Two lines started to form, one for those that had a boarding pass and one for those who didn't. I joined the latter as I was only issued an e-ticket that had bold letters on the bottom "This Is Not Valid For Boarding." The women at the desk was checking e-tickets and passports before printing out valid boarding passes subsequently allowing passengers to join the "I-already-have-a-boarding-pass line." A pretty seamless operation I thought. "Hey, How's it going?" I asked. "Good. Passport and ticket please." I handed her both and people watched the Kiwis while she typed in my info. "Do you have a visa?" she asked. "No, I'm traveling on holiday." "So you just have a one-way ticket?" "Yup." "How long do you intend to stay in New Zealand?" she asked. I smiled, proud of my spontaneity and lack of plans and said, "I'm not sure." Then she dropped a bomb on me. "Well If you are traveling without a visa, New Zealand requires you to have an outward or onward ticket." My smile quickly faded but hoping I had misheard her I said, "come again?" "You can't enter New Zealand without a Visa unless you have a return ticket home or a ticket out of the country." Thanks for the heads up Expedia! Maybe a little info box or asterisk before I click purchase next time could save me the embarrassment. Dumbfounded and really just mad at myself for not knowing that I asked, "can I move my flight to another night or something so I can figure this out?" "I'll give you the number of the airline and you can call them directly." I stood to the side took a deep breath and dialed up New Zealand Air. I had exactly one hour to figure this out before my plane departed. A Kiwi women answered the phone, "Hello this is Marilynn with New Zealand Air, how can I help you?" Flustered, yet trying to schmooze with Marilynn I politely replied, "Hey Marilynn how are you this afternoon?" (it's now 9:00 p.m.) "Well it's actually night time here but I guess it's still afternoon in your part of the world." I chuckled, hoping she didn't realize I was calling from pitch black Hawaii just an hour ahead of NZ time. No time for semantics though Marilynn. I explained my situation to her and she typed my info into her system to see how she could help. Precious minutes ticked away waiting for waiting for my itinerary info to load. She started telling me what flight I was on and when it was supposed to leave. Thanks Marilynn but I could have told you that ten minutes ago! I can see the plane that I'm supposed to be on and I'm staring at a clock that's telling me I've got 39 minutes to figure this out! This was my introduction to the Kiwi accent. Needless to say we weren't on the same page. Politely and articulately I said, "Ok thanks. Now could you tell me if there is anyway I could just switch the ticket I already have to another night so I can figure this out?" "Well let me see about that Mr. Smith." I heard her typing away in the background and started to think about the 2 people I sort of knew in Honolulu that I could crash with for the night. "Do you want to fly out tomorrow night? Will that give you enough time?" "Yes, that would be fine." "Ok, just a minute." Minutes are not something I have to spare... "Ok I can put you on a flight tomorrow night but there is a $100 switch fee, an $80 booking fee and you'd have to pay the difference in tickets so you're looking at about $450 to switch your ticket." I paused, did a little mental math and decided it wasn't worth it. "I'll pass Marilynn, thanks for your help." "Good luck Mr. Smith." Time is what I needed, not luck.
"What's next," I thought to myself. "Where do I go after New Zealand?" I saw my reflection in the dark glass behind the desk and stared at myself as I assessed the situation I had gotten myself in and wondered how I was to remedy this crucial moment in world travel. The busy terminal fell silent as my mind raced to find a solution. I remembered a flag the boys back in Hilo had hanging in the living room that read, "Imua." Imua is a Hawaiian word that means "to move forward with spirit. To progress." As spirited as I could be, I looked past my reflection in the glass, past the plane I was supposed to get on in what was now 25 minutes and past the dark Hawaiian horizon towards what I assumed was the westward direction. Malaysia. I'm going to go to Malaysia.
I pulled out my blessed iPhone and jump on the Expedia website despite my discontent with their lack of crucial information. I picked a date (April 1st), picked a flight (the cheapest one) and pressed "purchase." "Looks like I'll be spending 30 days in New Zealand" I said to the lady at the desk as I showed her my confirmation number on my phone. She shook her head and pursed her lips as if to say "good save, you idiot." But I think she was secretly impressed. She handed me my boarding pass and passport and said, "Enjoy the flight."
I was the very last person on the plane but the important thing here was that I was on the plane. I sat in my seat with a sigh of relief and settled in for the 9 hour flight to Aukland. "Imua," I said to myself giggling. Imua.
Saturday, March 2nd: The International Date Line stole this day from me and I will never get it back.
Sunday, March 3rd: Touchdown in Aukland. As the plane descended below the clouds I saw the rivers and mountains, lakes and ocean, all coupled with heaps of sheep and the urban sprawl of Aukland, New Zealand. I had another flight to catch to get to Christchurch but once the mate at the immigration desk stamped my passport I was worry free.
The connection to Christchurch was short and sweet. My luggage made it around the carousel with a zipper open and one less headlamp than I packed, but I wasn't gunna cry about it. With my life on my back and my feet on the ground I tramped through the airport towards the exit and into the brisk New Zealand morning. Welcome to the Southern Hemisphere.
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