With the farewell party last night and all this talk about the blog, the pressure has really mounted for me to keep a captivating, witty and informative account of the goings on on our round the world tour.
So, let’s begin this blogger journey for all the new comers at the very best place. Where I left off last time: an itinerary to the end of March and our African adventures and a quick recap on vaccinations and the mad dash to get the visas to Canberra. That was just over a week ago.
Since then:
Friday 21 January – ventured into Frankies Number down on Sydney Road in Manly to wet our whistles while waiting for Sam and the Red Indian. I liked the place – very funky! I think they do live music some days a week, so it had a grungy, jazzy vibe about it. More of those retro mis-matched couches that are popping up everywhere, but still had a friendly, comforting and welcoming feel. Maybe that was just to woo us in to read and order from the unpriced cocktail list (which they might as well have priced POA). At the end of the night (by which time our group size had grown) we all left there loving the place for the welcoming staff, the comfortable seats and the audible noise levels.
Visa status – sent.
Saturday 22 to Tuesday 25 January – Quick swim up at Newport and then into the Silver Chariot for his last road trip. This time it was a mini break in Goulburn to farewell the Coffey side. Fantastic little getaway, with Paula’s lovingly home cooked meals, rumbles and tumbles with the three year old nephew, bike rides, Chinese for lunch with Jack and a day trip to Canberra to see Pop and Amy.
Call Shosholoza Meyl (the train company) in South Africa to try and organise how I can send proof of payment for our Joburg to Cape Town tickets. I send a print screen of my international payment receipt in an email. Two phone calls and four emails later they tell me that I have sent only half of what they asked. Three phone calls and two emails later we work out that I sent the correct amount for our booking but ZAR125 is missing. I thank Platinum for my international payments experience and vocab. Two phone calls and an email to St George and two emails to SM about the fee being from the intermediary bank and…. Nothing. Hope we don’t turn up at the platform and they don’t have us down as passengers.
Visa status – receive email on Monday reading:
Dear Applicant,
Your application has arrived safely at the Canberra office and is currently being processed. The estimated processing time for your application is 15 working days plus mail time.
Gulp.
So travelled back to Sydney on the train and totally loved it. So much more beautiful than the highway and definitely an option I’d recommend if you have any visitors from overseas needing to commute from Sydney to Canberra. You actually get to realise why the place is called the Southern Highlands.
Wednesday 26 January – Australia Day. Not sure what we did in the morning, but in the afternoon we made a bee line to Bronte and the Red Indian’s place for a BBQ, drinks and some poker. Fantastically chilled day with a plethora (that one’s for Sam) of what turned out to be very multicultural food, cool drinks, lazy swims, Hottest 100 tunes and some drunken poker. Great times!
Thursday 27 January – cry on the phone to the Visa office and send an email to Mum that reads: It seems nothing is easy when you want to leave the country. We called Telstra to cancel our Internet on tuesday and they cut the contract when we hung up the phone. We have to pay money to virgin to keep our phone numbers. I just spent $400 at the chemist. To suspend our MBF we had to pay $80. The travel agent confirmed we would either get a hotel room or access to the lounge in KL for our 14 hour stop over at the cost of the airline when we booked, but now says that's not possible and wants us to change our flights or book a place to stay. We had to leave the daewoo in goulburn...
We meet Dan, Jen, MacIver, Kat and Shalini at the Old Fitzroy Pub for $35 beer, laksa and the Arj Barker Crapper or Keeper show in the theatre.
EXCELLENT NIGHT! It’s on for another week. Get yourselves there, but skip the samosas.
Friday 28 January – D day has arrived. We must cancel the visa applications or risk not getting our passports back in time for the travel. In sheer desperation I call both Malaysian Airlines to see what it would cost for us to defer our travel and call the consulate to see if my brother can pick up our passports (and work his wit and charm on the staff and see what strings he can pull) for us. I’m thinking we will have to wait until after 15 February to make our trip and how I can incorporate our family visits into the last two weeks of our African trip. I’m also mourning the loss of the London experience.
At the same time, Jono gets home from the travel agent where he has already emailed the consulate asking them to urgently review our applications and either process them or cancel them and express post our passports back.
Just as John is driving into the car park of the visa processing centre Jono gets a phone call. Drew at the consulate has processed our visas and is returning them in tonight’s mail.
Hip Hip Hooray! The risk paid off! We’ve got our two year working/holiday visa!
As quickly as my anxiety subsides it is replaced by another feeling – a sore throat and a runny nose. Totally typical!
But the email that reads:
Your approved application will be despatched within 2 working days.
It will be delivered by EXP POST Their reference number is 005250205090
Makes it totally worth it.
Final mad rush at the mall for glasses, Moroccan hair oil and priceline products and it’s nearly time for our farewell party!
In the taxi the visa things starts to sink in, but even when I’m saying goodbye to friends at the end of the night I have no comprehension of what is happening. My feelings haven’t caught up with my actions.
I can’t help but imagine the scene in the Spanish Apartment when Xavier walks down the gang way to the aeroplane that will take him to Spain and his new life. Only moments before he has hurriedly and without feeling farewelled his mother and girlfriend, but now with his back turned to them has tears streaming down his face at the enormity of what he has done.
And that’s just a trip from France to Spain!
Luckily for us we have had many others beat the track before us. Emily Wells and her Japan trip in year 11, followed later by trips to France and Cambodia. Ange Smith with South Africa, Canada, Thailand and now also the UK. Sal with France, the UK and now New York. Dan and Jen and their ten month trip around Australia. Bek and Roz for their continued adventures in Europe. My brother who is planning his fourth German experience. My Great Aunt Hod. My hairdresser yesterday. Iain, for Ireland, Tonga and everywhere in between. My Mum. Chris Lewis. Dan CW. Cousin John Jones. Jack and his ‘once every quarter’ adventures… he tells every story seven times, but when I ask him to tell me the one about how he had to pull a knife on a taxi driver in Hong Kong back in the day he won’t tell me it again. ..
Stay tuned for more enthralling adventures folks!
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