Qatar struggled to handle the aftermath of the Sydney storms diversion to Brisbane. Initially the Airport and Borderforce wouldn’t allow us to get off the plane, air con was inhibited it was hot, toilets were backing up and then some Economy passengers  (Aussies with ME heritage and big beards) came out to the door and demanded to leave the plane), they pulled the bully boy, standover tactics, but Qatar staff didn’t quite need security to handle this. To be fair they ( the aggressive ME blokes) were right, we were struggling and should have been allowed out into fresh air and space somewhere while they worked out how to handle it. They then let 1st class and business class off, dawdling out while we’re f…g struggling. Eventually we get off the plane, clear immigration, then wait for our bags for I reckon 2-3 hours, drug sniffer dogs walking around picked up one of the ME bearded bully boys for a drugs of some sort. His teenager looking wife in a burka looked distressed, frankly after seeing their attitude and behaviour I don’t care. He was away from the main group of them, some wearing dish dashes. One guy was in front of us at immigration and he got a bit upset when questioned about where he had been travelling “Mecca man, in Saudia Arabia, don’t youse understand anyfing!!!”

We find out the storm has damaged some sensors plus they can’t return to Sydney because of the 10pm curfew. We’re all tired and cranky, waiting for the carousel to start turning, it takes 2 1/2 hours to get going. Our bags are in the last batch. Qatar staff circulate advising options saying “if you have friends see if they can put you up or book your own accomodation, if you can find it” the line up their help staff is about 50 metres long so we  book the Mantra on Queen St via Agoda to circumvent tge wait (by this time its about 1.30am). As we get into a taxi, the driver – rude bugger wouldn’t even help put the bags in, The Navigator finally gets a call to say they actually don’t have 2 rooms even though we have a booking confirmed and money paid. The taxi driver cracks it big time when we tell him to turn around and go back to the airport, smoke comes off his tyres as he negotiates roundabouts, then stops at International, refuses to get out to help us unload, takes $40 for his trouble, I slam his door so hard his head would have wobbled harder, he then told the taxi coordinator we hadn’t paid him. Lying rude prick, he should have carrying the ME guys, he might have got a clip under the ear.  The Navigator straightens the coordinator out on the facts.

Back into Brisbane International airport and back to the help line we find Qatar staff actually have 2 rooms at a hotel, everyone settles down, things are very brittle by this stage.  We line up in the 70m taxi line again and finally get a nice taxi driver, to a nice hotel in Fortitude Valley, and are in bed not really sleeping at about 2.30 -3am.

Qatar send WhatsAp messages but today still no sign of flights back to Dubbo. At least we’re not in a drowned plane in Botany Bay. Qatar staff have been helpful and calm, just not enough of them in Brisbane to handle this chaos.

Breakfast is lovely, although we’re in QLD, hardly Australia in my opinion, the world feels a little better this morning. Adversity sometimes teaches you things about what’s important.

I reckon we won’t get back to Dubbo until tomorrow as more storms are forecast for Sydney today. Mother Nature, we’re in you’re hands!

Ciao from Brisbane

Pauolo