Wednesday, December 07, 2005

WONDERFUL ANTIPODES!

NEW ZEALAND - IT’S PERFECTLY DOABLE, AND WORTH WHILE!

You just get to the airport in Lisbon on a Friday afternoon by 1:00 pm, local time, because you like to enjoy the British Airways former Concorde Lounge at London Heathrow. Arrive at LHR around 4:45 pm, change from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4, and you’ll have plenty of time to take advantage of all the facilities of the said Lounge, pouring champagne included, before flying to Singapore on BA 15 at 9:45 p.m. You’ll get there by 6:20 p.m., local time, on Saturday!
Depending on your budget (flying one airline all the way to spare or making it a big splurge changing airlines), you have two choices: either you continue on BA 15 to Sydney (it’s better via Singapore than via BIA – Bangkok; the airport is nicer. Flying NZ via Los Angeles is out of the question) at 8:05 p.m. arriving Sydney airport on Sunday morning, at 6:35 a.m., local time, and afterwards continue to Auckland on BA 7339 (operated by Quantas - the 7337 at 7:25 is to tight for a connection) and get to Auckland on Sunday afternoon, at 2:20 p.m.; or you take a Singapore Airlines direct flight to Auckland – SQ 285 – at 9:05 p.m., and get there at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday.
OK, it took you 36 hours or more to get there (don’t forget the time difference), but you're on Portugal's antipode, a fabulous country with a magnificent scenery.


WELLINGTON - NOVEMBER 2001


"WELLINGTON - the world's most southern capital and the only capital in the "Roaring Forties" latitudes. Nearly all Wellington residents are within 3 km of the sea"


"TE PAPA TONGAREWA - When you get to Wellington you're immediately caught by the odd architecture of New Zealand’s national museum"


"TE PAPA is a must see. Inside you can profit from ICON to have a nice meal, with a fabulous harbour view"


"CIVIC CENTER - Wellington is the most "fully wired" city in the most "fully wired" country in the world. At the Civic Center you've no problem to be wired"


"THE LIBRARY BUILDING - Built in 1899 of brick, cement and plaster, it survived the 1907 fire which destroyed the adjacent wooden Parliament Building, but was badly damaged by another fire in 1992"


"THE LYNX - When you've seen all, you may leave windy Wellington and take the Lynx to the South Island"

2 comments:

Maria Verivaki said...

i see you've also been to my birthplace - you've captured some more lovely shots here too. i lived in wellington for the first 25 years of my life. and of course, it's always better flying through singapore, another amazing city.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kiwi,
Your birth town is a wonderful city; a bit windy, but lovely... ;))