Flying Machines and the Hunter Valley

Time for some time-out and an interesting camera effect on our journey down to the Hunter Valley on our little Qantas Link prop plan - a Bombardier Dash 8-300.

A more relaxed flying experience than usual, lower flying at 22,000 feet enhancing the views over the Gold Coast as we flew South, destination the Hunter Valley wine region. Although not the quietest flight ever - my ears buzzed for days, a beautiful flying day, brilliant blue skies as we flew past the beautiful rugged coastline of New South Wales to land in Newcastle. Recording the prop through the window on my camera made for some fascinating and entertaining viewing.

There is no sense from up here how potentially hostile it can be on the ground.  Outback Australia famous for its dangerous snakes, spiders, extreme temperatures and dry, arid red dirt.

I'm no expert, far from it and it is a mindset to which every migrant, inbound to Australia must adapt. I am sure Aussie kids are brought up to just be naturally careful, otherwise surely they wouldn't survive the weekend. 

If you leave your shoes on the deck overnight, don't forget to bang them out before putting them on! If in a cafe, don't be surprised to look up and see a snake coiled amongst the rafters, keeping warm! Watch out for possum's in the trees in early evening, even in the city, see the flocks of bats with more than a metre long wingspan head in at dusk in mango season and just occasionally, pause the car while a koala labours its own sweet way across the road in front of you, apparently without a care in the world.

Don't get me wrong, all this doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it is more typically a sense of awe and wonderment than fear that pervades, even after 16 years of living here I am not entirely sure I shall ever quite get used to it, I hope I never take it for granted.

London to Provence....

Stressful!!! Cabs, train stations..... Customs, chaos, passport control, luggage x-rays.... And finally...... Eurostar, having breakfast with Jennifer Saunders. A little disappointing, she didn't recognise me, or perhaps she was just too polite to ask for an autograph....(for real!)

.... And so to France...

K! Show off! His "smattering of French" was getting us around pretty good! It was freezing on the platform at Lille with an hour to wait so, surprise.... We soon gave in and went in search of a glass of vin blanc! Dunno what it is but when people talk a foreign language to me it's like hitting a panic button... I say yes to their first question so vin rouge it was! In an Irish Pub!

Proud of ourselves, we found our way to the right platform and the right carriage on the French TGV fast train to Avignon.... K wanting to show off settles into his seat and asks the bloke across the aisle, "parlez-vous Anglais?"... "Hope so mate, I am Welsh!"! Amazing... here we are in Lille, France and it turns out the bloke we are sat next to on the train lives on The Wirral, about 2km from where we spent our first 2 weeks! Talk about a small world!

Around 10 hours after leaving our luxurious London pad we arrived at our pretty Provence villa.... Knackered! We hadn't eaten since breakfast, we have had so much this last few weeks we must look like Mr & Mrs Blobby... Certainly feels like it.... However sod unpacking, let's go get food!!

Amazingly we are still speaking.... This despite a long day traveling, freezing cold train stations, at least 5.5 hours locked on trains, collecting a hire car, K locking the keys in the boot and a retrieval via the back seats, driving on the wrong side of the road, not finding a single recognizable road sign, at least three wrong turns, finding several junctions not on any map, driving around a golf course at least twice, barely speaking a word of French and being tired & hungry!

Moving on.... Chester to London.....

So 13 days since touch down, 11 pubs, 12 different real ales, 18+ bottles of wine, an average of 25 dinners EACH....lots of hello's, even more laughs and some sad farewells until next time, it's time to move on to our next stop....

A last sad farewell to a little yellow friend K grew very close to .... Then off to Chester to catch the train to next stop, London for 2 nights ....

Airport to Tarvin

At the airport! Waiting for the bags! Hate this bit.... Slowwww. Tension mounting.... No sign of my little red suitcase .... K got his so we are half way there ... Not quite the right half but as always, I think of K first..... (honest)

Sighhhhh... Still nothing, not many people left.... This is not looking good....

Phewwwww the relief! I guess somebody has to be last but I confess, I was nervous! Have agreed with K, in future we split our gear across 2 suitcases! I get 60% of both!  A deal is a deal....

Now to find the car hire desk! That's novel - gotta catch the bus to the "Car Rental Village"!

Blimey! Car hire took almost as long as the flight .... but .... Brand new VW Golf ! Woo hooooo ... Nice car...

Shit its cold!!!!!!

Oh look.... The sun's come out! I DO need sunnies after all! Still cold.... Woolly knickers might yet be needed....

Just hitting 36 hours since leaving home! Nearly there (ermmmm.... not hearing those sympathy violins yet!). Not a bad journey overall.... The dread was worse than the reality!

So here we are, home sweet home for the next 2 weeks.....

Hong Kong to LHR!

This is different.... Dinner described as "beef tenderloin, with new potatoes and baby carrots".... Was it good? Neiggghhhhhh!  Taste like the rumours of horse meat in the UK might have a noddy of truth in them!

Sorry my British friends but it truly was a tough piece of something only vaguely resembling beef (same colour) and swimming in gravy with half a carrot and a couple of soggy spuds...

The wine is good.... French, light and a beautiful Burgundy chardy! Not a lot of risk they will run out though.... Hmmmmm... Ermmmm yes please... Whenever you are ready....

And dessert? Well I passed on the rhubarb mousse, which brought back some "great" memories of school dinner ladies and blancmange....

The seating is a novel experience, sort of a cubby hole for two...... not very practical, albeit private....

I know K wasn't too impressed half way here when he learned I had a full change of clothes in the carry on bag he's carrying, but 34 hours in, I reckon he is secretly pleased....  he is hiding it well though...

Airport security at Heathrow was a tad more intense than Bris Vegas or Hong Kong.  Ironic that the only leg of the journey where I was photographed and had to have my boots x-rayed was for the last little hop from London to Manchester! It seemed chaotic but in fairness was only 10 minutes from plane to lounge so not bad... just a tad stressful and for no obvious reason.

The BA lounge is one of the best I have seen....

PS- if that customs photo appears on Facebook somebody dies....

Hong Kong Airport....

Surprisingly, there is no photo! No! Not because the camera is broke but it's sad what 14 hours can do to a girl! Yes OK, I use the term "girl" loosely!

Look what it's done to a man! Actually, not that much, no difference from this morning.... It's really not fair!

So I shall take a moment to marvel at the wonders of technology... Heard from lots of friends on our 6 hour stopover in Hong Kong and even a voice from the past ... And no Pete! Sorry you won't find me on Facebook.... I have so far managed to avoid said obsession :) nice to hear from you though.

Lots of shops at HK airport, the prices are no cheaper than Brisbane which was a surprise. I had planned to get some bling, some new boots, some clothes but nada, not a thing!

Next leg is a biggie... 14 hours on British Airways... First flight, Qantas from Brisbane, was a good one.  Plane needed a refurb but it was OK once you got settled and the Qantas staff are great. I reckon the staff at Brisbane International airport, (check in and security) are some of the best in the world too! Happy to have a bit of a joke and a laugh, but ... ha ha.... wouldn't let me keep my express lane pass even when I begged. He reckoned I would flog it on eBay for a fiver! Yehhhhh! And?

Lounge filling up, yep you can tell I am bored right? I do still have another 2 hours before boarding,  imagine how much drivel I can get through in that time! Yes OK, before you say it, just like a day at the office! If it wasn't a weekend I know they would be missing me by now!

OK, OK ... Enough waffling... I won't put you through anymore! Well not for now anyway.....

See you in the UK.

Oh ... Did I mention? I am tired now..... ermmmm.... hello? Not hearing a lot of sympathy....

Australia to Hong Kong

Well I did say, no blogging after wine but as a friend rightly pointed out that would likely mean "no blogging"!!

Champagne welcome..... Settled in for the duration..... Cheers....

Just leaving Australian shores... Can you believe it? They have run out of Chardonnay! I reckon it's that couple across the aisle from us.... Another 6 hours to Hong Kong.... Hmmmm.... Wonder if they can rewine mid flight?

Lunch wasn't bad! Cream of broccoli soup followed by cheese and crackers, finished off with some fresh fruit, K managed to down a lamb casserole too, off to a good start I see.  Just time now for a little light reading before settling in for an early Nanna nap!

Oh, now there's a handy little add on.... Press a button... Light comes on, somebody comes and offers wine, coffee and treats.... Mental note - install new office feature!

See you in Hong Kong....

At the airport....

2 hours down, only 34 to go......