Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
There was turbulence in the air as I set off on a 22-hour flight to Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands to catch up with old friends for a well-deserved summer vacation, writes Susan Tealby.
Sparks began to fly when an overzealous traffic policeman hovered, itching to book me for parking outside departures at Bahrain International Airport, whilst waiting for the rental car company man to pick up my car.
He arrived in the nick of time to rescue this damsel in distress who was surrounded by her two suitcases, some hand luggage and a handbag, of course.
One problem solved and on to the next one. The duty free shop assistant assured me that I could carry beverages in a sealed bag through transit at Doha airport. Wrong! They were confiscated in Qatar (note to fellow travellers: check the finer details before leaving for the airport).
Once on the plane to Doha, however, I could relax. This was the short hop part of the journey of under an hour before the long haul flight to Melbourne and 14-hours in the sky.
The transit time was excellent, only two hours. And travelling Qatar Airways proved to be a slick and efficient experience, no wonder the airline has picked up so many prestigious awards in recent years.
The take-off was on time and the Beoing 777 for the night flight to Melbourne was spacious and comfortable. The cabin crew was professional, approachable and friendly.
The choice of food was impressive with each passenger offered a menu with a wide selection to choose from. Beverages were plentiful and available on request, together with a selection of sandwiches, snacks and ice cream.
The onboard entertainment system presented travellers with a selection of movies, TV programmes and music to help make the time fly by. It was an opportunity to catch up with all the films I had wanted to watch but never seemed to have the time to put aside.
On arrival at Melbourne, I headed straight to the ‘Goods to Declare’ section as I had some pre-packed dried food with me and knew in advance that the Australian border control officers are extremely strict and impose fines of $200, or prosecution, for not declaring such items.
I had booked for a short stay at the Best Western Melbourne Airport Motel & Convention Centre. The motel offered a free shuttle bus, so without any hassle after my long flight I was duly picked up and discovered to my delight that I had been upgraded to a spa room.
A great night’s sleep meant that I was ready to explore Melbourne, the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Victoria, and a magnet for shopaholics.
I jumped on the Sky bus, which runs every 10 minutes from the airport. It costs just $28 (BD10) return which I thought wasn’t bad considering the distance of around 20km.
I then took the free City Circle Tram which you can get on-and-off to visit attractions and shopping centres whenever you like.
I joined the hordes of shoppers heading for Queen Victoria Market which is open all week except Mondays.
It was pouring with rain, only 10 degrees and freezing compared to Bahrain, so I was extremely glad it was a covered market. There were hundreds of stalls and I was on a mission to buy a beanie (wooly hat) to help keep warm!
The next day, I flew on to the Cook Islands, transiting through Auckland Airport, then on to Rarotonga, a staggering seven-hour flight with a tail wind – eight without. I lived here in 2004/5 working as a sales director for a local TV station and was looking forward to renewing friendships and acquaintances.
The temperature was perfect – 25 degrees and sunny every day. I stayed in a small motel called Kii Kii in Tupapa, near the township of Avarua.
Kia Orana (hello in Cook Island Maori) Rarotonga! It is a beautiful island (one of 15 under the umbrella of the Cook Islands which together boasts a combined population of a mere 10,000), surrounded by a coral reef, has a mountain in the middle and is lush and green.
The white coral beaches are fringed by coconut trees. There is a spectacular Saturday morning market and often the islanders will play traditional drum music and the warriors and girls in traditional dress will dance for the crowds.
I also visited an old friend – Jack Cooper who owns Trader Jacks Restaurant & Bar in Avarua, which has stunning views over a lagoon.
The 10-day visit flashed by and soon it was time to prepare for the return journey. Again the trip went smoothly and one of the most memorable parts was the fabulous food on the Melbourne to Qatar flight, particularly the red Thai vegetable curry for dinner.
There was definitely a holiday atmosphere on the plane. The Aussie passengers were all heading towards Europe for their summer vacations … unlike poor me, on her way back to work.
