Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Tasmanian Devils (2010)
And on to Australia
I spent maybe an hour and a half in the busy lounge, where I think my sole indulgence was a bottle of cold mineral water. I took advantage of the free wi-fi, in my semi-zonked state, to catch up with e-mails, news and happenings in the frequent-flyer world.
(Link to flight log in side panel)
In complete contrast to Dubai the previous night, Sydney Airport was like a ghost town and was therefore a dream to pass through. The quarantine officials were doing their usual thorough job, but in a friendly manner that successfully preserved a sense of visitors being welcome in the country. Once reunited with my suitcase, I attempted to find the shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn, but was put off by the deserted look of the stands and made for the airport station instead. This worked well enough, except that it left me with the realisation that if I needed a train to reach this airport hotel, I'd have been as well staying on board for another fifteen minutes and going all the way into the centre of town. Oh well - lesson learned for next time!
I walked the short distance from Mascot Station to the Holiday Inn, checked in and was pleased to be upgraded to a top-floor suite. Although tired, I took a quick shower before turning in, after all those hours spent travelling. It had the desired secondary effect and, feeling nice and fresh, I quickly and easily fell into a deep sleep.