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The journey to New Zealand and Australia (part 1) We, 18 women, met at a hotel near LAX (airport) at 5 p.m. had dinner there. 16 of us have USA passports, 1 Canadian passport and 1 Danish passport (a Muslim Egyptian who lives in Denmark). Everyone had brief self-introduction. The tour leader said "if I lost anyone in this trip, I'll be fired", so she passed out 3 different color ribbons. Each color has 6 women in a group and we needed to remember who in the same group. We departed at 10 p.m from LAX. After 15 hours, we arrived at Sydney airport (we cross the International Date Line and lost a day). Then, we needed to transfer to Auckland, NZ. While we waited at Gate for 1 & 1/2 hours and found out we lost one woman. The leader was petrified. She went to information desk and broadcasted the missing woman's name. The plane delayed for another extra 1/2 hour, finally that missing woman showed up. She explained that she had surgery and got some metal inside her body, so she didn't pass the security door. She had been taken to a private room and separated from us. From that incident on, we each got a number for roll call, I am #7. (lucky 7 or 007 James Bond). We did very good job for roll calls for the entire trip from that point on. We settled down at a hotel in Auckland, NZ by a bus (The bus driver held a sign Women Traveling Together) for 2 nights. The hotel is old but the WiFi is good. 4 of us met in lobby and ate desert at hotel restaurant. I ordered Creme Brulee. We went out to walk around the city. We saw some people jumped out Sky Tower (the tallest towers in the world) with a cable wire holding at waistline. Some women already had NZ money and showed to me. Next morning the bus driver gave us Auckland city tour and "winter garden". I ordered the seafood platter for dinner and vanilla ice cream with wine and coffee for desert that night. (my primary photo) Next day, bus driver took us to Waitomo Caves - tour by boat of the limestone caverns & glow-worm grotto. Then, we had BBQ lunch at Roseland farm (photo shown) - I chose fish fillet. The bus took us to Rotorua, the thermal & volcanic resort capital of NZ. We stayed at a hotel in Rotorua for 2 nights. Novetel hotel is new but WiFi is very weak with restrictions (free WiFi only at lobby, only 30 minutes for every 24 hrs). Using WiFi in the room you need to pay $9.90 for 24 hrs. Even in the lobby, the signal is very weak. I could see who emailed me but couldn't open the individual message. Everyone got mad but hotel said that is their policy to use free WiFi. When 30 minutes up (expired show up), you need to wait 24 hrs to use again. Almost everyone had some sort of device on hand, but became almost obsolete there. I saw my stock agency sent "transaction confirmation" email, but I couldn't open the message to know which stock I bought or sold at what price, how many shares. I got nervous and insomnia. I went to lobby to complain with my pajama on at 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. One hotel employee at counter told me to use the desktop. That was even worse. I used that desktop and yahoo said need a "code" to enter my email account. My smartphone was NOT working outside of USA, and my Gmail can't open because no free WiFi time. I was very frustrated that I couldn't access any internet. Half hour later, my yahoo sent me a message "Someone attempt to get access of your yahoo account", it was me. I complained to that employee but nothing he could help me. I told him Auckland hotel WiFi was strong but why not Novetel, the guy said the more fancy hotels have worse WiFi. I had insomnia whole night, while my roommate slept with snore. Honesty is the best policy. |
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laogui: If you look my smartphone, you will see lot of WiFi sites for different places, restaurants, airport, coffee shop, winery, shopping stores, hotel, .... in NZ and Australia. They post "WiFi available" sign at front door. BTW, Feb. 6, is National holiday of NZ and that day we went out to dinner and they charged 15% more that day at restaurants (they put 15% surcharge sign at front door). Yes, we, tourists, paid for that surcharge too on Feb 06.- Waitangi Day in New Zealand. Please Google it. Honesty is the best policy.
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My roommate complained to the hotel employee and been told to buy any drink or desert inside the hotel and ask for a small ticket and get "extra 30 minute WiFi". My roommate has two adult sons in Minnesota state, USA. She needed more time for communication with her sons, so she bought a drink and took that ticket to check-in counter and got extra 30 minutes to use WiFi. She did it and told me to buy a drink, but I didn't. It is all about money. Hotel wants to make more money from its WiFi. Honesty is the best policy.
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We stayed at Novetel in Rotorua for 2 nights and then Novetel in Queenstown for 3 nights. We have 5 nights frustration about the WiFi limitation system. The hotel building is nice and new but the WiFi is the modern people complained. My smartphone only can use for music, camera (for photograph or video) and view the photos we already taken. We couldn't use (very limited used) the WiFi for internet. What can I say? I will complain to Novetel franchise hotel. I know its website. There were full of hotel guests in the lobby to use that weak WiFi and everyone complained to the check-in hotel counter employees. Honesty is the best policy.
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The first thing we noticed was people drive on the opposite of road and driver's seat at right side which is British system. When they make right turn, they make very wide right turn especially in NZ there are a round island at the intersection center. There are no traffic light in between Queenstown to Milford Sound. We only saw lots of lambs (no adult sheep, I wonder why? sold?), a little cows and less deers on both sides of road. NZ people are very selective to import the animals they want to farm such as 19 different sheep for wool and meat, cows for milk, most recently is deers. NZ is so peaceful, quiet, no people, no traffic (except tour buses), no police, no gas station, only one road, the tunnel only can allow one car passing, so there is a red light and green light signals to know stop and wait or go. Honesty is the best policy.
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When I just used about 6 minutes and my roommate and other women came to lobby and invited me to go out dinner together, so I stopped using WiFi and went out with them. Well, that 6 minutes within 30 minutes has expired, and I need to wait another 24 hrs to use 30 minutes. There is no carry over un-used 24 minutes. How do you feel, if you were in my shoes? Everyone complained, not just me. Honesty is the best policy.
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