25/12/2025 Auckland sunrises and Fijian sunshine

Seasons greetings from New Zealand and Fiji.  Our alarm went off at 0445 for us to make sure we caught the bus to the airport. As we walked outside the sunrise was just starting to paint the sky, so beautiful, and the only second spectacular one I’ve seen since my arrival, I’m taking it as a sign from Si.  He would certainly have appreciated this gift from New Zealand this morning. 

Our bus came on time and we piled on for the short trip to the airport. We could have walked it but who wants to be doing that at stupid o’clock, not me Thankyou when there is a perfectly good bus parked outside the door! We had to go via the domestic terminal which lengthened the trip by a whole 5 minutes. Because our flight time had changed by 40 minutes, we were very early to check in so the desk wasn’t open. Having Mildred was a benefit and we were able to check our bags and her in at the air New Zealand crew desk which was a bonus.  All tagged up and the bag on its way to who knows where,  Morg and I went to the special assistance desk where they told me I could stay in Mildred until the gate and she would then be loaded once I was on board. 

We declined assistance through the airport as Morg was happy to push. It was the quickest I’ve been through in a while, and within a few minutes we were airside. The only downside of the security side was when the lovely lady at customs wished us a happy Christmas,l that set me right off FFS !   I’d already checked via email to see if I could use my priority pass for the airport  lounge and was glad to discover that we were able to. On our way to there was a huge display for people to have their photos taken with.  I didn’t want my photo taken with it, but really wanted a photo of it because inside were 100’s of plastic bees, definitely another sign from Simon.  Particularly as what the sign said was exactly what he used to say about New Zealand.  

Predictably it made me very emotional and embarrassingly huge sobs erupted which Morg tactfully ignored.  The lounge check in was smooth and because it was very quiet we had the pick of seats. On the way in, the receptionist advised us that Air New Zealand  no longer announced their flights so we needed to keep an eye on the screens for our departure gate and time. Generally we are told what time we need to be at the gate or I am collected this time though we were entirely self reliant. Good god what were they thinking it’s like they don’t know me, or perhaps they just saw  Morgan a sensible adult….   Breakfast was being served so we went and helped ourselves. The choice was substantial and everything from full, build your own cooked brekkie  to croissants, cereals, toast, fruit, cakes, cookies and yoghurts.  Whatever you wanted you could have.  A barista coffee shop was in one corner and the coffees from there were exceptional. However not as exceptional as the self-serve bar. (Wiggles eyebrows!) All the usual spirits including tequila. Had a teaspoon been handy I would have filled it and snorted it in Simon’s name. It was probably a good thing for everyone else we didn’t start with that caper because things would have gotten ugly really fast!  They did however have gin so I poured myself a very generous Leonard measure. 4 parts gin half part tonic, added a slice of lemon and took it back to our seats. I offered Morg one but he declined saying it was a bit early. A bit early??? It’s 1700 hrs at home, a perfectly reasonable time for a quadruple rum and coke if thats what he wanted . He couldn’t be persuaded at all and I was drinking by myself ah well this a girl who does not mind that!  Aww bloody hell that’s practically neat gin I’m drinking. Si would be proud of me! Morg found gingerbread men too, and bought us one each back because what’s breakfast without a ginger bread man complete with buttons! At the exact same tie we both said “ not my gum drop buttons” (we obviously watch Shrek too much). He made my ‘ginger’ and tonic perfect.  Weird combo but it works.

From one of his spins around the lounge Morgan came back with two heart shaped cookies which he put in his bag for me to celebrate our Wedding anniversary with on Sunday.  I asked him to get another pack just in case they got crushed between NZ and Fiji and when he came back with them I popped them inside my snorkel mask to hopefully protect them a bit. Morg put the other pack in his bag so all being well we should have two whole heart cookies to eat on Sunday!  

Time went surprisingly quick and it was soon time to go towards the gate as I generally get loaded first. The board said it was a 4 minute walk to the gate, they’d clearly not accounted for Morg's long legs striding through the airport we were there in two. As we arrived the lady on the desk was just about to call us to the gate so that was brilliant timing. I was rolled to the gate like I was the goddamn Queen and after transferring into the aisle chair they started to get me on the plane. The girl doing it was new and you could tell bless her, I’m not sure how much attention she actually paid during training though. When I was finally in the plane all that was left was to get me to my seat.  Usually when you book special assistance through the airline they put you where it’s easiest for the team.  I’d booked via a third party and whilst really good,  you have to request the assistance separately. So although you get it, you aren’t assigned seats in the most accessible of places. To be fair I wasn’t that worried because we were right next to the bathroom. Which might be a nightmare for most people but for us was perfect.   Another difference was that I’m usually out in the window seat out of the way, this time I was in the middle of 3 seats with Morg on the aisle. The row we were in had no window so it wasn’t even a benefit to be sat there really, but the bloke declined to swap with me. Not a problem until he wants to visit the toilet!I suspect it’s the seat positioning, but by mid flight I can’t move a muscle and everything seizes up. Which makes things really awkward when the person next to me wants to get up and walk about. A lot. He had to climb over me.  Several times. 

Air New Zealand offer in flight movies and free wifi on all international  flights even if it’s only a three hour flight like this one, Morg was decided on Ballarina, the spin off from John Wick and I was tempted but I also wanted to watch the Equaliser 3 loving a bit of gratuitous violence. I figured it would be a  pretty safe bet for me. For reasons I won't go into, it was a bad choice. I ripped out the purple complimentary ear buds and was frantically stabbing at the stupid screen to get rid of it but my haste wasn’t helping and the stupid film kept playing. Hyperventilating, shaking like a leaf Morgan had to step in and get rid of it for me. He didn’t understand and it took me a while for me to be able to explain to him. I checked with Morg on the status of Ballerina and he confirmed I would be safe enough watching that so with relief I put it on. Thankfully he was right and despite a bucket load of violence and bloodshed I was happily absorbed in it. A light meal was bought around shortly after take off with an alcoholic drink or two. The choices were beef (I thought I heard it was beef stew, I was wrong) and a vegetarian dish. Not fancying beef stew I went for the veggie dish which turned out to be rice in the middle and two different curries either end of the container.  It was ok if you like tofu which I don’t. Both dishes were served with a garlic bread roll which was amazing!  Soft squidgy and dripping with garlic butter. I’d made a bad decision on the beef when it came it was pasta bolognaise and the way Morg inhaled it I would say it was pretty good.  Banoffee ice cream and another glass of wine finished it off.  Once Ballerina had finished … if you haven’t watched it and you like John Wick I recommend it. I found one of my favourites, Dead Pool and Wolverine. Never ever fails to make me laugh out loud much to the discomfort of the strange little man sitting next to me. I say strange because he requested a blanket for the flight. It was 20 degrees in NZ and almost thirty in Fiji. I couldn't for the life of me understand why he wanted a blankie. He was already wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Throughout the whole flight he jiggled his legs. That wasn't annoying at all. Nope not in the least. I was ready to pin his legs to his seat with my wooden fork halfway through the flight. It appears I was a bit on edge, who would have thought it?  By some miracle he made it through the 3 hour flight without being impaled on my cutlery,  let’s just say he was very very fortunate.

 Our landing at Nadi was pretty smooth and we were greeted with hazy blue skies and shimmering tarmac. Everyone disembarked relatively quickly and the assistance team came on board to collect me. We were scuttled through passport control, but to my disappointment we missed out on the traditional Fijian music that's performed  when passengers arrive on the island by huge Fijians in traditional dress. I was gutted as I really wanted Morg to experience them , it's a real treat and helps pass the time waiting to go through customs.

I'm pleased to report  my passport was stamped by customs and we passed through to  the scanning area so they could check for prohibited food items. Before we landed we had to fill out a form for customs declaring any fresh foodstuffs. I ticked the ‘no’ box and then remembered the orange and banana in my rucksack. Luckily for me I can peel an orange in my pocket without getting caught and so can Morgan, so while we were waiting to be collected off the plane we peeled and inhaled the orange and the banana leaving the evidence in the seat in front of the weird guy who nearly had his legs impaled.  Seriously, you would have been really impressed.  

When our hand luggage had been scanned we were asked to go onto the checking area as there were food items that needed examining. We  had two sealed packs of salted crackers and the lovely mince pies I’d been gifted from Josh in Morgan’s favourite bakery. I didn’t even give them a thought.  Thankfully they were sealed by the bakery and had one of their labels on or Morg and I would have been smashing them into our bellies. I would have been devastated as I was looking forward to them. As luck had it they were deemed ok! Result because my rage levels were high today, and with that bit of good news we were out the door and into the arrivals lounge. Morg went down the stairs and I was taken in the lift. Last time the lift was broken and we had to wait two hours before anyone came out to fix it .This time everything was on our side,

Or definitely someone was!  Thanks Si! 

As we got down stairs I could see our bag just on the carousel so Morgan was able to pick it up quickly along with Mildred. I transferred out of their chair which was the deluxe extra wide version and we were off to locate our taxi driver .

Public transport is very cheap in Fiji but as it was Christmasmas I wasn’t sure what the situation with it would be so erred on the side of caution and prebooked transport with the resort. I’m glad I did because the flight was slightly delayed which meant we were cutting it very close to meet the boat for Serenity Island. Yes you read that right I said boat .  Our driver was waiting for us and guided us to the car. As we were leaving the airport there was a policeman ( sgt if the stripes mean the same here as at home) overseeing the loading of a boot of a car that was crammed full of boxes. I love the uniform!! 

We were taken over some really rough roads, drove past sugar cane fields and disused railway tracks and saw Fijians outside enjoying their Christmas Day. We were taken to Vuda Marina which is a different one to where Si and I had met the boat to the island last year and the resort's little red boat was waiting for us. Vuda Marina is a haven for yachts and has 40 cyclone pits. Judging by the size and quantity of yachts booth moored and in dry dock I can see why the cyclone pits might be necessary. There is a restaurant there called the Boat shed, and some accommodation facilities on site too.   It's a bit closer to the Island too so shaves 10 minutes off the trip. 

There was a lady who works for Marriott also catching the boat to the island and she was greatly unimpressed that the service was running on Fiji time. Which is an actual thing, She insisted it was just an excuse for laziness which I felt was a bit harsh. I guess the Marriott is a bit different to Serenity life.  Her eyes must have pulled a muscle the way they rolled back in her head at realising we’re waiting for more people from the airport. To be honest I felt she was being unfair because airport delays are somewhat out of the islands control. We were invited to sit in the restaurant, but she declined and opted to stay under the tree. Morg and I went and sat on the boat after our kit had been loaded on and Morg decided to change into shorts before going for a walk to stretch his legs. When he came back he said something that reminded me of Si which had me bawling. To lighten the mood he made a bet that I’d end up in tears  5 times today. I was delighted to inform him to hand over my winnings. Because I was in double figures before breakfast and I suspected that was only going to increase during the course of the day. 

After 20 minutes or so a couple with a young kid appeared and sat in the boat. The man promptly complained that the boat wasn’t leaving on time. Well no it’s  you asshole because we've all been waiting for you, you utter melt.  

When the crew realised we were all on board they started the engines and we were given a welcome speech. I love how softly spoken the Fijians are and the incredibly gentle energy that surrounds them and this man’s voice wrapped itself around me like a hug. He took a group Xmas day photo of us all which was nice and then we were underway. 

As we bounced over the waves in our little red boat my thoughts were with Si and I asked him for a sign he was with me. greedy I know, clearly the massive number of bees in the airport weren’t enough, and no sooner had I let the thought go, Morg nudged me and put his ear bud in my ear telling me he had a sign from Si . He was listening to a random playlist on Spotify and the Eagles , take it easy, just popped up on a playlist that wasn’t his. I had to wonder if I had asked Si for a sign out loud because the coincidence was mind blowing. But no it was definitely a silent request. Seems Si heard me anyway. Obviously it made me cry. Again. 

Shortly after  we approached Serenity Island and I had tears running down my face. They have a tradition that they all come out to welcome you ‘home’ every time you come back to the island. They used to sing to all returning guests, even if you’d only been out on a day trip. That welcome home broke me but also a feeling of peace settled over me. The island has the most incredibly magical energy to it. It envelops you in peace and tranquility which is just the most amazing feeling especially in my current state of mind. I knew instantly it was the right decision to come back to spend what promises to be three really tough days: Christmas, our wedding anniversary and my birthday.

We had to swap boats into a smaller one to actually get on the island as the water is too shallow for the red one. The ferry boat is a simple affair and well used! As I say we were welcomed home with enthusiasm and I felt surrounded by love.  I was helped off the boat by two gigantic Fijians with the most enormous feet.  I mean absolutely huge, I reckon finding shoes would be a big struggle. Morg was mesmerised by them !!  

Waiting for us was a cold island cocktail. I have no idea what was in it but it was delicious!!  Check in was done as we drank our drinks listening to the waves gently lap at the shore. Peace

and tranquility is just what we need.  Our brief welcome talk consisted of what time meals were served and if we want anything, to what's app or ask reception. How simple is that? We were taken to our Bure and Morg and I were at the far end of the island , the same area Si and I were. Thankfully we were in a different one as that would have been too difficult by far. Our bags were brought to us within a few minutes,and we were offered a single bed. I'd checked with Morg if he minded sharing a bed before I booked and he was fine with it. I could have booked a family room which would have been a waste for just the two of us and as he was ok it wasn't a problem. When we were offered a single bed in the Bure, we obviously accepted. It was very kind of them and they certainly didn't have to do that.   As our bags were now in the Bure we quickly changed into swimmers and dived in the ocean. It was like a bath, and I spent the rest of the afternoon  floating in the crystal clear waters. Surprisingly the resort is quieter than I expected, which is also no bad thing. There were an awful lot of tears while I was enjoying the ocean, so many wonderful memories returning being played over like a movie. It was lovely to be able to share them with Morg as he hadn't heard them before, and amidst the tears there was an awful lot of laughter mainly at my own expense because as we know I do and say ridiculous things and also ridiculous things happen to me. The island has worked its magic for sure and so many wonderful  memories came flooding back to  me.  

Morg had enough after a while and was getting far too wrinkled, I was too, but I wasn't ready to get out just yet, I needed to replenish the saltwater levels!  And I was also searching for one of Si’s blue starfish. The lady next door but one  to us was in the ocean, her name was Emma and she's  an Australian who lives on the mainland with her husband. They have come to Serenity for a few days break and love it because it is just a short hop, but a complete change of pace and energy. As we were talking her husband joined her, and she introduced us, his name is … Si. As a native Fijian there is no resemblance except that they are in the bure we were in last year.

Morg came back in for another dip, and within two minutes a blue starfish appeared. Que more tears but this time it was comforting as I felt Si was definitely here with me now and shown Morg the one thing he was desperate for him to see.

Due to our early start  and the highly emotional state I'd been in all day, Morg and I were a bit tired and elected to have an early night, not anticipating at all the volume of messages we'd have. It is however nice to be loved. Our planned early night didn't go to plan. Dylan rang at 0100hours to wish us a merry christmas bless him, damn but i love that boy. 

I've made it through my first Christmas without Si, to say it was difficult would be an understatement, but it was a little easier being somewhere completely different. It may look like I'm running away, and at this point I don't even care. I just know I couldn't have stayed at home, so I think this is the new 25th December for me, fly somewhere hot and ignore the day completely. It was our favourite time of year but I don't have the strength or even inclination to celebrate it anytime soon, if ever again. Now it's just another day without Si. I do however hope you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones, made memories to cherish forever, and laughed til your sides hurt. 

Much Love

Mrs Leonard

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