TranzAlpine Train from Greymouth to Arthur's Pass

Now we're on our return train from Greymouth to Arthur's Pass. This time Brian and I scored seats with a table in a car empty of passengers except for 2 others. You can hear a pin drop and it's just what we needed as Brian has been feeling nauseated all day. I'm also excited because I can now hear all of the crew announcements about the sites we're passing. On the trip west there was so much chatter that I missed much of the historical commentary. It would appear that some large tour groups got off the train at Greymouth, so it could be why we're alone (at least in our train car) now.

The scenery has been gorgeous--but at over 4 and a half hours (train boarded by 8:15--got delayed and arrived at 1:30) it was a bit long after yesterday's daylong trip. We ride for 2 hours to Arthur's Pass and we'll spend the night at the chalet. Tomorrow afternoon we catch a 2 hour train back to Christchurch.

TranzAlpine Train from Christchurch to Greymouth

6th World Congress on Colored Sheep!

We're on a train filled to the gills with tourists, many of them wearing badges for the world congress on sheep denoting their home country--eg Scotland, New Zealand. They're taking lots of photos and I take it they'd like to be up close and personal with the sheep.

We're in a middle car today, with the cafe car a few cars ahead, bathroom behind, and observation deck adjacent. It's like Grand Central, with people up and about constantly. Yesterday we were in the first car in the first seat, so it was quite relaxing as only a few people got up to even walk by us. Despite the chaos of being amidst so many tourists, the scenery is magnificent--we're in the mountains with views of snowcapped peaks, rivers, bridges, and sometimes sheep, deer, ostiches, and birds.

I did some web searching and found some tidbits on the sheep people. The Sixth World Congress on Colored Sheep 2004 was hosted by the Black and Colored Sheep Breeders of New Zealand. On their site they say, "There are millions of sheep in New Zealand and most of them are white. This site is about all the rest..." The congress involved "Over two hundred people, from ten different countries, sharing friendship, experience and deep knowledge about all aspects of coloured sheep and their wool."

TranzCoastal Train from Picton to Christchurch

We're on the TranzCoastal train from Picton to Christchurch. We left Martinborough this morning and drove to Wellington, where we caught the InterIsland ferry at Picton. The 3-hour ferry ride between the north and south islands was breathtaking. So far the scenery on the train is dramatic as well. We're surrounded by lush green mountains and have seen alpacas or llamas, sheep, lambs, and copulating cows. We're passing by vineyards now and I just sent Brian to the cafe car to get lunch. I walked back to check it out and it was a bumpy walk. We're in the first row of the train.

After our gorgeous train ride down the coast we arrived in Christchurch. When we arrived, Helen gave us a scenic tour of Christchurch and environs, with a nice drive through the hills at sunset. We went to dinner with Helen and Greg and 3/4 of us had monks fish and chips. Yum! We also had some nice Waipara Hills Pinot Noir, fried Calamari, and bruschetta with avocado, etc.

Wacky train signage and high tea

"For the safety and comfort of all our passengers, please take condiments back to your seat." (Sign near the train snack bar)

I meant to copy down the emergency instructions in the phone book in Martinborough--they included what to do during earthquakes, tsunami warnings, storms, and eruptions. It seems like New Zealand has a big variety of natural disasters--bonus for being in the "ring of fire."

We had some nice grilled sandwiches and warm scones, devonshire cream, and tea on the train. The menu was pretty good and cheap too. Brian decided not to get a "premium New Zealand wine."

Back to coffee...on our ferry I tried to get a decaf latte and they had no decaf. I asked the guy if decaf was hard to get and he said, "yeah...it's like asking for soy."

Our train had several delays while we awaited "operating instructions." We just found out we're waiting for a freight train going north.

Dinner at Martinborough Hotel

We dined tonight at the Martinborough Hotel, one of the few places open on a Tuesday night.

Vynfields Winery

This afternoon we visited several wineries, including Vynfields, for our own personal tasting. We really enjoyed the pinot noir, the conversation with John our innkeeper, and the surroundings in a beautifully restored Edwardian-era house.

Salute Restaurant, Greytown

We had lunch at Salute, a mediterranean-inspired place that had been recommended by the Vynfields people and by Cuisine magazine (our new travel Bible!). It was delicious and Brian will recount it here shortly.

Martinborough Recap

We had a great stay in Martinborough, spending 3 nights there! Brian loved cooking at our "villa" and made delicious ravioli with fava beans and made a fresh pesto using herbs from the garden last night.

This morning he made French toast with fresh bread and free range eggs. We even had lemon from the garden (with powdered sugar of course!). We drove to Greytown to peruse antique stores and to seek out french pastries. Unfortunately the famed bakery was closed.

Martinborough Vineyard

After our snack we went to Martinborough Vineyard and tried their 2002 pinot noir.

It's a grey, blustery day and we've opted to stay in tonight and eat ravioli.

Martinborough Village

From Schubert we went into town to seek out some lunch. It was after 3:30, so we were pretty much out of luck. At their "wine center" I had an herb scone and Brian had a chocolate, strawberry & banana muffin and a glass of Stonecutter Pinot Noir.

Schubert Winery-Martinborough

The guy at Schubert schooled us about all kinds of things, including linguistic origins of the Maori language (Europeans wrote down the language--the Maori didn't have written language prior to that) and his theory that the Maori were a lost Hebrew tribe.

The wines were quite nice and enjoyed the whites more than I normally do.

Martinborough-Vynfields Villa

We're in the heart of Pinot Noir country staying at Vynfields Villa, a beautiful 100+ year old house. Vynfields is a nearby winery and they have accomodations on the premises and at this villa closer to the center of town. The house is incredible, with high ceilings, planked wood floors, antiques, luxurious linens, and fresh cut flowers in every room. They provided us with a bowl of fresh fruit, a baguette, bacon, eggs, milk, fresh cut herbs, and coffee. The house is surrounded by manicured gardens full of flowers, herbs, an 80 year old lemon tree, and a view of sheep across the street. It's a 2-bedroom house with living room, large kitchen, bathroom with clawfoot tub and a separate shower and a separate set of rooms adjacent to the garage.

Brian just collected some fresh herbs, lemons, and fava beans from the garden for dinner. He's in heaven!

Today we slept late, then made breakfast here: Espresso in the French Press--caffeine all the way! There's definitely a scarcity of decaf in New Zealand--we didn't see any decaf options in the local grocer even. For breakfast Brian fried up some bacon (we we Americans call Canadian bacon is known as bacon here--vs. crispy streaky bacon). We had toast made of fresh walnut rye along with strawberries, pears and kiwi. Brian scrambled some eggs with fresh parsley and thyme.

We slowly made our way to the village, then went to Schubert for a tasting.

Est Restaurant-Martinborough

We arrived in Martinborough and after realizing it was 8:30pm, we raced into town to seek out dinner. After reading the menu at Est we walked in to inquire about dinner--luckily they offered us a table if we could wait for half an hour. We sat at their comfortable leather sofa and drank wine (I had a Walnut Ridge Pinot Noir) while perusing our new favorite Cuisine Magazine. The host (who we later learned was the owner) was crazed. It's exam time, so she was covering for missing staff members who were students. We were so glad we stayed, as the food was stellar.

I had a goat cheese entree, atop a brioche and topped with pears that had been marinated in mulled wine. For my main I had a spinach ricotta ravioli atop stewed veggies--carrots, fennel, squash? It all tasted very fresh and the ravioli must have been homemade. For dessert we had a cinnamon & ? brulee with some crispy apple (ala dried apple). It was reminiscent of mom's custard topped with nutmeg. Very good! Brian had a salmon entree and a pork loin for his main.

One of the main reasons (besides the great looking menu) we wanted to eat there was that they're only open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner and we leave Wednesday. We're noticing that Monday and Tuesday are pretty dead in town, so we'll have to plan meals and tastings accordingly.

Driving to Martinborough

Unbeknownst to us, the road to Martinborough was a road containing the most circuitous, unmarked detour that I'd ever seen. The roads were windy, narrow, steep undivided 2-lane country roads. The scenery was beautiful, with green hills and sheep everywhere. Luckily we made it to Martinborough before dark, as the approximately 45-minute detour would have been even more confusing in the dark.

Mission Estate Winery, Hawke's Bay

From Napier we went to Mission Estate Winery so that we could try at least one Hawke's Bay wine. According to some accounts, it's the oldest winery--dating from the 1800s when it began making sacramental wine. The place is breathtaking, with a grand Estate-like building, lush grounds, and a view of vineyards.

We had a spectacular lunch, dining outside with a view of the grounds. I had a spinach salad with fresh strawberries, brie, and crispy streaked bacon pieces. I also had a delicious Mission Estate pinot noir made from Central Otago grapes. We shared a bread loaf with olive oil, vinegar and a NZ dukah (mixture of ground nuts). For dessert I had a blue chees plate with poached pear, figs, fresh pear and crackers. While enjoying the food, wine and view I really had no desire to get up and leave--it seemed like a perfect Sunday afternoon.

We dragged ourselves away to try a few more wines (they even make a nice Ice wine) and then got on the road to Martinborough.

Napier

Sunday morning we had breakfast at our hotel. I had poached egges, toast, and a decaf latte. Then we took an art deco walk through town. The town was essentially rebuilt in deco style after a devastating earthquake and fire in the 1930s.

On our way out of town we drove up to Bluff Hill, where we spotted local youth getting high in their cars!

Auckland to Napier

We began today by driving south from Bay of Islands to Auckland, then caught a flight to Napier. The airport security for domestic NZ flights is non-existent. We didn't have to walk through metal detectors, x-rays, or show ID! It was a small Saab plane and a quick flight.

Napier was beautiful. Nestled on the water its seaside deco-ness reminded me of Miami. We stayed at the County Hotel, which was actually a pre-deco building.

Tonight we wandered a bit before deciding to have dinner at Take 5, a restaurant/jazz bar. It was fairly empty when we arrived and they were turning people away by the time we left. I had some delicious pumpkin/feta/etc. pancakes that Brian will detail more later. We had a selection of ice creams for dessert too.

One interesting thing in Napier was that we saw local youth heckling tourists--a first on our trip! They also had a skatepark, so perhaps there's a connection.

Driving to Auckland

Just passed Brynderwyn--reminds me of all the Welsh names around Haverford like Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood, etc. We had a nice few days up north in Bay of Islands.

Random New Zealand Slang

"More camp than a row of tents." -Marj

Flash: Upscale, cool, as in the state of being flashy

Short Black: espresso coffee

Long Black: espresso with hot water

Sign or Pin?: Common question when paying with a debit card. Equivalent to the "credit or debit" question we often get asked in the U.S.

Lifestyle Property: Still not sure...but we think this means vacation land.

Bach: Vacation cabin/house. Pronounced "batch" and is short for "bachelor" (pad).

Dairy: Convenience store/corner store.

Entree: First course at a restaurant. Starter.

Main: Main course at a restaurant.

Capsicum: Red peppers.

Kumara: Yam.

Decaf Conspiracy

In our ongoing series of strange decaf coffee experiences, at last night's gourmet dinner I ordered a decaf (short black) and then Brian ordered one. Our server came back awhile later and said they only had enough decaf for one, so I got it since I ordered first. There's something strange about decaf here--perhaps it's rarely ordered. When Brian and I ordered decaf at the end of our first meal in Pahia at our hotel our server said "sure, I can make one for you." He arrived with 2 small teapots and cups and we were so impressed, Then we realized the teapots contained hot water and were accompanied by packets of instant coffee.

Waikokopu Cafe-Waitangi Treaty Grounds

We're on the treaty grounds in Waitangi, leaving an amazing breakfast at the Waikokopu Cafe. Brian and I both had pancakes, which arrived wrapped up like crepes, accompanied by a blend of yogurt and butterscotch sauce. Brian's had bananas inside; we both had sliced ham on on top (they may have called it bacon). My decaf latte was fabulous and I wasn't given the 3rd degree about it.

Kamakura Restaurant, Russell

Tonight we took the ferry to Russell for dinner at Kamakura--the place with the coolest look and the best looking menu. It was very modern in design, with long banquette seating and dark pillows. We sat at a table facing the water and had one of the best meals of our trip. We intended to take a 9pm ferry back to Paihia, but lingered for desser and caught the final ferry at 10pm. My dessert was a work of art--panacotta placed in a circle on a plate to look like the eyeball (or head) of a bird. They even decorated the white panacotta with something grey in color (a dusting of grey) to mimic the pupil or eye. Triangular cookies were below it (beak or feathers) and raspberry sauce was drizzled to make up the body and/or feathers. It was delicious too! As we took the dark ferry ride back to Paihia we were in a state of bliss after such a fantastic meal.

P.S. Our table looked out over the harbor, so we had the perfect view of the setting sun.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Paihia Spa, and Pool Time

On Friday, we went back to the Treaty Grounds to have breakfast at the cafe. I had some great French toast with a side of yogurt and butterscotch sauce. As they had advertised, the coffee was good and nobody looked at me strangely when I ordered decaf.

After breakfast we checked out the huge war canoe on the treaty grounds. It holds about 150 warriors and requires about 80 to row it. It was built in 1940 for the centennial of the treaty signing.

Brian was dying for more pampering, so we went to a local day spa so he could get a massage. He talked me into an "ultimate indulgence" pedicure, which included leg massage, exfoliation, and masque. My feet have never looked so great! It was actually my first professional pedicure. While waiting for my painted toes to dry, I enjoyed reading local magazines--one had a dishy story about Victoria Gotti. The magazines are full of summer stories and fashion--still strange for us since it's winter at home.

We went back to our hotel and changed into swimwear to lounge by the pool. We both swam for a bit and sunned for awhile--a dangerous thing since NZ has a large hole in the ozone, so we burn more quickly here.

Treaty of Waitangi Sound and Light Show

After dining at Esmae's we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to see the "Treaty of Waitangi Night Show," which recounted bits of New Zealand history, from both Maori and European perspectives. It included much traditional singing and dancing, which tends to feature exaggerated eye gesticulations and male chest thumping. It's quite distinctive and we enjoyed the show.

Dinner at Esmae's Paihia

Before the performance we sought out dinner in Paihia--a daunting task. A few pasta/pizza places looked OK, but they were closed on Thursdays. Brian had read about Esmae's and knew for sure that he didn't want to go there because it was described as being decorated like grandma's house. When we looked up at the window all the diners were senior citizens. Much to Brian's dismay, Esmae's ended up being the only viable option, so we dined there. I had pasta with mushrooms and blue cheese and Brian had the hugest pile of man-sized pork ribs, so big that other diners saw it and changed their orders so that they could get ribs. Brian writes: All the ladies stared at my dish--a stack of massive spare ribs!

I just looked at their website and it turns out that Esmaes is up for sale. They also have their menu posted along with pictures of the place.

Bay of Islands (Paihia)

Bay of Islands is so tropical! The view out of our room is filled with ocean and palm trees. This morning Brian was fending off hungry ducks and other birds--kind of reminiscent of our dog friends when we were in France in 2001.

Today we went into Pahia after disappointing room service breakfast (I think my decaf was instant)--albeit fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. We took a ferry to Russell--a 15-minute trip--and explored the formerly wild whaling stop. It used to be full of drunken debauchery. We had fish and chips at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, strolled around, and visited an old church (oldest in NZ?) and cemetery.

We took a ferry back to Pahia for more exploration--it's really touristy--then went to the Treaty Grounds adjacent to our hotel. The treaty grounds were beautiful and extremely tropical. We went through the old treaty house and read more about NZ history. We decided to book tickets for an interactive theater experience later that nights so we could learn even more about Maori history in NZ. It was held in the Meeting House on the grounds--sort of a South Pacific log cabin!

Bay of Islands

We're in Bay of Islands at the Copthorne Resort, adjacent to the site of the famous treaty signing between the Maori and the British. It's gorgeous up here. It was about a 3 and a half hour drive, complete with some rain, road construction, and windy 2 lane roads! Brian did very well with what felt to me like tricky driving, including random round-abouts!

Tonight we ate at the hotel, opting for the buffet. They had pumpkin and orange soup, breads, cheeses, cold meats, cold shrimp and other seafood, well-done lamb and beef and a variety of other hot dishes. I had a great meringue dessert with a fresh strawberry on top. It's still kind of wild that it's nearly summer here--so the seasonal produce is different from home. We have seen a lot of pumpkin, which surprises us.

Our room at the Copthorne has an enclosed porch, with table and chairs--nice for admiring the view of the sea.

Driving to Bay of Islands

Brian just picked up a chartreuse
Nissan Micra--kind of like a small PT Cruiser. We've just left Waiheke Island, staying with Helen and her parents and are now beginning the driving portion of our vacation up to Bay of Islands. We drive on the left side of the road, so it's a bit scary getting used to.

Te Whau Winery-Waiheke Island

Today Helen had to fly home to Christchurch and we needed to drive to Bay of Islands. After some breakfast at the Milners (great strong coffee, multigrain toast with exotic seeds and grains for Jennifer and Brian had bacon and eggs made by Helen's mom) we all headed to Te Whau (pronounced tay fow) to sample their renounced Bordeaux blend called "The Point." It was excellent and was the only wine they offered for our tasting. They have a modern style tasting room and restaurant with insane panoramic views of the hills and ocean. This is wine country living!

We caught a 1pm ferry back to Auckland, enjoying the view from the top deck this time. Upon arrival we picked up our chartreuse rental car and were on our way north.

Waiheke Island

Tuesday evening we had dinner at the Milners, with some time spent admiring their large garden and view.

Mudbrick Winery-Waiheke Island

Next we were off to Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant. The restaurant here is meant to be nice, but Marj and Dave feel the portions are paltry. The tasting room attendant was a young guy--cross between surfer guy and dark and sultry--quickly gained the attention of Helen and Jennifer and was earnest and friendly. Given that it was close to closing, he poured two extra wines in addition to the 8 we tasted for $5.

Onetangi Road Winery-Waiheke Island

We went to Onetangi Road Winery , which had a group of visitors dressed up in military garb--a cross between a corporate offsite and Apocalypse Now. Frightening. We did our best to ignore them and quickly get to the wine. What was nice about this winery is that for $6 NZ they lined up 5 glasses--one for each wine. They poured a cab/merlot rose (nice and acidic) and fun blends. Nothing too outstanding, but nice wines.

Auckland to Waiheke Island

Brian writes:

Today we did another round with the breakfast bar at the Duxton, which gets a bit tired by day three. We cound out later that hot meals were included in the breakfast/price of room--Dahh!

Off we went to the ferry with our loads of luggage. On the ferry ride to Waiheke (about 30 minutes) we sat next to the luggage rack and guarded our bags with our life while catching glimpses of the islands as we passed.

Rangitoto is an island close to Auckland that is uninhabited and is basically a nature preserve. No food and water, you must bring your own. Most people go over for a day hike.

In the ferry I sat next to a sheet-metal worker by trade and chatted with him. He was heading over to stay for a day at a friend's bach (pronounced "batch") (Jennifer notes: we learned later that "bach" is short for "bachelor" as in bachelor pad/get away)--small cabin like vacation homes. He tends to it and fixes things up in return for a stay there. He was friendly and it was nice to chat a local.

Once we arrived at Waiheke we were greeted by Helen and her mother, Marj. Her Dad, Dave, then joined us and we drove to see the new house they are building. Marj and Dave seem to be chronic transients--moving about often. The house they're building now will likely be sold in favor of building another home with a better view (and indoor lap pool).

We all went to lunch by the beach and waited almost an hour for our dishes--which in the end were quite delicious. I had a fish sandwich and Jennifer and Helen had a kiwi burger (with cheese, bacon and beet). (Jennifer notes: It was a hamburger...it just occured to me that one might think it was Kiwi meat...which of course it wasn't as kiwis are endangered species!!!)

In the afternoon we went driving around the beautiful island and wine tasting.

Auckland Day 2

On Monday we started our day with breakfast in the hotel. This time we were not offered toast. I asked for decaf coffee and was told it would cost extra. Weird. I was given a cup of freshly brewed espresso and it was delicious. Brian's "regular" coffee came in a metal pot. We stuck with the Continental breakfast today. Brian tried to get me a second cup of decaf and got a weird response--basically as if they had done us a favor by getting me one special order that did not "come with the room." Strange.

Monday's agenda included a trip up to the Sky Tower to see the panoramic view of Auckland and enviros. It gave us a great perspective on the city and some ideas about places to visit later. For lunch we went to a Thai restaurant nearby that we'd read was the best in Auckland. I had my usual Param (Pharam Long Song on their menu) and we tried a banana leaf-wrapped chicken "entree" (aka appetizer). The only tea on the menu was hot tea, so I started to wonder if Thai Iced tea is traditionally Thai or if New Zealand folks just don't drink it.

We jumped on a bus again to see Parnell--another hip, upscale shopping/dining district. While wandering about Brian actually ran into a former co-worker. It turns out she's from New Zealand and lives here now. Quite the small world moment. From Parnell we walked back to our hotel. On the way we ventured through Victoria Park, where there's an old statue of Queen Victoria and a beautiful central fountain. The college nearby had an architecturally significant clock tower that Brian photographed (built by R.J. Lippincott of Chicago).

Monday night we decided to try a new neighborhood for dinner. In the paper we'd read about a new place in Mt. Eden called Molten. It turned out to be a great find. It was small, modern-looking (concrete floor, wooden tables, spare walls, and a big window facing the street) place. After being seated we had some nice breads with avocado aioli and olive oil. A photographer snapped pictures of the restaurant from the sidewalk outside while we dined. I joked with Brian that I was glad I had changed into a black turtleneck for the photo shoot! My first course was phenomenal fig tarte with lettuces and hard cheese (parmigiano-reggiano) strips on top. I had a risotto for my main and an insane strawberries, saboyan, lemon shortbread dessert. Great decaf coffee too. We chatted with the owner and found out they'd only been open for 9 weeks and that the photos were being taken for Cuisine Magazine and there were rumors that they might make a top 20 restaurants of Auckland list.

Brian writes: The chef at Molten used to be a development chef for Tereno Conran's London restaurants. His partner (in life and business) was also a chef, but has retrained to run the front of the house. They spent a year in Ireland before moving back to New Zealand to find a space and open a restaurant. It's called Molten because it's on Mt. Eden--one of the many volcanos surrounding Auckland. It was great to stumble across a sharp neighborhood restaurant and get a feel for what native Aucklanders are used to vs. going to some over-priced tourist trap with a view.

We sat in front of the white wall (I think the tables have been reconfigured).

Arrival in Auckland

We arrived in Auckland around 5AM Sunday, so we lost a day due to the time zone change (crossing the International Date Line). We took a taxi to our Auckland hotel (The Duxton) and were quite impressed. We had a kitchen (complete with burners, toaster, kettle, microwave, minibar), living room with sitting area and TV, a washer/dryer combo in a closet (it was one machine that could wash AND dry-I'd never seen anything like it), and a bedroom with another TV, and a bathroom stocked with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bath gel, mouthwash, shower cap and a box with a nailfile and cotton balls.

The room was on the 8th floor and had a view of Myers Park-where we actually saw fireworks one night-perhaps a nod to Guy Fawkes Day. The decor was very modern-almost Ikea-like with bold colors and hard lines.

After showering we went to the restaurant for our free continental breakfast. After being seated we were offered coffee and toast. I asked for a latte and our server said yes, but it would cost extra. I got it anyway. Although we thought it would cost extra, we ordered "hot" breakfasts. I had Eggs Benedict (what they called bacon was more like un-crispy ham) and Brian had pancakes. We were also invited to have what we liked from the buffet, including juices, cereals, croissants, fruit, cheese, cold meats, etc.

After showers and sustenance we embarked into Auckland. Within half an hour I spotted a sign for a wine shop NZ Winemakers Centre. We stopped in at 11am, just as they were opening, and looked around before trying a few wines from their tasting menu. They had a full selection of maps for various NZ wine regions, so we stocked up.

From there we walked down towards the Ferry Building and picked up a schedule for the Waiheke Ferry. We took some local buses to a few shopping districts we'd heard of-New Market was first because I'd read about a new store Popsicle that had Japanese pop culture items. It turns out it had only been open 2 days! It was cool. We also went to Ponsonby and looked at shops and restaurant menus. We returned there later by cab and ate at GPK-a gourmet pizza place. It turns out that Helen used to live on the same corner as GPK.

We fell asleep by 9pm-totally exhausted from our long flight, day of walking and sleep deprivation.

P.S. Today we also went to a local grocery store. I was fascinated by all the unfamiliar brands and the fun imports, including a box of pink Hello Kitty cake mix!

We're off to New Zealand

We left San Francisco on a Friday night at 7:30pm on a non-stop Air New Zealand flight from SFO. They just started the non-stop service in June and we were thrilled. It was about an 11 hour, 45 minute flight, which really didn't seem that bad. We watched Spiderman 2, ate dinner (sampling our first NZ pinot noir--Shingle Peak), and dozed for much of the trip.