Our Air New Zealand B747-400 stands at the gate at Heathrow, ready for its 12 000 mile journey around the globe
As you may have guessed I have arrived in New Zealand, after nearly two days of crossing the globe! A really fantastic journey with Air New Zealand - enjoyed every minute of the 28 hour journey (in real time) which means two days after all the additions. Departed a cloudy and dark Heathrow onboard the B747-400 Monday night at about 2300 - unfortunately two hours late due to a passenger checking in but then not turning up at the gate - so his luggage had to be located in the hold and removed from the aircraft. Soon zipping Eastwards across the N Sea and then dinner over Poland. I think I must have fallen asleep over Belarus and most of Russia, as I missed Moscow. But dozed in and out of sleep over the sunlit Centre-East of the former USSR. Was fully awake again over the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, and they served our breakfast as we were cruising over mile after mile of green terraced hills, toffee brown rivers and rice paddy fields of China. Then it was time for touch down in Hong Kong for a two hour refuel/ clean, whilst a thunderstorm passed over. By the time we were airborne again, it was dark - a day having gone by in half the time it should have. Heading southbound over the S China sea we soon passed over the lights of the numerous islands of SE Asia, followed by a really clear and smooth crossing of the Equator. Next up was Eastern Australia which lasted for about 3 hours, so I slept again for most of this. Seeing the lights of Brisbane meant we were off the East coast and on the final 3 hour hop across the Tasman sea to Auckland, the first evidence of NZ was the sudden appearance on the horizon amidst a sea of low little white clouds, of the perfect white cone of Mt Taranaki.
It was a fine crisp, clear winters day in Auckland and so the hours flight down to Wellington, aboard one of Air NZ’s B737’s, was not surprisingly quite picturesque. Was sat on the western side of the plane so got awesome views of the snowcapped Mt Taranaki, the perfect volcanic cone out on the western peninsula of N Island.
Mt Taranaki framed by the wing of the B737
Touched down in Wellington at about 1430 on Wednesday 27 June. Made my way aboard the Stagecoach Flyer into Wellington City Centre and to the Hostel which goes by the name of Nomads, where I am spending the first few nights before I move into my accommodation.
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