Life on this planet: Back From The Trip Of A Lifetime

The New Zealand trip was the trip of a lifetime, moreso than the 1998 North America trip. During the New Zealand trip I experienced and done many things for the first time in my life, not all that I will divulge here ;) !! Suffice to say, the current Jupiter conjunct with my natal Uranus in my Sun sign certainly lived up to its energies. Jupiter is the expansive planet of prosperity and opportunities, while Uranus is the revolutionary planet that favors new experiences. Uranus is natal in my Sun sign so I always had the tendency to be different and somewhat rebellious, the black sheep of the family, one who is always different. The New Zealand trip was certainly evident of that!!!!!!

This was my first overseas trip and my first trip by plane since my North America trip of 1998, and have noticed changes in the way plane trips are conducted. Back in 1998 I would have to visit a travel agency to book my flights then wait for weeks until the flight tickets arrived by mail. This time the whole thing was done online. All I needed to do was to get on a booking website where I entered my departure and return dates and the destination, and I was presented with a choice of flights, I simply clicked to choose a flight, and then an "e-ticket" was generated which I then printed out - all from the comfort of my living room!! When checking in at the airport, I simply presented the "e-ticket" at the counter. Indeed one could check in online on my computer up to 24 hours prior to the flight, the only reason I didn't do this was cos I had transported my computer and other valuables into my rented secure storage unit since the house would be empty and I didn't like the idea of my computer being in an empty house for over two weeks!!!!

Another thing I noticed is that the passport is no longer stamped, it is simply scanned into a computer. Indeed the process was automatic on my departure from the Sydney international terminal we all go to this machine which scanned our eyes while the passport was slotted into some kind of reader, assumedly to check whether the scanned image of me matches that on my passport. On success of this security check, the gate at the machine opened and I was allowed through to the departure lounge.

As for the flight I am rather fussy in my old age LOL. I will not go for these cheaper airlines which has no meals etc. Also I heard too many horror stories of these cheaper airlines, some being cancelled at the last minute and the hapless traveler being left to fend for himself. I have taken out travel insurance, nevertheless, being a Virgo I expect things to go at least relatively smoothly. So I went with Qantas, which may be a little more expensive, but its the case of you get what you pay for. A reliable airline that rarely experiences cancellations, and meals and drinks on board are included, as well as personal video screens with more than enough selections of movies, TV shows, music, games, and even a flight tracker which tracks the plane's progress over the planet with certain vital stats such as speed, outside temps, and estimated arrival time. OK First Class or Business Class is a little beyond my budget, but Economy class in a decent airline like Qantas is certainly very reasonable and not quite as squeezy these days - or was it that I had lost weight since my 1998 trip where we were packed in like sardines!!!

Also I booked myself long term parking at the airport for the duration of my trip, again all done online, indeed it is cheaper when booking online. I just go to the Airport website, entered my details, paid by Debit\Credit card, and a booking slip was generated which I again printed out. The booking slip contained a bar code which I simply presented to scan into the machine when I arrive at the parking lot, the machine gave me a ticket, and I was let in through the gate. A shuttle bus every 15 minutes took me from the parking lot to the Terminal. So my car was safe and sound in a secured parking lot while I was enjoying my trip. On arrival back from the trip, I go pick up the car, presented the ticket at the automatic exit gate, which then opened up for me, and I was on my way back home.

My flights included the stopover in Sydney, so the leg from Perth to Sydney was classified as a domestic flight so the departure and arrival was at the domestic terminals. Sydney Airport is like Perth Airport, with the domestic and international terminals being located at opposite sides of the airport. However Qantas provides a free shuttle bus service between the terminals. With the cheaper airlines you would have to fend for yourself and use the public transport system or taxis to get from one terminal to the other, another reason why I chose Qantas. You just have to present your boarding pass, and you're on the free shuttle bus which transports us across the tarmac to the other terminal.

The trip to New Zealand included just a short two-hour layover in Sydney, but the return trip involved a 9 hour layover, which provided me with the opportunity to explore Sydney for the first time ever in my life!! Up until now I never been to Sydney before. Such as life in the most isolated city on Earth!!!! The flight from Perth to Sydney took longer than from Sydney to New Zealand!!!! The trip TO New Zealand my checked luggage went all the way, however on the return trip, we needed to collect our checked luggage at Sydney for the customs and security checks, then once we got through that, we simply go to the luggage drop off for the domestic leg back to Perth or where-ever.

Then to begin my hours of exploring Sydney. There was a place at the airport where I could leave my hand luggage for a small fee so I wouldn't need to lug it around with me while I explore Sydney. Then it was the speedy train service into the city in 15 minutes, and exploring the city, before taking the train back to the airport in time for my flight back to the most isolated city on Earth.

New Zealand itself is a most awesome spot, except for the weather!! I am clearly spoiled to the hot sunny days of Perth where it never rains and the nights always balmy in the summer. In New Zealand it rained for half the time, and some days were quite mild but the nights were always very cold, like winter nights in Perth. However such adverse weather conditions was a small price to pay for the most memorable trip ever, indeed this was the trip of a lifetime, so many adventures, very eye opening in many ways. The hippies festival was particularly eye opening and most enjoyable although it rained for three of the six days, with me in a tent!!!!! But New Zealand tents are better designed for wet weather so I still managed to remain dry - if not warm enough!!!! I feel the cold even more since being on my heart meds, I struggled to keep warm enough, nevertheless, I still had a great time.

So now with new optimism for 2016 fuelled by my experiences at the hippies festival, I head on back to work tomorrow, with many stories to share............

My abode during the festival