..idle writings from an idle mind..

• Qantas Platinum privileges are very, very nice indeed. Premium check in, express immigration cards, First lounge access, exit row seating, seats blocked next to you – no better way to start or end a trip!
• The Skycity hotel is OK – certainly better than Rydges, which is where I stayed last time – but still pretty bland. Skycity Grand hotel is much nicer, but definitely comes at a price premium. Internet access is obscenely expensive (NZD10 for two consecutive hours with a 20 megabyte data limit). Would I stay there again? Probably not, unless I got a really good deal.
• Friday night was rounded out with drinks at Suite bar, which served up some outstanding cocktails and introduced me to St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Finding a bottle of the stuff may turn out to be harder than I thought… none to be found duty free and Vintage Cellars don’t know what it is. Hmm.
• Auckland Zoo was heaps of fun. The Kiwi birds I saw are bigger than I thought. I tried to take photos, but they didn’t work out (bad lighting). Highlight of the visit were the Meerkats – completely adorable, I want one of my own!
• Saturday night was massive. Gin fizz’s to get things started, followed by a late dinner at dine by Peter Gordon – some outstandingly good tortellini, a v tasty Sauvignon Blanc (that I completely forgot to get the name of) and a few glasses of Perrier Jouet. Yum. A few of us kept going at Honey for some tasty cocktails, and then on to another bar on K Road. This is where memory starts to get hazy … though apparently I am a messy drunk! Still, I held it together enough to not disgrace myself, get thrown out, lose anything or do anything I might really regret..
• Sunday was hangover central and flight home. Probably the first afternoon/evening flight in a long time where I’ve been completely sober and not at all tempted to have a drink of anything!

A successful weekend!

- zac.