Arrival and first few hours

With both a sad and a happy feeling I left Germany and had a 24h-long journey waiting for me.

After exactly 12 hours in a really lovely and comfortable plane I arrived at Singapore airport. I had a window seat and I was actually experiencing night and day throughout these 12 hours.

Singapore airport is really pretty: I arrived at Terminal 3, where there is a butterfly garden, a koi pond, and even a hard rock café! (Unfortunately I didn’t have time for the hard rock café so I’ll definitely need to remember it until February). As I ‚only‘ had a short stay of 2 hours at Singapore airport, I also didn’t manage to get to Terminal 2, where they installed a swiming pool on the roof! 

My next flight, from Singapore to Christchurch, wasn’t as comfortable as the first one. The plane was an older one and the food wasn’t the best too. Though after another 12 hours I arrived in Christchurch. 

As I had more spare time until the next flight I decided to go to the International Antarctic Centre, which is really close to the airport. At the museum I got to experience an antarctic storm, saw little blue penguins and learnt a lot about Antarctica. 

Just at around 1pm I was making my way back to the airport to catch my last flight (for now). This time, the flight to Napier was operated by Air New Zealand. You can see a photo of the plane below.

Finally arriving in Hawke’s Bay I was quite amazed and excited how everything looks now, three years after my last stay in the bay. A friend picked me up at the airport and brought me to the hostel „The Rotten Apple“ in Hastings. We grabbed some dinner together that night; I spent the rest if the night in the hostel participating in a quiz night which was fun.

Today morning, that friend picked me up from the hostel and she dropped me off at Havelock North High School. I met up with the international students coordinator and saw some of my former teachers. I also popped into the special neds unit and organised volunteer work there for next week. 

On my way back from school into Havelock North village I stopped at my hostmums house from 2013 but she wasn’t there. Apart from that, everything looked so different! I will try contacting her tomorrow. 

In the village I got a new zealand SIM card, went up Te Mata peak (mountain in Havelock North which has a wonderful view over the whole bay!) with the friend that got me around with her car yesterday and I got my bank acount all set up at the ANZ branch in the village.

After that was all done, the day was already over and I catched the last bus back to Hastings (yea..last bus at 5:10 pm.. )
Just went to the supermarket real quick and now enjoying a relaxed night at the hostel.
See ya!