New Zealand to Sydney

Our journey from New Zealand to Sydney went really well.  As we had stayed near the airport the night before we were able to walk over with our luggage in the morning once we had checked out.  Our flight was not until 14.30, so we had  some time to spend in the airport before we left.  It was just as well really as we had five “Departing New Zealand” forms to fill out, as well as five Australian arrival cards…so those kept us busy!

Our flight was about 3 hours and by the time we got on board Joseph was exhausted by all the excitement of the day and he promptly fell asleep for an hour (until the food arrived!).  Peter was disappointed not to find a ‘back of the seat entertainment centre’ and had to make do with listening to the Rock Radio station.  

Luke was very excited about going on a plane (but only if it was green…which ours was not, but we had to pretend it was).  However, as the flight wore on he became increasingly tired and therefore increasingly mischievous.  He twice pressed the cabin crew call button without us noticing…much to our embarrassment as a member of the Qantas team came each time to check we were okay!  Luke found this game amazingly funny and therefore spent the rest of the flight trying to prise my hand away from the armrest where I was covering the buttons to stop him touching them.  I resorted to threatening him with time out if he misbehaved (in the van we used to sit him on the passenger seat if he had been really naughty).  When I told him he would be going in time out if he didn’t stop trying to press the buttons he looked at me a bit puzzled, then said “Will the man who flies the plane come and sit in my seat then?”….he thought I was going to make him sit in the cockpit…I had to laugh!!

On our way out of the plane the boys got to have a look at the flight deck and sit in the pilot and co-pilots’ seats.  Luke seemed rather bewildered that he was allowed to touch the speed control for the plane when he had got into so much trouble for touching the button on his armrest!

Once we got off the plane, got through immigration, got our bags and got through the bio-hazard screening we had to work out how to get to our hotel (as we have not hired a car).  We decided that first stop should be the cash machine and as we were withdrawing cash Sven appeared!  We knew he flew in the same day as us, but he had decided to hang around and travel into the city with us.  We were debating how we would get our luggage mountain into town when a minibus taxi driver came over and offered us a great deal to get us all into town…we were sorted!

We arrived at our hotel, got checked in and then wandered down with Sven to his hostel.  Sven kindly let David carry his pink surfboard through the gay district!  As we walked down we got our first impressions of Sydney and it seems lively and interesting and we can’t wait to go sightseeing tomorrow!

Pictures from our last day in New Zealand are here

Nic