Leaving New Zealand - 1 May 2008

Some people have expressed the opinion that to embark on a five month trip overseas, alone, might be a little foolhardy.  Not to mention the carbon footprint of all that air travel!  I confess that there are certainly moments when it’s a little daunting.  But overcoming the daunting moments provides an enormous sense of satisfaction.  And being a ‘slightly older’ woman alone has great compensations when it comes to being offered assistance!  So - nothing ventured, nothing gained ….. 

Everyone who travels internationally knows that fluids in a cabin bag must be restricted to 100ml.  I checked and rechecked all my fluids.  How was it then that, at the very last minute, finding that there was a little more space in my cabin bag than I’d anticipated, I popped in a bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc for my hostess in New York?  

I checked in internationally at Wellington airport without any hassle.  When I got to security at Auckland, I was called aside and asked to open my bag.  I was happy.  I knew there was nothing in my bag to worry about.  It wasn’t until the officer asked me if I knew about the fluid restriction that the penny dropped!  Oh my goodness!  I tried hard to persuade him to slip it under the counter and share it with his mates that evening but he told me firmly that it had to be thrown in the bin.  What a waste of excellent wine!  And how sad not to be able to arrive at my destination in New York and crack open a bottle without unpacking my very large and very heavy case!!

Last year I missed my connecting flight to New York because one piece of my luggage arrived at a different carousel.  Learning from this mistake I enlisted the help of a Qantas official.  He willingly went and found my croquet mallet for me in the ‘strange sized objects’ area.    This time I was through transit in a flash and I’d recommend this course of action to anyone with limited time to connect.

So, my hostess and I were in bed by midnight.  I’d arrived safely in New York!