On my way (July 4 - July 6)
Part 1: Leaving Vancouver
It's 10pm and I'm sitting in the maple leaf lounge (thanks to Craig's Air Canada gold status he gets some free lounge passes and was nice enough to give me one). My flight leaves at 11:50pm, so Im killing time.
It is with mixed emotions that I am leaving. I know I should be excited; excited to be going somewhere I have never been, excited to meet new people, excited to break the daily routine in Vancouver. But right now I am having a hard time finding that excitement, I'm just full of anxiety. I'm sure once I am there it will come, but right now I've got a 24 hour flight in front of me which i am not looking forward to. Also, saying good bye to Craig at the airport an hour ago, for the next 2 months, was not easy. Finally, I think the fact that I am going there to work (and not on vacation) is making me a little skeptical. I have no idea what i will be working on, what my expectations will be, etc. It's kind of like starting a new job, but one that I will be expected to know how to do.
Part 2: In the air
It's now 10:30am Vancouver time. We have been in the air nearly 11 hours. Only 4:45 left to go on flight #1. So far the time has flown by (sorry, i know that is an incredibly lame pun). I got the bulk head seat, which has made a huge difference. The girl next to me paid $75 extra for the preferred seat.....I just checked in online early and picked it for free. I guess they open them up to everyone 24 hours before; works for me. My sleeping pill that I took did it's job, I managed to sleep on and off for 8 hours or so. I'm feeling pretty decent right now, but let's give it another 12 hours when i arrive in Perth and see if I still fee okay.
Part 3: Sydney
I did not expect the best part of my 24 hour trip to be the 15 hour flight.....but so far it has been. The Sydney airport was an absolute nightmare. I had 2 hours to make my connection and I got to the gate just in time. The chaos started at baggage claim. I had to pick up my luggage and clear customs. I get to the luggage claim area and there are 600 people running around looking for their bags. It's madness. The carousals were numbered but the screen which showed which flight went to which carousal was broken, so no one knew where to go. There were announcements trying to sort everyone out, but it was not helping.
Eventually I track down my bags and head for the exit, but there is a huge line. Apparently the Aussie's are very worried about contamination because you have to pass through quarantine about 8 times (we even had to sit on the plane for 15 minutes after we landed while the plane was sprayed and decontaminated). So though the quarantine station i go; I got lucky, the customs clerk who helped me was very nice. He got me right though. Other people were having their bags pulled apart.
So then I am out in the arrivals area and I have to walk through heavy crowds for literally 20 minutes to get to the Qantas check in area (with no moving sidewalks and 3 pieces of luggage!!!). I get there and guess what..... Huge line ups to check in. They have about 2 check in counters open for all domestic flights. Finally through that, next up is security. Once again for ALL domestic flights, there is ONE xray machine. So now I'm down to about 30 minutes before my flight leaves, I get though security and I'm put in a holding area waiting for a bus to take everyone to the terminal. 15 minutes and a sweaty cramped bus ride later and I'm at the terminal. Now I am rushing. My gate is at the end of the terminal. Once again no moving sidewalks. WTF!
I made it, but not the kind of experience I was hoping for after a 15.5 hour flight. I am on my way to Perth now and we are bumping around like popcorn. The pilot just compared it to hitting the rapids when river rafting. Awesome.
Part 4: Arrival in Perth
I am here and very tired. Its 2pm which is 11pm the day before in Vancouver. I am trying to stay up until 8pm
- Siobhan
It's 10pm and I'm sitting in the maple leaf lounge (thanks to Craig's Air Canada gold status he gets some free lounge passes and was nice enough to give me one). My flight leaves at 11:50pm, so Im killing time.
It is with mixed emotions that I am leaving. I know I should be excited; excited to be going somewhere I have never been, excited to meet new people, excited to break the daily routine in Vancouver. But right now I am having a hard time finding that excitement, I'm just full of anxiety. I'm sure once I am there it will come, but right now I've got a 24 hour flight in front of me which i am not looking forward to. Also, saying good bye to Craig at the airport an hour ago, for the next 2 months, was not easy. Finally, I think the fact that I am going there to work (and not on vacation) is making me a little skeptical. I have no idea what i will be working on, what my expectations will be, etc. It's kind of like starting a new job, but one that I will be expected to know how to do.
Part 2: In the air
It's now 10:30am Vancouver time. We have been in the air nearly 11 hours. Only 4:45 left to go on flight #1. So far the time has flown by (sorry, i know that is an incredibly lame pun). I got the bulk head seat, which has made a huge difference. The girl next to me paid $75 extra for the preferred seat.....I just checked in online early and picked it for free. I guess they open them up to everyone 24 hours before; works for me. My sleeping pill that I took did it's job, I managed to sleep on and off for 8 hours or so. I'm feeling pretty decent right now, but let's give it another 12 hours when i arrive in Perth and see if I still fee okay.
Part 3: Sydney
I did not expect the best part of my 24 hour trip to be the 15 hour flight.....but so far it has been. The Sydney airport was an absolute nightmare. I had 2 hours to make my connection and I got to the gate just in time. The chaos started at baggage claim. I had to pick up my luggage and clear customs. I get to the luggage claim area and there are 600 people running around looking for their bags. It's madness. The carousals were numbered but the screen which showed which flight went to which carousal was broken, so no one knew where to go. There were announcements trying to sort everyone out, but it was not helping.
Eventually I track down my bags and head for the exit, but there is a huge line. Apparently the Aussie's are very worried about contamination because you have to pass through quarantine about 8 times (we even had to sit on the plane for 15 minutes after we landed while the plane was sprayed and decontaminated). So though the quarantine station i go; I got lucky, the customs clerk who helped me was very nice. He got me right though. Other people were having their bags pulled apart.
So then I am out in the arrivals area and I have to walk through heavy crowds for literally 20 minutes to get to the Qantas check in area (with no moving sidewalks and 3 pieces of luggage!!!). I get there and guess what..... Huge line ups to check in. They have about 2 check in counters open for all domestic flights. Finally through that, next up is security. Once again for ALL domestic flights, there is ONE xray machine. So now I'm down to about 30 minutes before my flight leaves, I get though security and I'm put in a holding area waiting for a bus to take everyone to the terminal. 15 minutes and a sweaty cramped bus ride later and I'm at the terminal. Now I am rushing. My gate is at the end of the terminal. Once again no moving sidewalks. WTF!
I made it, but not the kind of experience I was hoping for after a 15.5 hour flight. I am on my way to Perth now and we are bumping around like popcorn. The pilot just compared it to hitting the rapids when river rafting. Awesome.
Part 4: Arrival in Perth
I am here and very tired. Its 2pm which is 11pm the day before in Vancouver. I am trying to stay up until 8pm
- Siobhan
Location:YVR, SYD, 30,000 feet and Perth
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