New Zealand Nov. 2006 New Zealand Email 1


Day 3 has started, and I'm getting ready to leave and head to Waitomo Caves. But I thought I'd drop a line.

My trip started out well. I usually park at Stapleton and take the bus to the airport. So there I am sitting in my car at Stapleton. I've got about 15 minutes before the bus comes, so I'm waiting, listening to the radio.

I'm searching my mind for anything I might have forgotten. I experience a sinking feeling as I picture all of my paperwork ( flight information, rental car, hotels ) sitting on my dining room table. I take a quick cursory look through my bag and check my watch. I'll have to rush home, grab the paperwork, and head right out to the airport. I'm thinking that long term parking is $10/day. A little more expensive than I had anticipated, but it's only money.

I grab my stuff from home and head towards the airport. Heading East on I-70, that familiar sinking feeling strikes again and I frantically feel through my bags until I find my passport and sigh in relief.

I turn onto Pena Blvd. and check the time out of habit. I know I have plenty of time as I had planned on arriving at the airport 2 hours ahead of my flight time. Ahead, I see the familiar signs "West long-term parking" and "East long-term parking". Underneath in bright red letters: "FULL".

Don't panic, still plenty of time. I know that somewhere along her there is shuttle parking. I study every passing sign, and soon find one mentioning shuttle parking. I park, grab the shuttle, and the everything is fine.

I have a 3 hour stopover in LA, which is just fine with me. I'm already exhausted, and I wonder how I'm going to survive a flight that is 10 X as long.

I gain a new appreciation for DIA as I wander around the United terminal, trying to figure out how to get to the Qantas terminal. The information desk lets me know that I have to take the shuttle to Terminal 2 ( but Qantas is at Terminal 3). I walk by a bar with a TV, and I see the election results coming in from the East Coast. I watch intently, but I can't figure out what's going on. The various charts have the Republicans ahead in the House, but I don't know if that's expected or a bad thing.

I eat a nice meal, and board the 747 bound for New Zealand.

I sit in my sit, and I could swear that it's smaller than the seat on my domestic flight. My seat is in the middle section. There are 4 seats across, and I'm 1 seat in from the end. Soon, a very large young man sits down next to me. He looks apologetic and says he'll switch seats if the flight isn't full.

The flight is almost full, but I'm luck enough to have a free seat to my right. I can sort of lean over and not worry about becoming intimately familiar with my large neighbor. Life is good.

The flight wasn't as bad as I thought. We've got small TV's in the back of the seats in front of us, and we have a large selection of movies and tv programs to choose from. I watch a movie and manage to sleep for a large portion of the flight.

I arrive in NZ, and make may way through customs. I declare my trail mix and my hiking boots. They check my hiking boots for foreign soil, and wave me through.

I find a phone and call for my rental car. I'm informed that I made my reservation for pickup in the city ( I didn't ), and they didn't have a car available for me at the airport. I have to take a taxi to the rental company in the city.

I get in my car, reapeating to myself over and over "Stay left, Stay left". They tell me how to get to City Center, and I head off.

In Aukland I do what I often do when I'm driving in a new city; I get lost. I keep circling my hotel, trying desparetly not to veer right when I turn left, looking for signs that look familiar: Queen street, Custom Street. I try to picture these streets in relation to my hotel. This is not easy for me.

I eventually do find my hotel. It's 11 am and I can't check in till 2. No big deal. I wander the city looking for something to eat and coffee.

I really like Aukland. It surprises me how familiar it feels. Liquor stores, little shops, convenience stores. The # of coffee shops per square block definitely rivals Denver. One aspect that's different is that I've only seen 4 Starbucks in the city. Almost all of the coffee shops are independent, or at least a chain who's name I don't recognize.

Soon it's raining and the wind is blowing. I'm getting a little worried that this will be the weather throughout my stay. I go to the maritime museum. It's pretty cool -they have a large display talking about New Zealand's Americas Cup victory.

I decide to stay another night in Auckland. I want to see some of the sites in and around the city before I leave. Maybe I'll jump of the Sky Tower. I end up going to the Aukland Museum instead.

Today, I'm headed out to the Caves. They've got rapelling, cave exploring, and floating through the caves on an inner-tube in a wetsuit. Not sure which I'll do yet.

To Be Continued.