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Melboune…waiting waiting…

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

After all of 2.5 hours of sleeping it was time to get up and get moving, drove in the dark already exhausted. After farewelling mum (not many friends see you off at that time of the morning), I jumped on the short haul flight across the tasmen on some budget airline codesharing with about 4 other flights. I did sit next to a really interesting older couple who were heading over to the UK for a year so they could spend more time with their grandkids after their own children had all taken off on their O.E’s and never come home.

 

I tried to sleep, really I did, I was so tired and very aware the following 48hours did not include a bed in any form, but alas no sleep. So we arrived in Melbourne early morning where I couldn’t check my bags through and refused to pay the $15 luggage storage fee. So instead I lugged my bags with me on the $26 bus into town and managed to save $5 by putting them in the lockers at the bus station.

 

With around 11 hours left to kill and there being not much sun I used and abused the free internet, wandered around the Victoria markets and brought cheese. I love markets…especially ones with Deli’s. realistically there isn’t that much to do when you are trying not to spend any money and totally exhausted. I did manage to see a cool exhibition on film and digital media which included loads of interactive stuff. Very cool. The art galleries were closed and the library wouldn’t let me in because my bag was too big. So a bit more internet, bookshop browsing then I meet up with my friend Cameron, who I had travelled with for a week (a lifetime in backpacking world) around Eastern Europe with another American guy. So great to see him and reminisce about our adventures 4 years earlier, wow that long ago. Then of course talked travel plans, as you do.

 

Had a coffee, probably my last flat white in awhile, down some hip cool lane, then he was off to study and I headed back to grab my bags from the locker and get the bus to the airport. But oh no, of course I had lost the tiny ticket with the code to get my bags back, so after pulling every little bit of paper out of my bag and lying them out on the ground while getting more and more panicky as there was something written about paying $50 to retrieve luggage. I had already spent $70 during the day on pretty much nothing so not interesting in paying more. I went to the service people looking like I was going to cry (I actually almost was… exhaustion setting in) and they sorted it out for me, no fee it turns out.

 

So on the bus, through the barrier another stamp in the passport and am now sitting here waiting for the overnight flight to Abu Dhabi. I am totally exhausted and not sure how I will survive tomorrow. What is awesome though is my friend Alice who I planned to meet in Dubai for the day, is now, through my convincing, is come to Iran for a few days with me! Awesome, just arranged that this afternoon. Convincing people to come to Iran, not everyone would go for that, but hurray for Alice! Now if only I could get some sleep on the plane.

Homeward bound

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

So came the end of my trip. The ride to the airport I was feeling pretty neutral about the whole thing, not nervous or excited…just that it was the next thing to do. We got to the airport with way too much time to spare, I spent a bit of time waiting talking to an American guy on the same flight convincing him that Syria really is the greatest country to visit and wandering around the airport shops. I was flying on Jetstar which is the budget airline but really didn’t turn out to be that bad, I paid extra for a portable entertainment thing which say on my tray and I could watch movies and TV shows so that was really good, and I had brought a bit of food with me. The seats were actually really comfy, but of course I didn’t sleep at all and arriving into Melbourne I was pretty stuffed.

Somehow Melbourne airport was ridiculously unorganized and it took about an hour and half to get off the plane while we waited for them to bring us stairs, then buses….we were all well over it. Because I had 7 hours till my flight Christchurch I headed into town for the afternoon. I had a bit of Thai money left over which I changed into $40 Aussie dollars. In Thailand this would have lasted me 2 days but here I got a return trip into town on the bus, a sandwich, coffee and a chocolate bar. I hadn’t been to Melbourne since I was 6 years old so didn’t much idea what there was to do, as I only had a few hours and not much money I just wandered around in the sun, pretty dazed from not sleeping. I kind of expected it to be a bit cooler and more funky but it seemed to me like a big western city.

 (I almost forgot it was christmas…but Melbourne soon reminded me…)

 (This building is so communist looking, I may have well been in Russia, although the blue sky gives it away that it isn’t)

 Nice but not very interesting. After having lunch I sat in park for a bit enjoying the sun then I headed back to the airport to catch my last flight home.

We didn’t leave for a bit because after only about 10 people had gotten onto the plane (me included) a women had an asthma attack and all these emergency doctors came on and took her away, finally we were all loaded and on the place for the 3 hour flight home, which thankfully I slept most of the way. Arriving home about 11.45pm, I grabbed my bags, was let through customs with no bag searching. Back to NZ, back to Christchurch…mum and dad were there to pick me up and we headed out into the much colder chch air and back home…..and that’s that!