Most people are scurrying to and fro when they are in the last 24 hrs before they fly anywhere, making sure they have packed everything, got their visas and passports, and transport to the airport. With my family something always goes …sideways. It has been one frantic day with sorting last minute details, working with clients, packing, having coffee and saying goodbyes … well for now.
Awake at 7.15 am this morning, having a cuppa char (tea) and my hsuband tells me that there are flight delays at Auckland Airport due to a burst oil line. Would it delay our flight at 14.55 tomorrow. We didn’t know at that stage. Being me I started working with clients, and mobi files decided to be frustrating (oh I’d better tell you I’m an author and publisher) I will more than likely be in the mid-air when the email comes through to say if things have worked or now. By 10 am, my friend arrives, gives me a beautiful gift of a necklace and earrings (thanks Joanne x) and we go out for coffee at McCafe. Once we sat down for a gossip i noticed a newspaper and grabbed one. Yep delays, cancellations etc at Auckland Airport. I decided to drop into ‘Flight Centre’ to see my travel agent (Jade) who had been fantastic. Before this materialised Jade rang me letting me know there could be issues, though still to go up to Auckland etc and she was still waiting on further news.
Saying my goodbyes to Joanne (loves you) we returned home and the research began along with messages to answer online from clients and family. I looked up the flight on the Auckland Airport website and it wasn’t there…anywhere. Panic stations, I left a message with Jade, and went to look at the Qatar Airways, finally finding our flight and OMG. Due to the fuel issue the flight had been moved forward to 12.55pm…Two hours earlier. I quickly emailed Jade with a print screen shot. A new panic in motion, we needed a hire car tonight rather than in the morning due to an earlier start.
Jade rang back and issued new tickets which we printed off later in the afternoon, meanwhile my darling husband went and reorganised a car. A bloody holden…(another story there). Qatar Airways also rang us to confirm the change. I totally love this trip already, never had so much information passed on and so gratefully accepted. I nearly forgot to say we have a short stop in Melbourne to refuel due to the burst pipeline at Auckland Airport which could take up to 10 days to repair.
Thank you to Karen and her sons for taking a mandarine tree off our hands and some jackets and to Nicola for dropping in. Going to miss you all. Be good and stay safe.
Now we are set. New tickets, a holden, bags packed, a few more goodbyes and an early morning tomorrow, so early we won’t get to say goodbye to my son. All that will happen this evening.
On a small note…Hubby and son are joining us later in the year so we can all have a family christmas for the first time ever. My parents haven’t seen my children (young adults) for 14 years. Here’s hoping it will be a blast.
Plaisted Travel Blog 