We were flying to Auckland, New Zealand, via Sydney airport. Looking back now we can laugh, but at the time we were worried and somewhat confused.
Preparing and packing:
We knew flying to New Zealand wouldn’t be easy. I was very nervous about getting caught at customs for some silly stupid reason.
To start with, it would be an overall 15 hour flight. And we were loaded with Christmas gifts. Would these gifts be a problem going through customs? And was there anything else we had perhaps we had overlooked? So we read all the flight rules.
Besides what we had, we borrow an old flight suitcase with two wheels, from a friend. I must say we searched through each and every bit of our luggage before packing, to see if there was anything that shouldn’t be there.
Our children in New Zealand had said to buy a small bar of chocolate each, and declare it as food when necessary. Surely, everything would be okay.
Now we were off:
Everything went well as we left Johannesburg and the flight was a breeze.
Before entering Sydney airport, we filled in the requested forms. Everything went well, until we got to customs.
I went through easily. I had my camera and computer with me, because I was hoping to keep up with my blogging, since we would be in New Zealand for near on 2.5 months. That was no problem for me.
Then what?
But turning around I couldn’t find my husband. That’s strange….
Oh, there he was, going through the detector arch. Hey, but why were they making him go through it several times. Now I was getting worried. Then it came to me. He had a metal pin in his shoulder socket. Surely he would tell them it was from a lift shaft accident he had many years ago.
No. Something was really wrong. They were bringing him over to a side counter and called me to join him. What now?
The customs offer was looking through his carry bag! Gosh, this is ridiculous, thought I.
The guy was looking in this pocket and then that pocket. Let me explain… my husband’s carry bag is somewhat like a computer bag, with many pockets, big and small.
After a while the customs officer was getting frustrated. Unknown to us, he had seen something on the Xray detector, but couldn’t find what he was looking for now. And of cause my husband and I were getting more and more worried. What could be the matter?
Haaah! At last the customs offer pulled out a tiny metal pocket knife. Can you believe it?! He said it was in a tight little corner in one of the smaller pockets. What was it doing there?
It turns out, my husband generally used it when travelling on the Johannesburg inter buses. You know, been a South African man, they love eating their biltong! And he had missed finding it before packing.
My husband has a throat and hearing impediment, so I said to the customs, “Throw it away”. But that wasn’t good enough. No, he had to record it, before he would allow us to catch our next flight. So now we go down in history as bad guys, with a serious offence. Shame on us!
Ok, now we get on the flight to Auckland, New Zealand.
We had a lovely flight and enjoyed a lovely meal on the plane.
Watching the lights over the northern part of New Zealand, it looked like a fairy land. So beautiful! “Like they were putting out Christmas lights to welcome us,” said I to my husband.
But unknown to us there was a mauri guy and his mother sitting just in front of us. They chuckled. And startled us… the chap says “Yip, it’s just for you!” We laughed, thinking this was a good omen.
Aaah… But we didn’t know what was in store for us at customs.
Oh yes, everything went well and were just really to go through the big sliding to meet our family… when all of a sudden, here comes a policewoman with her small light beige Labrador dog. They seemed to have come from nowhere!
She asks me, have we got anything to declare. “Yes” says I, “some chocolates.”
But she doesn’t seem to register what I’ve said. She is more concerned with the fact her dog has turned quickly from me and is now declaring there is something wrong with my husband.
Oh, not again, thinks I. This is too much.
And… can you believe it? The dog puts his nose straight on a spot on my husband’s pants, without hesitation…. went right there, first shot.
It was a spot of gravy from the meal we had had on the plane!
We all laughed when my husband said what it was from. But for a moment it was scary, because we had really though we had escaped customs after all!
Without another word we were dismissed and with a great sigh, passed through the sliding doors.
But that’s not all,
Leaving the airport and travelling through Auckland in our children’s car, police cars started passing us, one after the other, with their sirens on.
Our son told us long afterwards, that he had been very embarrassed. Because all along, he had been telling us New Zealand is crime free, and here were the police chasing around Auckland, like they were chasing drug loads.
I must end by saying,
That only happens in the big cities. The country towns are crime free and the country is very beautiful. The streets are clean and well kept. And… the people very friendly and helpful. It’s a great place to live. No wonder they guard it so well !!
Have you ever had a funny experience at an airport?
Sir, please vote for us. We are very grateful to this. You continue to have success .And keep voting. @ahlawat
nice post......
Crazy and scary...thanks for sharing. I have had a number of creepy experiences at airports. One of them involved them suspecting I was a terrorist. Have a wonderful day! Following you!
Wonder what gave them that impression. The dark glasses perhaps! Just joking. Have a lovely day.
No I think it was because 8 years earlier I had lived in Hamburg for a year and there the university I went to there had one of the guys who flew into the Twin Towers.
Gosh. First off, you must have felt confused about why they were making such a fuss.
Actually they didn't but I think they were about too. And then their shift ended. It felt like in those movies, you know when the guy just escapes. Like have you seen the movie Stander - especially the airport scene?
James Bond movies are different - he gets caught, and then just before they throw him in a pool full of starving sharks he pulls of a crazy houdini move. Along with the girl of course who helps him.
Just curious, I can still upvote your comment right, even if your original post is more than 7 days old?
Funny experience. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 customs at every major international airport has really increased. I do understand the reason, but what I on't understand is why officers aren't trained better to communicate with people in a more efficient way. Usually I have a customs agent with a frown and bad attitude, which causes me to have a from and bad attitude in response haha.
It's definitely not an easy job dealing with people coming and going all day but a smile goes a long way. Great post, followed.
adventure happened at airport
Yes sounds entertaining. I had some fun experience on JFK when I was searched for drugs all over (I never took drugs in my life it was just my random luck) and at the end the police dog fall in love with me and would not let me go :))
UPVOTED.
very good.
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Wow what an experience! but I'm glad you still had a great time in New Zealand. It would be great if you could post about your 2.5 month travel in NZ! I will be travelling from my home city (Sydney) to NZ (Auckland) in October for the first time with my family and looking for places to visit. Unfortunately I have yet to experience any funny experiences at the airport.
I really enjoyed reading this post and upvoted and started following you. I also share my travel stories and photos on my blog- please feel free to have a look and hit follow/upvote if you enjoy them :)
Looking forward to your future posts.
Because I've been told to write more often on Steemit, I thought I would slot in about my travels and the beautiful places I've been to. My usual stuff is about how to improve blogs, etc, since my experience with setting up my own artists website.
So anyway, I thought I would start with my trip to New Zealand. So you will get more on our trip there and the places we went to and what we thought of it. Of cause been an artist, I painted scenes of New Zealand too.
Sir, please vote for us. We are very grateful to this. You continue to have success in the same way.And keep voting. @ahlawat
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Great post, thanks for sharing
New Zealand is notorious for not letting people into their country and I agree with it to be honest with all the things happening in the world that are caused by poorer people going into more civilized countries. Great post btw
Quite a sequence of experiences. I've been lucky; my most unhappy customs experience was last year or so, at Heathrow. British Airways has much more lenient carry-on weight requirements than most others. I got over-enthusiastic with my packing when I realized this (being Nigerian, traveling with a single backpack is sadly not for me :) ) Alas, that was how I lost my great big tub of unprocessed coconut oil to the tender mercies and beady eyes of Heathrow Customs!
they are crazy
Oh how interesting story! I believe it was so terrible for you. I'm in New Zealand two month and saw only one police car during this time. And only bad situation I had on airport was at baggage claim, when I realized that my bag is lost! :(
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Aaah, shame. Hope you eventually got your luggage back.
Looking back now, its a joke. What is so amusing, was how the dog went straight for the one only spot on my husbands pants!
We saw around the north and south island. Our trip to New Zealand was so wonderful, we wish we could go back again.
We got it back few days later. :D We are in NZ for two month and it is awesome. I like this country so much!
Awesome. great sharing.
A lot of what these security people do is in reality just "security theatre",IE., security that is intended to make people think that they are secure and reduce panic, and not actually for improving security. I'm pretty sure their scanners get false positives as well, which can just wreck someones life. But I'm glad it went well for you.
Now we are back home and watch "Border Control" on TV, we are somewhat scared of having something in our luggage we haven't declared by mistake!
Little funny but true also.
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I waited to go through the customs in Brisbane for 3h just few days back. People were falling unconscious around.
The only time I was waiting longer than that was entering Cuba 3 years back.
Why were they falling unconscious? Was it because they had to wait so long, they fall fast asleep waiting for they next flight?
They were to tired. Waithing for such a long time. That was waiting for customes at the airport. Entering Australia.