Jeez long haul flights are exhausting, I reckon that even if I could afford Business or First Class, I still doubt I would sleep enough to arrive home really fresh. It’s probably just a more comfortable uncomfortableness. 

We arrive in Hong Kong on time at 6.20am, the pilot must have turned the afterburners on for a short time. We hop off the plane find the track to Transfer to the gate for the Sydney flight, the Chinese officials are quite officious, funny thing isn’t it, to have a pimply faced 22 year old with a frown, pursed lips and eyes rolling at senior “round eyes” struggling a bit after 12 – 13 hours cramped on a metallic missile cruising at about 800 km per hour when you are just trying to work out where you have to go to get the next flight without falling asleep. I wonder if airport officials are taught anything about customer service?

Our gate is not far away thankfully, but another security check by the same juvenile Hitler impersonators getting on to the plane from Hong Kong to Sydney almost feels like overkill. Anyway we get over it because, just maybe, it’s just that we’re tired and overreacting, even after Genelle has her backpack searched in detail and there was a lot of stuff in there but I think in the end they got tired of searching and let her go. There is a little bonus when we get on the plane, we took a punt and changed our seat allocation to the back of the plane, and it pays off, the plane is about 20 short of a full load and we have 2 of us in a 3 seat window side, lots of space as well as we have a steward who is a bit camp and a very friendly and a lot of fun, things feel good again. Another 9 hours before we be to Sydney, a few movies, a bit of music, a few pages of a Jack Reacher novel get me through it.

While the travel is fantastic and I could keep going on forever, the pace has been telling physically and mentally , my legs, lower back and hips are compensating for the crumbling arthritic knees and I need a bit of a break, from the painkillers and the constant walking and climbing. Perhaps I should have skipped a few days of the shopping?

Finally we arrive in Sydney about 8.45 at night, it’s still a fantastic feeling flying into Sydney at night, over the city and the harbour. We walk out of the airport without attracting the attention of  Quarantine or Immigration, the sign said “Australian Border Conroy is filming here today” but we didn’t see them, perhaps they heard Genelle was coming and they chose discretion rather than valor. 

Rydges Hotel over the road is the next stop, a late meal, then try to sleep before an early morning start to get the plane back to Dubbo. We’re home in Dubbo, exhausted, a quick unpack and then rest. Our sleep cycle needs to get into sync again so the next few days are not easy, waking at 3 or 4 am.

Work tomorrow, time to turn the phone on again, check the hundreds of emails, and call the knee surgeon and book in for the serious business of getting some new knees.

Oh, and we need to start planning the next trip pretty shortly as well.

Ciao Pauolo