Plans Take Flight – Finally

Ibis Budget Hotel (Auckland Airport)

Sunday 26 April 2020

It’s been a big day, with one thing and another.  Up at 6:00 … taxi at 9:30 … plane at 10:45 … hotel at 12:30 … supermarket at 5:00 … now I’m starting to fade. 

The weather has been glorious, with my window seat on the 50-minute Wellington to Auckland flight giving me a Google-Earth perspective on the various landforms – all the way to the east coast.  That’s probably an exaggeration, but Lake Taupo was clearly visible, along with snow-covered mountains to the south … Tongariro National Park, no doubt.  

Whilst most final things aboard Chimere had been done over the past few days, there was always going to be the absolute, final clean-up, folding of blankets, doing of dishes, cleaning the fridge, throwing out of perishable-near-death dairy goods and even some vacuuming. 

Getting up three and a half hours before the arrival of the taxi, seemed a little excessive, but in the end, it allowed me to be a little more relaxed about everything.  I even had time to sand-back some epoxy-patching I did last night on a few dints at the bow.  The results from a lesson I learnt, or should I say, re-learnt, about (not) fully attaching – with chain and rope – the anchor when underway. 

As you can imagine, when you’re sinking the bow into a steep sea, the anchor takes it right on the nose, and can move around a bit if not secured.  Due to an oversight, and some unexpectedly rough water, somewhere between Wellington and Stewart Island, the anchor slipped off its roller and went dong, dong, dong, plus a few clunk, clunk, clunks … with the sharpish tip of the anchor leaving a few pock marks.  Anyway, I thought I’d patch them, while they are still fresh.  All they need now is a lick of paint … or a touch of spray, and no one will be the wiser.

It was agreed that I would leave the swipe-card for the marina gate on the saloon table, for Adam to give to Keith for safekeeping.  Who knows, some of my kiwi friends and relations might also like to use the boat as a downtown Wellington “apartment” from time to time and both Keith and Adam will be the custodians of the card. 

Of course, once I’d lifted my bags onto the dock, walked for the last time to the end of the pier and shut the gate behind me … for the last time … there was no turning back.  

It’s funny how something so final and unforgiving as a locked gate can cause you to triple check everything you knew to be certain just a few minutes before.  Phone? Yes, it’s in the right pocket.  Passport, wallet, backpack, computer?  Yes, they’re all where they should be. 

Clunk !!! … there it is.  The gate’s shut.  It’s too late, and anyway, the taxi driver has just texted me.  It’s 9:28 and he’s almost here.  Onwards and don’t look back.

The “airport experience” was routine in some ways, but anything but, in others.   Definitely a lot of masks and gloves in evidence, and security was at the sliding door making sure only legitimate travelers entered.  Not that I was questioned, or asked to produce documents, like an international booking, or evidence of being an emergency worker or the like.   

The self-check-in machines were the same as ever … just not many people to use them. And everytime I touched the sreeen I was envisaging bugs and nasties attaching themselves to my naked fingers – quick, more sanitizer hand gel!! My biggest concern though, was the weight of my suitcase.  (Well, Adam’s suitcase really, thanks again for a lend of that.  I don’t know what I would have done without that?!)  I know the case felt heavy, definitely more than 20 kilos, and probably very close to the allowed 23 kilos.  Fortunately, they had those “test scales” nearby and I lumped it on … 22.6 kilos … YES!!    Just hope the official scales around the corner weigh the same.

From there, each passenger, wheeled their case to a separate area where the bags were individually scanned through a machine before disappearing out of sight – hopefully to miraculously reappear again in Auckland. 

The sight of no people was probably the biggest shock, particularly when all memories of the place – any airport, are of frenetic activity and noise, people coming and going, food being served, coffee being made at a dozen stalls and announcements calling out this and that.  Today, there was nothing.  Just a roped off area where we each kept our required 2 metres from each other before having our small bags and belongings checked as normal.

The plane was, maybe 30-40% full,  or if you like, 60-70% empty … and each row was individually called and because I was at the back, I got to go on first.  The reverse occurred after landing in Auckland of course. And it’s amazing just how long it takes for each row to exit, before the next makes a move … but now I’m just starting to whinge.

There was no obvious, additional security at Auckland, checking that everyone was a legitimate traveler.  I suppose they figure, no one is entering confined aeroplanes and risking exposure to “foreigners” in airport transit lounges, just for the fun of it.

The cabin staff were making the most of it, as best they could, and assured us that they were wearing their “ … trademark Air New Zealand smiles under our masks …”  

The Ibis Hotel was a short walk from the terminal … 900 metres actually, to quote from the website, which sounds a lot shorter that 1 kilometre.  Anyone can wheel their bags 900 metres … but to do it for one kilometre, now, I’d have to re-consider that one. 

So, I followed the signs and after maybe 5 minutes I came to a useful sign that said “Ibis Budget Hotel 750 m, 15mins” and after walking on for maybe another 5 minutes I came to the next sign, which said  … “Ibis Budget Hotel 750 m, 15mins”

In the end it was good to get to the reception desk, and all my details were in order … “Could I get you to just complete this short form please?”  the nice lady said as she handed me a clipboard across the 2 metre gulf between us. 

“Name?”  “Nationality?” “Date of entry into New Zealand?” … at this point I was on a roll and pushing for top marks … “Means of arrival – plane or cruise?”  Ah, right, so there’s only two ways to enter New Zealand – by plane or on a cruise ship?   Well I definitely WAS NOT going to tick Cruise Ship … unless I wanted to spontaneously clear the lobby … so I used my initiative and created my own category “YACHT” … which seemed acceptable. Phew!! Although in retrospect, I don’t think she really cared, she just had to get the form filled out for every customer, although she did confirm “and when are you leaving”, which was just short of the required 24 hour maximum stopover requirement.

My room is 318 … which naturally means I’ve got to make my way to the third floor.  Have you ever tried social-distancing in an elevator?    As it turned out, the woman who’d been waiting for some time, when the doors opened, said I’m happy if you want to share the lift with me. 

So here we were, just the two of us … “sharing an elevator between consenting adults” … and when she pressed Level 4, I pressed Level 3, not noticing that she had also inserted her door-card into the lift console … which naturally meant the door opened at Level 4.  Me, on the other hand, rode the lift back down to ground floor before I realized it had no intention of stopping at 3 until I’d done the right thing and also poked my card in the slot.

Finally, I made myself comfortable in Cell 318, sorry, Room 318 … and took a photo on both normal and panoramic setting to see if it made any difference … it didn’t … so if I want to get into real estate any time soon I suppose I need a new camera and lens.

Fortunately, there’s a supermarket a short distance away, and so I was able to buy enough to cover me for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.  And I noticed there are a few takeaway joints nearby as well, which I’m sure will be anxious to open – at 12:01am on Tuesday morning no doubt, when New Zealand goes from Level 4 down to Level 3. At the moment you can’t even get a coffee

Right now, I’m just grateful I have a place to perch while I wait for my 8:50am flight to Melbourne tomorrow.   Maybe check it out here tomorrow – that’s 6:50am Melbourne time …  https://www.flightradar24.com/   

In the end I did turn on my Satellite GPS Modem when I got into my hotel room, and so the Chimere Tracker on the website might need a little explanation in years to come.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and taking flight – finally

Rob Latimer