Yes, I’m going on another holiday… AGAIN.
I’m leaving Thursday evening. This time it’s to Auckland, New Zealand.
My sister moved to NZ with her family earlier this year. I have not seen her for yonks and my travel bug is itching me again, so it’s the high time for me to pay her a visit.
The only problem is that my bank account is dwindling flat and Auckland isn’t exactly the cheapest destination to fly to. Flying the conventional way via Malaysia Airlines to Auckland would have set me back at least RM3,200. That is a hefty sum I could not afford.
Instead of crying and bitching about the expensive fare, I decided to just rough it out. Here’s a poor man’s guide to travel to New Zealand. It’s not the easiest way to get to New Zealand, but hey, I paid RM800 less travelling this way.
Take AirAsia from Kuching to Johor Bahru; board ‘The Smiling Bus’ from JB down to Singapore; smile at those IMF/World Bank delegates at Suntec City on your way; next day, take the MRT to Changi Airport; from the airport, board Air New Zealand all the way to Auckland. Then on return, repeat the same process ALL OVER AGAIN.
Man, what a long and arduous journey just to get to New Zealand. It’s like I’m travelling through Middle Earth.
My precioussssssss.
This site is giving away chances to win a PDA dictionary once you fill out the form without any obligations.
To stand a chance, click here. And check your e-mail for the confirmation link.
Well….that’s what most people will do. Take a longer journey and save more money. Take it this way…you are saving money and be able to see more places and thus your makes money worthwhile. right? 🙂
First…
ahahha thats funny! things in NZ are also quite expensive. You travel alot!! always travelling! i haven’t travelled for like over 5 years!
oh my 3rd
too much hassle..but u get to more countries =p
I remember taking the ‘Smiling Bus’ to get to the airport when I was back in JB. It was free, and now they charge the passengers. The PDA Dictionary site doesn’t seem to be working. I want the dictionary!
Going to NZ? Good for you! Have fun sitting in those “smilling busses.”
hehe, the poster you photoshopped….you don´t look like frodo le… looks more like some black sheep in NZ *meh…*
your profession is to travel? you seems to be traveling alot…
aha..that’s a good tip to go to NZ…have fun there in NZ kenny! show us somce pics of ur sister too…hehe
COME FIND FOR ME IN AUCKLAND ! I AM HERE ! ONE OF THE MALAYSIAN IN NZ !
When I flew with Air NZ, I pre-ordered its Muslim (spelt Moslem on the food tray) food. It was good, fish with curry and basmati rice. Maybe you can try that on your return journey.
Weyy kenny.. how come u get to travel a lot horr? U got a lot of annual leave izzit? U dont have to work meh? I never got a chance to travel as much as u. Either its no time, or no money.. Hehehe
Kenny, you can actually book for your Auckland flight via local travel agent and the package will include Kuching – Singapore via SilkAir! I once booked Kuching – Perth on Singapore Airlines and it included Kuching – Singapore on SilkAir while Singapore – Perth on Singapore Airlines. Enjoy your holidays.
You should travel next month, so that i’ve got the chance to see the real kennysia!
Do fly to Brunei,when you’ve got the chance!
well, kenny… with that kind of price, you can fly here to washington DC to visit me eh… yes?
well. haf fun kenny.
have fun in nz tho
eventho, i don exactly LOVE the place
but its a good people for elders to muck around, cool retirement country..
urm.. right, i don mean to emphasize on how old kennysia is nowadys =) hehe
come to melbourne!
lots of kuching-ites here…lots of kennysia readers also
lol.. ur LOTR poster.. wahaha.. hmm.. really cannot afford meh?.. but it’s actually a great way to travel also.. maybe u can even get more out of it.. take care n goodluck!!! hope ya hv a great time~
Smiling bus is good.. either take CW1 or CW2. RM8 from Senai –> Kotaraya 😉
hi, i’m new comer. i just a few times came to your blog. but i like it.
thats alot of shit to go through to get to nz.
is it just me, or nowadays do the travel fares have NOTHING to do with the distance you fly anymore.. to fly tokyo – hk is only about 200USD, but tokyo – shanghai (closer) its about 500bloodyUSD. what the hell…
Nice… Very Nice…
Kenny, U look very handsome as a Hobbit! Maybe U should dress that way!
Have a nice trip!
i’m in auckland .. come and visit me as well lol .. email me !!!!!
hey… how you know whats the cheapest way to fly… i wanna know too…
you’re coming to AKL? Why? there’s really nuthing much to do here…shops close early and it’s been raining these few days.
But i’ll definitely say hi if i see you walking on the street…
Travelling again huh? Anyway, enjoy your trip!!
Well Kenny, with your height, you can qualify as a hobbit hehehehe anyway, have fun in New Zealand and dnt bugger the poor sheeps now…hahaha
Auckland is a very beautiful city. unless rainy that day. but now is just the beginning of spring, the most beautiful season that cheer people up after the winter. you come to the right time! Auckland is actually ranked 5-6 the most suitable city to live in the world! in term of many aspects. people here put human first, money after (in general) alot of smiley faces,
many friendly talk, alot of grooming among each
other. places not to miss – one tree hill, i know Kuching has too but this is the original version, cornwall park (next time one tree hill),
mission bay, kelly tarton underwater world, victoria park market, queen st., parnell rose garden, philip aquatic swimming pool, sauna, steam, and man made wave.. etc etc…
like to see what’s your encounter and holiday in Auckland and post it here for our feedback will be very good 😉 i enjoy your photography, i am very interested to see what angle of heaven you took? promise? ok. i offered my reliable info here to you to exchange for that, hows that? 🙂
if you face any problem here in Auckland,
call the citizen advise bereau, they will help
you up from small to big matters. FREE. its a non profit organisation.
one of the numbers 09-8464023 mt. albert branch.
i live in Auckland, but prefer to stay invisible here
-jerry
Hehe, if ur going to travel just in the city, then its ok. there’s a free bus service around Auckland city =)
Hahaha! Really it looks like a black sheep la! But travelling is so nice!
If you like all the hassle of travelling here and there and all the waiting then ok la. Hey, not bringing your mummy this time?
hey! nice to hear you are going to new zealand. I am here in New Zealand. have been reading your blog for a while.. awesome. ^^
How long are you going to stay here in New Zealand? It is a nice country.. i hope you will enjoy your stay here. =)
whoa ! i didnt know that hobbits was as harry as you man !
You want to borrow me shaver ???
ah. sg is asia hub wa. of koz travelling cheaper la. locals here always travel vice versa. kch-sg-perth? thats only to australia. now we’re talking nz lar….
the face hor, look like an APE! HAHAHAHAHA!
Cheapest way to NZ? Maybe Royal Brunei or Garuda if you don’t mind a lot of stops -Emirates if you want some style ex Singapore.
Cool, I like traveling as well 🙂
auckland is pretty boring to be honest, sure there are lovely beaches, but the beaches down south are way better. the night life is mainly at the viaduct harbour and dont bother going shopping, shops close at around 6. you might wanna try bungee jumping off the harbour bridge but if you are looking for a real holiday in NZ, you’re gonna have to go down south to ruapehu for skiing or rotorua for outdoor activities such as the luge, zorbing, etc etc. o and welcome to auckland, i live here, and its great.
you are soooo funny!!! (NOT!)
tell you jokes to your brother and little sister.
ahha, the picture is funny.
Like your poster. But I think you look more like Monkey-King “Sun Wu Kong” lah.
Take loads of nice picture and keep us posted yah.
Haiyo! If already decided to go holiday, then should not fret over the costs lah. Anyway, bring back some souveniers and say hi to the Kiwis!
come to christchurch! im doing my exchange at canterbury.
i have a crush on you.
HAHAHA!
Hi Kenny, already going to the north island, never miss out the south island. I can’t wait for your nice and funny travelling stories…Have a nice journey!
Wow Kenny… u do travel a lot…do you need a companion…HAHA
I have a question to ask though, how many annual leaves u get a year??
Feel free to contact me on the email, im studying in auckland 🙂
muahahhaha…soo nice… 🙂 Kenny you expert in budget travel? can help abit :p
Kenny, I found you on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Sia. It’s stated there that you are from Myanmar?? o_O
Oh COOL!! I love NZ! Been there last year… u reli shud drive around to get to places.. i drove too! Esp places like Otago, Auckland (u mite get lost though) and also around the North Island (Rotorua).. My fav city is Christchurch 😀 Have fun!
ur participating in singapore marathon right! 😀
Man, you’re rich. The last time I go for a vacation was last 5 years. Anyway, enjoy yourself. We might see some pictures of milk, cow or chocolate by Kenny soon, =p.
Baaa! I used to live in Auckland. Places to visit:
1. One Tree Hill – the tree was vandalised recently.
2. The Museum to check out the huge extinct bird.
3. Parnell – lovely quaint architecture + flea mkt
4. K Road – naughty shops
5. Auckland Uni – see student life
6. Try the pies & seafood
7. Dont mess with the sheep. Baaa!
8. Waitomo caves & Lake Taupo are good side trips.
i work in the travel industry also don’t travel so often like you..
maybe i do..
Travel to KL everyday.!!
enjoy ur trip ya!
by the way… the photo u edited look like black Orang hutan 😛
Have a nice trip Kenny, it is always good to visit the family
well, at least u r not married.. if married, u have to bring yr wife along. pay more eh! haha!
hey kenny, you’ll definately have tons of things to do in Auckland! if you can afford it, might I suggest some extreme adventures, such as black water rafting in waitomo, white water rafting in hamilton, bungee jumping off the harbour bridge, skiing/snowboarding (but winter’s kinda ending). Or just going for a night on the town! Anyways, if you want a good time (not like that ^^) full of adrenaline just lemme know as I can arrange tons of things for you to do. If not, enjoy your trip man!
also, if your financial situation is a bit more desperate, then I can always take you to K road and solicite some business for you 😛 I’m sure ppl wld pay to sleep with a famous blogger, plus I’m sure many of my female friends wld like to meet u. anyways, if not, just enjoy the NZ scenery, it’s the best in this big blue world!
kenny…u just fucking damn rich!!!
it is just like the great Fjord of Norway
If you really need to fuel a travel habit, I hear you could work as a private courier. They pay you to carry a little package and fly to some destination that you actually want to go, and then you can stay there a little while. And no, I don’t mean contraband – legal stuff, but maybe a little more sensitive than DHL cargo.
thinking of further my study at New Zealand, but suddenly i change my mind….. then again.. and again… haha…
Go and visit one tree hill, i heard there the area is a wonderful landscape not to miss!
be prepared to go thru hell first in custom check out at Auckland airport before entering to the heaven. unless you are lucky~
if you bring something u have to declare, declare it and be ready, the nasty officer will dig your every single thing out from yr luggage, one by one. after a long 10+hrs flight, you are likely to stuck in custom for another ~1hour. ya, not nice. but aftertat, it is a different world… they hav to do tis to protect the clean green unpoluted country. having this in mind, you will be more forgiving. but i still hate them- the mother fucker custom officer. if you line up with the chinese custom officer, you better pop in mood stabilizer or panadol, and say “thank you” to them after finishing, with “bastard” this word after~! and quickly go because they are double m f !!
Happy holiday, Kenny. Remember to share your trip in your blog when you are back from NZ. Have a nice trip.
lol..
then are we gonna get budget news too after u come back??
COME TO CHRISTCHURCH PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! COME TO CHRISTCHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN STAY AT MY PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!
hmm?! ehhs =// u can borrow money from cheesie or xiaxue >.
hey kenny. the other day i read an article abt a hobbit audition in canada. men with hairy feet, calves and arms were encouraged to audition, and i immediately thought of you! hehehe then this picture. i must say the look suits u well =)
Got typo!!!!
Lord of the RINGO la!
TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES LIAO!!!666
hahahaha….gosh. you look good…lol. the scenery is good enough for me. me have to go there some times soon to visit me cousies. you takecare man. cheers
Kenny! You look more like a baby King Kong in the picture. LOL.. but ur face looks smoother and much more slimmer, good for you!
Bon voyage. I’ll call my eagles over should you get attacked by some dude with a tin head.
Haha. Looks so ugly the photo.
will be goin to NZ too this comin mon.. and be there for a month… wil be in Chch den Nelson and den Wel den Auck….
Can meet up if u want too..
I paid bout RM3,700 for my tix…
Hey, that’s very nicely photoshopped! 😉 Have fun in Auckland, been there and it’s real fun. Take care.
I backpacked alone to NZ in April this year. Since you are paying a hefty price for your trip, I recommend you get the best of it. If you got time go to the south island. As for me due to time factor, I only managed to explore part of the north island. Rent a car there and drive around. If you have only i.e 5-6 days, drive up to places like Auckland – Whitianga – Rotorua -Taupo – Waitomo Caves – Ragland – Auckland. S$tay in those backpackers hotel. They are cheap (NZ$10-15 per night) and very comfortable rooms and you get to meet other backpacker.
A tip if you are on tight budget – you can actually get free food from the backpackers hostel fridge. Sometimes some nice backpackers will leave their food in the fridge for others to take in the “Free Food” section.
Driving in NZ is very easy and I really enjoyed myself there. Also do some bungee jump while you are there. I did it and never regreted it. You can check my NZ pic in my friendster.
Kenny, what would be the cheapest way to go to Hong Kong from KL??
Kenny!
You not afraid that someone will stalk you?
The date and time of flights all there.. hmmm…
Maybe I can make my way down to the airport… hmmm…
your jokes are so lame soooo unfunny? where’s your sense of humour? for heaven’s sake try your jokes elsewhere, like the old folks home.
Wahhh,.. Kenny!
You siok siok go here and siok siok go there!
Like what they say,… you no need to work meh,.. how you get so much leave? Must be your own company lah,..
You really should get the airline to sponsor you so you can go around more and show us more of your nice work.
Yeah, you could actually buy KCH-MH-SIN-NZ-AKL return through a local agent. Went to AKL almost exactly 1 year ago that way, paid only RM2200.
Bad news is, Air NZ is withdrawing from the Singapore route. One less option.
What is a “smiling bus”??
HAHAHAHA OMFGROFL!!!!
HAHAHAHA OMFGROFL!!!!
haha..what a coincidence! i’ll be leaving for auckland,nz tomoro from brisbane! and leaving auckalnd on the same day(30th)but not back to malaysia tho.. hope u have a good one
hahhaaa.. ok ok ! enjoy your holiday, dont forget the bring ur favorite digi cam ya 😛
Wow, NZ this time. In Christchurch here, welcome to NZ. Nothing to do much here unless u like those outdoor activities. Enjoy
go CHCH smoke the good shiet weed. Pop pills.. play snooker… clubbing a bit , do out door activities , extort some rich china ppl… fightings at asian party, chop a few hands behind Cant U, sleep in the slammers a bit.. stay NZ jail for 9 months….aah… the good ol days…
B4 I saw ‘ur preciousssss’, i thought that was a mutated BAAA BAAA Black Sheep LOL
nice post.. enjoy your trip ya
Hey, Kenny. Why go for holidays in NZ so early? You should wait for MATTA Fair at PWTC from Sept 22-24 2006. Great deals and discounts. You so “kan cheung” want to go NZ so early meh? If you wait for till the MATTA Fair, you and I could have gone to NZ together. Nevermind-loh, I go holiday with Amber Chia.
Actually if your travel schedule allows you to find the cheapest ticket and you don’t mind visiting 1 more country, you can fly to australia from singapore via tiger airways(around rm800) and then fly to new zealand from there via jetstar(around rm1k).
MAS fare from MATTA is only RM1900 return ex-KL… Royal Brunei flies return ex-KL for RM1890…
People always heard the NZ people are a wonderful people. May be that is what saved them.