Kings Cross Train Station

Entering an unknown world full of people, planes & trains

• The Flying begins (growing wings)
• The final big flight
• London arrival

The Flying begins (growing wings)

With the bags stowed away, not to be seen again until London, and waves of goodbye at Dunedin Airport, the end signaled the start of a new beginning. This beginning kicked off with my legs folded up like a couple of tightly wound springs on the first flight from Dunedin to Auckland. Peering out the window at New Zealand for the last time as darkness engulfed the plane was a bloody good send-off of a sunset, snapped poorly through the plane window by yours truly.

Fast forward to the plane landing and people disembarking all that fun stuff. My buddy Matt and I found ourselves in line at the Singapore Airlines booth with a mission in mind. We were determined to see if we could get our seats adjusted to ensure we were sitting next to each other and maybe even score a cheeky wee free upgrade. Well, one of these things came true. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the latter, but it was still a bonus. With tickets in hand, we had about a 4-hour wait in the Auckland International Terminal before our flight departed at 1:30 am bound for Singapore. Let me tell you, time flies when you’re nervous about your flight because before we knew it, we were already boarding.

The flight lasted around 10 hours, during which, to everyone’s surprise, I managed to do the unthinkable and actually get about 4 hours of sleep. Now, for those intrigued by in-flight meals on Singapore Airlines, behold the masterpiece I was served below. I must say, it wasn’t too shabby. As a fun game to ensure I haven’t put you to sleep yet, I won’t reveal what it is—you’ll have to work that out yourself. (where you see the onion, there were also once prawns.) Wrong answers only, please!

After 10 hours, a mix of snoozing and movie-watching, we touched down at Singapore Changi Airport. With a 2-hour layover ahead, we made a beeline to locate our next gate, a tip I highly recommend for smoother transitions. The sheer size of the airport and the constant hustle and bustle of people moving about like ants was a bit of a culture shock. So, once we knew where we needed to go, we embarked on a wee adventure and stumbled upon the butterfly room. Honestly, if you’ve been to the one in Dunedin, this one is most definitely a direct copy—those cheeky buggers. On a side note, this airport has to be one of the cleanest places I’ve ever been. So much so that I’d consider using the floor as a plate to save on dishes. Even the fire extinguishers here were displayed as if they were an art piece (refer to the art installation image below). Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to see indoor forest and waterfall at Changi airport.

The final big flight

Final round. Boarding our flight from Singapore to London Heathrow was a breeze, and it got even better when we settled into our seats and realised there was no one sitting next to us or even in the row behind us. SCORE! It was like hitting the cattle class poor man’s Jackpot. Without wasting a moment, we turned the empty seat between us into a pile of extra blankets provided and some of our own items, creating more leg space. How good was that? Now, this flight, in particular, made me appreciate the extra legroom even more, especially since it turned into a 14-hour ordeal due to strong headwinds. Having spent 10 hours on a plane just 2 hours ago, this wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, but hey, it could’ve been a lot worse. Matt even managed to catch some Zs in the row behind at points during the flight, giving us each a row to stretch out our legs (lifesaver).

So between dozing off and on and watching: Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer and The Departed (enjoyed them all) there was plane food. Feast your eyes on the feast below.

Now, I only managed to snap a picture of one of the two meals we were given, so let your imagination run wild with what the other one might have been… perhaps a 5-star meal cooked by the one and only Gordon (aggressive) Ramsay?

I’d also like to draw your attention to the image on the right. This is a cheeky little airline hack. If you check your ticket info, you’ll often find access to inflight snacks. These aren’t the snacks they bring to you, but rather the ones you can request. So, if you find yourself feeling a bit peckish or thirsty during your flight, just head to one of the areas where the flight attendants are and, with your best puppy dog eyes, politely ask for some snacks. Voila! Now you’ve got yourself a free movie night-style hoard of snacks.

London arrival

As the wheels of the plane touched down with a hefty recoil and the seat belt sign flicked off, two thoughts raced through my mind like a broken record: Passport and Bags. Following the stream of people, each on their own unique life trajectory, we made our way to the border. E Gates. Holding a NZ passport meant I could breeze through the E Gate without needing to interact with a person at the desk. Just like that, I was through. However, one uncertainty lingered… As Matt and I searched for the luggage belt, a nagging doubt surfaced: had our working visas been activated? After a bit of stress and some frantic online research, we discovered they had. Though I must confess, there’s a distinct lack of clarity surrounding the activation process for the visa. But yes, E Gates do the trick, and if it turns out my whole life is a lie, well, I suppose I’ll be back in NZ sooner than anticipated.

We breezed through Bio Security without missing a beat, exiting the airport with determined strides. Navigating our way around, we boarded a train to Kings Cross Station, embarking on a whirlwind journey. The train first took us overground to Bond Street Station, where we then made our way to the underground Oxford Circus, before catching a second train to Kings Cross. It was a baptism by fire on our first day, with jet-lagged brains struggling to keep up. Scary, spooky, terrifying, crazy stuff especially for someone raised rurally to be suddenly surrounded by people on all sides and this thing they call trains. Is a train a bus on tracks? or a plane without wings?

After navigating the labyrinth of the underground, aided by the trusty Citymapper app (you put where you want to go and it maps out all the transport options for you) recommended by a friend in London (seriously, it’s a lifesaver!), we finally arrived at Kings Cross station, amidst a bustling crowd of people with their own destinations in mind. Armed with Google Maps, we made our way to the Arriva Hotel, our accommodation for the first three nights in London.

With keys in hand and door handles turned, we stepped into a compact room with an even tinier bathroom. Despite its size, the hotel offered a decent stay considering its affordability and prime location. It served as a reassuring safety net for our first few days in the city. And let me tell you, after all that flying, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing shower followed by collapsing onto a comfy bed.

I’ve been late on the posts while adjusting with jet lag and all, but they will be more frequent now, hopefully every couple days or so about each location we’ve been travelling around.