A Short Visit To NZ
Running late, in true style, I’ve finally got some time to put this article together.
Back in February, Jetstar ran a special deal from the Gold Coast to Auckland for under $100 per ticket each way, inclusive of all taxes. I jumped at this, and ordered two tickets for myself and Shannon, for no real reason, apart from the fact that it was insanely cheap and the fact that I’m fortunate enough to be able to work on my computer from anywhere, should I need to.
The Trip didn’t start until the 28th of April, so as the date loomed, I had to work out something to do. One thing that was evident when I started looking around, was that I had the upper hand on this trip, for two reasons, firstly, from the end of April, it was off-peak, so things were going to be cheap, secondly, the NZ – AU exchange rate was terrific, peaking at around $1 AUD = $1.29 NZ – so everything was going to be 30% cheaper as well.
Earlier in the year, after booking the tickets, the Federal Govt decided to have their second “Cash Splash” as the Liberal Party has coined it, and I was due to receive a cheque. This made the trip very easy, as collectively, we had 2 x $900 AU to finance the trip.
This was my first time flying from Gold Coast international, in the past, I have flown out from Brisbane and Sydney. Some initial thoughts on the Gold Coast Airport, was that is was quite a distance from the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) but other than that, I really appreciated the “laid back” airport staff and customs officers. Flying out of Brisbane and Sydney, in 9/10 cases, the customs officer is unnecessarily rude and can really put a damper on the trip at hand.
Jumping on board, we were on the inaugural flight from the Gold Coast to Auckland, NZ, so champagne was on the house all round, a very nice sediment from Jetstar.
Once in NZ, the week away consisted of 2 nights in Auckland, then hiring a car from Jucy car rentals, driving down to Rotorura and then back to work, for a more detailed itinerary visit Shannon’s Website.
In the end of it all, even with my elaborate spending on Holidays, we just managed to come back after 6 days and having spent the “Stimulus” money. So rather than helping the failing Australian economy, we helped the New Zealand economy, which has been failing for a little bit longer.
