Seems that Christchurch Airport has either some financial problems or maybe they are freakin out about their insurance
mind you there was a rumor that an MP had reacted to the sight of so many backpacking young people sleeping in the arrival lounge prior to very early morning departures
anyway we were all told we would be kicked out at midnight
check-in to my flight was supposed to start at 3:45am
as soon as i heard it i left and found the best shelter i could find outside
happened to be one of two the "designated smoking areas"
i moved the ash-trays outside, set my pack as a pillow and climbed into my aging Fairy Down minus 15 degree sleeping bag which is little more than a down cocoon hardly big enough for you to cross your arms on your chest
but it actually can be stuffed into a pocket - it's pretty useful
by midnight it had got down to about zero - i don't know how well i might have fared had the temperature dropped another five degrees
but i was comfortable and slept until after 4 - still time enough to check in
i did wake at about 2am
there were two young men from Holland sitting and freezing to death and later i heard from one of the airport staff that some had also tried to escape the cold in outside stairwells
well done Christchurch Airport you dolts
these tourists will forget all the great stuff they experienced in NZ and will instead report the terrible treatment at the airport
me, i'm used to both the cold and to idiotic Kiwi shortsightedness
but those poor tourists really suffered
pop
some refs:
No Sleeping Overnight at Christchurch International Airport
Travellers kicked out of Christchurch Airport overnight
Travellers kicked out of Christchurch Airport overnight
Tourists land to rude Kiwi awakening
Early flyers can kip at airport
