13-15 September: The Longest Day

 The alarm was set for 3.30 am, and boy was it a rude awakening.  The last 24 hours had been a total stressball - repacking all our bags, cleaning the house and trying to fit in social engagements.  The kids had their last in face DND session with the fabulous Seth, I went kayaking up Todd Inlet looking at the fabulous bioluminescence with Silke and Bridget (thanks Di!) and said a tearful goodbye to the wonderful Cordova Bay and our BC tribe.

We spent that last night at a hotel near the airport - we figured the early flight warranted being close!  as it was the alarm dragged us all out of bed and into our clothes before we even really realised what we were doing.  The taxis arrived and we were off.  The airport had told us we needed to be there by 3.30 - 2 hours before the flight - we really didn't.  There was us and a couple of staff members in the airport when we got there and it was a total breeze checking in.  We handed over passports and baggage and had our temperature tested for the first time. I checked my cello in - after removing the bridge and packing it all with bubble wrap.  All I could do from there was hope that everyone along the way was gentle!  We made our way down to some seats and after a quick clean, sat down for first breakfast.  The kids had social drinks that they had saved for the last day - ginger beer for Amelia and Owen, and root beer for Alex.  They drank these, washing down the Tim Tams we had saved for far too long.  Breakfast of champions!

Security was pretty much as it had been, with a little more spacing.  The flight was about half full, but I felt closer to people than I have done in a good long time.  Owen was actually sitting next to complete stranger - something I was surprised about given there were empty seat. There was nothing  to see on the way - the smoke from the fires on the Oregon Coast obliterated everything.  Was a bit sad to miss a view of the islands on the way out!

Vancouver felt almost abandoned - not many people around at all.  We walked across to the international terminal for another temperature check and to clear customs.  Luckily there is a Tim Hortons on the US side of the airport border, so we found a spot to make camp and bought ourselves a second breakfast.  We had a 7 hour layover, so spend the next 7 hours reading, playing games, going for socially distant walks and eating Tim bits. The time passed relatively quickly and with a final wistful glance at Tims, we were on the plane and off to LA.  The flight is about 2.5 hours, and was about half full.  I snoozed and finally got through Jojo Rabbit!

If I though VJR was empty, then LAX was a ghost town.  

It was eerie walking around looking down at all the huge halls all empty or, with just a few people wandering around.  Everyone was hungry and getting a bit tired by this point, so we found another camp spot - wiped everything including the closest windows down with lysol wipes  - and settled in for our 5 hour stop.  We braved some Chinese food for dinner, and dragged out the books and tablets for the wait.  It really was the strangest thing - so few people, shops all shut and masks/hand sanitiser everywhere.  Loaded onto the plane at 9.30 pm.  The plane was about 1/4 full so we had loads of room.  We had dinner and settled in.  I shifted across the aisle with Amelia so she could lie down and sleep - which she did  - and the boys stayed put.  I had a young mother with a toddler behind me who seemed physically incapable of clipping the child in.  He rolled off the seat, with much screaming and crying, at least three times during the night.  Everyone else got a pretty good nights sleep, and were all awake and watching movies when breakfast arrived.  We landed in Auckland 13 hours after leaving LAX.

The plane rolled to a stop, and the hostesses requested that we all stay seated.  An army dude came on board and announced that we would be quarantining in a hotel in Christchurch - another flight away.  They unloaded the passengers who were transiting on to Australia (about 4 people) then we were asked to leave row by row.  We stepped out into the slickest operation yet!  We swapped our masks and walked straight to a health check, we were then guided though customs and biosecurity (I got my beaver gnawed sticks and the last of my shingle paintings - no moss - in!) with our cabin luggage only.  Outside we could see them uploading and reloading our checked baggage directly onto the plane to Christchurch.  From biosecurity we were directed around to a gate to wait for the next plane.  It was so well done, and everyone was so helpful and calm!  A credit to all involved.  We waited for the plane for about half an hour, then we were off on the last leg.  Once on the ground we got some more information from the guy who was running our hotel, and were asked to leave the plane in groups of ten.  We collected our luggage and were guided through the airport and out into the blissful clean sharp air.  It was SO lovely to be out in the sun and the wind.  We handed over our suitcases again and climbed on the bus.  Apparently the hotel was 5 mins away but we were treated to a drive through Christchurch and ended up at the Distinction Hotel - right in the Square, and opposite the cathedral!  We got off the bus in family groups and checked in.  This involved choosing our food for the next day and getting a blue plastic bracelet which was not to be removed!  We loaded our gear onto a trolley thing and took the lift to the 8th floor to our home for the next 14 days. Phew!

 oh and PS:  My cello survived the flight without a scratch!  SO happy!  Hopefully I havn't jinxed the flight back to Rotorua now...