Flight Ek 344

Gatwick to Auckland is one of the longest of long hauls – taking you through 11 time zones. Fortunately we could disembark at Dubai where there are shower facilities. From there we travelled with the All Black and Samoan rugby sevens sides back to Auckland. There was no evidence of any boisterous high jinks that seems to characterise the Ashes tour.  Some of them wore strange breathing masks and I’m pretty sure none had any alcohol . They were perfect ambassadors of their sport.

Guided by Neil Rosen I watched classic sixties films; The first Pink Panther with a lovely Claudia Cardinals and debonair David Niven, but Peter Sellers in his first Clouseau role stole the show; Where Eagles Dare, an action war movie with an improbable story line starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood; From Russia with Love with Robert Shaw as the best Bond villain; and A Shot in the Dark when Clouseau started to become more slapstick.

With food and drink, the odd fitful sleep and a chat at the horseshoe bar where drinkers congregate, thus 14 hours in the air passed.