we return to Wellington

and get stuck there- LOL - only for an extra day but it was not pleasant but let's do this in order....

we headed out of Blenheim and returned the rental car in Picton - got lunch at the Train Station bar (other choice was Subway) -

I took the above photo because I had never seen a handicapped bathroom limited to paraplegics before and thank god they don't let them smoke- they certainly don't need any more problems than they already have.....

We had an uneventful three hour journey into Wellington and headed by cab to the Rydges in Wellington.  We have a very nice room. 

 

Ferry had arrived at 5:30 and we had a dinner reservation at 8 PM at Logan Brown - the place recommended by the late Johnny Apple of the NYTimes.

the food was superb the service fabulous the whole evening really was a wonderful conclusion to our time in NZ.

 

we went back to the hotel and scheduled a cab for the next day... our flight was scheduled for 1PM and due to arrive in Sydney at 5:30 (time change and lengthy flight) we checked in - checked luggage - went through passport control and to the lounge where we were informed our flight was delayed...

which turned in to canceled BEFORE 4 PM as they shut the airport down for FOG? OK I know I live in a city with one of the world's busiest airports and we have six runways - soon to be eight but we have never ever ever had our airport shut down in the middle of the afternoon for fog- what if it lifts? what ever happened to instrument landings - I know we are in a small country but for god's sake this is the CAPITAL's airport...

so we exit through passport control where they take our names and go to luggage return and get money (we had spent our last NZ dollars because we were leaving the country- or so we thought)  I stood in line with several hundred people (no Star Alliance Gold for Air New Zealand- they didn't give a shit) got rescheduled for the 6AM flight to Sydney.

Meanwhile I texted TB who was already on his way to SYD and called the SYD hotel and canceled for the first night of our reservation- called the Wellington Rydges and booked a room for the night and we head back into town wondering what poor people do... we have resources for emergencies- many do not...

we ate dinner at a mediocre Italian place on the waterfront and went to bed early as our cab comes at 4 AM and we start all over again---

oh yes and guess what the second day we are delayed for more than four hours as well- seriously - I guess it won't surprise you to read this -

I will NEVER EVER EVER fly Air New Zealand again- what BS

as you may know TB is a former air traffic controller and I told him visibility - what I could see from the lounge and then the waterfront and while it was foggy it was not less than a mile and a half and could easily have been up to three miles- he said instruments should have no issue dealing with that but - hey he's only a ATC guy....

we arrived late in the day on Christmas Eve to Sydney airport where we were fast tracked through passport control and customs - no 45 minutes in the "nothing to declare" line like our portentous NZ entry three weeks earlier.... we headed to The Rocks - by the time we check in to our hotel I am in LOVE with Sydney-  finally back to civilization- restaurants open on Sunday, people downtown in the evenings a REAL airport even though we aren't in the capital city.... what's not to love---

well stay tuned for Sydney post(s) and make up your own mind....

a day in transit

Up early and out the door so we have time for mike to lead us on a walk before going to the airport-  today we transit to the south island

the TB synopsis:

12/10: Bkfst @ Rydges Hotel; crispy bacon wasn’t. Short hike through the Redwoods in Whakare Warewa Forest (++). Fly ROT – CHC – ZQN. New group bus with driver Darryl (++). Dinner @ New Orleans Hotel in Arrowtown. RON Distinction Nugget Point Hotel in Queenstown.

well - one small correction we didn't actually get Darryl until we were leaving Queenstown - we had a series of one day - task specific drivers while we were in Qtown- but hey- since Darryl spent much more time with us we won't quibble with letting him enter the story here. 

so first the forest primeval--- 

 

 

as you can see the fern trees were magnificent! I half expected to see elves giggling behind them but then I figured I had suffered too much middle earth hype and was going native! LOL aaaaccckkkk!

from the forest it was a quick trip to the airport- where we said goodbye to Logan (boo-hoo) and checked in on machines (no people- LOL) and went to the gate- LOL... seriously - no huge hassle of security screening- and no taking out computers or off shoes or throwing away your bottle of water--- amazing!  we waited at a little diner near the gate and ate meat pies and TB had another giant "bowl o coffee"- they called the flight we all walked on to the tarmac and walked up the stairs--- incredible how stress free flying can actually be if TSA isn't involved (are you listening George??? LOL- TB's long-time buddy is now a TSA exec- and he actually admits to it) 

so we have to get off the plane in Christchurch- not brilliant- even though we get right back on the very same plane into the very same seats- 

but then we are quickly off to Q-town... where we are staying at a different hotel than originally in the itinerary but with the best deal around... since the place we were supposed to stay was overbooked and since they had a shuttle into town - they are covering the cost of cabs for us from the substitute hotel! So we get a really nice hotel and free cabs!

just to give you an idea of the NZ prices here is the card from breakfast at our hotel-

of course everything is relative and this will look amazingly reasonable once we get to Sydney at the end of our trip- but that is another story! 

we get ready for dinner in nearby Arrowtown - a cute little town near the original hotel- we are eating at the New Orleans Hotel bar- but go early so we can walk around a bit.   We first stop at the Chinese settlement from the days when Arrowtown was a mining town.  Then we walk around the cute little town.  The meal at the hotel is quite good and we enjoy the evening.

in town:

 

a cool Mickey to Maori warrior transition print hanging over the fireplace at the hotel-

we didn't yet know how special the real fruit ice cream would be - but we certainly had it every time we saw it once we had tasted just how good it was!!!!!

we are off to our own hotel and to bed early so we can get up at dawn to join Mike and our driver of the day on a long trip to Milford Sound- it will be roughly twelve hours out by the time we return to Q-town tomorrow so Mike warns us to bring reading materials for the long trek back...