Do we LOOK like criminals?!

Yesterday was a travel day for us (Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand) and normally I would just bypass that. HOWEVER, it deserves a post all on its own! Let me take you through it!

It started out great. We didn’t have to be in a hurry because our flight wasn’t until 3:30. We walked down to the local bakery and had a hot cross bun (they’re big here) and a cinnamon roll for breakfast. We had plenty of time to get our stuff, call the Uber and get to the airport. Aaaand it all goes downhill from there!

We walk up to the ticket counter, a short line because I had checked in online, and the very nice representative began asking us about our intended travels. Since we were coming back to Australia and not going on to the US, she asked to see our return flight info. Most of you know that I’m a very organized person and I had a whole folder with paperwork on nearly everything that we are doing, even formatted in different ways. Welp, my mind went totally blank. Keep in mind that we are taking 5 one-way flights on 4 different airlines over the course of this trip. As I searched through my folder and my phone, she was very patient. She asked if we were flying the same line, Virgin Australia, as this flight. Oh, for pete’s sake! I couldn’t even bring that up in my mind. As I became more frantic and started sweating, I finally found it in my folder. I even had already printed out the boarding passes. Geesh! Keep reading! I’m only getting started!

Next is security!  I’m in front of Bruce and the guard asks me to take out my liquids and laptop. Oops! I have pre-check at home, but, guess what, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto! I didn’t have my liquids in a quart bag! They are actually scattered in my makeup bag. So I pull out my makeup bag and tell him. He opens it and starts rifling through it. Well, that was embarrassing! 

We put everything on the conveyor and I go through the metal detector. I am totally focused on getting to my brand new Microsoft Surface laying out there for the whole world to see and beeline for it. Coming through also are our jackets, 2 backpacks with travel pillows, the Vera Bradley bag and a bin with our misc stuff. Know what didn’t come through? Bruce! I turn around and he’s nowhere to be seen. Aaaahhh! There he is! He got pulled aside for the total body scanner. However, it didn’t work correctly and they’ve left him in there while they call someone. In the meantime, I’m trying to corral ALL of our stuff! They finally pull him out and wand him. We pick up all our stuff, walk 2 steps and they pull me aside to do the random explosives test on my backpack. Really??!! I am so frazzled by now! We pass all the tests and I guess they decided we are actually NOT criminals after all!

Next stop! I need a drink! We sit down and enjoy a $70 AUD meal, free, thanks to our new credit card which may or may not have included 2 rum and cokes. Yep, still not done!

After we landed from a totally normal flight, one might think we’re good now. One would be wrong! Coming through Customs, they ask a lot of questions about the things you’re bringing in. She questioned us at length about our hiking boots. Where they had been? How long ago? Whew! We passed that test too and off we go, only to be run through dogs. What were they sniffing for? Stuff on our questionable shoes maybe? It seemed like they were drug dogs, but at this point I’m not assuming anything. Oh, and it’s a $400 fine if you bring in ANY food! We scoffed down a couple of energy bars in the bag because we’re not taking any chances!

Now to find our rental car. I had read in reviews that Alamo Rental was not easy to find. They are off site. We asked a very nice gentleman and he led us around to find out where we should go. He was informed that we take “The Yellow Bus” to Alamo. He takes us to the pick-up place where we see it listed……along with several other buses that come by. After waiting a bit, one comes and the driver informs me that’s wrong, that we need to take the Park and Ride bus. Oh, we had let 3 of them go by! At last we get to Alamo and they couldn’t have been nicer. (Please sense a theme here. Everyone we’ve encountered has been super nice!)

And now, the piece de resistance! It is now 10 PM, totally dark, and we’re getting into a right-hand drive car and driving for the first time ever on the left side of the road to a place we’ve never been before! After about 15 minutes of driving, we pull up to a work zone. The flagman is trying to tell us something. What's that? Our headlights weren’t on!  

And so the story ends………..