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Published: February 2nd 2010
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Dad's Breakfast
Chocolate Ice Cream on regular pancake & Vanilla Ice Cream on Chocolate pancake Our last day in Australia was bitter sweet, since we would be saying goodbye to my parents but we also would get to experience a new country, New Zealand.
We slept in as check out was at 10am, standard in Australia. Once we woke up we packed our things, checked our bags at the front desk and checked out of the room. Mom and Dad returned the keys to the rental car agency while Pete and I searched for his wanted boomerang and didgeridoo that we would send back with Mom and Dad instead of carrying them around New Zealand for 19 days.
Pete didn’t find a good didgeridoo but he did find a really neat boomerang that came with a display piece, so he purchased that. We met Mom and Dad at Pancakes on The Rocks for one last meal. Check out the picture of Dad’s pancakes.
After breakfast we went back to the hotel to get their luggage and say our goodbye’s as their shuttle would pick them up at 12:10pm to return to the airport for their long flight back. LOVE YOU Mom & Dad and what a GREAT adventure we had with you.
Pete and I then rode the monorail around the city centre, a little of a disappointment. Then went to McDonalds to use the free Wi-Fi to get some wedding planning done. After being at McDonalds for over an hour we headed back to the hotel to get our bags then head to the airport for our flight to Auckland, New Zealand.
Checking in at the airport was easy since I had all the information with us but was also a new experience. Going to New Zealand, American’s don’t need a visa but can only stay for a certain amount of days and must provided return flight information while checking in. Once we checked Pete’s backpack we then went through customs to depart Australia, security and went to the GST office to get our sales tax refund from the net book purchase. I got 35 AUD refunded to my credit card so it was a great deal.
We flew JetStar, a subsidiary of Qantas, which neither of us were impressed with. First, the plane was delayed arriving for us to board to Auckland and NO announcements were made as to even acknowledge the delay. Then we boarded, but not really they just checked our tickets and we all stood in the gang plank for about 15 minutes before actually getting on the plane. Then all the drinks and food were an extra charge. UGH!!! This was not a typical international flight where drinks and food are free.
It was a quick flight of 3 hours with a 2 hour time difference. We arrived at the Auckland Airport around 11:25pm. It was another quick exchange money, go through customs, get our bags then out to get the Airbus to the city center. It cost 16 NZD=$11.52 USD person for the bus. It dropped us off less than half a block from the Base Hostel and we checked into our first dorm room experience in hostels. By the time we got to the room it was 1:15am and our tour bus left at 7am. Quick night of sleep.
The dorm room had 3 bunk beds but only 1 other person was in the room, our luck was a snorer. Bummer. Pete didn’t get much sleep but I think I slept a little more, but was worried we would over sleep and miss our bus in the morning.
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