Another new start

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My last day in New Zealand seemed to go by really quickly. I couldn't believe that after 2 months this cosy little country felt like home and Australia was this big ominous place that I had to start all over again in.

I met up with Abby who I first met in Wanaka. She is now working in Auckland. I spent my last night in the hostel polishing off the last of the alcohol and food as I can’t take any of it with me to Oz. Despite this hostel having lots of people living there long time it turned out to be a nice place. Maybe it’s because I knew someone there.
The following morning the shuttle bus came and picked me up and took me to the airport. As if on que the rain started to pour.

The plane was about half hour late but it was the nicest plane journey I have done so far. On the way over to New Zealand I went with Jet Star on a small tin can where they let you buy yesterdays sandwiches for an extortionate price. The journey over to Sydney was with Qantas on a much nicer plane, complete with a free meal, cheese and biscuits, ice cream and wine. What more could you need.
Arriving through customs was easy. Australia is so strict about bringing things into their country but I walked through without any checks or problems. Anyone from the UK seemed to pass unhindered. Everyone else got the third degree about where they had come from, what they had been doing and who they were doing it with. I stood in line hearing everyone else getting a grilling and taking ages to pass through but when it was my turn the only thing the women said to me was ‘good afternoon’ and ‘have a good stay’.

Getting to the city was easy as I was met at the exit by a shuttle bus driver and taken straight to the hostel that I had booked the night before. Like any city hostel it not the cosiest place in the world but its nice and not to big. It’s also right in the path of the fruit bats. Every evening at dusk thousands of fruit bats leave the trees around the Cathedral and head off someone else flying directly over the top of the hostel. It’s quite a sight to see especially as you can stand on the roof and watch them.
Last night I went for a walk around the opera house but so far today I haven’t seen anything else.

This morning has been taken up hiring a car which I pick up on Monday so I have until then to see the city. Then I’m off to god knows where.
Everything over here costs so much more than New Zealand. The car hire is much more expensive but after talking to lots of people about it, it seems to be the best way to travel this huge country. As this place is so big all the cars are really powerful. The car I took round New Zealand was a 1.5L this one is a 4.1L. It’s a good job petrol is cheap!!!

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