Off to New Zealand

April 4 2011 Day 1


A smooth quick run to airport. Thanks to Kit’s neighbour we arrive at 6.50am. Go looking for the group booking area our fearless leader told us to go to. Non existent. Ask NZ Airways, ‘WE DO NOT DO GROUP BOOKINGS.’ We wait, see some other likely souls; yes they are part of Thereabout Travel, have been told to wait for the others who are stuck in traffic. The dream of a relaxed coffee before boarding is receding fast.

Eventually they arrive. All smooth through checking in, customs and security. Kit goes off to buy duty free cosmetics, I go sniffing out a coffee bar. Suddenly I go hot all over, I’m one piece of baggage short. I’ve left my red jacket on the carousel. S… my heart races in rhythm with my legs as I try to find my way back to security. The place is a maze of gaudy duty free shops you have to negotiate before you can find the obscure corridors from whence one came. I collar someone with epaulettes and a tag around his neck. He shows me the way. ‘That’s my coat,’ I say pointing to it tossed on a table. ‘Aw gee, I just started the paper work,’ (official with American accent) ‘You’ll have to sign for it now.’ I did…gladly. Without that coat, touring the South Island of New Zealand could be truly miserable. The plane was delayed, I had a coffee, stopped sweating and calmed down.

Air NZ run a video of Richard Simmons taking us through the safety precautions, hilarious but all I can remember are his antics! I run through the media offerings on the little screen in front of me and hit on a Morecambe and Wise show from 1974. That’s the year I got divorced from the kid’s father in South Africa. It seems so long ago but the jokes and comic timing still resonate. I laugh out loud on the way to Christchurch.

As it happens it is chucking it down with rain when we arrive, and feels cold to our heat-sensitised Australian bodies. I fasten my red coat around me in gratitude for remembering it in time.

Chris, our driver for the next 18 days is no Bushie (see Darwin-Broome blog). He has an open face and twinkly smiling eyes. He takes us away from the poor battered city of Christchurch to Ashburton.

Within the hour we are ensconced in a comfortable room. Dinner is very good, after which we watch the tail end of ‘Philadelphia’ on TV.

It is still pouring with rain.

Land of the long white cloud.