17 January 2007, Layover in Sydney

16? 17? –January 2007

Is it Tuesday? Wednesday? July? We have no idea. Leaving Honolulu Tuesday at noon, and after a ten and a half hour flight we arrive in Sydney at 7:30 Wednesday night… We had been awake about 18 hours or so, and it was always daylight on the plane. Without any warning whatsoever we had an entire day stripped away. No sweet talk, no candy, no receipt. Poof! Day gone. Buh-Bye. It was all made tolerable by a strategic first class upgrade. Call us snobs, but we like the front of the bus… Cocktails, movies, warm wet towels, gourmet meals, big comfy seats, leg room, first on- first off. It really doesn’t suck.

After a really-really long day our flight lands in Sydney. Before anyone is even allowed to stand up, the Department of Agriculture needs to toxify the plane. An official boards the craft and the door is re-sealed. Then the flight attendants open all the overhead compartments and run back and forth spraying a World Health Organization approved “non-toxic” nuclear-option insect annihilator throughout the plane. We then get to sit and allow the de-lousing agent to absorb and work for about ten minutes or so. I can totally appreciate the logic, and need, for this level of decontamination. Australia already suffers from some of the most devastating environmental impacts of intentionally and unintentionally imported critters found anywhere. Rabbits alone (of which no species are native to the land) have denuded a region larger than the southwest US, creating a barren wasteland and eliminating the habitats of countless native plants and animals.

But don’t bullshit me. If chemistry is powerful enough to kill any and all insects on and in my carry on baggage in ten minutes, there has to be some measurable negative effect on my physiology. At least give the option of a mask of some sort… I can only hold my breath so long.

As we have mentioned in the past other countries know how to reasonably handle customs and airport security. Ask a few questions, x-ray all your stuff, and then let you go about your business. Of course if they don’t like your answers, or the cute little beagle pays too much attention to your bags, or the x-ray is not up to snuff you will be talking to the folks with the automatic weapons and rubber gloves. That being said Aussie customs were a polite efficient and friendly group. All we had to do was show our bag of trail mix and off we went.
Our flight to New Zealand was the following morning so we opted to stay at a hotel near the airport. A quick shuttle van ride and we were at the hotel. It was a nice, clean, brick-faced property with smallish, clean, efficient rooms. Perfect for good nights rest and a quick hop to the airport in the morning. So far no one has made fun of our accents (to our faces at least…)