Starting for the Far North. I am off to the Far North! Well my stars were right! I have to learn to soak up the good things??, on an almostfullplane by chance, I ended up having three seats to myself and wasableto have some sleep. I was feeling wrecked after a restless night atmy$200 Rydges room. It certainly is convenient with a two minute walktothe departures. I had a 'airport view' room which concerned me alittleat first but there wasn't much happening - when I opened thecurtainson one of my midnight wanders I could see a few vehicleszooming aroundand the flags standing out in the cold wind. I wasn'thungry afterhaving booked breakfast so just picked over a few things.My problemwas I had too much fruit the night before trying to finishthings offfrom the fruit bowl at home. I must learn that it is alrightnot to eatthings as they are gone anyway if that makes sense? Aucklandairporthad enough shops etc to mooch about for a couple of hours. Ibought aneck pillow, ear plugs, special NZ chocolate on 'special' - 3for $15.Then I sat down and had a chocolate overload when they put achocolatestick into an already heavily chocolates hot chocolate. It wasspecial.Mad souvenirs included lollies called Sheep's Poo - raisinsinchocolate, and Squashed Possums -chocolate rough. I also loved itwhenlooking at the departure display for those still not up to boardingetcthey just display 'relax'. I watched a NZ movie last nightcalled 'Homefor Christmas' based on real life adventures of a soldiercalledPreston whose family had got it together. It had real footage ofthesoldiers leaving Greymouth and on the battlefield of NorthernAfrica.Most of the time he was in prison with the Italians. They werescaredof the Germans but the Italians seemed to be ok. He and somemateswalked out after Italy capitulated and those who stated got takenon bytrain to the north by the Germans.