14th Oct
Me and Abi where rather worse for wear this morning..... Flight at midday back to Joburg. Said goodbye to Abi at airport and she got a flight home. Me and Drew picked up the Pugs and back to home for an early night.
I had to organise flights etc for big flight to Sydney tomorrow. Unfortunately, I found out that Qantas will not allow me to do the normal things with the tickets that I have. I can't check in online, I have to be at checking for all flights (domestic included) 90 minutes before departure and most importantly I can't purchase excess baggage online before hand (at a much cheaper price). Non of this info was on the website and when I tried to check in online it just gave funcky errors. I phoned up to find out that the cost of excess baggage for me at the airport is £25 per kg ($50 AUS)! My bike weighs 16kg boxed up. My bags empty weight 3kg. I am allowed 23kg. That leaves 4kg for all of my stuff for 1 year!
I have been emailing Qantas re sponsorship (just to waver the excess baggage fees) - they said "NO". I am trying to raise money for Oxfam doing this. Rather unfair me thinks :-(
I was over tired after a good few days partying and ended up a bit upset. I will be on £15 per day on average for the year. It will be tight even without having to spend £1000 in excess baggage!
15th Oct
Last day in SA and flying out to Sydney. Thanks so much to my Uncle Drew for a holiday of a life time. It was great to get to know him better and see such a massive part of Southern Africa in only 3 weeks. I feel exhausted now!
Several hours organising my things so that I could carry as much as possible on to the flight. Used a Stanley knife to chop out the pages of Lonely planet and that I did not need. Got rid off all excess toiletries and clothes.
Final wander round Joburg and at the airport for 3. I then spent 1 hour sorting out stuff and putting on all of the clothes that I would be taking so that I did not have to pay for them and putting everything heavy into hand luggage.
I was 2 kg over when checked in bike and bag - but the guy could not add up and said I was just on 23kg :-) I looked like a complete idiot with everything on. I was soooo hot.
It took 1 hour to then get through security as I had to take off everything that I was wearing and they search all of my bags. Once through security all my clothes went into another bag and I then wandered round the airport with 3 big bags for hand luggage...... uncomfortable but FREE!
Flight was OK.
What to take on a bike ride for 1 year:
FB:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94557&id=1408960696&l=47ff526168Me and Abi where rather worse for wear this morning..... Flight at midday back to Joburg. Said goodbye to Abi at airport and she got a flight home. Me and Drew picked up the Pugs and back to home for an early night.
I had to organise flights etc for big flight to Sydney tomorrow. Unfortunately, I found out that Qantas will not allow me to do the normal things with the tickets that I have. I can't check in online, I have to be at checking for all flights (domestic included) 90 minutes before departure and most importantly I can't purchase excess baggage online before hand (at a much cheaper price). Non of this info was on the website and when I tried to check in online it just gave funcky errors. I phoned up to find out that the cost of excess baggage for me at the airport is £25 per kg ($50 AUS)! My bike weighs 16kg boxed up. My bags empty weight 3kg. I am allowed 23kg. That leaves 4kg for all of my stuff for 1 year!
I have been emailing Qantas re sponsorship (just to waver the excess baggage fees) - they said "NO". I am trying to raise money for Oxfam doing this. Rather unfair me thinks :-(
I was over tired after a good few days partying and ended up a bit upset. I will be on £15 per day on average for the year. It will be tight even without having to spend £1000 in excess baggage!
15th Oct
Last day in SA and flying out to Sydney. Thanks so much to my Uncle Drew for a holiday of a life time. It was great to get to know him better and see such a massive part of Southern Africa in only 3 weeks. I feel exhausted now!
Several hours organising my things so that I could carry as much as possible on to the flight. Used a Stanley knife to chop out the pages of Lonely planet and that I did not need. Got rid off all excess toiletries and clothes.
Final wander round Joburg and at the airport for 3. I then spent 1 hour sorting out stuff and putting on all of the clothes that I would be taking so that I did not have to pay for them and putting everything heavy into hand luggage.
I was 2 kg over when checked in bike and bag - but the guy could not add up and said I was just on 23kg :-) I looked like a complete idiot with everything on. I was soooo hot.
It took 1 hour to then get through security as I had to take off everything that I was wearing and they search all of my bags. Once through security all my clothes went into another bag and I then wandered round the airport with 3 big bags for hand luggage...... uncomfortable but FREE!
Flight was OK.
What to take on a bike ride for 1 year:
FB:
16th Oct
Arrive at Sydney airport at 3.15pm and then spent several hours building my bike out of the box, getting through quarantine and changing clothes. Apparently if you have been to Africa then you are likely to be carrying all sorts of things. Everything had to be checked for bugs etc. Picked up a sim card and then in only 3 hours from arriving I set off....
I biked from the airport to Dan Simms' flat (central Sydney). Dan a colleague from SunGard is very kindly putting me up for a few days. Hi flat is awesome. Very central and great views etc.
We went out for a meal and a few drinks. As all good nights out should do, finished off the evening at 3am watching Sean of the Dead.
