Monday 17th September 2018.

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7 a.m Monday morning, the alarm rings. The day we board the plane and begin the 25 hour flight has begun. 13 hours from London to Singapore, then an hours wait, then a further 11 hour flight from Singapore to Auckland!!

Knowing we arrive in Auckland at around 10.30 pm on Tuesday is still rather mind-boggling. We’ve decided that trying to sleep on the first flight, and not on the second will hopefully allow us to get in to some kind of routine, and hopefully be able to sleep when we arrive. Although our body clock will still be telling us it’s 11.30 am.

It’s first time at Heathrow. The only stories that I’ve been told are those from my mum, who has always avoided the airport due to its daunting size. However, upon arrival, it is perhaps the quickest and easiest that I’ve ever been put through check in. Very impressed with how smooth the airport is running.

We check our bags in, then decide to go and grab our morning coffee, and opt for the Wetherspoons over the Costa, the price difference was a no-brainer! However, upon my last gulp of coffee, I decide to miss my mouth completely, and spill coffee all down my cream coloured vest which I will be sporting over the next 25 hour journey! I manage to salvage the vest from any staining, but just have to walk around with a soggy vest!!

The tour of the duty free then begins. We of course do the mandatory working-class-tourist-thing and browse our way through Gucci and Rolex, and act as though we’re tempted at the £5,000 puffer jacket. We then proceed to the perfume shop, and Danny heads straight for the Tom Ford collection. However, we do not need any more perfume, we’ve still got 3, and have no room for any more. After smell-testing every one in his collection, we exit the shop with pockets full of perfume saturated testing papers and a promise to Danny that we will buy one once we’ve used all ours up.

Our flight is now fast approaching, and we have still yet to have our ritual pre-flight gin and tonic (yes, I know it’s only 10 am, but it’s 9 pm in New Zealand haha!!). After we finish these we head to board the plane.

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