Both Nidley & I are travellers that like to get to the airport early, especially when checking in big luggage. On Tuesday we were so keen that we got there 30 minutes before check-in opened, and got to be first in line
Of course early check-ins means early beers - well the sun is over the yard-arm somewhere
The flight over on NZ Air was pretty good - the funniest part was the look on Nidleys face when he asked for a beer from the stweardess and was given the option of Speights Pure or Export. The Pure came in a Red-Bull shaped can, and as he said 'the best bit about the beer was that there wasn't much of it'.
We got into Auckland and got through customs & immigration with no problems. It was the first time I'd used my Australian passport - very exciting in a fairly dull way. Of course it means I need to memorise a new passport number now, because it's always in the overhead compartment when you're filling in the immigration form.
Once we transferred over to the domestic terminal we bumped into some other riders we knew so retired to the bar. Just as we were leaving we heard our names called for last check-in - another first for me. We ran down to the gate and quickly boarded the plane, which was small enough for us to apologise to every sinlge passenger individually.
There wasn't even a door through to the cockpit so you could peer out of the front as we landed. I think the plane was too small to do any damage if it was hi-jacked.
Once we got our luggage we jumped into a shuttle-taxi - a great idea they have in NZ, minibusses that drop you off at your motels when they're full or there are no flights immediately due for not much money at all. We actually made it a group with one more person than the bus should legally take, but the driver just suggested that if we crunched up at the back we'd all fit in. Our first view of the more easy going NZ lifestyle :)
We got to the motel and along with the milk, towels and keys the owner handed us a beer. The rooms were small but functional, and the front room very quickly became a bike assembly point
Take a good look at that carpet - we didn't see much of it for the next 6 days...
Of course early check-ins means early beers - well the sun is over the yard-arm somewhereThe flight over on NZ Air was pretty good - the funniest part was the look on Nidleys face when he asked for a beer from the stweardess and was given the option of Speights Pure or Export. The Pure came in a Red-Bull shaped can, and as he said 'the best bit about the beer was that there wasn't much of it'.
We got into Auckland and got through customs & immigration with no problems. It was the first time I'd used my Australian passport - very exciting in a fairly dull way. Of course it means I need to memorise a new passport number now, because it's always in the overhead compartment when you're filling in the immigration form.
Once we transferred over to the domestic terminal we bumped into some other riders we knew so retired to the bar. Just as we were leaving we heard our names called for last check-in - another first for me. We ran down to the gate and quickly boarded the plane, which was small enough for us to apologise to every sinlge passenger individually.
There wasn't even a door through to the cockpit so you could peer out of the front as we landed. I think the plane was too small to do any damage if it was hi-jacked.
Once we got our luggage we jumped into a shuttle-taxi - a great idea they have in NZ, minibusses that drop you off at your motels when they're full or there are no flights immediately due for not much money at all. We actually made it a group with one more person than the bus should legally take, but the driver just suggested that if we crunched up at the back we'd all fit in. Our first view of the more easy going NZ lifestyle :)
We got to the motel and along with the milk, towels and keys the owner handed us a beer. The rooms were small but functional, and the front room very quickly became a bike assembly point
Take a good look at that carpet - we didn't see much of it for the next 6 days...
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