Getting to New Zealand and Auckland Day 1

46 hours later…

We are starting this journey at 3.50am in sleepy Chichester. It starts with my last morning in my student house and will end arriving in our hostel in New Zealand (with lots of bits in between and 20+ hours in Shanghai Airport).

We’re going on an adventure and I feel quite happy and amiable for four in the morning, as my suitcase rattles noisily through the silent Sussex town.

We get to Gatwick, after check in and a pain free episode through security we get to the posh lounge we’d booked. And boy was it good. I didn’t know I even wanted this kind of luxury, but endless servings of tea and unending amounts of food, my greedy side emerged delighted. The actual lap of luxury and honestly I didn’t know bucks fizz was this good at 8am. So when we emerge from the lounge to actually get on the plane its like we’ve never been in an airport, which in hindsight is a blessing when compared to our endless hours in Shanghai!

The first leg is flying for 10 hours to get us to Shanghai, we got lots of food and David found a new film fave in Lego Movie 2. We get into Shanghai airport for 5.30ish and decide it’s a good idea to sleep on those passably uncomfortable benches. We take watches so one of us sleeps and another guards and even though I had a sweet three hours I admit I did start to drift during my turn to keep guard. The crusade for veggie food through the multitudinous cafes of the airport results in two packs of knock off Pringles, some lemon cakes and 6 doughnuts, Starbucks finally gives us a break and there is a vegetable and cheese croissant thing which is actually very good. We sleep again this time risking it by sleeping at the same time. We get down to the gate for our flight at 10.20 and wait. The flight is supposed to leave at 00.15 and at 23.20 ish people start a unofficial queue. They stay this way as time rolls on and its not looking good for the flight which on the flight board admits to nothing, it’s neither late, or boarding. It just exists. We get to around 0.30am and even the keenest of the queuers is starting to give up. Then in flurry of activity and no explanation the screens change and we board our flight. Where we were automatically checked in at Gatwick they haven’t seated us together but the flight is quite empty and it seems the world and his wife all want to change seats. We were told to swap around after take off, but the same people that created their own organized queue are not sticklers for the rules and as the plane surges up vertically there is a flurry of movement to find the optimum seats accompanied by a torrent of Mandarin informing these seating change rebels to remain seated.

The flight carries on quite nicely and though the food isn’t quite as good and the second lot of movies isn’t as fulfilling its an exciting flight as we get closer and closer to New Zealand. We land and go through customs where we are welcomed by the friendliest reception. Got into shuttle at 5.30 and I really hope I don’t snore as I fell asleep again! Then we checked into our hostel from which we were totally set on leaving to go and grab some food and then ended up in bed and asleep by 8pm. And it was so nice and comfortable and not like an airport bench and with no recurring recorded announcements to watch out on the escalators.

First official day of the adventure:

Our early bedtime meant we were up, out and enjoying the sights. We walked around the city on a set route that helped us map out the sights and get a feel for the city, journeying down to the harbour, through the park and past the war memorial, we also discovered the Winter Gardens which were two beautiful glasshouses and Fernz Fernery. It was lovely finding this beautiful, lush area. All this and it was barely 12. Impressive. Finishing our walk at the sky tower and photobombing two indie films along the way we headed back to the hostel for lunch, I’m slowly realising that I’m using food as a focal point of this writing. After eating we did some editing of the vlogs and headed off to see Auckland at night, having been too tired the previous evening. We found a beautiful walkway called The Lightpath which is a path of lights… Its a path that crosses some of the larger roads and has been installed with strip lights which change colour from bright pinks and deep blues, it also interacts as you walk leading me to create a Harry Potter esque sequence. This path led to the discovery of as I like to call it, Tetris house, it is in fact a hotel where the windows are lit to resemble Tetris, they change every five minutes or so with new colours falling into place, maybe that’s why its a hotel not a house because I imagine the novelty would wear off if viewed every night. We’re back at the hostel and I’m writing this, its already ended up a late night as its currently 9.50pm, hardcore holiday makers!

Here is our first video and photos for you to enjoy!

Speak soon!