Location:Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
City of Sails
View from our balcony. Very windy today, but hopefully that's also due to our proximity to the harbor.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Battle against sleepiness - round 1
Travel tip - if you want to quickly clear New Zealand customs, all you have to do is chat up the agents about rugby. It helps if you are clueless about all aspects of the sport so they can chuckle at you. Go Eagles, I guess! (the customs agent looked up the US team for us since we were so clueless, I guessed the Grizzly Bears). Everyone finds it hilarious that we've never been to a rugby match and yet have come all the way here to attend the world cup. Eh, we are just THAT patriotic.
So we landed, got our rental, and took off for the hotel armed with a dying phone for GPS directions, a car that randomly whistles - sparking fears that a wheel is about to fall off - and Ian's constant tendency to turn on the windshield wipers whenever he wants to signal a turn. The rental company helpfully put a "stay left" sign on the dashboard - I'm just saying, thank goodness the gas and brake pedals are the same!
Our hotel is really neat - we've got a laundry room (too bad we have all of 2 pieces of soiled clothing so far), TWO queen-sized bedrooms (in case things go badly at dinner perhaps?), free breakfast, free wireless, and a free ferry to Auckland city centre. By the time we check in, I'm ready for bed. But Ian convinces me to rally enough for the ferry. We went over to Auckland's CBD and Waterfront district for some food - got a tasty fish burger (they do this curry mayo thing with fruit on top as a spread -- Waaay superior to tartar sauce!). Ian took this shot outside the Waterfront restaurant of the cool giant boat and me warming my hands underneath.
And with that, it's time to catch the last ferry back to the hotel and hit the sack. Old trees and black beaches tomorrow!
So we landed, got our rental, and took off for the hotel armed with a dying phone for GPS directions, a car that randomly whistles - sparking fears that a wheel is about to fall off - and Ian's constant tendency to turn on the windshield wipers whenever he wants to signal a turn. The rental company helpfully put a "stay left" sign on the dashboard - I'm just saying, thank goodness the gas and brake pedals are the same!
Our hotel is really neat - we've got a laundry room (too bad we have all of 2 pieces of soiled clothing so far), TWO queen-sized bedrooms (in case things go badly at dinner perhaps?), free breakfast, free wireless, and a free ferry to Auckland city centre. By the time we check in, I'm ready for bed. But Ian convinces me to rally enough for the ferry. We went over to Auckland's CBD and Waterfront district for some food - got a tasty fish burger (they do this curry mayo thing with fruit on top as a spread -- Waaay superior to tartar sauce!). Ian took this shot outside the Waterfront restaurant of the cool giant boat and me warming my hands underneath.
And with that, it's time to catch the last ferry back to the hotel and hit the sack. Old trees and black beaches tomorrow!
Location:Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Oh the irony...
For our 2.5 hour flight, there are not only individual televisions, but also a USB charger at each seat. Sigh.
The Alcohol Gauntlet
Hmmm, I don't remember this in the US, but the international terminal in Australia forces you through a duty free section full of free alcohol samples.
It's an ingenious scheme really, because by the end of it the concoction of Southern Comfort, Vodka, Baileys and Jack Daniel's has you tipsy enough to forget your flight number, and you have to spend another night in Australia feeding the economy, only to make another go at the gauntlet the next day.
Here's Ming at the Southern Comfort booth. I cut her off before the Jack Daniel's.
It's an ingenious scheme really, because by the end of it the concoction of Southern Comfort, Vodka, Baileys and Jack Daniel's has you tipsy enough to forget your flight number, and you have to spend another night in Australia feeding the economy, only to make another go at the gauntlet the next day.
Here's Ming at the Southern Comfort booth. I cut her off before the Jack Daniel's.
Location:Departure Plaza,Mascot,Australia
Transfer in Sydney!
It was a pretty smooth flight (though, much to Ian's dismay, no personal tvs). We both slept quite a bit, surprisingly - possibly a direct correlation there to the lack of personal tvs. And thanks to the wonder that is the international date line, it's already Monday morning here, making the time difference pretty tame compared to Africa or Asia. 19 hours ahead may sound rough, but 5 behind - ignoring the fact that it's a different day - is not bad at all.
Finally, credit to Expedia for the free airport wireless here. Not sure I'll be any more likely to book my future travel with you, but you get positive customer relations points.
Finally, credit to Expedia for the free airport wireless here. Not sure I'll be any more likely to book my future travel with you, but you get positive customer relations points.
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Itinerary for trip Down Under - comments welcome!
Thought some of you might be interested in knowing what we've got planned for the next few weeks. Things are pretty mapped out, but there are some question marks, so please feel free to make suggestions!
Sept 17 - flight to New Zealand
Sept 19 - arrival in Auckland
Sept 20-21 - Northland (Waipoua forest, swimming with the dolphins in Paihia, black sand beaches)
Sept 22-23 - Wellington (Rugby world cup!)
Sept 24-28 - Queenstown (Te Anau caves, Milford Sound, glaciers heli-hike, Lake Wanaka, bungee? skydiving?)
Sept 29-Oct 1 - over to Australia - Adelaide/Kangaroo Island (wine tasting, wildlife watching)
Oct 2-4 - Red Centre (King's Canyon, Uluru, camel sunset ride)
Oct 5-9 - Cairns (Great Barrier Reef, scuba diving, jungle tour)
Oct 10-12 - Sydney (Opera House, blue mountains?)
Can't wait :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sept 17 - flight to New Zealand
Sept 19 - arrival in Auckland
Sept 20-21 - Northland (Waipoua forest, swimming with the dolphins in Paihia, black sand beaches)
Sept 22-23 - Wellington (Rugby world cup!)
Sept 24-28 - Queenstown (Te Anau caves, Milford Sound, glaciers heli-hike, Lake Wanaka, bungee? skydiving?)
Sept 29-Oct 1 - over to Australia - Adelaide/Kangaroo Island (wine tasting, wildlife watching)
Oct 2-4 - Red Centre (King's Canyon, Uluru, camel sunset ride)
Oct 5-9 - Cairns (Great Barrier Reef, scuba diving, jungle tour)
Oct 10-12 - Sydney (Opera House, blue mountains?)
Can't wait :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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