We flew from Christchurch to Wellington the other day and experienced something unusual. We got to the gate for our flight and asked each other 'where's the security checkpoint?' We had just walked directly to the gate which was positioned outside of the secure area. We hazarded a guess that we must go through security after we had our boarding passes scanned, maybe? But when our plane was ready to board, we went through the gate and headed straight onto the plane! It seems like some regional flights here in NZ don't require a security scan. Oddly enough, Sam had planned to carry our leftover laundry detergent (it's a large bottle) from Christchurch in her carry-on bag but I reminded her about carry-on limits for liquids. Turns out this was the one flight we could have carried on gallons of liquids! I doubt we'll ever have as easy and low-key a flying experience again. Sam has a disdain for the petty tyrannies of security checkpoint personnel in some airports. No such thing for this flight! We mused about flying into a national capital without having to go through security. Remember when you weren't even allowed to stand up or use the restroom for the last half hour of flights into DC for fear of arrest and/or forcing the plane to be diverted? Yet we're from the Land of the Free...
Wellington is a lovely city to wander around in. We've only just started exploring, but we've enjoyed lovely city views (it's a hilly place as you can see from the flight into it; photo below) and had some excellent Asian food. We went to a grocery store yesterday and it was packed with locals preparing for the holidays (Xmas and Boxing Day). Maybe we go for dim sum on Christmas since many Asian restaurants seem to be open. Today we're planning to head to a nearby beach, but only to ogle it. Though it's summer here, we both had on scarves and sweaters yesterday. Nearby Australia has unprecedented heat, but it's blustery here. Some extra, sunny warmth would be nice but I imagine I'll pine for the Wellington temperature after we're in Melbourne for a bit starting in January!
Wellington is a lovely city to wander around in. We've only just started exploring, but we've enjoyed lovely city views (it's a hilly place as you can see from the flight into it; photo below) and had some excellent Asian food. We went to a grocery store yesterday and it was packed with locals preparing for the holidays (Xmas and Boxing Day). Maybe we go for dim sum on Christmas since many Asian restaurants seem to be open. Today we're planning to head to a nearby beach, but only to ogle it. Though it's summer here, we both had on scarves and sweaters yesterday. Nearby Australia has unprecedented heat, but it's blustery here. Some extra, sunny warmth would be nice but I imagine I'll pine for the Wellington temperature after we're in Melbourne for a bit starting in January!
