My last night in Melbourne included seeing the Australian Shakespearean Company do a fabulous version of The Comedy of Errors in the botanical gardens. [photos to this blog when I remember to bring the flash card, etc., from the hostel.] The next day (yesterday) was my own Comedy of Errors. JetStar should be renamed: "Always big queues, often late, mislay your baggage" cheapo airlines, after yesterday's 2 hour delayed flight to Auckland, with 30 extra minutes wondering where the $!^$@!! my duffel bag was. Wm the Conqueror Bike made it fine, cardboard box well-dented and torn, but bike safe inside, along with its little note about " searched by the TSA" back in Seattle 20 days ago when I left.
So, I had a coach ride booked on Intercity from Manakua City (outside Auckland) at 8:05pm local, I rode out of Auck airport literally like a bat out of hell at 6:45pm and I made it at 7:58pm, despite riding for the first time on left side of road from airport, not know where the hell i was going, all my gear bursting out of the bags I'd trial packed so neatly a month ago. things must have expanded in the Queensland wet. Still, the group of Maori locals and scruffy backpackers standing at the bus stop were speechless when I did a U-turn in front of them, leapt off bike, folded it up, stuck everything in a big Target bag I'd bought in Melbourne to carry stuff on the plane and defeat JetStar's $10/kg extra baggage fee (i carried on about 15kg, so there, JetStar!). Still, out of breath and sweating like the proverbial porker, i then learned the bus was 1/2 hour late, and nothing available to buy to eat or drink. Bugger.
Once on bus, with large extended Maori families all chatting away in Maori, 1/2 hour out on the highway we ran over something, and had a flat tire. Oh yeah. 1 1/2 hours later, everyone standing in a cowfield for multiple smokes, then finally back on the road. I got dumped off the bus somewhere in the dark, as the bus went to Lake Taupo and I had to get a small shuttle to Rotorua. Still, the bus driver drove me right to the door of Kiwipaka and I finally got to bed at 2am. thank you Intercity for this unexpected gift. I would NEVER have found the hostel otherwise.
Then at 6am, the 3 [count 'em] Magic Busses parked at the backpackers roared to life, along with a bunch of obnoxious Australian boy scouts, who ran up and down the staircases yelling at top of their voices. They pulled out around 8am I think and I fell back into sleep.
Finally took a shower in the completely soggy, messy women's shower room (3 loads of Magic Bus does that to a place), and it finally was quiet.
I am now booking hostels and onward journey to Turangi where I will get a shuttle to Tongariro NP and do the Tongariro Crossing on Tues, weather gods holding. After that, fingers x-ed, going to Taranaki [Mt Egmont] for circuit ride OFF the tourist circuit for 3 days.
Kia Ora, Cathy
p.s., Wm the conqueror did GREAT on the highway, despite the stupidity of its rider.
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