Easter is such a good opportunity for a road trip that many of us opt to extend the adventure by adding leave days at either end of the four-day holiday weekend.
It’s a great strategy for avoiding the rural highway congestion that Easter usually creates. You pack up, fill up at Mobil and get to enjoy whatever destination is in mind before the hordes arrive.
Tacking those days on at the end of the break is even more effective, given Good Friday usually has the same reverence as Christmas Day, and a lot of folk don’t feel an urge to travel. New Zealand roads can therefore be relatively quiet on Easter Friday compared to the Thursday before which usually triggers a rush to escape metropolitan areas as the holiday approaches.
Taking four days’ leave in the aftermath of Easter creates a nine-day road trip, visiting the cuzzies down the line, or exploring parts of either island. Just make sure to tick off the items on the following check-list before you leave.
First, make sure the car is in good condition. Check the tyres (including the spare) and wiper blades have enough life left to last more than the trip, and that vital fluids such as engine oil, hydraulic brake fluid, and radiator coolant are topped up. Your family doesn’t want to be the one parked forlornly on the roadside verge with the bonnet up.
A good way of checking for defects is to clean the vehicle. That way you’ll notice little things such as whether any tyres are under-inflated, whether a hubcap or indicator lense is working loose, or if a tyre valve cap has gone AWOL.
For motorcyclists, a spot of vehicle hygiene should be a pre-Easter ritual, given that bikes are more prone to vibration and can often shake loose the bolts securing accessory luggage racks, or stress brake-light filaments to the point of breakage. Follow that cleaning with powertrain maintenance, especially if the bike is chain-driven. Cruiser-style motorcycles with drive belts should have the latter inspected for any cracks in the belt.
Such is the importance of vehicle maintenance that you might want to book your car/bike/motorhome/caravan in for a service. If so, make sure to book early because Easter often produces a last-minute rush for many workshops.
Those in motorhomes or towing caravans will have a more extensive checklist including that waste tanks are empty, onboard toilets are ready for business, and water tanks are full. Make sure the LPG tanks have gas in them. There’s potential for domestic embarrassment if you reach that ultra-isolated scenic location and there’s no gas left for the fridge and the stove.
Finally, have a great trip, and if you need more of the fuel that’ll take you further, there are plenty of Mobil stations at convenient locations ready to serve you.
More miles, more adventures
A decent playlist is a must when embarking on a road trip.
Gone are the days of playing the same CDs over and over again to beat boredom on the road.
Much of the world’s music can be sourced from a smartphone.
Simply gather your favourite tunes, connect your phone to the car’s infotainment system, and sing those hours on the road away.
Just make sure that your solo karaoke performance of the latest hits doesn’t compromise your driving.
Mobil Synergy Fuels. Designed to give you more fuel economy, for more miles, more adventures.