bundy

Hello everyone,

The wanderer has returned from her (brief) travels. Must say, I'm just soooo pleased to be back here in sunny Britain. No, really, I am. I said so to myself as I struggled through the fog and sat in a traffic jam on my way to work. I reminded myself that the 267 emails in my work email inbox at least showed that people cared about their money/deadlines/contracts. I reasoned with myself that the total lack of daylight since our return on Friday means that there is less chance of contracting skin cancer. And I have stuck a post it note up to remind myself to send a pleasant letter those nice people at the award winning Emirates thanking them for taking such good care of our luggage for the 2 days it spent sitting on the runway at Dubai.

Yes, it's good to be back.

The only good thing so far has been showing off my tan to my work colleagues! Oh, and the rugby....

Anyway, in brief (those 267 emails are staring at me), had a fantastic time in Oz, as expected. Did a few visa admin things, saw most of the people we set out to see, went out cattle mustering in good old Nundle, lay on the beach at Byron Bay, drank far too much rum and enjoyed being in a soccer-free zone for a while.

Hope you people are all well...can't wait to get back into the old swing of things with this forum.

bondipom

Work is always such a bumber when you get back from holiday. If it is any consolation it has been pissing it in Sydney and I was driving for 3 hours today instead of the normal 1 and half.

Make the most of Europe whilst you are still there and all the best with the app.

Simone

Hey!

Welcome back!

Glad to hear you had a great time

Most of us here are well I think, but it's a bit hard keeping track, there's so many of us!

BUt I think I can say, we would like more details, but take your time


Good luck with the emails! (I have none and I'm bored)

Badge

when you come from Australia, to the UK it's like a different world? Get on one plane, from happy smiley people, get to Heathrow, everyone looks like a bunch of manic depressives, I noticed that everyone looks at the ground and in to the middle distance like they're trying to avoid eye contact, like noone exists. "SMILE you buggers!", I think.

Yesterday was so overcast the sky is PURPLE. Imagining getting off the flight then. It's like "who turned the lights off?".

lol

Welcome back to the rush B.

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Pollyana

Welcome back to the forum - sounds like your hols went well!
Glad you put us before the 267 emails!!! I guess you are back into the swing of visa-getting now.......

bundy

It was a shock alright. Literally stepped off the beach onto the plane - I still had my bikini on under my 'flying' clothes. Got off the other end to pelting rain,very unhelpful people at Gatwickand an accident on the M25 .

Still, at least we have a more focussed plan of visa-applying action and the world's largest supply of Bundaberg Rum (2 2 litre bottles, no less) to get us through the winter. Or the week.

bondipom

I remember after a 3 week holiday in Thailand getting off at Heathrow and waiting for the railair with horizantal rain. My visa app had gone in just before we left.

downunderpom

You're late! I posted a thread here a few days ago saying that you were due back 'tomorrow'. So, never mind the work emails - tell us ALL about it!!

(And welcome back!)

bundy

I did actually arrive back on pommie soil (soggy) on Friday but had to attend my borhter's 21st birthday bash and wait around for the delightful people at Emirates to reunite us with our luggage. So didn't make it back home until the wee small hours of this morning (matchsticks in evidence). Failed to set my alarm, the car wouldn't start after it's 3 week holiday, I got stuck in traffic etc etc so this was my first chance to log in. ANd yes, the very first thing I did (having seen the 267 emails in my inbox) was check the forum.

Right, all about it eh. Well, where so I start?! Here's the brief version....

Left the UK on 30 Oct waving farewell torrential rain at Gatwick. Had an epic journey to Brisbane and on to Sydney (not impressed with award-winning Emirates - decent(ish) legroom, but lumpy seats, crappy food and too many pastel colours for my liking). Good old Qantas sorted us out with our domestic flight down to Syd by informing us that our original connection was delayed and putting us on the next (better) flight. That wouldn't happen here in the UK.

So, first weekend was spent sorting out and attending my best mate's hastily-arranged, visa-related wedding. Held in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge with the reception in Darling Harbour, all very nice.

Spent a week mucking about in Sydney being tourists and sorting out banks etc (grrr).

On the second weekend we went up to the now-famous Nundle to surprise the folks back home. Nobody knew we were coming, my partner's little half-sister was speechless for the first time in her life, his dad nearly had a heart attack and an almighty piss-up ensued.

Back to Sydney in the second week to pick up a mate, then back to Nundle, over to a place called Bendemeer (where they take the straight bananas - work it out ) for a big ex-work reunion where 10 of us consumed 3 bottles of Bundy Rum, 3 cartons of beer, 2 bottles of champagne, 2 bottles of wine, a bottle of Stones, a bottle of Baileys and the cooking sherry. We drank the house dry and had a bloody good night. Awaiting the photos.

Back to Nundle then over to a place called Bingara (again, in the middle of nowhere) to stay with mates before heading over to Byron Bay for the beach...lovely...and then up to Brissie to fly home.

So, travelled a total of about 25,000 miles over 3 weeks, drank too much, laughed too much, got very brown and had a ball. We also had serious discussions about the timescale for moving out there, settling on July for definte (visas allowing) sort of unofficially got engaged (even more unofficially than we already are) and didn't want to come home.