TAKING OFF!

 Here it is finally.

Today I'm flying off to Australia.

ABOVE:  Like... who hasn't seen this yet?  It's so funny.  Kinda creepy, but funny too.

Now, I have no idea when I will be able to update this blog.  It might not be until I'm in the hotel/motel in Sydney?

So... be patient!

It is 6 am here and we are getting ready to leave for Auckland airport soon.  Not taking any chance on getting stuck in traffic... best to get there early eh?

My nerves have kicked in BIG TIME... flying really does give me the shits.  Usually it's the take off's and landings, and when a plane does a big turn... that all freaks me out.  I'm sure I'll be fine once we are in the air.

And that is me for now.  I'll catch ya ... LATER.

ONWARD...

Well I'm at the airport.  All booked in. Just have TWO HOURS until my flight! Certainly got here in plenty of time.

ABOVE: AUCKLAND airport... it's  like a ghost town. 

ABOVE: Final step till I get on the plane. 30 minutes to go till boarding.  NERVOUS!!!

I'm HERE! SAFE and SOUND. Sitting on a bus waiting to be transported to a hotel. God knows where.

Its stifling on this bus! I've had a mask on for about 6 hours now... my God I'd hate to have to wear one all day, every day.

Sitting. Waiting. Waiting...

Finally... we headed off to our hotel.

I am staying at The Park Royal in Darling Harbour.

It was quite a process from start to finish today.

So many check points to go through, so many questions, passport checks, temperature taken and so on.  At every point that all happened... Auckland Airport, Sydney Airport, On the Bus, Off the Bus, Checking into the Hotel.... but finally, at around 3 pm, I arrived at my room.

The VERY first thing I did was rip off that bloody mask!  OMG it was so hot wearing it all day.

But I'm glad I did as it kept me safe... and well... the POLICE AND ARMY MEN AND WOMAN kinda INSISTED we all wear one.

Yep, heaps of Police and Army people out in force making us all keep to the plan.  Very well run I must say.  No hitches ANYWHERE.

Now... I DO have some photos to share... but seriously, all I want to do right now is eat my lunch (delivered to me at 4 pm) and relax for a while.

ABOVE:  The Park Royal does not have Diet Coke... so I ordered some Coke No Sugar.  It will do!  Kinda EXPENSIVE, but oh well... I gotta drink something.

I am now going to lie on my king size bed and relax.  Might even have a nap.

Gosh... I feel so clever!

I just got myself a Woolworths account and ordered some DIET COKE, and a toothbrush and some grapes to be delivered to my Hotel room!

Yeah, I brushed me teeth this morning and left the damn toothbrush there eh?  That wasn't so clever.

But I feel good.

I've had a little nap.  I have talked to a few people, LOTS of messages and comments to read, which was lovely.

It's been a very long day.  

And I've just had a lovely chat with a nurse... they ring to check up on you once you are settled in your room.  Mostly just checking your health, making sure you ain't got the dreaded Covid.

When I mentioned WHY I was here, the nurse got a freakin' psychologist to ring me as well.

Looking after my mental health too it would seem.

It's good though, cos I'm thinking being here on my own for two weeks is going to be a bit hard mentally.

I'm a pretty tough person though, so I should be OK.  

And on that note, my dinner just got dropped at the door, so I'm off to see what delights are in the bag!

I'm going to play 'Rate The Food'.

So, tonight's dinner:

ABOVE:  Dinner tonight was a beef stew, three huge potatoes, a mixed leaf salad, a bun and a sweet slice.

The beef stew was inedible!  So dry and tasteless.  I ate half a potato and the salad.  The sweet slice... very, very average.

I left the bun and the WATER.  *snort*  

FFS, seems you get a bottle of water with every meal.  I might have to tell them not to bother, cos otherwise there will be 44 bottles of water on the counter when they come to clean my room after two weeks! 😕😒😂

So... tonight's dinner got a 4/10.  I hope they are not going to be that bad every day!

And that is it, I'm done for the day.  Time to... see what's on the telly I think.