DATE: Friday 8 -Sunday 10 September, 1995
PLACE: Los Angeles to Wellington
WEATHER: Warm to Cold
REMARKS: We have all been on edge, the anticipation of being
home has been mounting progressively for the last week, and
now it is almost palpable.
The kids are now familiar with the routines, and we settle
quickly into being crowded like cattle on their way to the
works. The trip is a restless one which seems to take forever.
But finally, the ground staff around us aren't speaking
with accents, and customs is a blur as we are accepted home.
It isn't yet 0530 and we face the prospect of killing time
before our flight to Wellington at 0745.
Fortunately, once an Air New Zealand staffer has opened
the domestic ticket counter, we can dispose of our bags, and
are ticketed for a 0630 flight. We will be there before the
arranged time, but we can call Ron and get him there early.
The temperature outside, while we wait for the first shuttle
bus, is a brisk 4 degrees - quite a change from the mid-twenties
we left 12 hours earlier. Still the sun is coming up over
Auckland and it's a New Zealand morning, so we are in mood
to forgive even Auckland it's chilly reception.
The flight to Wellington is a doddle - the kids are now
old hands at this sort of thing. Wellington presents a problem:
what to do with the bags (and ourselves) while we await Ron's
arrival? We leave the bags on a trolley at the collection
area (aren't New Zealanders helpful?) and retire to the Koru
Lounge (Thanks NZRL), where the chauffeur is roused.
While we wait, and nibble, fans gather for a flight to Christchurch
to watch Wellington's challenge for the Ranfurly Shield, including
a number of NZRL staff. Ron collects us all, we stow our bags
and go to Karori, where coffee and chat await. Impatient now,
we don't linger, but head for home.
The goldfish has survived; Goldie is about as though we
had never been away, although these bags have some interesting
scents; but Tiffany takes some coaxing from Jayne's wardrobe
where she has evidently decided to take refuge. However, they
are safe and well.
The house has been cared for, and had a good cleanup. What
remains for us is to spend the day unpacking and re-establishing
ourselves before back to work and school tomorrow.
We're home. The adventure is over.
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