The 4:34 from Warrimoo to Central is not just for people who can’t afford to get an Uber to the airport. Our designated ‘Quiet Carriage’ was packed within a few stops by people in fluorescent work shirts and serious boots; under the glare of the artificial light, the regulars mostly dozed, some pulled beanies over their faces like eyeless balaclavas to steal some sleep. Outsized islanders crammed into regulation-size seats and scrolled through Facebook. Lyn and I just sat and wondered why we needed to be at the airport two hours before a 3 hour flight to New Zealand.
I was a little more embittered when we checked in only to discover our flight was delayed. This was a problem because in Christchurch we had to clear immigration and customs, collect bags and catch a connecting flight to Wellington. I’d allowed two hours...
So we resigned ourselves to our first missed connection. Air New Zealand, however, was aware of our late Emirates flight and was apparently less agitated than we were. We made our connection in good time to discover our plane had 68 passengers, two flight attendants and propellers! How cool! Lyn was a little dubious. (The captain had a suspiciously young voice. He sounded like a year 10 boy on work experience.) The flight attendants wandered up and down the single aisle with large flasks of coffee, (no trolleys would fit), then asked if we wanted a “bikkie”.
I was a little more embittered when we checked in only to discover our flight was delayed. This was a problem because in Christchurch we had to clear immigration and customs, collect bags and catch a connecting flight to Wellington. I’d allowed two hours...
So we resigned ourselves to our first missed connection. Air New Zealand, however, was aware of our late Emirates flight and was apparently less agitated than we were. We made our connection in good time to discover our plane had 68 passengers, two flight attendants and propellers! How cool! Lyn was a little dubious. (The captain had a suspiciously young voice. He sounded like a year 10 boy on work experience.) The flight attendants wandered up and down the single aisle with large flasks of coffee, (no trolleys would fit), then asked if we wanted a “bikkie”.
It was all charming until we crossed the coast of the North Island and descended through thousands of metres of cloud. The little machine juddered and buzzed while water streamed sideways across the windows until we emerged over the white-capped bay at a lower altitude than the surrounding hills. On the final approach the wind caused the plane to yaw and shake until we found the runway. Our cheery flight attendant gave the usual thankyous, commenting laconically, “It’s a little bit windy out there.” Lyn looked rather pale and I thought the work-experience kid had done rather well.
We got a taxi to our hotel and after a rest went for a wander. Lyn rejected one restaurant because it had no alcohol and one for uncomfortable seating. We found a place which boasted in its window that it was ‘the best Indian restaurant in New Zealand’. I was unsure whether this was a) true or b) a big deal even if true. It turned out to be a great deal. We grabbed supermarket supplies and fought the Wellington wind all the way back to the hotel. We are now exhausted.
We got a taxi to our hotel and after a rest went for a wander. Lyn rejected one restaurant because it had no alcohol and one for uncomfortable seating. We found a place which boasted in its window that it was ‘the best Indian restaurant in New Zealand’. I was unsure whether this was a) true or b) a big deal even if true. It turned out to be a great deal. We grabbed supermarket supplies and fought the Wellington wind all the way back to the hotel. We are now exhausted.
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