On the road again - with a twist!

So, I've made it to New Zealand!  When they say it's a long haul, they really mean it!  Sitting still for 12 hours is the pits, but I have the feeling NZ is going to be so worth it.

Here are a few phone pictures from the trip - I'll break out the real camera this evening and start using that for pictures as well...

Travel:  Before boarding, sunset, coming into LA & clouds over the Pacific...

Getting to Wellington:  They held the plane for me in Auckland (God Bless them!) and when I landed Kristie informed me that the Prime Minister of NZ had been on my plane (that's basically the President - flying public airlines no less!).  He had to wait for me! Oops!  Well, I'm grateful that they did wait as I had no way to inform Kristie I was going to be late had I missed that flight.  Did not really think that whole cell phone thing through before leaving apparently.  Nor the money thing either, but I'll sort it all out in the next day or so.  Anyway, this is what greets visitors to Wellington when they disembark and walk through the airport:

Gollum from The Hobbit (and Lord of the Rings, of course).  Amazingly well done sculpture - & I almost took a picture of all the people taking pictures of it until I realized I was one of them!

Finally made it to Kristie's house - felt like I was driving in Topanga Canyon on the way up here.  Well, not really, because I was on the wrong side of the road, and I wasn't really driving as the driver's side here is the right...  But that's what the roads reminded me of.  I gotta tell ya, the view is SO worth the roads! 

Yes, that really is the view from the back yard.  I'm in love!  Can't wait to see the sunrise & sunset views!

OK, I'm off to lunch! 

xoxo

Angela