Catching up on First Week: Getting to New Zealand

It has been a hectic first week, but it is time to catch up.

We left Pittsburgh January 24, flying to Los Angeles, where we stayed for a day. As the picture shows, we ended up with a lot of stuff! Fortunately, porters were easy to find, and very helpful in getting things from place to place. Our day in Los Angeles was spent ordering room service and hanging out in the hotel pool.

Checking in to the Air New Zealand flight was a chore: long lines everywhere. We got bumped to the first class checkin at the end, which was a relief since the staff there seemed in a much better mood than the economy.

The flight was a delight. A twelve hour flight can be easier than an eight hour flight! There was time to nap, and the "premium economy" seats we were in had plenty of room to spread out. The food was also much better than the norm.

We arrived in Auckland about an hour later than scheduled. A rather long customs and immigration process was made longer by Michael's hiking boots (New Zealand has a very firm, and scarily named, biosecurity apparatus, on the look for foreign invaders of the insect variety). After a mishap or two, we were on our way to the ferry to take us to Waiheke. Mike got the pleasure of driving on the left.

The (car) ferry was a very pleasant 45 minute trip. A further 20 minute drive took us to our home on Waiheke, where the owners Gayleen and Don were waiting for us. Due to the lateness of our arrival, we only had an hour together to look over the house.


The house and view are everything as advertised. There is a wide and comfortable deck with views of the ocean. The beach is a ten minute walk away. The furniture is ... well, we will work on the furniture.


We are ready to face Waiheke and New Zealand!