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[[preprinted]] 3 [[/preprinted]] At 8:20 PM (6:20 Hawaii time) Ar Hickam Field. A warm, moist, cloudy night in Hawaii - Lv. ~11 P M (9:00 Hawaii time); Ar Pago Pago Wandered about for 1 3/4 hrs. Ar Christchurch 9:30 AM (8:30 Daylight S. Time) Between Hawaii & P.P. were served an identical meal to the earlier one steak- potatoes etc. My steak, this time, was v. juicy & good. The comforts of the flight were such a surprise that, as I enjoyed my 1st banquet, a man leaned across the aisle & said "They must have stolen this food from the prison system." Griping begins early. Toilet problems easy: one cubicle at back of passenger area, and I had an aisle seat. Met many people on flight. Dean and Pat Lowry at L.A.: Steve Ackley of CRELL at Pt. Mugu. [[underlined]] Susan Palta [[/underlined]] joined at Pt. Mugu. At [[underlined]] Hawaii, Virginia Ferrell [[/underlined]] (Alaska) whom I met at orientation: Barbara Sigel. Breakfast of eggs & sausage. $4.50 for 3 meals in flight. Dec. 9 Ar N.Z. - Christchurch 9:30 AM (8:30 DST): A long process thru immig. & customs -- I chose an officer about my own age & got great courtesy. All N.Z. officials in shorts knee socks white shirts. 5 of us traveled together assigned to same motel: Dean, Pat, Susan, Va, & me. The 1st taxi man tried to grab all 5 of us & luggage. Finally Susan, Va, & I split off into 2nd taxi run by a cheery young woman. Great discovery: You don't tip in N.Z! [[In left margin]] Susan Patla San Diego Virginia Ferrell Alaska[[/left margin]] [[in left margin]] silver eyes & yellow hummers in shrubs[[/in left margin]] Town Hall motel: I got a single #8; Susan & Virginia "twinning-it" in #9. Dean & Pat upstairs. As we sat outside waiting for rooms to be made up: Gisela Dreschoff & 2 other NSP people drove in. They have a few days enforced idleness in N.Z. -- Off to Brighton Beach. We had slept enough so after settling & cleaning up we 5 walked to town: Lunch of hot meat pies & other goodies in typical N.Z. ^[[Quick??]] Lunch ^[[Chris Baldwin]] As we ate, others from the plane came in: Chris Baldwin (U.S. Anglia) joined on walk to Canterbury Museum and Botanical Garden. [[left margin]] Red-billed gulls Black-" " [[dittos for billed gulls]] [[?ut]] Black-beaked mallards & hybrids [[/left margin]] I had hoped to meet Brian Mason's friend Roger Duff, the Director who could tell me or show me N.Z. birds - However Brian learned that he had died earlier this summer.
Transcription Notes:
[[minor corrections. "CRELL" is actually "CRREL" -- US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Katie 10/9]]