Getting out of Oz
So I made it to the airport earlier than the suggested 120 minutes and checked in. Or, attempted to. It somehow slipped my mind that one needs proof of exit to enter New Zealand-or I thought that my flight home from Australia was proof enough. Boy, was I wrong. The Pacific Blue girl was going through her typical motions, asking if I packed my own bag and had it been in my possession the entire time while she was wrapping the sticky tag around the handle of my backpack. When asked me if I had a return flight from New Zealand and got my negative answer, she abruptly ripped the tag off my backpack and said “You NEED a flight out of New Zeland”.
When I asked her if there was internet access anywhere, she pointed abstractly behind my shoulder but sweetly said, “Or I can book it for you, if you’d like to fly Pacific Blue.” Funny how people can change their attitude so quickly when trying to sell you something. At a loss on what to do, half awake, and not eaten breakfast yet, I obliged. She flipped through my passport to see when my Australian visa was up, since my flight HAD to be before the expiration date. I didn’t understand this, since I had no problem purchasing a flight to China a few years ago without a visa. And they’re communist! Australia isn’t communist, last time I checked, and in fact, I was able to purchase my original flight to Australia without proof of visa…by then I felt discouraged, and was not about to start fighting with the woman who could obstruct my way into New Zealand, or out of Australia. I had a plane to catch, and I was going to be on it.
So I was forced to purchase a flight from Auckland (I clearly was not thinking) to Melbourne for March 18-at $170. The only thing I can change on it is the date. I would have had her check dates around that date, but I could feel the impatience looming of the growing crowd behind me. So I grumbled to myself all the way to the gate about my misfortunes until I reminded myself that, hey, I am going to New Zealand, I’m not at home in the Chicago winter, and I can pretty much do whatever I want. Why was I so upset??
Tags: New Zealand
lauracat
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