New Zealand – arrival day

It was sort of strange to miss New Year’s Eve. Since crossing the International Dateline happened during the night, there wasn’t a celebration of any kind.

After landing in Auckland early, clearing customs easily, and making my way to the local terminal, I had ~4 hours to wait and worry about getting on a plane of this size:

I shouldn’t have worried. The plane felt really solid, and it was a pleasure to be able to see the country so clearly from above.

After landing, we were greeted outside by the flight attendant wearing these glasses. She didn’t want her picture taken in the goofy glasses, but I did. Happy New Year!!

I was a bit scattered leading up to this trip, and I dropped the ball when it came to confirming how I was getting from the airport to my hotel in Napier. I figured, if nothing else, I would get a taxi, which turns out may not have even been possible because of the holiday. But, no worries. I was greeted by Jane, holding an orienteering flag at the gate and driven to my hotel. Jane also provided this awesome fruit basket! The cherries were huge and so delicious, as was the rest of the fruit. Thank you, Jane!

After showering, Jane drove me to her home in Hastings, and I met the rest of the family – Phillip, and their children, Catherine and Callum. I hung out there the rest of the day and was fed an excellent dinner (tea). A run to the grocery store for a supply of diet coke was taken care of as well.