!st Feb 2005
Finally paid the car rego and CTP insurance, which is compulsory down here in Oz. The only hurdle now is to get the car transferred to my name. Which can't happen until I can get hold of an authorization letter or when the owner (soon to be previous) returns to Brisbane to clear up some of his matters. That will be March! Long time to wait.
My trial drive was to get familiar with the layout of the road to PA hospital, at the same time getting used to driving an automatic transmission car. This is my first auto car, and I've been driving manuals all this while, so it'll take some time to get used to the switch.
I started off at 5.30 am. To my surprise, the roads were already moderately crowded. Must be the night shift going home. The road network was quite confusing. There were lots of signs with pointing arrows this way and that , that I've never noticed before. Inadvertently entered several wrong lanes, not in the direction of incoming traffic, more like to routes that would have taken me away from the hospital instead. Nevertheless I did reach the hospital. That wasn't so bad. Didn't exactly feel nervous. Just a bit. Noticed that there were alot more cars on the highway on the way back. The time was 5.50am. The trip back was uneventful, almost boring. The car handled well. I think I'll love driving auto.