The Bucket List

You may have been wondering why the blog hasn’t been updated for several weeks.  I’ve been away attempting to reduce the size of my ‘Bucket List’.  Unfortunately as quickly as I eliminate items on the list more get added.

I decided to return to the country of my birth for what may be a final visit.  There were three objectives.

• Catch up with family and friend
• Complete the ‘Ring of Fire’ walk around Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park; and
• See what changes have occurred over the last 30 years.

After looking for cheap flights I opted to book with Air NZ.  Past memories are of a quality airline and this time I found myself disappointed.   Yes, I did purchase a cheap fare opting to pay for an economy seat and one piece of hold baggage.  The fare would have substantially increased if I’d also chosen to pick my seat rather than have it allocated.  I also opted out of in flight meals.  The six hour flight departed Perth at 9PM arriving in Auckland at 6AM.  NZ is five hours ahead of Perth.

The check-in process was completed using a self-service kiosk.  Immigration was very similar.

Perth Departure Hall

 

My first flight in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  Note the RAAF C17 behind the 787 in the top right.

The flight was uneventful.  I must have been one of the few on board not to have purchased a meal.  Clearing Customs and Immigration in Auckland was also uneventful.  Ag & Fish queried me about my boots after I had declared them on my arrivals card.  However they waved me through when I informed them they had last been worn in the UK back in 2016.

I had already decided rather than rent a car and use motels I work hire a motorhome.  The cheapest option was on of the small bright green JUCY vans.  My van would need to be self-contained as that would enable me to freedom camp at no cost.  After much online research I identified Wilderness Motorhomes as the best value for money and booked a two berth van.

    

It was very comfortable and I was pleased with my choice.

After collecting the van the first thing I did was to drive to the nearest BP service station and purchase four passes for the northern toll road.  This road didn’t exist when we lived in NZ and its construction has definitely reduced the time when driving north.

I’d had very little sleep on the aircraft and therefore carefully took my time driving north to Whangarei, my first destination.  Whangarei District Council encourages self-contained motorhome parking and I found a vacant park in the south of the city near the new lift bridge.

And so Day 1 ended