Today I ponyed up and bought a bus ticket. I only have five days left on NZ and still want to see so much more. Hitch hiking has worked so well, but now I just want to go too far a distance in too little a time to rely on my thumb in the air (a sign works better, to some extent). Beside a local bus around town, this is my first bus ride. It is kind of sad, I enjoyed the life of the hitch hiker. Wondering who/what will pick you up, if you'll get a ride or not. And then the conversations and people along the way.
The things I've learned: Hitch Hiking 101...
1. Location - out of town a bit, on the main road leading to your destination is perfect. Its great to know every car passing you is heading in your direction of travel. It is also a safety net, knowing you can walk back to town and find a place to stay if necessary.
2. Sign - If you know exactly where you want to be, a sign is good. But it can deter people from picking you up that are only going part way. If there are a lot of cars passing by, that's alright. If there are not many cars, its sometimes best to puddle jump in bits and pieces.
3. Puddle Jumping / Unknown Destination - Sometimes is fun to have a thumb in the air, and go wherever the person is traveling. It works well to have a general idea of where you'd like to get to, but if they are going to a different town, whatever, hop in and enjoy the ride.
4. Confidence - Don't worry about getting pick up, it will happen. So far my longest wait was about and hour and typically it has been less than 15 cars before one stops.
5. Smile and an Introduction - A smile and a hello goes a long way to prove you are not an axe-murderer to the driver who may already be a bit uneasy, or be telling you right off they don't usually pick up hitch hikers.
