Saturday, 24 October 2015

Auckland

Arrived in Auckland some 34 hours after leaving home. Then confronted with the bio- hazard officials.

New Zealand takes steps to ensure that no plants, fruit, seeds, mud on boots, dirt under fingernails, etc, enters the country. Big fines and worse for non compliance. So after filling in the two page decoration, having all our body hair removed, and swimming through the human equivalent of a sheep dip, were finally let in the country. 

In fact don't blame them at all, in the light of the Australian eco disasters, (rabbits, cane toads, Japanese bind weed, various Australian prime ministers, etc).

Booked into a Motel to recover from jet lag.
Two story wooden structure. A room on the ground floor. At 4 pm thought an hour nap, then food, then sleep. However, Mike was woken at 10 pm by slamming of doors and what sounded like wet sacks of sand slithering over the floor in the room above ours. This was followed by a series of wet gargling/spitting sounds, a loud passing of wind, squeaks, what sounded like nostril cleaning by blowing without a handkerchief, a flushing and more sandbag shuffling. Mike's first thought was of Vorgon poetry, after which he became unconscious until 6.30 the following morning.

Yvonne was wearing ear plugs and eye mask. Mike finds her application of commonsense amazing!!

Moral is to avoid wooden buildings, difficult in New Zealand as most are! Or, indeed, wear ear plugs and an eye mask!!

Tomorrow catch the 'Naked Bus' to Paihia (bay of islands).

Leave you with some photos...
Our paper thin Motel, Yvonne at Auckland harbour, Mike at the harbour.

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