Wednesday 7 November 2012

The Journey

I know many people for whom the journey is the enjoyment: it is better to have travelled and not arrived than not to have travelled at all.  Generally speaking I travel purely as a means of moving myself from one place to another.  I travel as a means to an end and not as a means in itself.  That doesn't mean that I cannot and sometimes do not enjoy the journey or at least parts of it and occasionally, of course, I do travel for travel's sake but not usually by air.

So on my travels from Lewis to Napier there were some good moments: over the Scottish Highlands in late afternoon as the light fades on a cloudy and cold evening:




The picture from the camera on the tailplane of the Emirates Airbus A380-800 flying at 39,000 feet over Australia


and over the Tasman towards  a rather cloudy New Zealand


Seating around 500 passengers these babies are BIG but very comfortable with excellent facilities on board.


The one irritation was in Auckland.  Air New Zealand have now automated their check-in system.  The Domestic Terminal is about 10 minutes quick walk from the International Terminal or there is a 15 minute bus service.  Transfers are easy though because you just exit International arrivals, walk a couple of yards and book in and leave baggage at the transfer area.  Unless you are later than 60 minutes from the domestic flight.  I had 5 minutes to spare but by the time I'd fathomed the system had managed to get it to read my ticket (which it initially refused to do) I was 1 minute late.  Human beings allow for that (I've started so I'll finish) but machines don't.  So I had to walk my luggage (I just missed a bus and the next bus would mean me missing my connection) to Domestic.  It's that part of travel I don't like.

9 comments:

  1. Yes, those automated check-ins can be quite tedious sometimes. Apparently they don't like my passport, so I always end up going to the counter for check-in. Amazingly my passport swipes quite easily there. I like the personalised service anyway.
    Lovely photos...lovely cloud formations.

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    1. Unfortunately there is no human counter for the transfer check-in at Auckland: just one exasperated lady who kept saying 'follow the on-screen instructions' when I kept saying 'but it won't read my bar-code'.

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  2. Scotland looks great here.
    I detest air travel....NO....I detest airports. I was always envious of the folk who could afford the services of a guide and those electric buggy things.

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    1. Scotland IS great from 'up there' Adrian. As for airports it doesn't matter how fabulous they are - and I love Hong Kong and Singapore airports and Dubai Terminal 3 is amazing - the experience of security and so on is the pits wherever you are.

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  3. True; too much of travelling depends on things outside our control.
    The pictures of the Highlands are fantastic!

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    1. Thanks Meike and yes, far too many things are outsie are control when travelling.

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  4. One of the major reasons I don't go anywhere is Luggage. As for travelling by air I haven't been through any airport routines since the Stone Age (or thereabouts)...

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    1. The beauty, Monica, about travel in the Stone Age was that there were hardly any routines. I remember when 'security' was first introduced at Stornoway Airport and you'd be greeted by a cheery 'that's fine Mr Edwards' as you were waved through. Now (until this last time) it's been worse than Heathrow or LA and less friendly.

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  5. Hmmmmmmm. Now you know why I dont travel via airports. Take the car (and therefore the kitchen sink) is my way. You have definitely put me off for life. x

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