Sunday 15 January 2017: in the air

Day One, Test One: failed

We're off! Took off half an hour ago. We are now flying to New Zealand. But first, what about that "failed" heading line?

First day of this holiday. I'm overloaded with portable electronic devices. I'm typing on a touch screen tablet running Android. It's a "Swype" keyboard, so there will be occasional really weird words. I also have an Apple MacBook Air. It's one a son has finished with. It has a proper keyboard.

I started typing on the Mac...

This blog is my travel journal. When I get home, I merge it with photos, print it, there's a hardcopy to read when we're in our dotage. Each post is typed, then emailed to the blog when there's a connection to the internet... Well...

First, I can't find "flight mode" on the Mac. Maybe that creates a problem? Perhaps it's because I'm running Chrome on a Mac? Whatever the reason -- I type, I can't save to draft, what I typed is lost :-(  So it's back to the Android tablet with its strange Swype keyboard. Ah! the technology :-)

btw: For those who are new to this blog... Yes, I am verbose. And today is "introduction". Future posts will -- hopefully -- have a lot more about ships, and wildlife, and Antarctica.

And now, it's back to our regular journal...

Day One: up, up and away

We're in a plane, heading to New Zealand. The first day of our latest holiday. For those who came in late: We will spend four weeks on a ship, sailing to Antarctica. Note 1: By "sailing" I mean, traveling in a boat with an engine. An early, preferred option (preferred only by me) involved an actual sail boat, crew of three, six passengers. But that was just an option... Note 2: to Antarctica via islands, spend a few days there, then back to NZ again.

Monday we meet the Heritage Expeditions staff and our fellow travelers (all 48 of them). Tuesday we set sail, in the... whatever its name is... Russian ship. Part time "expedition" ship, part time arctic research vessel. Then we spend four weeks sailing to Antarctica -- via several sub-Antarctic islands -- and back again. We may get to see Mawson's hut...

The expedition is centred round Mawson and his hut. Great for fans of Antarctic explorers and exploration. We want to see ice and snow -- and penguins. Well, any wildlife will do, though I don't get too excited by birds... Except penguins. So why choose this particular expedition? Several reasons...

It's a small boat. Fifty passengers. It's on the less touristy eastern side of Antarctica. (Though there may be a good reason for that "less touristy" aspect.) Mostly -- we sail from NZ.

South America to Antarctica -- best flights I could find to SA would be 35 hours in transit. We'll be in NZ in less than six. When I saw, "NZ to Antarctica to Hobart" -- brilliant! And it's still a good option, even with the finish shifted back to NZ.

We will sail to and from Invercargill, at the southern tip of NZ. (Actually, from Port Bluff, just south of Invercargill.) And a month later than planned. Our booking was to sail through Christmas and New Year (and, incidentally, through our wedding anniversary; I had ensured there would be chocolate on that day). It's been delayed in the hope that some major ice will shift and we will actually be able to get to Mawson's hut.

When I realised we were about to go all historical, I started to read Mawson's book of his own expedition. It was amazing... Oh, and the book is called, In the Land of the Blizzard. Tell me again, Why are we going?! Anyway, I stopped reading. All very well to follow history. But when people are falling out of sight down crevasses -- and we are about to visit that same area -- it's time to stop reading.

So, where was I?!

We're in the plane. Just finished dinner. Flying Air NZ. Which has an interesting offer on upgrades...

I bought our tickets. Three planes to get there, two to get back. The next day, there's an email from Air NZ. It's an invitation to "make an offer" on an upgrade. So I did. I offered $10. Which, no surprise, was not accepted.

A week before we fly, the same invitation. This time, there's a slide dial of how much we can offer. At the minimum order we could pay $175 for an upgrade. Per person, per leg... Total, $700 to upgrade each of us on the legs where an upgrade is possible. If it were "accepted".

At the top of the slide dial, we could offer $1,400. Per person, per leg. I checked the Air NZ website. The first leg -- at the upgraded level -- is on sale for $1,100. So I could offer $1,400 -- on top of the price already paid -- to upgrade. To a seat which I could buy for $1,100!? I sent an email asking, is this a mistake? No reply.

So Here We Are...

We're in the emergency exit row. Plenty of legroom. Great view of the toilets. Deb has her preferred window seat, though the window is a bit behind. She can still see out of it. I can see... inside the plane.

Another three hours till we land. With the time difference it will then be morning.

I may just snooze for a couple of hours...

====

So I snoozed. Deb had to tell me about the little girl who was sick. Sick on herself, sick on her mother, sick on her father. With a large plastic bag for the sicked on blanket. We offer sympathetic thoughts to the family. Later, off the plane, we avoid walking in front of the little girl. Just in case.

We're now at Auckland Airport. Through Customs, no worries. Through biosecurity, show the hiking boots. Deb was wearing hers and was asked to step across a weed killer mat. Now we're at the next boarding gate. Waiting.

It was a bus ride from international to domestic terminal. Luckily Deb knew what to do: we checked our bags at the international. So it's just backpacks (not too big) to carry with us. We've now had coffee and shared a scone, so that's breakfast.

Back a bit...

As we checked in -- the first time -- we were asked, Do we mind being in the emergency exit row. No worries, said Deb, We've done it before. Sat in that row, I said, Not managed an emergency exit.

It was great to be able to slump in my seat and stretch out my legs. The only downside was that our screens folded out -- and had to be folded away for takeoff and landing. Which could have been a worry, if I had switched mine on. Deb listened to music... while failing to sleep.

An easy flight, not too long. (Our last flights were to and from Europe. Many, many hours of sitting.) The cabin temperature on this Air NZ flight must have been set to local. Very, very chilly! Better get used to the chill, I guess.

Now that we've started, I'm relaxed about the trip. We seem to have brought what we need for traveling. If we've forgotten anything -- it's too late to worry.

We're still a bit uncertain about four weeks on a boat...

====

I tried to connect to the free (?), open, airport wifi. Rather than going to a login screen, Google "unexpectedly closed". I'll try again. And post this... whenever I can.

Minutes later: failed to connect, again. The signal claims to be strong. But then disappears. Oh well.

Several hours later: We're now at Christchurch Airport. Waiting for our final connection to Invercargill. Same problem with Google -- but other websites are fine. Connected to the airport wifi.

The flight from Auckland to Christchurch was easy. An hour and a half, small snack, another emergency exit row -- with room to stretch my legs.

Waiting for our flight. I went to the toilet. Standing, deep in thought, a woman's voice says, Cleaner. I'm not thinking fast... A minute later the cleaner and I exchange glances, look away... Oops.

Time to post...

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers