SYDNEY to ADELAIDE to KINGSCOTE – flying again

Wednesday – the time has arrived for the next adventure.  I have compiled the usual lists of the usual suspects and last night I went through everything again.  Because I am flying Qantas Business Class to Adelaide (thank you FF points) I am allowed 2 checked cases at 23kg each.

Unfortunately because I am flying Adelaide to Kingscote with Rex on a really small plane I can only check 1 case at 15kg.  Now that’s a real bummer for sure.

How on earth is this going to work out?  Nevermind, I have a plan and have managed the 15kg in the case.  I can take 7kg as cabin baggage and this will be my fragile camera gear including lenses.  Tripod etc is in the case.  Looking at the Rex website I am also allowed a ‘ladies handbag’ for personal items – wallet, small camera, book that kind of stuff.  So off we go.

There are cloudy skies but it is not hot and it is not raining so that is good.

Stuart drops me at Revesby station for the commute to the Domestic Terminal – it is easier than fighting our way through traffic at 8am.  At Domestic, then begins the long walk, one lift and two escalator fiasco from the station platform to Terminal 3 Qantas Business Class check-in for my 11.30am flight.  Walking straight up to the counter, instead of weaving my way around the Economy check-in, the lovely lady weighs my bag 15.2kg and asks me if that is all there is?   I reply yes, so all is well.

‘Thank you Ms Clarke, have a good flight’ she says – ‘thank you’ says I.

You don’t have to say it – yes I am early, but that is good as I will have time to swan around in the Qantas Business Lounge instead of grabbing a Bacon and Cheese McMuffy at Maccas.  Up more escalators and another long walk to the Business Lounge but before arriving I go to Gate 9, about a five minute walk from the Lounge, and check out the view.

Commencing the photography part of the journey, of course the usual Gate sign.  Sometimes I just can’t help myself. Sitting and watching the planes come and go, I just love it.  I could sit here for hours.  Is this my plane in the foreground?  I know it’s not the dirty big one behind it.

But back to more serious matters – the Qantas Lounge.  Being here for the first time I am trying to look like an upmarket traveller but humping a dirty big camera bag and looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame is not easy – I suppose I could pretend I am on a photo shoot for NatGeo.  Anyway all I have to do is show the counter my Boarding Pass marked BUSINESS and I am on my way in.  Yep, this is definitely the way to travel – so quiet and lots of comfy chairs.

Picking a nice ‘out of the way’ spot, depositing my camera bag on the seat it is time to head for the trough.  Loads of different foods, juices, coffee etc, etc, etc.  After I pig out in a most delicate manner, it is back for pastries.  I think I must have been so wrapped up in my surroundings these are the only photos I took.  Will remember to do better on the way home.

Relaxing to the point of no return, I best make a move to the gate so that I can be one of those people that are first on.  The announcement is made welcoming those in Business to board.  Putting my nose in the air – here I go.  There is not the usual push and shove down the gangway and onto the plane.  Welcome Ms Clarke your seat 3F is on the left, enjoy your flight.  Oh thank you so much.

The seats are so comfortable and there is plenty of room, but I really must complain here and now – there is no screen in the seat in front and that means no flight path screen, see photo right.  Really!  How much should a Koala Bear?

How on earth will I be able to let you know all those interesting details like altitude, outside temperature, distance to go and everything else?  How will I know where we are?  It’s just too much – I feel dejected.

But all of that is forgotten when we are seated and the cabin crew comes around – ‘Good morning madam, would you like some chilled water?  Still or sparkling?’ ‘I would like still water thank you’.  Served in a real glass, which makes a great change from those little plastic containers that when you pull back the lid, half the water goes over you.  But I digress, Madam is on her way.

The camera is poised for those out the window shots but as the wing is so far behind us this will have to do.  I do love my Aussie coastline, it’s even better on a fine sunny day.

As I am enjoying the view, the attendant is back. ‘Excuse me madam, will you be joining us for lunch?’

What a wonderful invitation but good grief, I am still full from the Lounge. I manage a grateful smile and say ‘Yes please’. There are three choices – Toasted Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Sandwich; Green Salad with Egg or Fresh Fruit Salad with Yoghurt and Sourdough Bread.

Yep I’ll have the Fruit Salad thanks and it was delicious.

It goes without saying that a glass of wine during and a cup of tea finishes off the meal.

It is not long after lunch that it is time to land.  Coming into Adelaide it doesn’t seem all that flash but I am sure that it is a pretty city once on the ground.

First off in such unhurried bliss and yet another long walk up the ramp and then up another long ramp up to the main area.  Lordy, so much walking and the day is only half over.  Now it is time to retrieve my bag and head to Rex Express to book in.

But before I do – a happy snap of my plane – and then I am walking, walking, walking.  Good news – my bag has made the flight so now to find Rex check-in.

Checked bag is OK but then he wants to weigh the camera bag – 7kg OK. Now there is a problem because he wants to weigh my handbag – 2kg.  He says I can take either the camera bag or the handbag, I can’t take both.  Hang on, the website says it is OK for a handbag but he is adamant.  He suggests I check through the camera bag to which he gets a hasty NO because all the lenses etc are in there and I don’t want them damaged.  He has a solution.

If I can get 4kg out of my camera bag then he will check it through because he is telling me that they allow 20kg for checked baggage. What happened to the 15kg?????  I can take out the lenses and my lithium batteries which weight about 3kg and put them in my handbag – the Notebook (1.5kg) has to come out as well and he will let me put the camera with lens around my neck.  Now my camera bag is safe to check through. I am sure airlines make things up as they go along.

On the other hand my handbag now weighs nearly 7kg and the handles may snap off at any moment.  He puts fragile stickers on the camera bag, why I don’t know as everything fragile is now being carried by me – but as they hand load all the baggage it should be OK.

Visions of returning home from the USA in February spring to mind.  I am now carrying my snow coat, my 7kg handbag and have a camera stuck around my neck.  What an adventure.  Time to go through quarantine/customs – yep even to go to Kingscote we still have to go through this.  Five trays with everything spread around – belt off – through with no beeps and then I have to load everything again.  I am going to find my gate while I am still upright and then I will collapse until the flight.

Gate 10 – another bloody long walk – I have not seen anyone from the tour yet so after the customary happy snaps – time to relax and read.

After a while people start arriving and I recognize Jonathan and The Lady Natsumi, the other guy must be Lachlan.  There is a group of people over the other side of the room so that must be the rest of us.

We are all chatting away and then it is time to board.  It is only a small plane and I have a window seat to myself – 9A – as the configuration is 1 and 2.  My seat is toward the back of the plane but that’s OK.  With my bag stowed under the seat it is time for take off which is smooth so time for photos.

As this is only a short flight – around 20 minutes – as soon as we get high enough the refreshment service begins – some cold water in one of those tricky little containers which I must say is a come down from my lovely chilled glass.

No matter – water drunk and time to land.  Coming into Kingscote we are soon on the ground to begin our Kangaroo Island Adventure.  I was quick enough to snap our plane as we made our way to the terminal.

The baggage arrives unharmed and we are soon heading towards our little mini bus which will take us to our luxury accommodation for the first two nights – Island Beach Lodge.

It is a beautiful house right on the beach and we are told who will be sharing with who.  My room-mate will be Leisa and we have the downstairs bedroom on the right hand side.  The house is split into mirror images with a retractable wall between the living areas.  This has been pushed back into the main wall cavity so we have one big house.  Downstairs we go and the view from our room is incredible.

Apparently it is the bedroom with the best view in the house and I can believe it.  There are more windows around to the right of my bed (the one covered in all the crap).  We have time to unpack and relax a bit and then it is back upstairs for wine, bikkies, cheese etc and a photography refresher course.  Then there is dinner.  That’s exactly what I need – more food!

Prawns, oysters in the shell, lobster medallions with a touch of chilli and coriander (why on earth would you put that on lobster?) crab, paper thin slices of salmon, scallops and marinated calamari with more chili and coriander.  What is it these days with chili and coriander?  Seems to be the chef’s flavour of the times.  Anyway the food was delicious and the wine not too bad either.

After filling ourselves it is time to hit the showers and bed as we have to be up early tomorrow for our sunrise shoot at Duck Lagoon – and so begins a week of photos, fun and hopefully some frivolity along the way.  OMG – I am tired.  Alarm set for 4.30am – as soon as my head hits the pillow – zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Highlight of the day – I love travelling in luxury – – –