The R&R Big Adventure

Kia ora Aotearoa

Well, the Blue Penguins did behave themselves at Oamaru, and appeared on cue, waddling up a slope from the sea at dusk to return to their nesting boxes. It was an organized display area, with seating areas on both sides, and the admission fees going towards the local penguin conservation effort. It was cute to see them doing it in groups – nervously collecting together at the top of the slope before making a dash (of sorts) for it altogether for the last part of the journey. Some of them had even learnt to make their way through the middle of the stands to reduce their waddling time to their nests. We also got to see some sea lions playing as well. Aww.

Monday morning was an early start as we had a four hour drive ahead from Oamaru to Akaroa, which is on a peninsula ninety minutes from Christchurch. We also had to be in Akaroa by midday, as R had an appointment to swim with Hector (small) dolphins in the harbour! We made good time and arrived to another glorious day (I will need to consult a thesaurus for more glowing adjectives to describe New Zealand) in a wonderful natural harbour, created by a caldera a long time ago. Whilst R went off to catch his boat for his swim (a small boat, and potentially choppy open seas, were not for me) I explored the small town and the lovely views from the various vantage points on the coastline. R was very lucky and apparently (according to the crew) had had the best dolphin spotting/swimming of the season so far. That evening we met up with up an ex-colleague of R’s from his former school who had relocated with his family just outside Akaroa. They made a wonderful home cooked meal for us – thank you Stuart and Anna for your kind hospitality; lovely to meet you and your family!

The next day we arranged to go for a hike with Stuart in the neighbouring hills, which gave us incredible (my thesaurus is running out) views down into Akaroa and the surrounding area. What a complete lifestyle change from living and working in central London, but we could easily see the attraction.

It was then off to Christchurch airport, and our flight to Auckland. Following the cancellation of our last flight to Queenstown, we were apprehensive about anything going wrong with this flight, but everything went smoothly. Apparently the 5pm flight is ‘koru’ hour for Air NZ, which meant free wine, cheese and crackers on board. The rather camp (female) cabin services manager was getting very excited about the wine selection on offer, telling us how ‘they were spoiling us’ and that ‘we should have a glass of wine for her’. The three Air NZ flights we have had have all had very friendly and helpful staff. We stayed overnight in the Novotel at Auckland Airport – a new(ish) hotel, a short walk from the terminal, and a huge step up from previous airport hotels we have stayed at. Far less 1970’s grey conference room, and much more Hoxton hotel.

We turned up in plenty of time for our check-in this morning for our flight to Nadi, Fiji (to be followed by an onward connection to Apia, Samoa). We wondered why the queue was moving slowly and then it became apparent there was a software issue affecting check-in. Who would have thought it – first the air traffic control software incident in Aug 2023, which stranded us in Spain for two days; then the CrowdStrike (security software) issue in July this year, meaning we lost a day in Palermo, Sicily (which was a real shame as we only had a few hours to explore the city); and now this. Software, bloody software. Everything had to be hand-written at check-in, and the queues were building up. I hoped Auckland Airport had brushed off its contingency plans following the CrowdStrike incident so it would know what to do this time round.

Our flight to Nadi eventually took off two hours late, meaning we have – theoretically – only 20 mins to catch our next flight to Apia. Apparently they are going to delay the next flight as there are quite a few passengers making the connection. More fingers crossed.

Whilst I am typing this on board, I am reflecting on what a fantastic time we have had in New Zealand. Both R and I agree it is our best country of the five we have been to so far this trip, and we had a great time in South America. Aside from the natural geological advantage NZ has, and millions of years of tectonic activity creating the amazing landscape it has, there are several other reasons why we both feel this way: the friendliness of the people, and their cultural love for the country means they look after it – ecological awareness is a big thing, as well as respecting both the land and each other, which sadly so few nationalities have. Things generally work in NZ – we didn’t experience any hassle, and even when our flight was cancelled, it was sorted quickly. The country is so clean, and litter- (and mostly) graffiti-free: you really notice this, especially when compared with the UK or other European countries. Everywhere we went, public realm was immaculate and looked after – verges were mown, flowers pruned. We stayed at some great places – even cheap motels were spotless and well looked after. So what are the negatives? Distance is the obvious one – 24+ hours travelling means it is a (very) considered destination to travel to. Culture and nightlife and not big here – this is an outdoors destination, and things tend to pack up after dark. I understand its economy could be in better shape, but then, hey, look at the UK at the moment.

We both would love to come back – there is so much more to see and do. We have been very lucky with the weather as well on this trip: hardly any rain, and when it did bucket it down, it made the Milford Sound waterfall experience all the more memorable.

Next stop – the Pacific Islands: here’s hoping we make that connection…