I can't believe that I have been in Australia since last Saturday!! It's been amazing so far and you wouldn't believe all that I have seen. I've been up to the Dandenong Mountains, into the city of Melbourne (twice). I actually ventured in on my own yesterday and didn't get too terribly lost. Already have spent 3 days in Sydney, went through two different mansions today, tomorrow is Marysville and this coming week Tasmania!!!
I do have to apologize that I've not been able to blog much (actually only once) since I've gotten here but and blogs will be limited I'm guessing but rest assured I will entertain you all when I can and most definitely upon my return to the states...all sunburnt and pooped out! Yup...I got sunburnt while up in Sydney on Bondi Beach and am working hard on that 'farmer's tan'...no doubt I'll be in full 'color' by the time spring rolls around. Now anyone who knows me knows I do not tan I burn and burn and...you get the idea.
Anyways...must go take a quick nana nap (as the Tour Guide calls them) as we are going over to a friend of her's for dinner and drinks...or was that drinks and dinner?! Either way I'm armed with Victorian beer and it should be a good time.
Until next time, wherever you are have a great day!!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
I Am Here!!
Can you believe it??!! After 30+ years I am in Australia!! Still think I need to pinch myself but shall refrain as I have multiple little bruises on my right forearm that looks like I've been pinched but I was really 'mugged' by my pack back taking it off for the umpteenth time in Los Angeles waiting for the flight. I know that I definitely will rethink carrying a 17 inch laptop with on a long trip and go to an iPad which the Tour Guide has and is kindly letting me use so that I can access internet...haven't found a wifi connection at the unit (apartment) yet.
In ways it's a bit of a miracle that I made my flight from Los Angeles. First off...don't always believe what you see when looking at a map of the airport as it is more than likely not even close to a miniature scale replica. At least that's what I found out in Los Angeles when I transferred from Sun Country to Qantas. It wasn't simply going around what appeared to be a rectangular layout for an airport but it meant dragging all of your luggage (Sun Country doesn't do luggage transfers to Qantas) and going outside walking what seemed like forever to the Thomas Bradley terminal and then having to find just where exactly checkin was for Qantus.
The gentleman that checked me in was great and he must have sensed that I was more that a bit jittery about the trip as I was fumbling to dig my passport out of the 'money thingy' I had hanging around my neck. I am not sold at all on the 'money thingy' but it does keep your money & passport close at hand around the neck so I guess it'll work...I just don't particularly care for it.
Anyways...got checked in and got 'rid' of the monster suitcase (thank God it is on swivel wheels) and was back down to the heavy backpack & camera bag and headed out to find International security and a bite to eat. I walked around the food court outside security & nothing appealed to me so thought I'd just go through security & grab a sandwich in one of the many shops inside.
Security took forever...and I mean forever!! One of the security machines had 'gone' down as I overheard them say and they were waiting to have it recalibrated. In the meantime people were starting to stack up like cordwood waiting in line to go through the 1...yes I said 1 security checkpoint. Completely ridiculous but I can't let myself get started on security. After finally getting through I set off to find my departure gate and something for supper. I found neither right off...well, ok I did find Gate 120 but what I had thought would be multiple shops were just a few and ended up getting a turkey sub machine that I ended up peeling apart and eating just the turkey & cheese...nothing can be less appealing when you pick up a sandwich like that and it's soggy bread. Yuck!!
So as I was eating at Gate 120 I was starting to get concerned as it seemed like all the flights were going to someplace in Asia. After finishing off my $10 piece of turkey & cheese I pulled out my booking slip & after searching on it finally found it was Gate 121. Thankfully I didn't put my alarm on on the phone and lay my head down for a nap as I had thought of doing. Anyways...I moved on to Gate 121 & was a bit concerned that I wasn't seen anything Qantas but that's what my booking slip said so I sat down and relaxed for a while. After a fashion a Qantus employee came out and started setting up 'temporary' Qantas info panels, etc. so I knew that it was the right gate and time was coming near.
...to be continued.
In ways it's a bit of a miracle that I made my flight from Los Angeles. First off...don't always believe what you see when looking at a map of the airport as it is more than likely not even close to a miniature scale replica. At least that's what I found out in Los Angeles when I transferred from Sun Country to Qantas. It wasn't simply going around what appeared to be a rectangular layout for an airport but it meant dragging all of your luggage (Sun Country doesn't do luggage transfers to Qantas) and going outside walking what seemed like forever to the Thomas Bradley terminal and then having to find just where exactly checkin was for Qantus.
The gentleman that checked me in was great and he must have sensed that I was more that a bit jittery about the trip as I was fumbling to dig my passport out of the 'money thingy' I had hanging around my neck. I am not sold at all on the 'money thingy' but it does keep your money & passport close at hand around the neck so I guess it'll work...I just don't particularly care for it.
Anyways...got checked in and got 'rid' of the monster suitcase (thank God it is on swivel wheels) and was back down to the heavy backpack & camera bag and headed out to find International security and a bite to eat. I walked around the food court outside security & nothing appealed to me so thought I'd just go through security & grab a sandwich in one of the many shops inside.
Security took forever...and I mean forever!! One of the security machines had 'gone' down as I overheard them say and they were waiting to have it recalibrated. In the meantime people were starting to stack up like cordwood waiting in line to go through the 1...yes I said 1 security checkpoint. Completely ridiculous but I can't let myself get started on security. After finally getting through I set off to find my departure gate and something for supper. I found neither right off...well, ok I did find Gate 120 but what I had thought would be multiple shops were just a few and ended up getting a turkey sub machine that I ended up peeling apart and eating just the turkey & cheese...nothing can be less appealing when you pick up a sandwich like that and it's soggy bread. Yuck!!
So as I was eating at Gate 120 I was starting to get concerned as it seemed like all the flights were going to someplace in Asia. After finishing off my $10 piece of turkey & cheese I pulled out my booking slip & after searching on it finally found it was Gate 121. Thankfully I didn't put my alarm on on the phone and lay my head down for a nap as I had thought of doing. Anyways...I moved on to Gate 121 & was a bit concerned that I wasn't seen anything Qantas but that's what my booking slip said so I sat down and relaxed for a while. After a fashion a Qantus employee came out and started setting up 'temporary' Qantas info panels, etc. so I knew that it was the right gate and time was coming near.
...to be continued.
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