Saturday 23 March 2013

2. Heading off on a jet plane or three!

Okay, so where do I start?    Come Friday 22nd February, Barb's running around like a blue fly making sure all her bits and pieces are packed.... and me?  I'm done & dusted waiting and waiting to take off on my Tassie holiday!

A trip to the Newman Airport from Mat in his cruizy Holden V8, was an experience to the say the least... especially the digital gadgets on the screen that showed all the torque and other stuff relating to how the car was feeling when it was being driven.

So, when you go to the airport, you're supposed to get there with plenty of time to get your luggage on - right? ....  well, that was the plan sayeth Stan the man....I say, I say, I say......looks like everyone else was going on holiday too!   Queued up for miles it seemed.... finally, the luggage was set free to be taken away and loaded up - and plane tickets were thankfully received.

Lift off was supposed to take place at 5 to 7 at night, um, that's 18.55 for those 24 hour clock readers!Methinks we were delayed a bit.... none the less we were all sitting comfortably in this new plane... flash video screen thingees.... touch screen ones... very fancy!   Even told me how high and how fast I was flying.... and how cold it was way up in the sky, the flight path, distances... wow.... awesome technology.....



Finally we were off.... the first of three flights.... to Perth landing around 8.40pm.  I met some lovely people on the plane, one of the drivers....um, a pilot methinks.....



......... and a lady stewardess thingee that gave me a lovely meal on my flight.  She also made sure I belted up on the plane, yup.... you gotta do that even on a plane!   I even got my own window.... and she made sure I didn't feel sick or anything like that.   She was very sad to see me on my way...... but was sure glad to have met me!




Ho hum, time for a drink methinks and a read of the local paper before hopping on the second plane bound for Melbourne.   Woulda been great to have gone direct to Tassie, but nup.... that'd be too easy!


I had a chance to meet up with Jenny and Martin.... and caught up with all the news since being up in Newman.


Well, thankfully, all three flights to Tassie were Qantas - which meant the luggage went straight from go to wo....   I was certainly hoping they got it all sussed and didn't leave the suitcases behind in any planes!

The second plane was a big bird.... or pretty big when compared to the birds you see in the sky..... and although it was night time, I managed to get a shot of this beauty before boarding.


Okay, so the flight leaves at 11.35pm and gets in around 6am in the morning in Melbourne.  But wait... the flight is only a little over three hours....  I see now.... Melbourne is three hours ahead of Perth.... soooooooooooooooo.... that means when I get to Melbourne it's gonna be like.... yikes.... 3am in the morning Perth time.... oh no.... there goes my beauty sleep.... ah, but I'm Stan the Man... and who needs beauty sleep when you're a man... AND you're going on holiday?

So after a rather quick flight to Melbourne with very little sleep.... I decided to camp out at the Melbourne Airport - eye mask and all, which I'd thankfully grabbed before leaving home;  yep, yep, yep.... camping out whilst waiting for the third and final flight which would leave around 1/4 to 9 in the morning, er, yep, 8.45am.....Saturday 23rd.... to be Day 1 of my Tassie holiday!


And no matter how I tried.... I just didn't get the sleep I'd hoped for, I tried sleeping all sorts of positions... a bit like that sloth in the Ice Age movie.... and counting sheep.... ah well.... maybe I'll be in for an early night tonight!



Well, finally my boarding call was made and yup, you guessed it.... onto to plane number three!  Melbourne to Hobart - about a 75 minute trip.  I managed to grab another window set... cool... ah but wait, what was that outside the window?


Looks like some kids have been making marks on the runway.... hhhmmm, nup, that can't be right.... safety and all....  I think it must be road markings for the luggage van or the fuel truck or something....


There seemed to be planes piled up waiting to take off, and waiting on others to land...  but after a delayed take off, we were up, up and away... finally in the air.  No fancy digital screens on this baby bird... but still, some refreshments were great... and a mini kip to boot!


Pretty cool eh?   In the air... almost feel like I could walk on clouds!

So some aerial shots show a gloomy and spread out Hobart, or parts there of.... my first impressions?   Gloomy weather and lots of hills.... and blobs of houses everywhere.....


.... come to think of it.... I think the Hobart Airport is a fair way out from Hobart.... still,  I am all belted up and ready for landing!

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