Middle Earth Tour Day 28 Short Hobbity flights and extra paperwork

Middle Earth Tour Day 28 Short Hobbity flights and extra paperwork

Today is the day that I do fly home and it did look to be a nice day out there. It was actually pretty funny as people in the dorm were actually all going today and that included myself. I wanted breaky before I left for the airport and I did have in my mind that I really wanted a maccas breaky until I came across a café just down from where I was staying. This place was called Mikes Café and what got my attention was the pie truck called Mikes pies. That somehow sealed the deal and meant I did not have to walk very far for food and I have wondered how I had missed this place when I went wandering for food. I had a big breakfast and coffee. I do like to have coffee so that I can wake up at least. Once I headed back to the hostel I was actually the last one to leave the room that morning. I had been the first to arrive and then the last to leave.

The ride to the airport was really quick and I was happy to try something new out and get the airport express bus to the airport. I have always caught the shuttle bus that drops you off at the door to the hostel and picks you up. Though the reason for that was the timing of when I caught the plane and I think this is the first time I had been getting the plane from Auckland that I left in the afternoon instead of early in the morning. On arrival I had ended up an hour early for check in so I had to wait around for the gate to open and then get everything sorted. I did however weigh my bags as I was wondering how heavy they were. My main bag was 20 kilos and my carry on bag was 7 kilos so I was happy with that, but really did not want to run around the country with that on my back as the bag started off as around 14 kilos. I ended up watching the people walk around where I was standing against a wall watching the checkin gate. There did seem to be a few Tongan planes that were putting people through and they did seem to have plenty of stuff with them like boxes of polystyrene. I have seen this in the past and no idea why they end up with boxes worth of stuff. It didn’t take long before I was checked in and even had a tag on my bag to say it was official carry on.

They had changed things around when I went into the customs lounge as last time I had to go through security and then customs, but this time it was the other way round and once I had everything scanned I had to wait in line to get through. Since I had arrived early I was able to get through the process for getting into the international section where I ended up eating lunch before my flight and having a coffee in that time. It is good when the board tells you to relax as it didn’t give a gate number. I was happy to relax and wander around the area looking at the duty free electronics. I do what I always do and look at books especially if you find something. I had found a New Zealand magazine called Memories and I had to check in my bag to see if I had that issue. I had the issue before it and I instantly bought it as I had not read the one before it I knew I would do so. I just have two magazines to compare what the series is like and if I want more. The time came for me to get on the plane and a crowd of girls appear all with the same ribbon in their hair and a shirt that says cheerleaders. I do know some people were not listening when the seats were called especially when they said rows 20 to 30. A lady asked if they had said row 15 or when people were asked to have their passports out with their tickets and people didn’t.

Once on board the plane I hit my ipod and was listening to it and several of those hordes of cheerleaders came my way and two were getting temperamental about having to sit in certain seats. They were teenagers of course and I had thought they were going to sit next to me, but my worst nightmare arrived. I had been stuck with a child aka a toddler with his parents. They did apologise and I told them that’s why I have my ipod on. The child was the best passenger ever though his parents read books including Hungry Caterpillar and one with pictures of witches on it. The cheerleader girls were louder than the toddler was and he was well behaved the entire flight. I did have to barge past one of the girls on the plane as I had moved out of the way so she could get past and it was though she had a glazed look on her face so I walked on through instead. Somehow I think they were country bumpkins having not gone very far before. I was happy to read my book fill in my immigration declaration card and also the new Ebola detection card. It was just a photocopy of the pamphlet and I wasn’t sure if the document as serious or not. I filled it in and once I landed realised they were deadly serious. Once we landed I could see some storm clouds when I walked across the tarmac as I was hoping it would not hit until I got home. It was at the time not very hot though not as hot as it had been when I had flown out of Brisbane at the start of the month.

This concludes the trip to end all trips, but there will be more places to visit on other occasions in New Zealand as that is one country I seem to end up nearly every time. I do think I did more walking around that on previous trips and did look forward to come home after a long time away, which was a trip well worth having especially with the firsts like the snow and actually following the history of defence in Devonport part of Auckland. I think I enjoyed myself doing some tourist direct things like the Waitomo caves as it had been something I  had wanted to do for a few years. There will be other trips and more adventures. The cemeteries and other historical features includes both the natural heritage and cultural heritage too. I did actually give some backpackers in my room a history lesson as people do not realise that New Zealand had its own series of wars or running battles, locations like the Bay of Islands along with issues with the Treaty of Waitangi and the tribunals. I did like doing that though I had to try and remember themthough.