Are we there yet?

For some reason I couldn’t write any more on that last post...

So, on my second airport bus trip. I take the last seat - which is next to a toddler. Again, tell my tale of woe to that family, and shoot off the bus as fast as I can when it stops. Not as fast as the Schlubbs - who really are moving.

I can’t help noticing that the signs to the gate I am heading for again appears last in the range of gates on all the signs. And sure enough, when I reach the corridor it is on, it is the very last gate - again. Is there some auto setting when you are running late?

And by this time I really am running. I figure it can only be half a kilometre. I can run that far...

Glimpses of departure boards along the way show the status as Go to gate ( I’m trying!) - which is definitely better than Flight closed. As I get closer, I can see there is a queue. But after all this I can hardly believe it. “Are you waiting for the flight to Wellington?” I gasp to a friendly face in the queue when I am close enough.

“Yes,” she smiles.

“I thought I was late,” I exclaim in relief as I head to the back of the queue. Which now that I am stopped, I notice isn’t moving...

As I catch my breath, they make the announcement. Engineering have a concern about the plane (never what you want to hear) and they will have more news about departure times at 7. If you have lounge access you can go back there. Well, at least that is good news.

I head for the lounge to wait in comfort.

A departure time of 8:05 is eventually announced. Putting arrival to Wellington at around 1:30am.

Finally we board. This time from a gate that is NOT the last one in the corridor.  When the pilot comes on he announces that we will be aiming for 1:30 arrival - which is when Wellington airport closes. So if we are late we have to land in Auckland instead.

Aaargh. I’m still not on my way to Wellington!

But lucky for me we DO make it. We must have landed at 1:29 ...

Matt and Haley are still there waiting for me. And turns out we are close enough to walk home from the airport.

So - a more eventful journey than I was hoping for - but maybe it is all about the destination after all.