Well, we have had some interesting travels over the years but the last 33 hours take the cake. Brendan got us to the airport at 6.45 am Friday and we were in good spirits. I said “Good morning” to the smiling lady in the Customs Hall – she never replied because I then realized she was made of cardboard – a bit like I am feeling today actually! We have just arrived in a warm and foggy (bit like we are feeling right now) Hong Kong after leaving Brendan’s at 6.15 am on Friday and it took us 30 hours of travel time to get here. Maybe we should have hired a Devonport Ferry actually because we may have made it here sooner! Our Air NZ flight got 2 hours out of Auckland and an announcement was made that it was turning around and going back because of a mechanical issue with the air-conditioning. So we turned around and then had to jettison a lot of fuel because the aircraft was too heavy to land having taken on enough to get to HK. We had to fill in arrival cards to satisfy someone somewhere who has the arduous task of scanning all this vital information – which countries have we visited? How long have we been away? Did we visit any farms? Do we have dirt on our shoes from some forest in the nevernever? Have we got drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, nuts, fruit, wooden items – the list goes on. How do you answer all that when you have been nowhere, bought nothing and haven’t even glanced any animal or got to slip an apple in our bags? Never mind – we do as we are told. Then an announcement is made that if you have purchased any duty free items you must go back to the shops, return them and get a credit! Well the boss is sitting there looking chuffed that he managed to get me past every single duty free shop without the wallet leaving the bag and I was definitely not going to return the eye drops I bought him or the chocolate bar which has been eaten! Not to worry because there is no time to worry because we have to clear immigration, collect our bags, clear customs and go find someone who is going to let us know that all this mess has been miraculously fixed. Well, to be honest, the Air NZ App soon told us that we were miraculously on another flight leaving Auckland at 6.15 for Melbourne and then on another Cathay Pacific flight leaving Melbourne at 11.50 pm (make that 12.30 am because the cleaners took too long to clean the huge 777-300 which accommodates 315 passengers!) So off we go again (this is why I travel with the Stress Remedy in the bag!) We go through checkin, bag tags, Emigration, get the carry on x-rayed again and so on it goes. The joys of travel to be sure to be sure! We were collected (after some interesting navigation on the part of both of us) by the driver to be taken to the hotel – the hotel that we were meant to luxuriate in overnight only to find we have about 3 hours till checkout! If anyone wants a five minute tour of Hong Kong this driver is the man – why is everyone in a hurry and why are they all in the wrong lane? Anyway, we can report the shower was a wonder drug and we even got to have the breakfast. Now we are off for a walk if our fuzzy heads can lead us anywhere and we get on the ship in a few hours. The one in charge of the B’s is on the daybed trying to keep his eyes open to look at the beautiful view. The one in charge of the P’s is feeling like she needs a Paracetamol before she passes out!