So much for getting to the airport really early just before 2 pm (14:00) with the intention of requesting an aisle seat for my long legs on this over 11 hour night flight journey to Santiago, Chile. Plus I honestly thought that it was a 4.55 pm (16:55) departure according to the itinerary. Then the board said departure was at 6.35 pm (18:35) with check in at zone B. Well check in was in zone C and I was #15 in the queue at the counter with my 19.7 kg bag.





Quickly through immigration and security and into the duty free stores to find out how much rum and cigars that I can bring back? 3 bottles and 50 cigarettes. But how many cigars? (The answer was 50 gm but I didn't know that till my return.) Not that I drink rum or smoke. Refilled my water bottle and then the wait.

Stuart McI was the driver who took me out to the LAN Dreamliner parked out on the apron. That was a first for me to leave Auckland via the apron and is a sign to come with the growth of air traffic here.

Finally LA 800 took off late at 7.10 pm (19:10) and headed west towards Australia. Wrong way pilot. Santiago is the other way. Ok, above South Heads we turned south then east and gained altitude as we cross the lower reaches of the Waikato River. With the sun still high, it glistened off the waterways below.