Kiwiland. At Last!

No 9, Almorah Place Epsom, Auckland.

I am sitting in the study of this charming, elegant and stately house. It is home to David Benjamin's family (LCP of AIESEC in Auckland and a really nice chap to boot!)

And I never want to see another aeroplane again ever!

23 hours flying time, 27 in total for the trip from London to Auckland and I am finally here in Auckland. The longest trip by plane I have had the pleasure of taking and if I dont get on another plane for a year, that would be just fine. Downside...only those who TRULY love me will be convinced to come and visit me in the coming couple of years!

But first how did my trip go? Emirates is a good airline but I defintely think the hype surrounding them is a bit over the hedge! I went to pick up my ticket on Thursday July 15 at the Emirates office in London and it went without a hitch. I had been a bit anxious because my flight was the next day Friday and I had been informed that I could pick up my ticket at the airport if I wanted. So it was a sense of relief that I got the paper ticket in my hand.

But come Friday night, I got to the airport with all my lugagge and my big sister in tow and was informed by the check in officer I couldnt board the flight!!! Why? Apparently, the flight was transiting through Australia and I needed a transit visa to land there. I took a look at my ticket again and pointed out that this itinierary was not reflected on the ticket... and why didnt the dude who took my money at the Emirates office inform me of this. He took a good long look at my passport when he issued the damn ticket!

The nice Emirates officer in charge was very nice I have to say, but powerless to help me. The best she could do was re-book me for Monday night July 17 (when i was supposed to start work) and advise me to go to the Australian High Commission on Monday morning and try and get the transit visa!!!

Bollocks, Buggger, Goddamnit...were some of the milder words that came to my mind!

Anyway, I made my back with my sister on the Gatwick Express and spent a very LONG weekend in London. (Except for the one pleasure of meeting up for a family dinner on Sunday where I met up with a whole bunch of cousins including one I hadnt seen in 5 years and who got married earlier this year. See you in the US soon Eni and Ryan!)

On Monday morning, I was at the Australian High Commission at 9am and it went without a hitch again! The consular did ask me why the Melbourne transit was not reflected on my ticket (Good Question!) and she had to call the Emirates office to confirm this. For a supposedly World Class airline, isnt their reputation built in such mundane details? Especially when some of their customers hold a Nigerian passport and need such details?

The folks in New Zealand were understandbly upset when they got my message on Friday to say i had been denied boarding. We (I and the other interns) were supposed to start on July 10. Amy, MCP New Zealand was very emphatic in urging me to action and not to feel sorry for myself... hehehehehehe... You meet a lot of hedges on the way when you are moving across the world and have only a month to arrange it all I guess! (Forgive the constant reference to 'hedge'. Just saw the movie)

Anyway... I got to the airport nice and early on Monday evening and good thing I did too! In trying to check me in...the system again refused to print my boarding pass and lugagge transfer tag. I spent another half hour waiting while the Emirates ground staff called Australia and got the immigration office in Canberra to override the automatic block on the system. Apparently, because the transit visa had been issued earlier in the day, it hadnt been registered properly in their systems. But eventually it was cleared and i got my boarding pass!

And so began the trip.

LONDON TO DUBAI - 6 hours 50mins (You were right Toyin, it IS NOT 10 hours)
TRANSIT IN DUBAI - 3 hours (I have to go back for a holiday in Dubai! What an airport!)
DUBAI TO MELBOURNE - 12 hours 55 mins (Sat beside a nice teenage girl who's an ardent Spurs fan! And didnt manage to get through the 500 channels on my personal TV screen!)
TRANSIT IN MELBOURNE - 1 hour 30 mins (NO ONE even looked at the DAMN Transit Visa)
MELBOURNE TO AUCKLAND - 3 hours (Not a lot of weekend trips abroad i guess)

I arrived in Auckland International Airport bum weary and slack eyed! Immigration went pretty fast but then i got to customs and was asked some seemingly routine questions,
'Did you pack your bags yourself?' - YES
'Are you bringing in any food?' - NO
'Are you bringing in any plants...' - NO

And so on...but then the blonde pretty girl directed me to Aisle 4 and to walk along the Blue Line. The Blue Line took me to a customs area where i got a further shock! There were passengers with their lugagge on these metal tables and with customs officials going through their stuff. When i say 'going through their stuff', i mean taking each item of clothing and shaking it out one by one!!!

I watched with mounting disbelief as the same questions as above were asked to the passengers and then some. I started racking my brains to see if any my sisters might have packed some foodstuff or organic material into my bags. I felt secure as I specifically remembered saying No to my eldest sister when she tried to press some preservatives and stuff on me! But i still couldnt believe the detailed searches that were going on in front of me.

Eventually after staying about an hour on the queue, it got to my turn and i put my stuff on the table and subsequently wasnt allowed to touch them anymore. I had to sign a declaration form stating that i wasnt carrying any contraband and i guess this would have served as a basis for prosecuting me if they did find anything!

The customs officer then proceeded to ask me a lot of immigration sounding questions all over again. Where had i lived for the last one year? What was I coming to New Zealand for? Did i have any documentation proving this... Eventually, he only poked his hands into my laptop bag and retrieved my documents from Fonterra, made some copies and then asked me to put my lugagge back on the trolley and come with him.

I was spared the indignity of having my underwear strewn all over the airport but still had to put my bags through an X-ray machine where I got another fright. The X-ray machine showed up three ball like items and they asked me again if i had any food on me and what were those three balls. I told them i didnt have a clue and we would have to open up my suitcase. I did and suddenly realized what the three balls were a split second before we got to them. Herbal Soap. I wondered if this fell under the list of contraband items and had a 10 second period of adrenaline rush. Eventually, the 3 customs officials just said, 'Ah, its just soap..', asked me to zip up my bag and wished me a pleasant stay in New Zealand! PHEW!

I came out to the arrivals hall and had 2 AIESECers there waiting for me with a gift pack from AIESEC Auckland and some Newspapers.(Not really sure myself heheh) The grand reception they had planned for me on Sunday fell through as this was Wednesday and most people had classes. I stepped into the wet, rainy day, into the car and chatted with Franklin and Riduan all the way to David's place. David was at school himself but his nice mum showed me to my room where i had a shower and i checked my email in David's room afterwards. Apparently, Cristiane arrived on Monday and Ina is arriving tomorrow (today) as well. We all start on Friday so i have the whole of Thursday to try and beat this Jet Lag.

So now it is 4:20am NZT, but obviously still after 5pm in London. I have slept for some 8 hours already and will try and get through Thursday without sleeping again. It has been a roller coaster of a trip and I have to send out emails now to people that I have arrived safely. Already there is some sort of party on Saturday for us all and i am looking forward to meeting all the AIESEC and Fonterra people!

Kene left me with some advice on Thursday last week, 'Approach all new ideas and experiences with an inquiring mind...' I intend to do just this in my new country of residence!

Hello Kiwiland!