Landing In Australia

Day 2: Arrival in Australia

I made it!

The flights yesterday seemed to build to a slow crescendo. The flight from KC to Minneapolis lasted about two hours and was not full. It was uneventful and after a safe landing in Minneapolis, I let everyone know my progress. I called Caroline and we talked for about an hour as I waited for the flight to San Fran. They began boarding early, as the flight was packed and uncomfortable. I’ve come to the decision that Northwest flight attendants need to go on diets in order to fit down the isles. One can only tolerate getting bumped so many times.

In San Fran, I had to collect my bags and recheck them with Qantas. Wrestling them across the airport was the hardest part—once they were gone, it was smooth sailing. The only hitch was discovering my dead cell phone and worrying how to contact everyone so they wouldn’t worry. Is Kansas City the only airport with free wi-fi? I had to use a pay phone to call mom, figuring it was cheaper than the 6 bucks for half an hour of internet. Once I talked to her, I felt better. In the gate, I watched the crowd gathering, very few of them talking with an Australian accent. I’m not the only visitor!

The Qantas plane was a Boeing 747—double-decker monster that seated 10 across. Again, I had the isle seat, but this time there was one empty seat next to me and that turned out to be a huge saving grace as the hours wore on. I finished the book I’d started between KC and Minneapolis, and after a decent microwave style dinner, I spent the rest of the night trying to sleep. After a long night of changing position every half hour or so, morning came and we were fed breakfast. Soon after that, we landed in Sydney and I still had over half the iPod battery left. J

In Sydney, we had to transfer to another aircraft to continue on to Melbourne, which included another trip through security just to get back on the same type of airplane. This time though, the plane was virtually empty and I got the entire row of seats to myself. I took advantage of it too—but the trip was only an hour long. Too bad—I was finally getting the hang of sleeping on planes!

In Melbourne, we left the plane and went through the customs line, where you had to ‘declare’ food or medicine or weapons. The agent stamped your card and sent you on to collect your bags. After grabbing mine, I changed all my money into Australian currency then dragged my bags through customs—where they looked at my card and sent me to the exit. I’m not complaining, but what is the purpose of declaring anything? Once through the exit, I immediately found Caroline waiting for me and walking out with her was like we’d never been apart.

Outside, it is hot and green. Lots of blooming flowers, people out and about, lots of traffic. It wasn’t till about now when it really hit that I was in a different country.

Caroline brought me to her house and gave me the grand tour. After showering, charging the phone and calling mom, eating lunch and watching a bit of TV, we headed to the Melbourne Pet and Animal Expo.

We wandered through the booths both inside and out. The Expo is held in a racetrack and while the schedule included lots of agility, herding and obedience, we only got to see some rather immature flyball teams. It was fun to walk the gallery of breeds, and then wander the petting zoos. I could very easily make a day of petting animals, so needless to say I had fun.

After that, we drove to Newport Spit and walked the rocky shore. Lots of men were trying to fish even as boats cruised up and down and dogs retrieved tennis balls. Flocks of seagulls hunted for food. The sky was sunless but without it, the temperature was near perfect. After a quick stop at Williamstown, we were back on the road.

A quick tour of Melbourne left my mind spinning—the streets were packed with people and small, local, independent shops line the sidewalks. Traffic is insane, even discounting the wrong-side-of-the-road thing. There are some wonderful riverfront streets that reminded me of Virginia, but the inner city reminded me of Chicago or New York. There are bakeries and cafes and boutiques and pie bars and pizza bars and Chinatown and convenience stores that advertise free internet access. And drive-through liquor stores!

The day out ended with gelati by the bay, then we came home for a real dinner and to watch TV. Tomorrow, more exploring!

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