Day 3: Auckland - Christchurch - Lake Tekapo

Day 3: 16.09.2015 (Auckland – Christchurch – Lake Tekapo)

Day 3 started a bit drama juga bila tak terbangun sebab letih sangat during the day before. Hehe. Bukan tak terbangun langsung tapi set jam at 4.30am, bangun Subuh dan tertidur semula dan terjaga at 6.10am where we were supposed to catch shuttle to the airport at 6.30am! Kelam kabut bangun, mandi, siapkan both kids, packed nasi goreng etc. and we managed to catch the shuttle (Yellow Bus) at 7am. Pheww. Semalam husband dah beli ticket shuttle NZD5 per adult (child: FOC), tapi pagi tu baru perasan as the ticket can be used for the day of it purchased only. So kena beli balik ticket shuttle pagi tu untuk 2 ticket dewasa (NZD10). Sampai di Domestic Terminal, Auckland Airport at 7.10am and rushed to Jetstar counter to check in sebab flight to Christchurch jam 8.20am. Counter and bag drop closed 30 mins before departure and sebenarnya dah tulis dalam itinerary tapi ingat 1 hour before sebab tu berlari ke kaunter. Lulz. Takpelah exercise pagi. Bahahaha :P

My kids in front of Ibis Budget Auckland Airport Hotel

Dah check in, dah lega, apalagi terus minta anak-anak posing :P

Then kami duduk kat bangku luar airport dan makan nasi goreng for breakfast. Both kids berselera je makan. Haha. Then we went to Gate 23 for boarding Jetstar flight which was not delayed that morning and it took about 1 hour 25 mins to Christchurch. The flight tickets cost us about NZD400 for 4 persons with 20kg luggage per person (luggage will be charged separately macam booking AirAsia, and 10kg dengan 20kg beza NZD1 je, jadi kami terus ambil 20kg). Pretty cheap rasanya. Alhamdulillah. 

Pemandangan udara sewaktu 10 mins sebelum mendarat di South Island, NZ. Subhanallah.

Luggage claim area : Christchurch Domestic Airport

We were safely arrived 15 mins earlier than the scheduled arrival time (arrived at 9.30am where it was initially scheduled to be arrived at 9.45am). South Island was a bit colder than North Island tapi masa kami sampai di Christchurch suhu adalah around 11’C. Sebelum call our Motorhome shuttle, semua pergi melepaskan hajat kat toilet dulu termasuk Khayra dan Hafiya. Hafiya masuk children toilet in Family Room toilet and dia ternampak gambar mural kanak-kanak dengan tangan kotor and I said, “Eee, germs”. Lepas tu bila tangan dia kotor dia akan nangis dan minta wipes or cuci sebab teringat gambar tu dengan gambaran germs. Hihihi.

After about a good 30 mins melepak dalam airport Christchurch, we called the Motorhome Centre (they opens at 10am) and they said to wait for their shuttle at gate 9. About 10 mins later a guy approached us and we showed him our booking voucher tapi dia kata dia perlu ambil kami semula sebab ada 1 family dia perlu hantar dulu ke Motorhome depot. So we waited about another 15 mins and the said shuttle came to pick us up together with another Chinese family from Sabah. Sempatlah kami berborak sakan dalam shuttle tu dengan that family. The Motorhome depot at Orchard Road Harewood was just about 10 mins away from the airport and shuttle adalah FOC. 

Sementara tunggu Motorhome shuttle – outside Christchurch Airport

Sampai kat Motorhome depot, kita perlu register at the counter to confirm on our booking voucher and kena tunggu sampai turn kita dipanggil for briefing. Kat situ ramai juga pelanggan lain yang dah tiba. Kami diberikan free flow drinks and Wifi password serta maklumat and contract tentang Motorhome yang perlu dibaca. Ingatkan sekejap je tunggu turn tapi we waited nearly 3 hours jugaklah kat situ. Hafiya pun sempat tidur satu round T___T

Tempat menunggu dengan free Wifi and free drinks – ada coffee machine

Sementara tunggu turn, Hafiya sempat tidur dulu

Bila turn kita dipanggil, kita akan kena log in to register (don't worry, they will assist you on this) and akan brief kita on the journey / road guna Motorhome, the restrictions, speed limits, 24-Hour assistance, briefing on how to operate the snow chains and most importantly the demo on handling and operating the Motorhome itself. Fuhh, berdebar jugalah memula. Hiks.

Our Motorhome

Inside view of our Britz Motorhome

Around 2.45pm dengan lafaz Bismillah dan doa kepada Allah, kami mulakan perjalanan ke PaknSave, Hornby Christchurch sejauh 7km (13 mins) from Motorhome depot to buy groceries. Waktu nak turn right untuk masuk junction ke The Hub di traffic lights, tiba-tiba enjin Motorhome kami turned off. Fuhh, panic kejap sebab kami kat depan sekali and kereta kat belakang kena mengelak kami to move sebab kami try nak hidupkan semula tapi it took about 3 minutes, baru engine working and lampu isyarat dah bertukar merah kembali. The great part was, masa kami dalam kekalutan itu (I pressed the emergency lights to allow other cars pergi dulu), no one ever tekan hon kat kami. Phewww. Next obstacle kami adalah di PaknSave masa nak parking Motorhome tu yang besar gedabak. Fuhh, menguji ketahanan mental jugalah. Kalau aku yang drive, aku give up kot tapi husband yang memang bersifat cool itu, dia macam rileks je. Haha. Susah wei, aku pulak yang cuak. Then terpaksa aku masuk PaknSave tanya boleh ke ambil parking 2 space sebab kalau 1 space memang berpeluh nak parking and masa tu tak ada Motorhome lain parking nearby untuk kami jadikan rujukan. Then dia kata boleh, tapi aku macam takut kena saman, terjumpa polis kat situ and tanya lagi. Dia pun kata OK so rasa lega. Hihihi. Parking kami tu ada tulis P180 bermakna FOC for 180 mins. Kalau lebih dan dapat ticket saman, kena pergi bayar saman tu dalam NZD80. So timing kena pandai jaga kat sana ya. Kami terus masuk PaknSave and beli groceries dan jumpa ayam Brink’s yang Halal. Sila baca sini untuk refresh memori. Hehe. Total groceries kami NZD142 dan ini termasuk barang merepek macam berus gigi dan ubat gigi DORA yang Hafiya nak, Honey Star Frozen yang Khayra nak etc. Kahkah.

Our groceries – macam-macam ada :P

Lepas habis shopping, kami simpan barang basah dalam peti dan nak cari Halal restaurant sebab dah tahu ada retoren Halal kat area tu tapi kena mencari. Kalau boleh, memang tanak alih parking Motorhome tu haha. Tetibe ternampak Kinara, Indian Restaurant yang Halal betul-betul depan PaknSave tu yang kena lintas jalan je. Alhamdulillah, rezeki kami hari itu sebab kedai yang kami plan nak pergi tu kena menapak jauh lagi. So bila tengok menu boleh diterima, maka kami pun decided to have our late lunch in there. Kami order Beef Beriyani, Naan Cheese and Butter Rice Chicken. Sedap sangat (atau mungkin kami dah lapar, hehe) and it cost us about NZD39. 

Kinara, Indian Restaurant - 413, The Hub, Hornby Christchurch

Just across the road from The Hub PaknSave, Hornby, Christchurch

Kemudian, balik ke Motorhome to solat jamak dan kami teruskan perjalanan ke 1^st holiday park kami di Lake Tekapo Motels and Holiday Park melalui Pekan Ashburton. Perjalanan mengambil masa selama 2 hour 48 mins (about 223km). Sebelum kami nak bertolak tu, tiba-tiba pula hand brake Motorhome kami still menyala (warning lampu merah) even dah released. Another dugaan buat kami, tapi kami just called Britz Assitance and dia tolong settle through phone call je cara-cara nak buat. Alhamdulillah dah dapat settle, terus kami bertolak ke Holiday Park. Pengalaman semua ni untuk kami yang first time drive Motorhome.

Kami selamat sampai di Lake Tekapo pada jam 9pm and it was regarded as ‘After Hour Check in’ sebab Reception closed at 8pm. As we have already paid and booked the powered site, so they left a map for our powered site number at the door for us to park our Motorhome. 

Berdebar jugak sebab dah malam dan gelap gelita weh nak cari nombor parking site. Huwaaa. Cabaran juga. Then we found our spot and hoi payah nak parking sebab gelap. Ya Rabbi, nasib baik bukan aku yang jadi driver. Allah bless you, my husband Hazri. Teehee. Bila nak masuk to our parking site tu tak muat sebab ada kereta block (dia sewa motel depan parking site kami) jadi terpaksalah aku gi ketuk pintu minta jasa baik diorang to move their car. Sejuk beku weh dengan angin sepoi-sepoi sebab betul-betul tepi lake. Fuhh. Nasib baik mat salleh tu mengerti dan minta maaf lalu mengalihkan keretanya untuk kami lalu. Lalu bermulalah 1^st task suami to recharge the Motorhome (sambung connection electric, sambung air, pasang heater etc) dan aku pun mula menyamak segala pinggan mangkuk dan kelengkapan dapur yang lain untuk kegunaan kami. FYI, samak jenis liquid spray kami dibekalkan oleh agen syarikat Motorhome kami. Both kids lepas dah mandi terus tidur lena. Lepas tu bermula juga kerja aku untuk masak for pre packed lunch untuk esok sebab senang sediakan siap-siap dan just reheat saja nanti.

Masa ni dah ada rasa sikit menyesal booking Motorhome sebab kesian kat my husband sebab kena buat banyak kerja dalam kesejukan malam, drive jauh dan aku pun letihhh gila. Tsk. 

Stay tuned for my next entry.