​Day Twenty-four May 5th 2011   The split: Hong Kong or London!
 
It's all beginning to fall apart! Today we split... Two of our tour group were not with us.  They were on their way home to the UK.  With a very long flight ahead of them they left Sydney, at 1300, for the London flight via Singapore.

Charlie and I along with the rest of our travel group had an early start for the 1145 flight to Hong Kong.  The check in went smoothly and, apart from a slight but quickly resolved missing bag problem for one of our group, all went well.

Good for us but not so good for the airline, the flight was half empty so we could move around and take more space.  It was still a long eight hours 40 minutes to Hong Kong, and the meals weren't anything special.  Landed safely at 1745. A long walk to the immigration at, 

Day Twenty May 1st 2011 Onward to Sydney
 
We checkout of the Shangri La and travelled up to Cairns airport for our midday Qantas flight to Sydney. Super-efficient check-in and soon we were up in the clouds.  A drink and lunch, a movie and before we knew it we were approaching Sydney.

On landing at Sydney it was an easy job to collect the bags and soon we were heading to our hotel for the final four nights of the tour in Australia, the perfectly placed Four Seasons. The transfer allowed us to glimpse the Opera House and see the famous Harbour Bridge. The hotel was very comfortable and with a highly convenient location within minutes walk of 

Day Sixteen April 26th 2011      Up to the Tropics!
 
An early start. At 0730 we piled onto the coach and made for Melbourne airport, normally a quick 25 min run but with roadworks and the first day working day after a very long holiday weekend traffic was heavy and it took twice as long.  Very quick and efficient check-in, didn't even have to touch our suitcases!  Then a short wait before the flight.

We took off on the Qantas jet slightly late and it took about three hours to Cairns. Good thing we were flying, it's a couple of days by road!  Coming into Cairns airport we could make out the sea and tropical greenery of the tropics.  Stepping out of the aeroplane it was warm but not quite as hot and sticky as we'd expected...
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Cairns is in the heart of the Tropical North and is a major city and primary gateway to 

Day Thirteen April 23rd 2011 Easter Sunday To Melbourne
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Left the hotel 0915 for Adelaide airport.  Easy check-in and we were soon winging our way to Victoria's capital, the fine city of Melbourne.  Adelaide had been very good, most enjoyable, but we were keen to see more of Oz.
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On arrival in the great city we quickly joined our coach and made our way to the of Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.  This would be our home for three nights in late April; over Easter and Anzac Day.  Our room was on the 39th floor and had fabulous views over the city of Melbourne.  The accommodation was very comfortable, with DVD player, modern flat screen TV and bedside lighting controls.  The windows had shutters to block out all outside light if required and the 

​Day Ten April 21st 2011    Alice to Adelaide, early morning balloons!

Ten members of our group awoke predawn for an exciting ballooning trip!  Leaving the hotel in darkness at around 0515 (ouch!), driving out of town to the launch site where they told us that the sight of the hot air balloons inflating was superb in the dawn light.  They clambered into the wicker basket, some blasts from the burners and they lifted off.  Totally magically they gained altitude and drifted over the Outback in the morning light as the sun slowly rose in the east.
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Later they told us that it seemed over so quickly!  They touched down gently and had some fun getting out of the basket and packing the balloon.  No wonder they were told to wear dark colours and old clothes!  They then received certificates in recognition of their bravery, and enjoyed a light breakfast with – what else? - champagne.  They arrived back into the hotel for 0830 to find the rest of us just about getting up....
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At 1030 most of us left for the airport and the Qantas flight down to Adelaide.  Because we 

Day Seven April 17th 2011   To Uluru

Quite a civilised departure time for the airport today, so we enjoyed the Perth Hilton's delicious breakfast before departure at 0745.  The check-in at the airport was painless, and the two hour flight from Perth to Uluru went well, albeit slightly late. If you looked out of the windows, it was pretty empty down there! The excitement started for us when we caught our first glimpse of Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) from the windows of the plane and we were blown away.  It was breathtakingly ​

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Day Five April 15th 2011 We leave Singapore, Welcome to Oz, G'day Mate!

0515 alarm call, ouch!  But we're off to Australia so we were looking forward to that!
We left for the airport at 0630 and checked in effortlessly.  Saying our fond goodbyes to our excellent guide Faridah, we were all through immigration by about 0730. Changi is a super airport, even with the renovation that was going on.  Charlie voted the smoking area the best he has ever seen at an airport; so lush and green.  So the couple of hours before the Qantas flight passed reasonably quickly.

Only around five hours to Perth, and it's in the same time zone as Singapore.  A meal was served up and before we knew it we were off the aircraft and 'down under'.  Swift immigration, no delays at baggage nor customs, and we all passed scrutiny by the sniffer dogs.  We were finally in Australia!

On the coach into the city of Perth, Alex (our guide) dished out maps of the city and went through

​Days 1-4 of Our Trip to Singapore/ Australia/ Hong Kong

Day One April 11th 2011 Dublin to London

Great Airport Hotel - Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport (Bath Road)
We needed a one night stopover in Heathrow en-route from Dublin to Singapore.  This hotel caught my eye on an internet search due to its very reasonable rate and its close proximity to both Terminal 1 (where we were flying in to) and Terminal 3 (where we were flying out from next morning).  Taxi cost us £8 each way for two. Quick, friendly check-in with money back guarantee explained.  On arrival we had a tasty snack in the Costa Coffee; again with friendly service.
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The room was bright, clean and modern with a spotless bathroom.  We slept well despite being so close to airport.  We also liked the secure access to each floor with keycard needed for the elevator.  We didn't use the restaurant or shuttle service so I can't comment on either but would have no hesitation in staying here again whenever we have a Heathrow stopover.  But we headed back to the airport’s Terminal 3, excited to get going “Down Under”.
Road km: 45                Air km: 449

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​Day Two April 12th 2011 - We leave London...
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Today was the day we would meet the group we would be spending the next month with.  Most arrived at Heathrow in good time, though there were a couple of late runners because of a pile-up on the motorway.  Still, no problems really and we were met by Sue, the airport representative, and by Alex, our tour manager. After checking in we made our way through to the ServisAir lounge and had a quick drink and snack before the long flight.  The adventure was beginning!

​Packing List for a Month in Australia April/ May

Specific things to note when packing for a trip to tour Australia:

• Distances are huge, involving a lot of cross-country travel so travelling with minimal, portable luggage is essential, wearing comfortable travel clothes.
• The weather and climate is hugely diverse from the tropics in the north, to the desert of the outback, to the mountains….and from east to west coasts.  So dress accordingly.
• Any trip will likely include cosmopolitan city sightseeing, beach and leisure days, trekking in the country and smart/ casual dining locations.  So allow for a wide range of activities.

General Tips to Note When Packing for a Holiday:

• Start with a list BEFORE you pull out all of your wardrobe 😊.  Making a list is less strenuous than sorting through a big pile of clothes.
• The list will allow you see what matches what to make up a full outfit.  If your favourite

​​​Australia had been on my Bucket List since the 1980s.  Several of my friends had emigrated there from Ireland to find work.  Some stayed and settled down.  Others returned to Ireland for the “Celtic Tiger”.  Their stories were of sun, surfing, beaches, barbies and TimTams (famous Aussie biscuits). This post sets out what I decided to do.   I had to see it for myself.

Besides, I grew up glued to TV episodes of "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo".  Not to mention "The Sullivans", "Neighbours" and "Home and Away".  And who could forget the quintessential Aussie, Mick Dundee in "Crocodile Dundee".  I HAD to see “the land down under”.

​Why am I sharing my bucket list? Well, this time two years ago, (November 2017) I left hospital after 177 days (25 weeks and 2 days). I had gone in with a pain in my right leg thinking I had a simple pulled muscle. However, I suffered a massive stroke and multiple organ failure. I was put on life support; close to death.