Well, that was weird! I’ve flown to New Zealand and back to the UK at least 14 times since 2001. So far as I can recall, every flight was almost full. Sitting in a massive plane with hardly any passengers felt wrong. Conversely, it was out of this world amazing! To have the luxury of three seats in a row each, and be able to stretch out and lie down, or just sit with our feet up, was a blessing.

Onboard entertainment was the same as always, with lots of films available. Lunch was served with a glass of wine – but that was the only alcohol we had during the ten and three-quarter hours. Barry never moaned once bless him. Snacks were served regularly, and breakfast an hour or so before landing. In fact, there was little difference in that respect to ‘normal’, apart from every single person wearing a face mask. Oh! And I didn’t notice any children on board until we were leaving, and definitely no babies.

A Hazy Hong Kong

We specifically chose to fly through Hong Kong when we booked last autumn, as neither of us had been there before. Our intention was to spend the day exploring what we could during the long transit.

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Obviously, that plan was curtailed due to COVID-19! So instead we’ve been sitting at Gate 28 since arrival, moving for drinks, food and the toilet. The airport itself is locked down, and we’ve had to remain at the gate where we boarded the Air New Zealand plane this evening – Friday morning in the UK.

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There’s quite a haze over Hong Kong, which I’m guessing is normal? The temperature outside today and most days seems to be around 32 degrees.

The Air New Zealand plane was a most welcome sight when it arrived outside our gate about an hour after we sat down. I guess the crew arrive, then sleep, before turning around and heading back …

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Things Can Change Daily

By the time you read this, we’ll have landed at Auckland airport at 8.15 am NZ time. I can schedule posts for a time in the future, which is generally 7.30 pm UK time.

We had an email from Air New Zealand today and a notice on the App. Everyone will now be assessed on arrival as to whether they will be placed in quarantine or managed isolation. It seems there’s going to be more military presence too … Reassuring and freaky rolled into one.

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So in the next post, I should be able to let you know where we’re spending the following fourteen days (actually fifteen nights!) in managed isolation or quarantine (should be no reason for that but who knows at this stage) …