I boarded the plane to Sydney. Oh, if only I had more experience in travel, I would have realized sooner that I could have spent 3 days sightseeing in Sydney on a transit visa! But instead, I flew there just because I couldn't find a direct flight from Guangzhou to Auckland for $1020, and this one with a layover in Australia cost me $1032.
flight food CZ325 Guangzhou - Sydney. Supper
here comes the breakfast
When I arrived in Sydney, I had a short circuit in my brain and instead of going into the city to re-register (since I didn’t have a boarding pass for my next flight), I went through the transit zone out of habit, passed through security, and ended up in the waiting area for boarding… which means I bypassed customs and passport control 🙂. This might have been the cause of my further adventures in Auckland. But let’s take it step by step. After passing through security, I went looking for the information desk or any guidance on how I should proceed without a boarding pass. Along the way, I met a guy in a green T-shirt that said “airport helper,” asked him what to do, and he told me not to worry, just go to the gate, and they would print out my boarding pass there. So I went for a walk 🙂.
By the way, the dragonflies there are huge! I really don’t want to imagine their mosquitoes…
After a walk and a snack with an Australian sandwich, I went to the gate, where a crowd had already gathered, but no officials were present yet. A man and a woman arrived to board the passengers, and here I am without a boarding pass 🙂. They were really surprised to see me there without one. I explained that I had gone through the transit zone and that they should give me my boarding pass. 🙂 They were even more surprised when they found out that I had no luggage either… Anyway, they let me on the plane, but I guess they reported it. So, I’m on the cool black Airbus A320 of Air New Zealand flying to Auckland.
flight Air New Zealand NZ704 Sydney - Auckland
They served food. The plane was new, with screens in every seat showing movies, music, and games. Upon arrival in Auckland, I was the first to reach passport control since I still needed to find the transfer to my flight to Wellington. Google told me that from the international terminal to the domestic flights terminal, I had to take a bus for 15 minutes, and I would have to wait for another 15 minutes for it. But I didn’t catch the bus until an hour and a half later, because for some reason they decided to question me about my visit’s purpose, where I’d stay, and how I’d fund my stay. Everything was fine, except that I had canceled my first hostel in Wellington because I planned to stay with friends… Maybe that was the reason for the delay, or maybe it was because I said I was bringing food containing fruit (in fact, I had bought many beautiful candies with nuts in China 🙂), or maybe because I didn’t specify my exact address on the arrival form, as I had four places to stay, and only one address would fit in the space provided. Anyway, they questioned me and politely asked me to sit at a metal table and not move or touch my things. That’s when I realized something wasn’t right 🙂 A female inspector approached me and asked all the same questions the passport control officer had asked, the same ones I’d already provided when applying for the visa. I told her everything again, and she asked if I was carrying anything illegal, which, of course, I wasn’t. I explained why I checked the box for food, where I’d be staying in Wellington, and so on. Then began a thorough search of my belongings. She was surprised that I was traveling so far with just one backpack, to which I replied that I didn’t need anything more, and that the necessary undergarments, socks, and T-shirts were right there in front of her. She asked again why I came to New Zealand, and then it hit me—I needed to provide the purpose of my visit, as I had written in my visa. I told her I was a photographer, that I had my own website, and that I came to take many photos. The inspector took the website’s address and called someone to verify it. By this time, all my things had been checked, and, unsurprisingly, nothing suspicious was found. But then they started acting even more suspiciously. The inspector stepped away to talk to another man, and they began discussing something, occasionally glancing in my direction. I didn’t like this one bit because the boarding time was already approaching, and I was about to miss the flight, at the very least costing me 60–80 dollars for another ticket to Wellington. The inspector came back and said that my things needed to be sent for biosecurity inspection. I agreed, as I had no other choice. A biosecurity officer came, looked at my things, was astonished, and asked where the fruit was. The inspector pointed to my candies. The look on the biosecurity officer’s face was like, “You pulled me away from Solitaire for this?” He was surprised but stamped each candy package and said everything was fine. The inspector told me I could collect my things. It was 7:30 PM, just in time for my flight, and by then, I didn’t care whether I was going to jail or if I’d be charged another 80 dollars for the ticket. I tried to ask about the next flight, but the inspector just smiled and said, “You will be fine,” explained where to go for the bus, and waved me off. I was feeling pretty down, but when I reached the domestic flights terminal, I found the first information desk and… got a good boost of energy when I found out that my plane was still there, delayed, and I could still check in and board, but I had to do it quickly! I’ve never boarded a plane so fast! Check-in, security check, and finding the gate took less than 3 minutes! I don’t know if they delayed the flight because of me or for some other reason, but as soon as I sat in my seat, the plane took off. An hour later, I was in Wellington, where my friends were supposed to meet me.
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