Day 0

Christchurch greeted us : warm and dark. We knew the hotel was across the airport car park but we'd agreed that we'd get the shuttle or a cab. Surprise, surprise ! We were met at the arrivals gate by Andy & Jo Holt, mates from St Peter's Barge. We'd spent so long in the quarantine area, they were wondering if we'd made the flight. Just that there is so much to check when you're entering a place like NZ... it's an island and they have to be vigilant about the stuff that's entering and exiting. I got my hiking boots sprayed even tho' the dirt on them dated back to our Womad music fest in Sept - they take their jobs very seriously. I mentioned this to the Holts, and that it surprised me that for no extra dollars they were performing this service, but that I'd paid the Australians good money for a visa and they'd made me fill in a landing card, that's all. Thanks to Keith's cousin, Diane, we checked into the airport hotel (it shares a car-park with the airport) and bade farewell to Andy & Jo. Ah, comfy beds, darkness and a good night's rest. Matched by an excellent breakfast the next morning. Airport hotels have often drawn the short straw in my estimation, but this one was the quick-growing bamboo in the family.