Here is the Qantas mother ship that got us to the world down under. She was a beast. Her name was "Fraser Island" - named after one of the famous Australian resort islands/destinations located in Queensland. [By the way - for Mom, Dad and others that have a hard time seeing these small pictures, make sure you click on them to see them enlarged!]
K and I road in the top section of this 747 - business class (does K travel any other way? If you have the means, I must recommend it - I am spoiled but it is the way to travel). Below, we toast to our departure to the other side of the planet.
The trip from LA to Brisbane was a little more than 14 hours. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for that long of a trip in a tin can - trust me - you can't. It is one long journey and you just can't get your mind around it. After about 7 hours out, I looked at my watch thinking this is about the longest I have ever been in a plane at one time and we are only 1/2 way there!
Qantas does it up nice. Both K and I feel the food and amenities are a bit better on American. We are probably bias, but Qantas does make your flight as enjoyable as possible. The lay-down seating allowed us to get some pretty good rest. In fact, as you get on, they hand you pajamas. Everyone in business class was hurrying about getting into them even before we left the ground. They fed us dinner within the hour after takeoff and then out went the lights. The idea was pretty simple - sit back, relax and try to get some sleep. Its going to be a long trip. Amazingly, it worked. K and I got off the plane feeling pretty good. Not the usual jet lag you feel going to Europe. We'll see how that works later today as we don't leave for Auckland until 5:25pm this evening. [Below, our big bird on the ground in Brisbane.]
We weren't allowed downstairs into the economy section of the plane. If Dante was alive during air travel times, I can only imagine he would have added a 10th layer of hell and it would be called "coach class to Australia." 14 hours crammed into one of those seats - I can't imagine the horror.
Having the ability to go into the Admirals club in Chicago, LA and here in Brisbane (where I write this post) makes all the difference too. Relaxing with a nice wine or coffee makes the trip much more enjoyable and less stressful. Below is a view from the Qantas lounge overlooking the Brisbane main terminal.
Both K and I were struck by how the scene was just like what you would see in any terminal in the US (or other country) on a weekday morning. Even a coffee shop with a long line of people getting their morning "joe." [Sorry - no Starbucks K!]. It was about 8am when we arrived.
I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, but when you travel literally 1/2 way around the world, I am always struck at how much we are all the same. There are differences in people, customs, places you go, but in the end, the human race has a lot in common no matter where you find yourself on this little blue planet.
There are small reminders that you "you ain't in Kansas any more Dorothy." For example, when I pulled up Google, you'll note the small shift to "Google Australia" as shown below.
To wrap up our first post from below the Equator, here are a few cool pictures K took on the plane as it descended into Brisbane. The last one is the shadow of the plane K captured in the morning clouds. I am calling it "Monster in the clouds." More from NZ...
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