Worrying Pays Off

It’s just as well that I’m a worrier, I have decided.  On our last night in Brisbane, we packed up our cases, and set the alarm clock on Robin’s magic (smart) phone to go off at 4.30am.  I was awake off and on during the night, checking on the clock on my beside cabinet to see how things were coming along.  By 4.00am I was fully awake, and lay there, keeping my beady eye on the numbers as they slowly counted down.  By 4.35am Robin’s smart phone had not rung so I had to switch on the beside light and tell him it was time to get up.  And – that he had me to thank that we hadn’t slept in and missed our flight.  This is the second time that it had failed us as an alarm clock – so much for high tech wizardry, I say.

We drove through the gloomy morning light to the drop off place for our hire car, jumped in the shuttle which deposited some passengers to the domestic terminal, and then took us to the overseas terminal.  My goodness, Brisbane airport is a big place, lots of passengers everywhere, going about their business.  And the school holidays add to the chaos, with family groups, toddlers, and babies everywhere.

Checking in at Brisbane

Going through Security is always a bit stressful – especially as I had placed my passport the wrong way around on the scanner and had to be shown how to do it correctly.  Then we had to stand on top of the yellow pair of feet painted on the floor, and look at the camera as it took our photo.  No wonder people get nervous.  Once safely through we walked until we found gate 77, and sat and waited, and waited some more, till it was boarding time.  There’s our plane, waiting patiently, looking quite small compared to the extra large Emirates plane parked up close to ours.

QF 123

Our flight over to Auckland took 2.45 hours and was fairly uneventful.  The same old story – squashed in to cattle class where it is so difficult to get comfy, or move around.  I did my usual job of watching my tiny little TV screen on the back of the seat in front, checking that the pilot was keeping the plane on track, and keeping an eye out the window to make sure that the wing didn’t fall off.  I take my navigational duties very seriously, I can tell you!

Over sea and finally over land

2330kms later, arriving in Auckland

Being honest Kiwis, we took particular care filling in the arrival cards.  After watching various episodes of Border Control on TV, we knew to declare all foodstuffs.  Such as the sealed packet of chocolate which I wouldn’t let Robin open, in case we never ate it all in time.  And the remaining tea bags, which we never managed to use up – that got two ticks, one for food, and one for plant matter, just to be sure.  Then we acknowledged that we had walked over the great outdoors where wild animals lived on our various trips, and got soil on our shoes.  All this was noted, and we were waved on.  I didn’t take it personally when my bag was swabbed (for drugs) and I had to hold my arms out for the wand to be waved over me, as I know they pick random people out of the queue to check.

We never did find out why

Changing some of our Aussie dollars into NZ cash, we boarded a shuttle to take us to our motel in Parnell, where we are staying the next two nights.  We have another little train ride booked – more later…….

Our room at Parnell Inn