This story starts last November. My brother and I were "working" one day when he mentioned plans to take his two granddaughters, then 5 and 6 years old, to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands for a few days. Karen and I had never been to the Pacific Islands, whereas Dean and his wife have made a few trips to "Raro", and I quizzed him on the place. When I got home I asked Karen "As we're not going to America next year how does two weeks siting on a beach in the Islands in the middle of winter sound"? "Yes" she replied.
So I spent a few days online checking it out. Airfares on Air New Zealand were not bad, NZ$1,700 return for two, but when it came time to selecting a resort to stay in, it was confusing. I didn't know the geography and the prices were changing from day to day.
About that time the daughter of some good friends of my parents (I call her my unofficial "big sister") went to Fiji for a covid delayed trip, and posted photos online. So I also looked at Fiji as a winter destination. Again, not knowing the place it was confusing, so I defaulted to my old travel agent (used for our 2018 US trip but not last year), requesting quotes for two weeks in both Rarotonga and Fiji commencing 7th August.
When the quotes came in, Rarotonga was more than 50% above my expected budget, Fiji about 25%. The decider however was internet access. In Rarotonga internet coverage is patchy and expensive. In Fiji it is more reliable and comes free in the public areas of resorts. So in the first week of December we booked 10 days at the Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa on the Coral Coast.
Flights were Ex Auckland. Our "local" regional airport, about 75 minutes away, is subject to weather extremes in winter. Twice we have been scheduled to fly to Auckland for Karen's medical reviews and the flights have been cancelled, leading to us driving the 7 hours.
There is another airport about an hour and 40 minutes away that is seldom effected by weather, so we decided to fly from there.
2 1/2 weeks ago our electronic tickets were forwarded to us, and I realised that the flights were not the ones I would have chosen. Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways both fly daily from Auckland. Air New Zealand flies to Nadi in the mornings, and returns in the afternoon. Fiji Airways flies to Auckland in the mornings and Nadi in the afternoons. And we were booked on Fiji Airways!
This meant we would not get to our resort, which we were told was 1 hour from Nadi, until around 6 pm. And our return was scheduled as bus pickup, arrival at Nadi airport and check in time all as 5:30 am in order to catch an 8:30 flight
We were losing two half days in Fiji, and even if Air New Zealand had been a few hundred dollars more expensive, I would have preferred that. Oh well. Liver and learn.
Yesterday the alarm went off at 4:45 am. After dozing an extra 9 minutes (the duration of the snooze setting on my alarm) I sat up, picked up the iPad to scan for news, and at 5 am woke up Karen. Just after 6:30 we left home expecting to reach the airport a little after 8:15 for an 8:55 close of check-in for our flight to Auckland.
Slow traffic saw us arrive at the airport at 8:35. I dropped Karen and our bags off at the terminal and headed for the long term parking lot, where I already booked for a 10 day park. On arrival at the gate the entry code I had been given did not work. Neither did it work another two times. I called the number on the gate and was told to press the buttons slowly, hold each button down for 1 second then wait another second before pressing the next button. The barrier arm rose up and I was in.
We checked in at the self service kiosk and got a message our bags were booked all the way to Fiji and would be transferred on arrival in Auckland.
I knew our time in Auckland was going to be tight. Our flight was scheduled to arrive at 11:20 am, we had to make our way 500 meters to the International terminal and check-in for our Nadi flight closed at 11:35 am. Luckily there is a shuttle service as it takes 7-10 minutes to walk.
We were 10 minutes late departing the airport, and were stuck on the tarmac for another 7-8 minutes. We made the shuttle between terminals with 30 seconds to spare. First stop was the currency exchange where I had arranged to pick up our spending money. The lone attendant was busy and it took 10 minutes to get our money.
At the Fiji Airways counter we were told (65 minutes before departure) our flight had closed, but they booked us in. I gave no thought to our bags (and some of you will know already where this is heading).
Across the terminal, upstairs to screening where my spinal fusion set off the metal detector, as it always does. Through the scanner to find that i had not taken my laptop out of my carry-on, so it all had to go through again, then a mad dash to the departure gate, arriving just as rows 20-40 were announced for boarding.
We were seated in row 19, so sat down and waited for the que to go through. 10 minutes later with no movement it was announced there was a 30 minute delay.
Once boarding began it went smoothly, and we soon found our seats on the plane, an Airbus 330-200, the equivalent of a 767 Boeing. I had flow 767's twice, once in 1987 when they were new in service from Auckland to Adelaide, Australia, and more recently (about 15 years ago) from Brisbane back to Auckland. Both times I liked the plane.
The A330 was spacious and comfortable, but the entertainment system was rubbish. The touch screen would not work and the attached handset had, like the parking gate, to be pressed firmly and slowly. When I got up to use the bathroom it was tiny.
The movie was glitchy, and on a 3 hour flight I did not get to see the last 20 minutes of a 2 hour and 10 minute film. The food was very good.
On arrival at Nadi we emerged into something we had not experienced since leaving Houston last October, 28 degree C temperature (the Kiwi summer was "patchy" and turned cold in early February). Lovely.
Customs and immigration was the usual delay the downstairs to get our bags. I sat Karen in a chair and waited. And waited. Then waited some more. Eventually there were only two bags left on the carousel, and neither was ours.
A friendly Fiji Airways staff member directed me to the luggage desk, where it was found our bags were still in Auckland. "But" I was told, "They will be here this time tomorrow".
I filled in the required paperwork, was told we could spend FJ $100 each on toiletries and clothing till our bags arrived, and claim it back on our return flight. Then it was through to the shuttle service where we were the last people booked to arrive, and we were told our departure shuttle would pick us up at 3:15 am in 10 days time.
Our "1 hour" shuttle ride was more like 1 3/4 hours and we arrived at our resort well after dark, and a 13 1/2 hour journey. As Karen said, we could have flown to Houston in that time.
Fortunately I insisted, over Karen's objections, on both our daily medications, especially her anti-rejection drugs, being in my carry-on (Karen just bought her handbag). I have a book, my laptop and iPad
As I write this I am sitting on the front porch of our "bure" what the Fijians call our room. The water is less than 50 yards from me. It is sunny and warm. I am contemplating a walk in the shallows while my underwear and socks, which I washed in the handbasin, are drying in the breeze, and I am uncomfortable.
None of the shirts or shorts in the resort shop are big enough to fit me. I will have to go 20 minutes by bus or taxi into "town", more like a small village the size of our hometown, to pick up a few clothes. In the meantime I am hoping our bags arrive this evening.
Pictures to be posted later.
So I spent a few days online checking it out. Airfares on Air New Zealand were not bad, NZ$1,700 return for two, but when it came time to selecting a resort to stay in, it was confusing. I didn't know the geography and the prices were changing from day to day.
About that time the daughter of some good friends of my parents (I call her my unofficial "big sister") went to Fiji for a covid delayed trip, and posted photos online. So I also looked at Fiji as a winter destination. Again, not knowing the place it was confusing, so I defaulted to my old travel agent (used for our 2018 US trip but not last year), requesting quotes for two weeks in both Rarotonga and Fiji commencing 7th August.
When the quotes came in, Rarotonga was more than 50% above my expected budget, Fiji about 25%. The decider however was internet access. In Rarotonga internet coverage is patchy and expensive. In Fiji it is more reliable and comes free in the public areas of resorts. So in the first week of December we booked 10 days at the Fiji Hideaway Resort and Spa on the Coral Coast.
Flights were Ex Auckland. Our "local" regional airport, about 75 minutes away, is subject to weather extremes in winter. Twice we have been scheduled to fly to Auckland for Karen's medical reviews and the flights have been cancelled, leading to us driving the 7 hours.
There is another airport about an hour and 40 minutes away that is seldom effected by weather, so we decided to fly from there.
2 1/2 weeks ago our electronic tickets were forwarded to us, and I realised that the flights were not the ones I would have chosen. Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways both fly daily from Auckland. Air New Zealand flies to Nadi in the mornings, and returns in the afternoon. Fiji Airways flies to Auckland in the mornings and Nadi in the afternoons. And we were booked on Fiji Airways!
This meant we would not get to our resort, which we were told was 1 hour from Nadi, until around 6 pm. And our return was scheduled as bus pickup, arrival at Nadi airport and check in time all as 5:30 am in order to catch an 8:30 flight
We were losing two half days in Fiji, and even if Air New Zealand had been a few hundred dollars more expensive, I would have preferred that. Oh well. Liver and learn.
Yesterday the alarm went off at 4:45 am. After dozing an extra 9 minutes (the duration of the snooze setting on my alarm) I sat up, picked up the iPad to scan for news, and at 5 am woke up Karen. Just after 6:30 we left home expecting to reach the airport a little after 8:15 for an 8:55 close of check-in for our flight to Auckland.
Slow traffic saw us arrive at the airport at 8:35. I dropped Karen and our bags off at the terminal and headed for the long term parking lot, where I already booked for a 10 day park. On arrival at the gate the entry code I had been given did not work. Neither did it work another two times. I called the number on the gate and was told to press the buttons slowly, hold each button down for 1 second then wait another second before pressing the next button. The barrier arm rose up and I was in.
We checked in at the self service kiosk and got a message our bags were booked all the way to Fiji and would be transferred on arrival in Auckland.
I knew our time in Auckland was going to be tight. Our flight was scheduled to arrive at 11:20 am, we had to make our way 500 meters to the International terminal and check-in for our Nadi flight closed at 11:35 am. Luckily there is a shuttle service as it takes 7-10 minutes to walk.
We were 10 minutes late departing the airport, and were stuck on the tarmac for another 7-8 minutes. We made the shuttle between terminals with 30 seconds to spare. First stop was the currency exchange where I had arranged to pick up our spending money. The lone attendant was busy and it took 10 minutes to get our money.
At the Fiji Airways counter we were told (65 minutes before departure) our flight had closed, but they booked us in. I gave no thought to our bags (and some of you will know already where this is heading).
Across the terminal, upstairs to screening where my spinal fusion set off the metal detector, as it always does. Through the scanner to find that i had not taken my laptop out of my carry-on, so it all had to go through again, then a mad dash to the departure gate, arriving just as rows 20-40 were announced for boarding.
We were seated in row 19, so sat down and waited for the que to go through. 10 minutes later with no movement it was announced there was a 30 minute delay.
Once boarding began it went smoothly, and we soon found our seats on the plane, an Airbus 330-200, the equivalent of a 767 Boeing. I had flow 767's twice, once in 1987 when they were new in service from Auckland to Adelaide, Australia, and more recently (about 15 years ago) from Brisbane back to Auckland. Both times I liked the plane.
The A330 was spacious and comfortable, but the entertainment system was rubbish. The touch screen would not work and the attached handset had, like the parking gate, to be pressed firmly and slowly. When I got up to use the bathroom it was tiny.
The movie was glitchy, and on a 3 hour flight I did not get to see the last 20 minutes of a 2 hour and 10 minute film. The food was very good.
On arrival at Nadi we emerged into something we had not experienced since leaving Houston last October, 28 degree C temperature (the Kiwi summer was "patchy" and turned cold in early February). Lovely.
Customs and immigration was the usual delay the downstairs to get our bags. I sat Karen in a chair and waited. And waited. Then waited some more. Eventually there were only two bags left on the carousel, and neither was ours.
A friendly Fiji Airways staff member directed me to the luggage desk, where it was found our bags were still in Auckland. "But" I was told, "They will be here this time tomorrow".
I filled in the required paperwork, was told we could spend FJ $100 each on toiletries and clothing till our bags arrived, and claim it back on our return flight. Then it was through to the shuttle service where we were the last people booked to arrive, and we were told our departure shuttle would pick us up at 3:15 am in 10 days time.
Our "1 hour" shuttle ride was more like 1 3/4 hours and we arrived at our resort well after dark, and a 13 1/2 hour journey. As Karen said, we could have flown to Houston in that time.
Fortunately I insisted, over Karen's objections, on both our daily medications, especially her anti-rejection drugs, being in my carry-on (Karen just bought her handbag). I have a book, my laptop and iPad
As I write this I am sitting on the front porch of our "bure" what the Fijians call our room. The water is less than 50 yards from me. It is sunny and warm. I am contemplating a walk in the shallows while my underwear and socks, which I washed in the handbasin, are drying in the breeze, and I am uncomfortable.
None of the shirts or shorts in the resort shop are big enough to fit me. I will have to go 20 minutes by bus or taxi into "town", more like a small village the size of our hometown, to pick up a few clothes. In the meantime I am hoping our bags arrive this evening.
Pictures to be posted later.
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