The Big Tin Budgie

Exiting N.Z. was about what I was expecting in this post 9/11 era. At least there were no dramas with my extensive collection of ‘LAGs’ (liquids, aerosols & gels) – i.e. half a dozen inhalers. Boarding went without a hitch, and the oxygen concentrator was all ready and waiting for me. Thank goodness Air NZ provided a nasal canulla rather than a mask, so my fellow travelers were spared my Darth Vader impressions.

I had made a couple of assumptions about the flight, both of which proved wrong. Instead of the expected 747-400, I flew on one of the new 777-200s, which was nice, especially with the new entertainment-on-demand system, with individual screens, and a squillion movies on offer. I had also hoped I might get an upgrade to premium economy, due to my need for a.c. power, but alas no, as there are a few strategically placed outlets in cattle class for medical equipment.

The flight itself was about as pleasant an experience as one could expect being jammed into a tin bird with 300 odd other people. I was placed next to a very pleasant young couple who were on their way back to Indiana after a year in N.Z. They weren’t impressed about having to go back, and were going to apply for permanent residency, with the hope of making N.Z home for good.

I would definitely have been in trouble without the concentrator, which was one of the cool new ‘AirSep’ portable models, which are about the size of a 2 litre ice-cream container, and only weigh a couple of kilos. I want one!!!!! Only $9,700 – hmmm, maybe not this week. The degree to which it made a difference was highlighted when I had to unplug myself to go check out the plumbing. After only a couple of minutes off it, I was very happy to be able plug in and get my sats back up to a tolerable level.

The highlight of the flight was watching the excellent kiwi comedy/horror ‘Black Sheep’. Highly recommended, except for the very squeamish, and a really good example of NZ film making at its quirky best.

We arrived at LAX pretty much on time, and whizzed through Customs & Immigration in well under an hour. Not even a cursory baggage check – as soon as they saw I was traveling on a kiwi passport, and had flown in direct from AKL, they couldn’t get rid of me quick enough. Sweet! Now, to find Hertz.