From Perth to Auckland - Flying against time

Feb 21: Let me start this post with a conclusion: flying with kids against time is not recommended. And it's not just the kids who experience jet lag. But let's start from the beginning: We board the plane in Perth in the early evening at 19:00 and land in Auckland in the early morning at 6:00. Sounds like a relaxing overnight flight. However, the time difference complicates things, as the flight only lasts about 6 hours, not the entire night. The kids sleep for about four hours, while us adults manage to get three hours of sleep. So, when we land, I'm useless. The older kids are in a good mood. I fall asleep on the couch at the car rental agency. There's a sleeping baby in the Maxi-Cosi next to me. The car is not ready yet, so I take advantage of the waiting time to catch up on sleep. Fortunately, I wasn't too out of it at the airport when I was plucked out of the immigration line. The cute dog at the baggage control found my day pack extremely suspicious, and it was thoroughly inspected. I soon realize what he sniffed out. The fruits we packed for our picnic before the flight. Hours later, the dog can still sniff them out, even though the fruits are long gone. The New Zealanders (as well as the Australians) are really strict when it comes to bringing fresh produce to the island. As long as Dad and Mom are smitten with the airport dog, who takes his time with me and the backpack.

Sometime later, our rental car is ready and I manage the effort of moving from the couch to the passenger seat. Half asleep. In the early afternoon, around 14:00, I finally wake up in Devenport, where Bo and I got married almost seven years ago. What a great joy and surprise. I'm thrilled. My husband took charge successfully after arriving in Kiwiland. All the kids are there, still sleeping peacefully in the car. He, despite being quite tired himself, has already gone shopping, to the hairdresser, and driven us halfway across Auckland to our wedding beach. The rest of us slept through it all. And once again, I realize: I made the best decision of my life here...