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Honeymoon: 1. Flights and Auckland
Apr. 9th, 2015 01:57 amSo as well as the photo spam that has started on Facebook I thought I'd try and do a few more long form entries in here.
So the holiday is now feeling more real as we're here; it was definitely a surreal concept till this point. Having said that I'm not sure I can keep the entire thing in my head as a real happening thing.
My first experience of long haul flights was a lot better than I feared or had been led to believe. Obviously the free upgrade to business class made a big difference to that. Though I definitely felt I'd be happy doing both legs Premium Economy. Business class was really weird in fact with the constant attentive service and always being addressed by name; definitely made weirder with the way having the table out meant you were trapped in your cubicle seat. Being able to lie down and sleep was nice, but it basically felt like sleeping on someone's settee more flat chair than bed. The business class food and drink was great and certainly not the place I expected to find the nicest mango I've had in years. The other unexpected detail of business - no view out of a window; clearly traveling business class means you should be beyond such things. Then again I expect photographing all your food is something else you should be beyond too.
One thing I missed from the second flight (other than being next to Rachael - though they did move us nearer to each other shortly before we took off) was the second plane didn't have an external cam underneath the fuselage you could watch. Seeing the first plane leave the ground was odd, but better was all the runway and London lights reflected on the bottom of the plane making it look like we were flying through the obelisk in the film version of 2001.
Booking a four star hotel was a very good idea. The bed is super comfy, the room huge and well appointed; just all generally what we needed.
The first proper day of the holiday we've definitely suffered some of the worst physical effects of jet lag but that didn't stop us exploring Auckland from a tourist bus, particularly an extinct volcano, a museum full of interesting Maori items and a war memorial, and riding up to the observation deck of the Sky Tower. First tower of the holiday. Having said that dizziness and tiredness from jet lag, a fear of heights and a 300m high tower with partially glass elevator and glass floor sections resulted in a nerve wracking experience. That's without thinking about the fact you can pay to walk around the outside with only a rope to keep you attached or even just leap off from the top...
Tomorrow will be our first drive and bird sanctuary island tour.
So the holiday is now feeling more real as we're here; it was definitely a surreal concept till this point. Having said that I'm not sure I can keep the entire thing in my head as a real happening thing.
My first experience of long haul flights was a lot better than I feared or had been led to believe. Obviously the free upgrade to business class made a big difference to that. Though I definitely felt I'd be happy doing both legs Premium Economy. Business class was really weird in fact with the constant attentive service and always being addressed by name; definitely made weirder with the way having the table out meant you were trapped in your cubicle seat. Being able to lie down and sleep was nice, but it basically felt like sleeping on someone's settee more flat chair than bed. The business class food and drink was great and certainly not the place I expected to find the nicest mango I've had in years. The other unexpected detail of business - no view out of a window; clearly traveling business class means you should be beyond such things. Then again I expect photographing all your food is something else you should be beyond too.
One thing I missed from the second flight (other than being next to Rachael - though they did move us nearer to each other shortly before we took off) was the second plane didn't have an external cam underneath the fuselage you could watch. Seeing the first plane leave the ground was odd, but better was all the runway and London lights reflected on the bottom of the plane making it look like we were flying through the obelisk in the film version of 2001.
Booking a four star hotel was a very good idea. The bed is super comfy, the room huge and well appointed; just all generally what we needed.
The first proper day of the holiday we've definitely suffered some of the worst physical effects of jet lag but that didn't stop us exploring Auckland from a tourist bus, particularly an extinct volcano, a museum full of interesting Maori items and a war memorial, and riding up to the observation deck of the Sky Tower. First tower of the holiday. Having said that dizziness and tiredness from jet lag, a fear of heights and a 300m high tower with partially glass elevator and glass floor sections resulted in a nerve wracking experience. That's without thinking about the fact you can pay to walk around the outside with only a rope to keep you attached or even just leap off from the top...
Tomorrow will be our first drive and bird sanctuary island tour.
