Breaking the Auckland Airport Jinx

Sunday 28th June 2009
Day 1

In 2004 my cousin and I, exhausted after travelling the length of New Zealand, checked into Auckland Airport to board a flight to Fiji. However, my luck was out as I was told that my passport was too battered and bruised to fly. I said tara to Andrew and headed to Wellington to obtain a new document.

We were eventually reunited 'Shawshank Redemption style' on a Fijian beach but I haven't been able to shake that nightmare since. Until now : )

Here I was back at the scene of the crime with Layla through customs and my passport in a custom official's hands when an airport official shouted that there was a major problem and nobody was to be let through, leaving me stranded as Layla walked en route to Queenstown. It was only some sweet talking that meant I was the last person through customs otherwise I would have surely missed our connecting flight. I felt like I'd broken the jinx...finally after five years.

As for the flight, I would have missed one of themost spectacular decents I've ever had. A range of snowy mountains was more than enough ammo to tempt the pilot into a spectacular fly-by. Once landed it was a quick beer, bite to eat, found accomodation and hit the sack.