Blogs from Sydney Airport, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania

After leaving our apple isle with Mr Ako, uneventful trip to Sydney. Then Mr Ako, cracking me up at Sydney Domestic Airport thinking it was walking distance to the international airport. Get to our room at Rydges and wrapped with the view. Catch up with my besties Simon and Jodie, big big hugs there. Meet our new travel companions Tammy and Gerty, awesome pair and we are drinks on. Meal at the airport food court and then Rooftop Bar for last sippers. Get to see a 747 take off and another massive plane land. It’s getting real now. Get up in 4 hours for our direct flight to Thailand. Hard to sleep when you forget your eye mask. Oh and the joys of thinking an high class hotel would have USB ports in the room, 18 ... read more

Today we head off on an adventure to a new continent for both of us - Africa. I've been keen to visit Africa for many years and I've finally persuaded Phillip to join me on my dream holiday. We're flying to Joburg then on to Rwanda for the first phase of our holiday. In Rwanda we'll visit those famous 'Gorillas in the Mist' and do another tour to see some Golden Monkeys. Then it's back to Joburg for a quick stopover and on to Botswana for a ten day camping safari that takes in the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Victoria Falls. We then fly to Cape Town for six days of rest and relaxation, wineries, great restaurants and gorgeous scenery. So the camera gear is packed alongside the anti-malaria tablets. I'm writing and posting this in ... read more

Our love hate relationship with airports begins at "Sidney" - according to LAN airways that is the correct spelling and I think closer to its correct pronounciation. Once the tears finished flowing and we made it through the departure gates we headed for our first set of wings, making it through customs without a second glance (but not without our first family selfie). Our flight began with the plane crew flippin' the bird at their mates coming off the previous flights, and listening in on a hippies conversations about 'Abdoriginals' and her interactions with their culture on her previous visit to Australia. We have also bumped into an old Asian man with a straight cut mullet and we sat next to a lady who wore her sun hat and sunglasses for the entire flight, how disappointing ... read more

We are waiting at Sydney Airport for the next stage of our venture - we are going to Byron Bay. Yesterday we went to the Blue Mountain s and went for a walk in the rain forest. Yesterday was beautiful and sunny all day. It looks like we are in for some excellent weather as we travel up the coast of Australia.... read more

My dream of finally returning Down Under is suddenly just two weeks away and I am starting to get nervous. Dry-mouth-nervous. Yesterday, the visas came through, brother got updated with the flight details and started making jokes about missing planes. I'm more worried about the length of the flight and what I'll find when I get there. But I'm really excited too, I finally get to swim in the Pacific, it's about time. Maybe I'll even see some sharks if the cull has left some alive. It's spring here and after all the rain and floods the sunshine has finally returned with magnolias, daffodils and cherries all in full bloom. It'll be autumn in Oz, hopefully not too cold to swim. 9th April: Finally we arrived, after a smooth and plush flight. I was a little ... read more