Arriving in Christchurch: Friends

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Friday 14 August 2015

Long haul flights are there to be endured, especially in Economy Class. Sleeping is hard, seat in front is reclined so you can't see the entertainment screen, you are kicked from behind by a restless passenger, and leg room is almost non existent. But this seems to be a small price to pay after such a wonderful holiday. The cabin crew are run off their feet by some very demanding passengers. One senior flight attendant was so stressed that a whole row of passengers missed their breakfast. We wondered how some passengers were going to cope while passing through Immigration and Customs.

Approaching the South Island we wondered if we would get a chance to see the Southern Alps. The captain came on and confirmed that the Alps would be covered in cloud and the expected sensational views would be not be there today. Soon we were approaching the airport. Trees were in their pre- spring covering, bare with a hint of green starting to appear. The early blossom was evident and a smattering of yellow from clumps of daffodils. Spring is coming. In Paris we thought Autumn was coming. Amazing how, in a very short time, you can be transported to an entirely different season.

We leave the aircraft in our Singapore clothes and are met by a crisp Christchurch morning. We pass through the Smart Gate at Immigration and on to the baggage area. Where was our French friend and his priority stickers when we needed him. We waited some time for our bags. Relief all round. After a sniff from the drug dogs we proceeded to Customs. We had goods to declare. Once we had discussed the contents of our bag with the Officer we proceeded through those sliding doors and a Christchurch welcome. No trumpets or banners or TV crews or radio stations wanting that exclusive interview. The Intrepid Duo are nearly home, but they sneak back without any fuss. This is the way we wanted it. At this point we wondered about those travellers who have nothing to declare but are grilled about their arrival card, and are even shown a collection of pictures to make sure they don't have food, etc. We hoped their tour bus would reach their destination tonight.

We change into warm clothes and collected our rental car. We had time to visit friends in Rangiora. It was great to relax and talk about our trip and our friend's new home. After a lovely lunch it was time to drive to our accommodation for the night. This time with another good friend in Christchurch. It was another talk fest and another lovely meal. Good friends are to be appreciated and we certainly appreciated the kindness offered today.

Yes we were tired and ready for a comfortable sleep. We have had fun today. Everyone seemed to be speaking our language. The Customs Officers were great, typical New Zealand attitude. A warm friendly welcome but we are sure they would come down heavily on those who abuse the privilege of entering our lovely country. Tomorrow we drive home. We can't wait.

And so ends our final blog. It has been a wonderful trip. We have been to some great cities, explored historical and well known sights, discovered towns and villages that are not on the tourist route but should be, and enjoyed delightful food and wine. Some of our best memories are of the people we have met. It might be the staff at hotels, or the young French couple helping us with a parking problem, or fellow travellers at a tourist spot. We would like to thank those who have followed our trip by way of this travel blog and made comments along the way. Now we have to enjoy the washing machine, refrigerator, our kitchen and wardrobe. The collection of photos will need sorting and plans put in place for the next trip.

Thank you and good bye.

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