Tuesday in Owera Beach, New Zealand

It's been quite an adventure already and I have written some posts and saved tem to my computer since I had difficulty finding wi-fi access that didn't cost an arm and a leg along the way:

Saturday, November 13, 2010 - 9:45 AM – Sydney!   Arrived just after 6 AM and have spent the last 3 hours first finding somewhere to get some Aussie dollars, drinking Australia’s answer to Starbucks “Gloria Jean’s Coffee” (very good and comparable in taste and price but they had Equal & no Splenda!), trying to find a free wi-fi  connection with NO luck, found the free internet kiosk but very limited accessibility and could NOT send a message, trying to find someone who knows anything  about my Pacific Blue gate &/or a phone number so I can call someone from the payphone and waiting in line for a surly “travel desk” women to tell me to go to the “gate” to get my boarding pass but she can’t tell me which gate…just keeps telling me to look at the reader board but if you aren’t in the right area, your flight won’t show up on it.  I was told in LAX that I would have to go to another terminal so I just want to know which gate in case I DO need to travel from one terminal to another!  There’s a list of airlines with contact numbers but when calling the Pacific Blue# it says to leave a number and they will get back to you in 24 hours—that didn’t work either!  There was no general information extension # either…ugh…what a pain.  Haven’t been able to get an answer but ran into a couple who are on the same flight and they said someone told them it’s gate 55!    Will wait for a bit and see I can find it on the reader board to verify!   It IS a nice modern airport but their information dissemination  is lacking along with their so called “wi-fi accessibility”!

To back track, I had a very decent flight from LAX to Sydney on VAustralia—the best flight I have ever been on with:  your own individual TV with touch screen and video game player (not that I used that) with lots of current movies to select, current TV programs, old movies, etc., with headset (loved this and it was FREE), they gave us all a blanket, pillow, sleep mask, and ear plugs!   Then after we were in-flight they distributed bottled water and then a full meal (3 entree choices) with free wine (which I had 1 glass of red!).   The food was pretty good, too, although couldn’t eat it all!   I slept pretty well after the dinner and wine and watching the movies “Eclipse” and “Babies”—enjoyed them both and really got a kick out of the things those babies did from different parts of the world!  The plane was very new—had a real bar with barstools by First Class and the economy area was seats of 3, 3 and 3 (3 by each side and 3 seats in the middle!).   I sat with a couple from Australia who had been in US for 3 weeks on “holiday” (NYC, Niagara Falls, Chicago, San Francisco & San Dieg0)—they were friendly seatmates.  This morning they served coffee (it was not bad but no Starbucks, Tully’s or Seattle’s Best) then a full breakfast (2 entrée choices) with yogurt, OJ, & croissant.   Way too much for me to eat but I did nibble on all of it.   Am so close to Auckland, yet so far away!   J   Looking forward to seeing Geoff in a few hours.   Gotta close for now, battery is low and my current converter for the battery pack is in my suitcase (probably already in Auckland waiting for me!)!!! xo

It get's better!   Check this out:

Sunday,  4:25 PM – November 14, 2010 – Auckland NZ…Geoff and I just came back from an hour walk around the neighborhood we are staying in (near the Skyway Lodge).   We walked down to a strawberry farm where they sell fresh strawberries (in season here right now) but they make and sell fresh strawberry ice cream in waffle cones!   Very yummy!   Then we walked the other direction to look at the houses, yards and vegetation and ran into what Geoff calls a “Dairy” and we would call a convenience or neighborhood store.   We went inside and one of the things Geoff loves here in NZ that he cannot get at home are these little meat pies that they warm up in an oven (kind of like a pot pie without the tin foil container but square).  I ate about a fourth of a steak pie (Brand is called “Big Ben”) and it was quite tasty.   Geoff said it would be better with tomato ketchup on it but he didn’t have his with him!  Geoff also said there are bakeries in some of the towns he has visited before that make their own little pies and they are even better.   I am sure we will try some more of them!  

I have quite a bit to tell you since the Sydney airport.  What an adventure that turned out to be. So I will now go back to yesterday, Sydney Airport.   I was sitting there around 10:30 AM and heard a page for those flying on Pacific Blue airline to go to the “travel Desk” (the same place that had been so unhelpful thus far).   When I arrived I waited while the young woman helped this couple and then gave her my ticket and passport.   She looked at my ticket and said to me, “Do you have a New Zealand visa?”, I said “no, I don’t  need one because I am leaving New Zealand on December 16 to fly to Australia and then back to New Zealand on January 5, 2011.”  (NOTE: The issue is that I am admitted for up to 3 months in NZ without a visa but according to my ticket I am staying 4 ½ months.  By flying to Australia for 3 weeks, my 3 months starts all over again on January 5^th…but I have to prove it!)  She said “where is that flight info?”, I said “My boyfriend booked the flights so he has it and he is already in Auckland.”  She asked me if I could produce the hard copy, I told her no, I never received a copy (I had told Geoff that I didn’t need that information).   She asked which airline and I could NOT remember which one Geoff told me.   I was getting a bit upset because I had no computer battery left and my plug converter was in my checked bag, no cell phone and as I looked through my documents, I didn’t even have the phone number of the place where Geoff is waiting for me in Auckland nor his cell phone number (I had given Shelley the only copy I apparently made of the New Zealand info—geez).   She said if I can find out which airline she would call them and get hard copy confirmation…so I headed to the nearest payphone.   Had no telephone card but I could use my credit card and call a toll free number to make a call on it.   First I called information and got the number for the Airport Skyway Lodge (sure glad I remembered the name) and then called there.   Scott, the manager, said Geoff was downtown in Auckland, I explained what I needed and why (now it is 11 AM and my flight leaves at 12:10 PM) and he said he would try to find his cell number and give him a call…I was to call Scott back in 5 minutes.  In the meantime, I tried to call Shelley to see if I could get Geoff’s number from her but she wasn’t home and dummy me didn’t bring her cell number!   I call Scott back and Scott my new “guardian angel” somehow tracked down the airline name (JetStar), flight number and confirmation code!   He said “don’t ask me how I got it” and I haven’t asked because I don’t care!   I ran back to the travel desk and there was a couple with their 20 year old daughter having a problem for the same flight (their problem was that they didn’t have the Australia ETA’s issued for their return flight to Australia from NZ—a totally different issue.   I gave them the email address to go online and get the ETA’s electronically like I did and the daughter ran off to call her boyfriend for him to take care of it so they could get on the flight as well.  So time is ticking away and I say to the young woman “I got the information you asked for and I sure want to make this flight.”   She took the info and then said, “You don’t have much time to get to JetStar and get the hard copy for me” and I reminded her that she was going to call for it for me.  She went and used another phone because by now the man of the couple was talking to someone in immigration about this whole ETA issue.    This young woman was slow as molasses…in no hurry even though by now they were boarding my flight.   She said she HAD to have hard copy and the manager at JetStar said he would bring the hard copy to me at Gate 55 (he was at Gate 30 which is at another terminal and not exactly close).   The woman issued me a boarding pass and said “Do NOT get on the plane until Frank gets there from JetStar with the hard copy of your flight!”    I said, “Okay”, grabbed my boarding pass, passport and other documents and started running toward the gate.   When I got there, they were still boarding so I stood and waited for Frank to show up.  When they made the final call for boarding, the couple and their daughter showed up (the daughter’s boyfriend got the instant confirmation of the eta’s for them) and they got on.  I got in line and asked the girl checking boarding passes if Frank ever showed up...she said no, but said she’d check on it.   She picked up a walkie talkie and asked someone about Frank.   In the meantime she was checking in the last few stragglers.   Then a female voice asked her via the walkie talkie “Does she have a boarding pass”, she looked at me and I said “Yes” and the woman said “let her board without Frank”, so she did and then I did and MADE my flight to New Zealand as planned! 

The flight was 3 hours and pleasant.  I was emotionally exhausted and fell asleep for about half of it.   The couple sitting next to me were from New York and said they were spending 3 weeks in NZ and it was their first trip.  We fly into Auckland (and the flight attendants were pretty funny) and I can see between fluffy clouds very green and lush country below, with lots of water and it looks just lovely!  I freshen my lipstick and comb my hair—want to look presentable for Geoff!!!    I get off the plane and walk to customs and the custom’s agent asks me lots of questions (wanted Geoff’s name, flight number, etc., which I happened to have a copy of, whew!), asked some things I couldn’t answer (like which company are we hiring the campervan from—told her Geoff took care of that…geez).  Finally she smiled and said that’s all, proceed.   Next step was to pick up my bag and clear the customs search area (they are very strict about bringing fruit, plants, etc., into this country).  I wait and wait and then wait some more and my bag never shows up!   Almost everyone has left the area except for about a half dozen of us who don’t have our bags.    I was the last one helped and they took down all my information to start tracking my bag and then I had to clear customs with my carry-on stuff.  I made it through there with no problem and walked around the corner and there was Geoff waiting patiently for me!   What a sight for sore eyes and he hugged and kissed me and, in spite of the trials I had been through, it was all okay.   So he called Scott to come and pick us up and I told him “Wow, do I have a story to tell you, babe”.   You see Geoff had not been in touch with Scott so he knew nothing about my problem trying to get out of Sydney!   So we walked down the airport to our arranged pickup location and sat and I started telling him the tale.   Scott came and picked us up, took us to the Lodge and I took what things I had with me into our room.  Of course I didn’t take any spare undies or any clothes with me as carryon but at least I have the 4 lb jar of jelly bellies for Geoff and all my insulin and needles!  J  So I sort of freshened up and we walked down to a local restaurant and had chicken stir fry over rice, walked back, washed out my undies and collapsed into bed!   I believe it was well before 10 PM and I slept hard and soundly—so did Geoff!   We woke up around 8 AM and I showered and am still wearing the same clothes from 2 days ago when I started this journey!   The airline called and told Scott before noon that they still had not located my bag (not good news).   We had some coffee and toast around noon, looked at brochures and started talking about where to next (Owera area north of Auckland) and then decided to walk down for strawberries/ice cream.   So here we are, waiting for my stuff and hoping to get it soon!

I don’t care about these minor hassles, I am just excited to be here in New Zealand and with Geoff!  Today was sunny and some clouds but no need for a jacket.   Just a lovely temperature!

As a side note, Geoff had a great trip on Royal Brunei Airline with no hitch (they did get delayed about 30 minutes when they had to take on some additional fuel).  He said the food was plentiful  and tasty, they provided  sleep mask, ear plugs, slipper socks, toothbrush/paste and he watched a movie with Angelina Jolie and then Mr. Bean’s Holiday (which he said had him laughing out loud.)   After resting at the Lodge, he went into Auckland and arranged to get a chip for his old cell that I will use.  So now I am in communication mode again. 

I will post these as soon as I have internet access.  Just writing this down while fresh in my mind.   Tonight we are going to an Indian restaurant.  Right now Geoff is dozing.  I keep praying for a call that my bag is located!  Xo Sue

Monday, November 15 – Still no bag but off we go!   Took a couple hours at the Maui Camper Van place to go thru the rigmarole but finally—we are off and on our way!

It started out a drizzly day and my first view of downtown Auckland was via the Harbour Bridge…the sky was overcast but how beautiful the Sky Tower and big buildings and port looks beautiful and really took m breath away to realize where I am!.   We drove north and Geoff has been to Owera several times before so knows this area fairly well.

Spent the afternoon walking around town looking for some clothes, etc., for me!  We had another of those individual meat pies but this was one from a bakery and was even better!   Went into a grocery store “Countdown” (they are owned by same folks as Woolworths!)  and bought some provisions so we are now set.   Organized our campervan and Geoff made us a nice salad for “tea” (dinner to me! J) and Geoff went for a run on the beach while I used the computer in the campground reception area to email home.   We are as close to the beach as we can get and with the sun out it is just beautiful.   We ate tea outside and the people in the next campervan (from Berlin) chatted with us and gave us their “leftovers”—foil, plastic wrap, sponge, pasta, rice, olive oil, etc., since they are returning tomorrow.  Sounds like they had a very lovely 3 weeks touring both north and south islands.

I think we were sound asleep before 10 PM  xo

P.S.  Still no bag but I am not givng up hope!   Sending our love from down under, Sue and Geoff xo