My Lad's NZ Rugby Trip

[crystal ball]

When I visited NZ in the 80s there were lots of Morris Minors, Austin A40s etc on the road, cars did not rust as much and they were very expensive, all bars were shut on a Sunday apart from a select few, you could not buy milk in a supermarket you had to go to a dairy, you could get battered oysters in the chippy on South Island and I nearly ran someone over in Dunedin , he looked the wrong way on a one way street, also some streets in Dunedin were so steep you had to park a certain way round to stop petrol from leaking out of the filler cap

 

[securespark]

Just a quick update.

I have sorted out an ESTA for him, thanks DF.

It seems nuts to have to get one as they are not even leaving the airport, but it's a nice little money spinner, being $21 a pop.

Now I just need to sort insurance. Everyday travel insurance is no good apparently. He needs to have working holiday insurance, so on the look out for that.

BTW, those superstitious ones here will be relieved to discover he is actually flying on the 12 September.

 

[securespark]

Got the working holiday insurance. Nearly 700 smackers!

Includes teaching, playing rugby and up to 21 days Winter sports, plus 2 weeks insurance in another country other than NZ or Oz.

02:00 now, we're leaving at 07:00 for the airport!

 

[noseall]

Got the working holiday insurance. Nearly 700 smackers!

Includes teaching, playing rugby and up to 21 days Winter sports, plus 2 weeks insurance in another country other than NZ or Oz.

02:00 now, we're leaving at 07:00 for the airport!

Good luck, bon voyage.

 

[gas112]

Young lad from my town been over in NZ playing for one of teams tragically he suddenly died at the weekend . 2 days later 20k has been raised to bring him back

 

[securespark]

I am really sorry to hear that, gas.

Heartening on the other hand to hear of the support his family got.

 

[securespark]

Left MAN at 11:05, landed in Houston at 21:15.

Weird journey, but it was cheap, £1300 return.

Singapore Airlines A350 to Houston, then Air NZ to Auckland, then ANZ to Tauranga, where the school is.

He's got a good few hours to kill in Houston, so we got him a Lounge pass so he has access to complementary food and drink and showering facilities.

 

[securespark]

Hi people

I realise I made promises of regular updates about what sunny Jim gets up to, but the truth is that news and photos are very thin on the ground.

Perhaps it was unrealistic of me to expect an 18 yo to be as enthusiastic as I would be in taking pictures of stuff that I did and places I went....

I will go through WhatsApp and repost his news here.

 

[HERTS P&D]

What goes on tour, stays on tour!

Andy

 

[Brigadier]

What goes on tour, stays on tour!

Andy

Trust you

 

[securespark]

What goes on tour, stays on tour!

Andy

Point taken!

I have seen and heard a few things on tour with him that have never been recounted....

 

[securespark]

So far, some of the things he's done have been:

Trained with the school's first team and watched them play.

He did a PowerPoint presentation for the school's sports award event.

At half term, he joined the kids on a mountain biking trip.

Also he went to Auckland and stayed in a hostel "full of the homeless and a pigeon that just walked around the gaff and no-one batted an eyelid!"

He is staying in a house in the school grounds and came back one day to find a cold homeless guy curled up on the sofa! I think he forgot to lock up.
Completely harmless, just stone cold and deathly tired.

 

[securespark]

As far as his mobile goes, he left his regular Three SIM at home. I've stuck it in a spare phone with 20 quid of credit and am using it now and again to keep it active.

I gave him another Three SIM to take, so that he was not incommunicado en-route and on arrIval.

Don't know why, but it stopped working soon after his arrival, but he swapped to an NZ SIM which has been working fine. I don't know which provider he's using or what he's getting for it, but he is paying NZ$30 (around £14.50) a month.

Hopefully, on the way home, he will be able to roam with the NZ SIM, so that he will have a connection for the journey.

 

[Brigadier]

Don't know why, but it stopped working soon after his arrival,

Given your track record with mobile phone tech, I'd guess that the explanation lies close to home

I gave him another Three SIM to take,

 

[securespark]

Roaming in NZ with Three is limited to two months.

I'd expect to go out there with a Three SIM and for the thing to work for 2 months.

Are you saying Three was a bad choice?