Pity the Fool Waiting for this Flight
A recent conversation - mostly regarding the more ridiculous merits of Chuck Norris and Mr T brought on this memory of my time in Rarotonga. I hope you like it
The primary airport of Rarotonga is just outside Avarua town. By this I mean steps not miles, this is not an airport surrounded by miles of motorways. There is after all just one road on Rarotonga.
My flight leaving the island was scheduled for 11pm that evening. That wasn't a problem, I was staying at Vara's Resort on Muri beach and transport was laid on via a small and rather full minibus. All residents at Varas' were picked up and dropped of at the check in. It seemed that most other people were dropped of at the same time. We arrived there a lot later than say a Heathrow check in would have been; not really that long before our Air New Zealand plane was due at all.
Then we discovered a nearly four hour long flight delay. Some wanted to go back to the hostel, but that wasn't really going to be practical - simply because the only transport had left. Most of us decided to get ready and trotted off to pay our departure tax (a small but necessary amount). Others found a local fish and chip shop not far from the airport. Before long a good many were sitting on the benches in the open air area that was the departure lounge. Most of this Airport is open aired. Given the location - it makes sense - if feeling a little odd. We'd all yet to go air side. Air side was a corridor full of closed shops and an open garden populated by roofed picnic tables.
So we were in an tiny airport. It was late at night with hours to kill.
The only thing we could do was watch the A-Team!
A few guys there had a 17 inch Apple powerbook and some A-Team DVD's. So on went the laptop. In went the DVD's and soon one of the most famous pieces 80's music - Mike Post's theme for the A Team was echoing across the South Pacific. Followed as always by the rattling of AK47's and the screeching tyres of a certain well known black Ford Transit. Of course it wasn't long before Mr T pitied some fool.
I will admit that I wander off to some sleep before the flight.
But it was nice for someone to supply the A Team to use forlorn passengers as we waited for Air New Zealand.
The primary airport of Rarotonga is just outside Avarua town. By this I mean steps not miles, this is not an airport surrounded by miles of motorways. There is after all just one road on Rarotonga.
My flight leaving the island was scheduled for 11pm that evening. That wasn't a problem, I was staying at Vara's Resort on Muri beach and transport was laid on via a small and rather full minibus. All residents at Varas' were picked up and dropped of at the check in. It seemed that most other people were dropped of at the same time. We arrived there a lot later than say a Heathrow check in would have been; not really that long before our Air New Zealand plane was due at all.
Then we discovered a nearly four hour long flight delay. Some wanted to go back to the hostel, but that wasn't really going to be practical - simply because the only transport had left. Most of us decided to get ready and trotted off to pay our departure tax (a small but necessary amount). Others found a local fish and chip shop not far from the airport. Before long a good many were sitting on the benches in the open air area that was the departure lounge. Most of this Airport is open aired. Given the location - it makes sense - if feeling a little odd. We'd all yet to go air side. Air side was a corridor full of closed shops and an open garden populated by roofed picnic tables.
So we were in an tiny airport. It was late at night with hours to kill.
The only thing we could do was watch the A-Team!
A few guys there had a 17 inch Apple powerbook and some A-Team DVD's. So on went the laptop. In went the DVD's and soon one of the most famous pieces 80's music - Mike Post's theme for the A Team was echoing across the South Pacific. Followed as always by the rattling of AK47's and the screeching tyres of a certain well known black Ford Transit. Of course it wasn't long before Mr T pitied some fool.
I will admit that I wander off to some sleep before the flight.
But it was nice for someone to supply the A Team to use forlorn passengers as we waited for Air New Zealand.
posted by RobLDavies at 8:10 pm
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