Tag 46 - Farewell to Aotearoa

01/29/2015

The alarm clock goes off at 5:45 am, the wake-up call arrives at 6:00 am. I'm in the car headed towards the airport by half past six. The airport is only 4km away via the highway and despite the construction, it's easily accessible from here. I drop off the car and lug my bag to the check-in counter. The bag weighs 27.7 kilos. That's actually practical, just like when I departed. Some things flew out, others were added. My small trolley is also weighed and at 8.45kg, it's accepted as carry-on baggage for the check-in lady. No one cares about the backpack. It was often 13kg heavy on other trips. Strange number. Maybe I should always have a trolley with me so that the heavy backpack is considered a handbag...

In any future trips to New Zealand, I will have 10kg less luggage. That's for sure.

A last apple and a last bottle of water outside in the fresh air before the airport. A last look at the blue sky and a long white cloud. Oh, New Zealand – I already miss you. With a tear in my buttonhole, I finally enter the airport and at 9:00 am, Cathay Pacific takes off with me on board to Hong Kong.

In the Premium Economy, there are only 4 guests, so the area with around 30 seats is practically empty. I move to a window seat and watch 5 movies until landing in Hong Kong. A day flight has its advantages. You're not so exhausted when you land. The flight lasts 11:57 hours.

Before I go to the Regal Airport Hotel, I quickly grab something to eat at the bakery and a bottle of iced tea, check in, and by almost 5:00 pm local time, I'm in bed. I can't sleep very well though, even though it's almost midnight on my internal New Zealand clock. The alarm goes off at 10:15 pm (3:15 am NZ time), I shower and grab my carry-on baggage, and head back to the airport. My flight to Frankfurt begins at 12:35 am on January 30th.