STAGE 18

LOS ANGELES to HERVEY BAY

I couldn't find Mum's or Jared's tickets for LA to Brisbane or Brisbane to Hervey Bay. She knew this last night but never offered to help look for them. I took everything apart but had no luck...SO I would have to get them reissued at the airport. We'd be there with hours to spare so I couldn't see a problem except I was furious at not being able to find themn.

We got to the airport at noon and headed for the QANTAS desk. They said they's reissue the tickets but we'd have to come back in half an hour.... (how long does it take to push a couple of buttons on the computer????) So, off we went... 5 SUITCASES AND CARRY ON LUGGAGE IN TOW.

When we got back to collect the tickets I asked if we could check in our luggage since I didn't want to be pushing it around until 8pm that night!! She said NO! Emphatically...NO! We could put them in lockers but they'd have to be passed by security... I didn't care... went to the locker area and was told the lockers wouldn't be big enough for suitcases!! There was however another section that might hold on to them for us. So off we went... I read the sign... did some calculating... It Had already cost me $70 each to get the tickets reissued... now it would cost another $70 to store our bags for a few hours... BLOW THAT!!

So we spent our time until 4:30 with 2 trolleys full of luggage.My mother hasn't got a driving license... if you saw her steer the trolley you'd know why! :-)

So we spent 4 boring hours sitting outside in the 'fresh' air. We were first in line at 4:00 to have our bags checked. When they 'opened for business' at 4:30 we were fronted with queue (line) jumpers!! I lost my temper! I got served first!! Then I was missing a suitcase! I had a look at the bags this "queue jumping woman" had checked in and said... "Is THAT YOUR bag????" "Yes" she smartmouthed back. I asked the clerk if it had a piece of red wool attached to the handle... indeed it did! So I let fly at the stupid woman and retrieved my suitcase!

I could tell this was going to be a lousy trip home!

We spent the next 4 hours checking out the shops and getting something to eat... BORING!!!

I thought this was a straight through flight to Brisbane BUT found out that we were going VIA NEW ZEALAND! I was so sick of all these "VIAS" that we'd had to put up with over the last 7 weeks and here we were again with ANOTHER!!

We had a stop over in Auckland and the lay over was increased by an hour because they were waiting for some passengers from a British Airways flight which had been delayed an hour! Gee, I wonder if they would have held the lane up for me???

We lost our day on the way home. It was actually the 3rd of February now..and we finally arrived in Brisbane. 'Scuse the language but Jared was a right little shit at the airport while we were waiting to go through Immigration in a line that was never ending. He wanted to wait for us at the head of the line and do you think he'd take NO for an answer! He whinged and complained for over an hour, I felt like letting him have one of the bags across his skull! I could have readily killed him!! I was tired and fed up and wanted out of there as much as he did!

We finally got through Immigration and I got him by the scruff of the neck and warned him that I wanted no nonsense when we were going through Customs... we had a connecting flight to catch and I didn't want his stupidity delaying anythiing. He got the bags for me and I deposited them on a trolley. The sniffer dog was around every time another bag was deposited on the trolley.

He was reasonably well behaved because it didn't take as long this time and the Lord must have been looking after us.... we were passed through without having to have anything inspected. I headed straight for the QANTAS desk to see if I could get these tickets reissued. No, I'd have to do that at the domestic terminal.

Little Smarty Pants!!

So we hauled the luggage to the transfer bus and wonder of wonders we were making good time. Of course I went to the wrong desk for the tickets.... I had to go to THE OTHER END of the terminal!! So what's new.! These tickets cost me $50 each... I was spitting chips! $70 each to fly all the way from LA to Brisbane and $50 each to fly less than 300k as the crow flies!

Then I go to the check in with half an hour to spare....

You guessed it... the flight was delayed for an hour! I rang Jason, since he was picking us up at the other end and we went off to get a snack.

Passing time at Brisbane Airport

Hervey Bay

We finally got home at 1pm... the rest you can read about in my
February Journal....

Thu...thu....thu........ THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!

Did I hear you say... "What a relief????? Ha! Ha!

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