Frugal Bastard's Hawaii Trip 2007 - 18/5/07

Just to fill you in. I've been saving Qantas Frequent Flyer points for close to eight years to earn a reward flight for the three of us to go someone and enjoy. We chose Hawaii because I've been there before and thought that there were plenty of wonderful things to show my son and wife. It was about as far as we could travel on the points that I had and seemed like pretty good value. On to the trip.



After getting to bed at 11pm last night I was up at 5am to go to work early just to get a couple of extra hours in. I worked from 6-12 and tidied up quite a few loose ends. Set the phone to take messages and email to auto respond that I'm on leave.

Rang home to tell them that I was on the way. Miky was having a shower so couldn't take the call I was told by the boy. On the drive home Miky rang. I pulled over and rang her back. She wanted me to take some library books back - 1 1/2 hours before leaving for the airport! Once home I called the library to extend the borrowing period. Miky made sushi for lunch and to have on the plane as we were flying Virgin Blue and they don't serve free meals.

Caught the taxi after much rushing around packing, storing items in the shed, washing the dishes, taking out the rubbish, getting Yu-Jin to write a letter to the next door neighbour to collect our mail, turning off unwanted power and locking the windows and doors. Lot to do in a limited time. We were ready for our taxi with four minutes to spare.

Upon arrival at the airport we were informed that our plane would be late in arriving as its departure had been delayed. That added an extra 40 minutes to our waiting time.

Miky waiting at Perth Airport.
Mark and Yu-Jin waiting at Perth Airport.

I feel that the windows in the plane are made for little people as I have to stoop to see out of them. During the flight there was a screaming baby only two rows behind us. It drove Miky to go and find another seat. It was one hour into our flight before the flight attendant asked me if I would like to purchase something and my reply was, "Something to shut up the baby."

I would rather be at work with ringing phones, people and emails than put up with crying babies and noisy kids and parents.

Somebody got told off for walking around the with the seatbelt sign on - Miky.

After landing at Sydney's domestic terminal and collecting our luggage, where one guy took two different bags, including one of ours, and both turned out not to be his, we walked outside to be greeted with putrid cigarette smoke. Short wait for a taxi and a very quick ride to Hotel Ibis Sydney Airport.