Another early start to the day….we’re all up and away at 6am to get the 6.17 train to the airport. However, as Dave had spent too long in the bathroom preening himself, we end up getting the 6.23 train – no dramas but as we were so knackered, we end up getting snappy at each other - – raaaaaa – hate being tired n grumpy!
Our flight is at 09:15. We end up sharing it with a massive group of Japanese school kids, all playing with their ‘top of the range’ cameras and Ipods – very funny to see! The flight is fine and its free drink time, which Aaron takes full advantage of – it’s only a 3hr flight but he succeeds in a fair few!
We land in Christchurch and we’re now 13 hrs ahead of the UK! We walk through to Immigration and this is the exciting part as we get a WORK VISA stamp. The dizzy bint on the desk doesn’t notice that Dave has ticked the Working in NZ box and so she has to revoke his incorrect Holiday Visa – haha – so now Dave has a huge red stamp in his passport showing REVOKED!!! How very funny! Then it’s onto Quarantine where we have to tell the dude that we’ve been walking through Rainforests in Cairns. He then asks ‘were you in walking boots?’ and we say ‘nope, just these sandals’ and he goes ‘ok, do you have any TINTS?’…………….eh?.........we all say ’pardon? What do you mean by TINTS?‘ and he goes ‘you know, TINTS. Have you been camping?’ Then the penny drops……….’Ahhh I see! You mean TENTS?!’ That was hilarious!!! These kiwis certainly like to mix up their vowels!!! What a hoot!!
The shuttle bus is pricier than a cab, so we all bundle into a taxi which is driven by a Polish guy. He’s very knowledgeable and points out various things to do in Christchurch – unfortunately, we’re only here for 1 night, so we aint up for any of that I’m afraid. Didn’t realise how big the place was and that’s from being here last year – haha!
As we cruise along the highway to the city centre, you can’t help but notice how green the countryside is. This place is gorgeous and is so reminiscent of home! Good ol’ Scotland! We check into BASE hostel, right smack bang in the middle of the city centre next to the cathedral – which likes to chime every hour….slightly annoying!
We’re in a room with 4 sets of bunk-beds and get chatting to one of the girls in there. She is uber skint and reckons that you can survive on $2 a day here…..erm…ok then!? As we’re hitting Queenstown and looking for work tomorrow, we need to sort out our IRD numbers – our tax numbers, so we don’t get hit with 45% tax – ouchy! It’s off to the Post Office to fill in a form – the women there are dead nice and seen it all before, so it isn’t as daunting as I thought it would be. After that, we surf the net trying to find some damn accommodation in Queenstown as BASE there is all booked up. Argh! Luckily, we book into the same one as Dave and I were in last year, down at the lakeside for couple of nites.
Some hilarity in the room………Dave yells me over to look at something on the laptop – I’m sitting on the bottom bunk and somehow manage to fall off it!!!! I get my foot tangled in my joggers and end up smacking my left knee off the floor and grazing my elbow – what a complete dumbass!! It hurts like hell, but its too damn funny that I’ve managed to fall off a BOTTOM bunk that I have to laugh……a lot……the poor bloke that was on the opposite bunk didn’t know what the heck was going on!!!! Only me!!
We find out where to get the bus in the morning and then it’s off to bed. I’m sorry not to be staying in Christchurch for a bit longer, but we have to get work ASAP and get funding for the next part of our trip!!! Work!?? What’s that all about!? It’s going to be difficult getting in the swing of employment after a 2month break – bring it on I say!!
Our flight is at 09:15. We end up sharing it with a massive group of Japanese school kids, all playing with their ‘top of the range’ cameras and Ipods – very funny to see! The flight is fine and its free drink time, which Aaron takes full advantage of – it’s only a 3hr flight but he succeeds in a fair few!
We land in Christchurch and we’re now 13 hrs ahead of the UK! We walk through to Immigration and this is the exciting part as we get a WORK VISA stamp. The dizzy bint on the desk doesn’t notice that Dave has ticked the Working in NZ box and so she has to revoke his incorrect Holiday Visa – haha – so now Dave has a huge red stamp in his passport showing REVOKED!!! How very funny! Then it’s onto Quarantine where we have to tell the dude that we’ve been walking through Rainforests in Cairns. He then asks ‘were you in walking boots?’ and we say ‘nope, just these sandals’ and he goes ‘ok, do you have any TINTS?’…………….eh?.........we all say ’pardon? What do you mean by TINTS?‘ and he goes ‘you know, TINTS. Have you been camping?’ Then the penny drops……….’Ahhh I see! You mean TENTS?!’ That was hilarious!!! These kiwis certainly like to mix up their vowels!!! What a hoot!!
The shuttle bus is pricier than a cab, so we all bundle into a taxi which is driven by a Polish guy. He’s very knowledgeable and points out various things to do in Christchurch – unfortunately, we’re only here for 1 night, so we aint up for any of that I’m afraid. Didn’t realise how big the place was and that’s from being here last year – haha!
As we cruise along the highway to the city centre, you can’t help but notice how green the countryside is. This place is gorgeous and is so reminiscent of home! Good ol’ Scotland! We check into BASE hostel, right smack bang in the middle of the city centre next to the cathedral – which likes to chime every hour….slightly annoying!
We’re in a room with 4 sets of bunk-beds and get chatting to one of the girls in there. She is uber skint and reckons that you can survive on $2 a day here…..erm…ok then!? As we’re hitting Queenstown and looking for work tomorrow, we need to sort out our IRD numbers – our tax numbers, so we don’t get hit with 45% tax – ouchy! It’s off to the Post Office to fill in a form – the women there are dead nice and seen it all before, so it isn’t as daunting as I thought it would be. After that, we surf the net trying to find some damn accommodation in Queenstown as BASE there is all booked up. Argh! Luckily, we book into the same one as Dave and I were in last year, down at the lakeside for couple of nites.
Some hilarity in the room………Dave yells me over to look at something on the laptop – I’m sitting on the bottom bunk and somehow manage to fall off it!!!! I get my foot tangled in my joggers and end up smacking my left knee off the floor and grazing my elbow – what a complete dumbass!! It hurts like hell, but its too damn funny that I’ve managed to fall off a BOTTOM bunk that I have to laugh……a lot……the poor bloke that was on the opposite bunk didn’t know what the heck was going on!!!! Only me!!
We find out where to get the bus in the morning and then it’s off to bed. I’m sorry not to be staying in Christchurch for a bit longer, but we have to get work ASAP and get funding for the next part of our trip!!! Work!?? What’s that all about!? It’s going to be difficult getting in the swing of employment after a 2month break – bring it on I say!!
Hayley
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