That reads like a headline for the forthcoming tests in NZ but no! Gabrielle had other idea!

In case you don’t know Gabrielle – she’s a cyclone which has been speeding across the SW Pacific and other seas I’m too tired to look up; and she’s been featuring in travel plans for tour groups for the past few days.

She’s decided to make landfall or at least beat the bejabers out of the North Island NZ anytime soon. So as a precaution Auckland airport is closed to all domestic and international flights for at least the next day (something similar happened 10 days or so ago but had the added challenge of flooding after a month’s rainfall fell in 12 hours!).

So a lay over then of three hours in some places across the globe turned into three days for some people!

Anyway, sallying forth from Heathrow yesterday in high hopes of a featureless journey came to an abrupt halt when disembarking here (in Singapore) we were greeted with the news that the flight to Auckland I should be on this minute had been cancelled.

Not unexpectedly the airline swept into action and I find myself in a plush 5 star hotel for the night at no cost and a news update from the airline at 0900 tomorrow.

Indications are that Auckland will reopen just before the identical flight from Singapore (if it leaves tomorrow) should land. That’s assuming spaces, a plane and crew in the right place and so forth…

I think I should start a survey – which city/town has the craziest taxi drivers? Singapore is up there near the top.

So hopefully I’ll get to Mt Manganui before Thursday afternoon when the test starts and there could be an added bonus of a tourist day in Singapore tomorrow? No photos in this blog (it’s dark and I’m k*******d anyway)…perhaps tomorrow?

Who knows? Que sera, sera!