February 2 (Sunday)

I was a little scared by the new coronavirus infection and headed for Kansai Airport from Osaka Station by Kansai Airport Rapid Train.

The initial schedule was;

　　Kansai Airport(KIX) ETD 20:50 → Auckland Airport(AKL) ETA 11:20 the next day

　　After customs clearance, on domestic flights

　　Auckland Airport(AKL) ETD 13:00 → Christchurch Airport(CHC) ETA 14:25

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February 3 (Monday)

However, the scheduled departure at 20:50 was delayed about 50 minutes due to equipment trouble at Kansai Airport: I arrived at Auckland Airport with the delay. The schedule was 1 hour and 40 minutes including customs clearance, which was enough time for transfer. However, only about 50 minutes of transfer time remained due to the delay. I quickly got my baggage claim and moved to immigration and customs clearance.

 

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Customs clearance requires careful attention and time!

Although the immigration procedure was a bit congested, I felt more nervous
about completing the procedure, but I was stunned to see the customs line!

There is a long line in a place like a gymnasium, and I was just worried that
if I stood in a row, time will pass by a line that would not go at all.

The line with no declaration was a little quick, but the line with
luggage that had to be declared had no sign of proceeding at all.

The undeclared line passed in 20 minutes, but the declare line
spent a little over an hour, because the international and domestic
terminals at Auckland Airport are about a 10 minute walk away,
The bus seems to be running, but I felt faster than waiting.

It took 30 minutes to add 20 minutes before the gate deadline,
about 10 minutes on foot, or even after customs clearance at the international terminal, so I couldn't board the scheduled flight in either line. Again, the problem here is that in Japan, it's likely that they will give announcements to transit passengers, but they don't seem to be at all relaxed. If you are fluent in English, you can deal with it, but if you do not, you will have to go right and left.

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• Attention①➡ Do not bring items that must be declared to customs as much as possible! Special attention is required when connecting in a long line and you need to give up!

• Attention②➡ Because the same airline does not care about connecting next flights, you need to be careful❢

• Attention③➡ 10-minute walk from the international terminal to the domestic terminal❢Buses are also availble, but be careful when you do not have time.

 

I made a reservation at the domestic flight desk for the next flight, and boarded at 15:00, departing Auckland.

Due to delays at Kansai Airport and customs clearance at Auckland Airport, I arrived at Christchurch International Airport (CHC) for two hours behind schedule.

From CHC I took my rental car to Tekapo where I stayed. In New Zealand it was bright until around 21 o'clock during summer time, so I thought I could arrive in a bright day.

The rental car was relatively cheap and the evaluation was good, so I reserved “EZI RENTAL” online. I finished my Baggage Claim early and headed to the counter right there.

There were about 6 people in a row, and I thought that the procedure was as smooth as in Japan and it took less than 10 minutes, but it took about 10 minutes for each person without any progress at all, It took tens of  minutes to get my turn and receive the car.

Again, I had to wait more than an hour, so it was around 18:30 that I could
leave CHC by car.

When renting a car unlike in Japan, it was unlikely that you could check carefully
when you rent it, and the person in charge of the counter desk told me to take a
picture if there is a worrisome scratch, etc. I also had taken all the photos and the
whole car around in a movie with a smartphone.

The road to Tekapo was free, not toll, and once we left each city we reached a speed limit of 100 km and the road was not crowed at all, so it was a comfortable drive.

By the time I approached Tekapo, it seems to be the sun set and
I couldn't eat dinner. So, before arriving at Tekapo's Youth Hostel
(YHA), I bought food at a supermarket on the way, and finished
my dinner at 22:00, then I went to bed at 23:00 after my luggage
handling and shower.

After eating, before going to bed, we went out to observe the starry
sky of the famous place, Tekapo. At Tekapo, the streets were restricted
so that the starry sky could be seen better and it was a small town, so I was very impressed because I could see the full starry sky.

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• Attention④➡ Depending on the rental car company, the procedure takes several times as much as my senses❢

• Attention⑤➡ Rent-a-cars are more comfortable on regular cars than on small cars because they can speed up in the suburbs.

• Attention⑥➡ Be sure to take a picture etc. of the worries of your rental car and save it❢

• Attention⑦➡ Because each town is often far away, refuel your rental car early.

 

• Good point①➡ The road on the South Island of NZ is in the suburbs and the arrival time can be read because it is not crowded with a limit of 80 to 100 km.

 

On the first day of New Zealand, in a country where time is slow, unlike my everyday life like a train on time in Japan, I felt that I had to ask myself, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".

It was such a first day.

 

( To be continued… )

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