The ride from JFK to LA was a breeze, and thanks to Johnnyjet and Air New Zealand I was able to rest in the Koru lounge before the 12 hour flight to Auckland. The lounge had a shower, drinks and fresh snacks but more importantly, it was a very relaxing place to rest. Matt from Air New Zealand escorted me to the gate and told me I was upgraded to the top deck in business class! Wow, my seat actually turned into a completely flat bed, complete with duvet and linen pillow. I slept for 7 hours and really enjoyed "my nook". The service was incredible and I couldn't believe how delicious the clear yellow pea soup with fresh vegetables and sourdough bread was before I went off to lala land. In the morning I enjoyed looking out the small window looking at the different constellations in the Southern Hemisphere. I was actually sad when I had to leave!
Clearing customs in Auckland went smoothly and I walked the brisk ten minute walk to domestic instead of taking the shuttle. Then I checked my bag, had a bowl of Asian noodles with Air New Zealand flight attendant Kiersten Cathalls and waited until the flight to Queenstown. The flight was a little over an hour and I slept. Flying over the land of "The Lord of The Rings" was really trippy. The scenery was like nothing I had ever seen. The snow capped mountains looked like the hills of Tahiti and were a dark green at the bottom. A silver turquoise river intertwined.
I am staying at a lovely hotel called Brown's Boutique Hotel and the owners could not be nicer. My room overlooks the Remarkables Mountains. I walked down to the Sofitel and had a lavish spa treatment and steam bath. Carly and Sarah from Pure New Zealand met me for the opening night of the Queenstown Winterfest. Imagine I leave summer in the US and arrive just for the beginning of winter in New Zealand. The rock bands and fireworks were a royal welcome! More about the festival tonight.
