Our alarm call went off at just gone five. We looked out of the window and saw that the airport was already busy. We showered, got our stuff together and walked to the terminal which was literally just across the road. We checked in, trudged through security and got some brekky in the departure lounge. Our flight left on time at 9.30. The engines roared and the plane thundered down the runway taking us off and away from Australian soil. I felt sad to be leaving Australia as it has been home for very nearly a year and our travels around it have been so hugely entertaining. Jay was just glad to get away from all the dirty shena****ns in the amenities! We've had a great Australian adventure but onward now for more fun in New Zealand. The flight only took two and a half hours and we were soon preparing to land in Auckland. Our flight was with LAN Airlines who were brilliant. New Zealand looked very green from the air, a stark contrast to the mainly yellow and golden landscape in Australia. With a patchwork quilt of green fields it looked very much like England from above. We were soon off the plane and into Auckland Airport with a big sign saying 'Kia Ora' which is welcome or hi in Maori. Customs were a bit surly but we got through without having our bags opened. No matter which country you're entering they always seem to make you feel like you're guilty even though you're not! We eventually emerged into the arrivals lounge and after phoning our hotel we waited for their free shuttle service to pick us up. The guy who picked us up didn't seem too happy. He barely mumbled a hello and said nothing to us at all. Half way there he turned his music up loud seemingly ****** off that we were talking to each other! Where the hell was he taking us? The hotel had appeared okay on the internet but were were regretting booking it now. We got dumped outside the hotel, a 1970's looking building with a big kiwi statue on the roof, and shuffled into reception with our bags. The guy on reception thankfully wasn't as miserable as 'Mr Happy' who had picked us up and we were soon in our room which wasn't as bad as we had expected. The room was perfectly okay. We were both shattered and seemingly jet lagged. Two flights in two days with a five hour time difference had taken it's toll. New Zealand is two hours ahead of Sydney which is three hours ahead of Perth. We were very hungry and decided to go and eat. When we entered the hotel restaurant it was like stepping back in time to the 1970's and onto the set of 'Life On Mars'. It was like we were in some kind of weird parallel dimension! We almost expected Gene Hunt to come crashing in to deliver one of his killer one liners! We had been told that New Zealand would be like going back in time and this certainly appeared to be true here. The food was absolutely excellent though. When we got back to our room we had a big sleep to rejuvenate and get ready to pick our new camper van up tomorrow. We are both really excited to be going back in a camper van again. The past week has been strange. Neither of us have been able to get used to sleeping in a building. We just can't cope with the space. It has really unsettled us. Our kiwi camping adventure begins tomorrow.