Apricot

Nobody's ever called me Cate Blanchett (though I have a similar but less-blonde haircut right now) in the carbon offsetting stakes but Apricot, my vehicle of choice for all things local, makes me feel I'm reducing my footprint, even if only by half a small toe.

The Husband bought Apricot as a surprise birthday present last year. He admitted that he chose Apricot because had she been Light Blue, White or Black she would have have cost $300 more.

As my birthday is in summer, Apricot was used mostly in the late afternoons or early mornings (the only time I've been keen to pick up the Saturday paper). Now that it's autumn, she's really earning her keep.

Trips to the library, the deli, charity-bin drop offs and the post office are no longer carried out in the car, weather permitting. I think twice, though, about the garden centre after falling in love with two native shrubs almost completely covered with bright ruby flowers (Leptospermum nanum rubrum) and rightly guessing they'd fit in the basket.

Problem was I wasn't thinking vertically so, to see over the top of them, I had to cycle vertically all the way home.

I'm sure the French don't have such problems with their baguettes.