Day 12/13: Change of plans and off to Sydney
Good morning! It is currently 1:35am and I am sitting here at the Auckland International airport for my 6 am flight. Apologies for not posting a recap for yesterday. I was trying to fit everything into my one checked bag!
So here’s a recap of Day 11….
Due to poor planning (or lack thereof), I forwent(?) going to Hobbiton. The set is located in Matamata, which is 2–3 hours using public transportation. I tried looking for affordable ones that would take me out there but some sites didn’t work or it was booked. Thus, not Hobbit land for me, which is a shame. Although I am extremely disappointed, I think I’ll visit Auckland again to see it! But shame on me for not doing it while I’m here now. I’ll plan better next time.
I slept in a little (just kidding, I didn’t really) and got ready to figure out last minute gifts. I had done laundry the day before but it was hard to dry them because the Airbnb makes you pay to use the dryer and drying inside (there was no sun and rained all day yesterday) didn’t work. I tried to get the dryer working but couldn’t figure it out. Turns out, the host locks the plug in this contraption BUT one of the guys showed me a trick and I was able to briefly dried my clothes in order to have it ready to pack. Overall, my clothes from yesterday smell awful so I have to redo some laundry when I get to my aunt’s house.
I went to the Sylvia Park mall in order to get some souvenirs. Turns out it’s the biggest mall in New Zealand…but I’ve seen bigger. I found a cute book and some Paua shells for the fam. Once I dropped off my purchases, I headed to the train station in order to get to the city so I can take the ferry to Devonport. But first, I headed to a kebab shop (Kebab on Queens) and grabbed my breakfast/lunch for the day. It was a pretty decent kebab. The meat was good but the distribution of the cabbage made some parts lack flavor. And one of the unfortunate things about kebab (the wraps) is that the sauce starts to soak the bottom and you end with mush near the end. Thus, kebabs need to be eaten quickly (or slowly if you get it with rice instead.
So I used my hop card (yay discount) to get the ferry to Devonport. Devonport is across from the city and is kinda like a rich people neighborhood. It’s millions of dollars to live there. During the ferry ride, it was sprinkling and once we docked, it was still raining. I wanted to head to the Navy Museum but I didn’t want another disaster. I ended up running there and it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
As I explored the FREE museum, I learned some interesting facts about New Zealand’s involvement in many wars Americans are familiar with (WWII, Vietnam War, etc.). There is a lot of history and sacrifices that went on. I was quite impressed.
Once I was done with the museum and stepped outside, I noticed it was no longer raining and there was a little sunshine. Since I was already there, I took a hike up Mount Victoria. My, my was it beautiful up there. There were some mushrooms and the scenery was breathtaking. I whipped out my selfie stick and took some photos. The stick was pretty useful when I was taking panoramic shots. Here are some photos now!
Once I trekked down the volcanic peak, I walked back to the dock to catch a ferry back to the city. In order to have enough on my card to get on the train, I stopped by the station after getting off the ferry to top up. I happened to plan my last trip perfectly. I had roughly 12.20 left on my card and I needed enough to take 2 ferry rides and 2 trains back and forth. Since the trains cost me 4.10 and the ferry cost me 4.50, I only needed 5 more dollars to give me a balance of 0! So yay for not having money on the card (unlike my snapper). I knew my second major math would come in handy one day. The wait to top off my card was awful. It was around 5ish and that’s when everyone is trying to head home so all the machines had long lines. I glanced and chose the shortest one. Man was that a bad decision. The line next to me moved so much faster and I was getting so impatient. But I knew if I moved, the other line would stop moving. Oh Murphy’s law.
After topping off, I raced to the Korean pancake place for one last treat. I had cash this time so I treated myself to a bulgogi pancake and red bean pancake. I also stopped by McDonalds to get me a frozen coke. The line at that place was way too long for my liking. I eventually made the train and sipped my coke all the way back to the house. It was sweeter than usual though L. Anywho, I had my pancakes (the red bean was a tad too sweet) and then packed up more stuff. No signs of bra…sadness.
I took a shower and braced myself for a long night. It was really hard trying to pack everything since I bought 3 bottles of wine…. Lee offered to take me to the airport at 12ish in the am and so I tried to nap before it was time. I couldn’t get to sleep and ended up with 15 minutes before it was time to go.
Now I’m sitting here, reorganizing my stuff to make sure it’s under the weight limits and trying to find comfortable place to nap. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea so I’m just sitting here blogging. Sigh, I’ll try to get some shuteye on the plane so I can have a full day with the fam.
I made it! I was able to get the exit row thus more leg room to stretch and sleep. I was able to maybe sleep off 1.5 hours of the 3.5 hours flight. My bi-weekly medication injection went well except for the fact that it was hard to find a place for my needle.
My aunt and I had coordinated to meet up at the express pick up area where the first 15 minutes were free. Airport parking at the Sydney Airport can be high. My flight landed early but going through customs didn’t let me finish until 8:10am (my flight was estimated to land at 7:40am). I rushed to the express area and waited…and waited. I panicked because I wasn’t sure if she had already come by. I had to borrow three peoples phones to try. Thankfully, she turned up at 9:40-ish am due to traffic.
The car ride was interesting. She asked about school, jobs, etc. She also told me about how well my grandfather was doing. My grandfather is currently in a nursing home and suffers from dementia and Alzheimer. Apparently, he was in the hospital a week ago due to a serious fall that left his brain bleeding. My aunts had thought he was on his death bed. Thankfully, he was able to recover slowly and is doing decent. My aunts decided to tell my father since he was coming to Australia soon to visit his dad. It was heart-breaking to know how close he was to death. My cousin had mentioned that the doctors couldn’t operate and would not resuscitate if something happened. It appears that the only grandparents I have left (one in Australia and one in the States) are slowly breathing their last breath. But I feel extremely more affected my my grandfather in Sydney…
We finally made it to my aunt’s house. She pretty close to the beach and I can see it from the front porch. My aunt made me some toast and coffee to help me with the day. I also gave her and my younger cousin their New Zealand presents, which they really liked. I then headed to my other aunt’s house, which is down the street, to do much needed laundry. I saw my uncle and then I was off to the store.
The grocery store is pretty awesome here. You can just take the trolley (cart) and go from one store to the next and not worry about carrying a bunch of stuff. After the store and hanging up my laundry to dry on this hot Australian day, we were off to Manly to pick up my other cousin. We headed to Chatswood where we had yummy udon noodles and shopped at some stores where I got some awesome jogger like pants for sleep wear.
We were finally off to visit my grandfather. Once we arrived, I was shocked at how then and frail he was. The fall I think left him unable to see well anymore and he shouts “Hi” every now and then since the nurses here doesn’t speak Vietnamese. He was not the same man I had met 13 years ago when he was still in his best health. It was hard to see him suffer and trying to keep it all in…Fortunately, he was in good health that day and was able to chow down on dinner my aunt had made. Annnd I’m gonna stop talking about this…
For dinner, we had some homemade lasagna my aunt had made. She incorporated a layer of butternut squash that gave it some dimension and good taste. After dinner, we took a walk to my other aunt’s house where I will be staying. Each aunt has a spare bedroom. My parents will be staying with one aunt and since I preferred my own room instead of sharing with my cousin, I am staying with the other aunt. As I showered and folded my laundry, I could here them talk about my solo travels and their reactions to it. It was quite interesting to hear.
My aunts like to feed me….a lot. They DO NOT take no for an answer. I will say no and they just bring it out anyways lol.
It’s been a good day seeing family, feeling the rush of emotions, and recognizing the similarities of everyone. My aunts and dad are so alike in many ways. They are also such loud talkers. And then my two male cousins and brother are basically each other lol
Anywho, I need sleep after a long day….also I may not post as much as I am with family now…but I’ll definitely try.
Bye y’all.