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Motorists travelling on the old State Highway 1 through Waiwera have probably noticed a couple of unusual cars sitting beside each other in the roadside parking bay.
They don’t belong to freedom campers nor have they been abandoned, rather the red Mini Cooper and yellow Honda Logo are both owned by Billy Leigh, 38, a former Warkworth local and Mahurangi College student.
Both vehicles are filled to the brim with everything from vintage TVs and toys to electronics and empty drink cans.
Nearly every inch of space is accounted for, both inside and out.
Two tyres are strapped down to a wooden pallet on the roof of the Honda, while a fishing rod is attached to the grille of the Mini, which runs a hose into the radiator to keep the engine cool and “it works pretty well”.
The only room Leigh has for himself is the driver’s seat, where he sleeps sitting up.
“I kind of like sleeping weird. I just lean my head on the junk and fall asleep. It’s kind of like a pillow,” he says.
A self-described mechanic, welder and electronics whizz, Leigh spends much of his time tinkering with the many things he’s acquired over the years.
Unfortunately, “$3000 worth of gear” was recently stolen from the Honda including solar panels, tools and other valuable items.
The theft happened after he left both cars unattended on the hill above Wenderholm Regional Park.
“The door to the Honda was shut but the cops have taken my key so I can’t lock it. But the idiot didn’t know that (it was unlocked) so he bent the top half of my door and must have reached in,” he says.
After the break-in, Leigh drove the cars down to Waiwera one at a time and is now stranded there.
In the past he’s used the Honda to tow the Mini, which is no mean feat considering Leigh does this by himself using a makeshift towing connection.
“It’s the complete opposite to what you would normally do because the Mini’s actually more powerful. I’ve towed over hills and on gravel roads.”
Ideally, Leigh would like to find a house with some land where he could settle and “have heaps of cars, whiteware and scrap” but “everything is too expensive”.
