01.08 - Day 43 - Rio de Janeiro, BRA to Sydney, AUS

Rio do Janeiro, BRA to Santiago, CHL to Auckland, NZ to Sydney, AUS

Sunday 1st August 2010 and beyond

One last açaí drink on Copacabana beach (which I still want to like more than I actually do) as we wait for the bus to take me to the airport. An emotional drawn out farewell, well actually, we have to run to catch the bus as it doesn’t spot us flagging it down.

Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo flight is fine – very short on an almost empty plane. It fills up for the next leg to Santiago. Flight again fine. 

And then the troubles begin…we’re told the flight from  Santiago to Auckland which should leave in 90 minutes is cancelled due to “bad weather” which later becomes “technical issues.” A plane full worth of people are bussed into Santiago city centre, to a Crown Plaza hotel. 

With the rescheduled flight for midday the next day it is in effect a 12 hour delay. Collection for this midday flight is at 7am in the morning – a full five hours before. Of course we don’t actually leave till 8am and check is suspiciously slow. 

At the front I’m told we’ll be arriving in Auckland at 17:30 Tuesday – too late for a connecting flight to Sydney. It transpires it’s not too late but they’re giving preference for the last connecting flight to those who are going on from Sydney. This annoys me a lot. I’m left facing the prospect of another overnight layover in a hotel, this time in Auckland. 

As it turns out our flight to Auckland leaves Santiago late and so in the end everyone misses the flight to Sydney. By now there are a lot of angry people (especially those who apparently had similar delays on the way out only a week ago) but at least in Auckland we’re able to deal with English speaking staff. 

A nights sleep in a non descript airport hotel in Auckland before a 6:30am flight to Sydney. This too is late in leaving – because they add some extra fuel for expected bad weather, only to go over the maximum weight allowance. Which means, the captain explains, that the ground staff have removed some people’s luggage, in a (un)lucky dip fashion. You won’t know if yours has arrived until you get to the luggage carousel in Sydney.

Thankfully, after we touch down a mere 27 hours and two night stopovers late my trusty Rollerpig is waiting for me and then its through Customs and out in to the bright light of Sydney Arrivals Hall where Kate is waiting to greet me.