Auckland Sanity Trip: Day 1

I’ve been getting wanderlust again lately. I haven’t been out of Australia in almost a decade, and when you compare that to the first part of my life where my family moved around quite a bit because of my father’s work, it somehow feels less stimulating to keep seeing the same things over and over again. Add to that a real desperate need to get away from my job for even the shortest amount of time, and suddenly I’m winging my way over the Tasman to see Auckland and visit with an old friend from high school. It may not be the most glamourous of holidays, but it’s better than the alternative: sitting at work and bitching about how I don’t want to be there. The following journal entries are only slightly edited, and written on as on the spot as I could get – I didn’t want to have to recall everything weeks later.

Waiting for Takeoff

All those pre-boarding jitters show exactly how out of practice I am as an international traveller. Still, for all the hype about increased security measures, I’m impressed at how smooth it can be if you’re prepared. The only real hindrance was the marathon from the train station to the check-in desk at the other frickin’ end of the terminal.

Otherwise, Sydney International is more pleasant than when I last passed through eight years ago. Obviously, the shopping’s good: we’re being held up by one lady who is apparently still at Victoria’s Secret.

In Flight

Did my usual trick of dozing off during take-off, so I didn’t get a parting look at Sydney. That and the Coke finally seem to be lifting this headache I’ve been fighting all morning.

I have a window seat at the front of the plane, which I am happy with for once. It’s very sunny over the Tasman, which is a deep blue that I’m not sure I’ve seen before The clouds are stunning too. A great sight.

The Hotel Room

The approach to Auckland airport was perhaps the most spectacular I’ve seen. I wish I’d taken some photos. We passed over beautiful farmland and forest that were far more “European” than the brown gums around Sydney. The drive from the airport to my hotel was a little long, thanks to afternoon peak. Fortunately, the GPS was accurate. How travelers drove confidently in strange towns before these excellent devices were cheap and commonplace, I’ll never know.

I had originally intended to head straight out to Sky City for dinner and to catch the view. Unfortunately, my headache continued to wreak its havoc, and I didn’t want to be out in a strange city and not be able to fully take in my surroundings.

The room service is standard fare, and the chips have taken care of the headache. I suppose I could venture out and join the nightlife on “K” road, but I have a full day planned for tomorrow, and it’s probably best to get some sleep and adjust to the time zone difference.