Koru! Koru! Koru! Oi! Oi! Oi!

The sight of the Koru - the Air New Zealand aircraft tail insignia - has always had a big impact on me. I've spent decades travelling, boomeranging to and from home on different adventures, and its always been a welcome sight at the end of each trip, because for me it represents home, and GOING home, like no other symbol can. One time back in the 80's, when I was living in the UK, I'd just flown back into Gatwick airport in London after a holiday in Greece, and my plane pulled in alongside a Koru. I saw it, across the tarmac, while disembarking, and although I was perfectly happy, and actually looking forward to going back to work the next day, I saw that Koru and immediately felt a pang of homesickness so strong that all I wanted to do, suddenly, was leg it across the runway, leap onto that plane, and refuse to budge until somebody flew me home on it!

Air New Zealand are pretty cool. I'd urge anyone to fly with them, as I've done countless times myself. I use them whenever I can because nothing is too much of a problem for the staff of that airline, for their customers, and my experiences tell me that a lot of people could learn something from that. After the encounter with Delta Airlines Domestic over my crash helmet, when I approached the militant x-ray security guy, whose pock-marked face suddenly took on all the welcoming features of a pinless hand grenade at me having - shock, horror - an extra pieceof hand luggage, the Air New Zealand people just smiled, nodded, stepped aside and gestured me on board with all three pieces of baggage. I didn't have to speak one word about it. It wasn't even an issue. I'd been expecting another small war, actually, so I was stunned at how irrelevant they seemed to think having an extra (delicate) piece of carry-on baggage was. Balm to an open wound, that was... and on the domestic flight from Auckland to Nelson, Shoei even had its own seat, and was actually seat-belted on to it, through its carrycase handles, for safety during take-off and landing! How seriously cool was THAT??? Really should have got a photo of that... if I'd been able to stop laughing I probably would have thought of it.

There is a God, you know, because the L.A. born and bred Air New Zealand staff guy who checked me in at LAX? He was a biker. There ya go! Sometimes prayers do get answered.

Anyway, after I'd installed myself with a glass of champagne and a copy of the Daily Mail, in the airline's Posh Lounge (frequent flyer - gold status), I looked out of the window, and there she was; my plane home, the Koru standing proud and tall and ready to fly. The rush of excitement at seeing that awesome symbol is always the same. I've had the time of my life, but when I saw that Koru, I knew it was time to go.

Koru, Koru, Koru, Home, Home, Home!