Sir Edmund Hilary Express Here We Come

CJ has tried for 2 years to book the Sir Edmund Hilary Express train experience. Last year he succeeded. Qantas delivers us to Melbourne and Air New Zealand carried us to Auckland and on to Christchurch.

Although they're not Q-suites, we're impressed with the seating on the Air NZ Boeing 777. Normal business class seating is four across configured as 1-2-1. On this aircraft there is three across seating configured as 1-1-1. This is far better than our last flight on this airline with the herringbone configured seating that we hated.

The food is good and wine is Ok. 

CJ discovers the secret to the good pods. We are seated in row 1 or a three row business class cabin. There is another business class cabin behind this one. The flight attendant informs CJ there is a reason for the good seats. This aircraft is leased from Cathay Pacific. We are seated in Cathay's first-class cabin.  The cabin behind, is Cathay's business class cabin. Lucky us!

The coast of the north island of New Zealand is sighted. We are feet dry.

There is a saying that "one aw-shit" cancels a hundred "atta-boys". How true it is. Air New Zealand service has been exemplary for the most part......and than there is our experience in Auckland Airport.

Instead of riding in the buggy as a part of Carol's wheelchair service, CJ is made to walk a very long walk the woman ordering him take it claimed was only a 'short walk to the end of the corridor'.  And then there was another equally long corridor followed by the entire length of a large duty-free section. 

He eventually joined Carol at immigration where there were not enough wheelchairs. Another woman voiced our objections for us. Why were the economy class passengers hurried on with the available wheelchairs and the two business class passengers made to wait! We tired of waiting and walked through immigration, collected our baggage, and staggered to a place where we got Carol a wheelchair sans a pusher.

CJ was made to push Carol the "short 10-minute" walk from the international terminal to the domestic terminal. We suppose its a 10-minute walk for Olympic sprinters, not a 74-year-old pushing a wheelchair loaded with two heavy carry-ons.

By the time we reached domestic check-in, CJ required a wheelchair!

Eventually we made it to Christchurch, where they were kind enough to postpone closing the bar to serve us a round of drinks. Although CJ's body recovered by morning, he had a very painful and restless sleep.