the world with a few $10 notes in your back pocket!

At the time, I was two years into my newspaper apprenticeship, and remember thinking the trip had cost me exactly a week’s wages after tax, including regular overtime.

Now, given today’s standards, some may find the content of this story, that is, the reference to “the alcohol and cars” a little controversial. However, I believe when looking back on these times, you should bare all, because that’s how it was, and it’s a true reflection on how much things have changed, for the better, over nearly 50 years (remember when cars didn’t even have seat belts?). Plus, I can’t tell the story of the costs of the trip, without including the huge beer consumption, and I have very few photos from those times without the “brown stuff” in them somewhere! I presume Australia wasn’t much different back then? Anyway, nice to reminisce, but great that rules have changed to keep us all safer when travelling.

A "pit stop" near Kaikoura, on the way to Nelson. The Kiwi culture of the time was "beer with everything", including cars. This was insane...we went to a lot of funerals!

A typical day while in Nelson, spent at Tahuna Beach, although we never got to go into the water, because of the persistent activity of stingrays.

Loading up for another big day out. With no technology like they have today, if you could stand up and walk a straight line, you were good to drive. I am a fervent supporter of the way things are today.

Back home "safely", after my $56 week's holiday in Nelson.