Van is headed down South. Keep your eyes peeled and wave out if you see it. (More pictures to be added to the gallery as soon as I can find a spare 5 minutes…)

A Dunedin man could only stand and watch as the uninsured house bus he had owned for two hours went up in smoke on the trip home.

Don Saxton, 51, bought the 1963 Leyland Leopard off a seller in Wanaka at 2pm yesterday.

By 4pm, he was standing by the side of the Chatto Creek-Springvale Rd in Central Otago watching it burn to a shell.

He told the Southland Times he had smelt smoke coming from the rear of the bus and pulled over, but flames had quickly taken hold.

Local fire crews spent an hour dousing the blaze.

Mr Saxton paid $16,500 for the fully converted house bus and planned to live in it while he developed a coastal section.

The Port Otago cargo handler said he had sent the seller a text saying “Bus on fire. Written off. Call you later” and he was in need of a beer.

He had bought the vehicle “as is” and had not insured it.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/mp/6507996/fire-destroys-house-bus/

An important reminder to check your electrical certificates, though, smoke coming from the back, i’d suggest that this was due to electrical wires over a hot exhaust or similar…I think this guy really should have checked it out before driving off. And another lesson? ALWAYS ring your insurance provider to get at least temporary cover before starting the engine after handing over the cold hard stuff.

Be safe out there peeps…

Update: More on the story and pics from ODT

Youths terrorise elderly couple in campervan attack
Stuff…

Dunedin police say they are closing in on a group of youths who terrorised an elderly couple in a campervan during the weekend.

The couple, believed to be in their 70s, were asleep at Warrington Domain, north of Dunedin, early on Saturday morning when a group of youths surrounded their campervan and began rocking it, the Otago Daily Times reported.

David McLaren and his partner Norma Hart were staying nearby and were woken by shouting. Mr McLaren went to the couple’s aid while Ms Hart phoned police.

About 18 young men and women were kicking the sides and windows of the campervan, throwing bottles at it and at least one on person jumped on the roof while another hung from the door. A bottle was thrown through a window, showering the woman in glass.

“The man told us he tried to back the van out to get away from them and accidentally nicked one of the group’s cars and that was what set them off,” Mr McLaren told the newspaper.

The youths left, but before police arrived one carload returned and began searching the ground, telling Mr McLaren they were searching for a lost dog.

“I started to have a look around, too, and saw a cellphone. That’s what they were looking for, I’m sure. Who looks for a dog at 1.30 in the morning?”

Police arrived and escorted the couple back to their home in Mosgiel.

Mr McLaren gave them the cellphone and registrations from two of the group’s cars.

Constable Greg Park said “very strong evidence” had been collected, including fingerprints and they were closing in on the group. The phone’s owner would be identified along with those who had been called from it. “We are pursuing this investigation with vigour.

“If the offenders don’t come forward, we will be throwing the book at them.”

Throw the book at them? Thats a bit soft isn’t it? Why don’t they throw bottles and rocks at their parents houses? Or even better, at their ghey cars. I’m sure the brats will get the message then…