Tips from a whirlwind trip across the continent to Sydney

A quick trip to Sydney and back gives me this opportunity to write about Perth domestic airport parking, travelling with carry-on only and rolled clothes, shuttle buses at Sydney airport, an airport hotel and to add a little bit of history with some contemporary philosophy.

FLYING HIGHS

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, you can still buy a lot of travel for $2400.

Return economy airfares to Europe have been on sale from about $1500.

But last weekend I flew to Sydney and back with Qantas for $2400.

I know we’d booked late, but even so … (!)

PLANE NEIGHBOURS

On the way over, the single aisle Boeing 737-800 is crammed full.

+ The person next to me: chicken wings over the armrest and has to spread their knees wide so that their stomach can waterfall onto what little ledge of seat can be seen between their thighs.

+ There is an eight-long queue in the single aisle for the toilet at the back. Those coming out having to squeeze past, and passengers in the aisle seats get continually bumped.

THINK AHEAD

But let me take one step back, to something positive. Parking for the Qantas T4 is easy — and even easier and cheaper if you book in advance. The long-term parking isn’t a big walk or hassle (as it is at T1), and there are good options in the short-term car park. The more you pay the closer to the terminal you are — and that might be a one or two minute walk. I take the second level, and it is three to four minutes’ walk. And here’s the trick … the further in advance you book, the less expensive the options are.

PICTURE THIS

When you arrive at the car park, cameras recognise the number plate I put in with the booking, and when I pull up to the barrier, a ticket is issued. When I leave, I just scan the QR code that came by email when the booking was confirmed.

FAST WI-FI

… but back to the flight. The free Qantas wi-fi is easy to join, and FAST. It’s fast enough for me to continue streaming the series Ted Lasso on Apple TV. It’s the third time I’ve watched this series about an American coach (Ted) brought in to lead an English football team, though he knows nothing about soccer. If you want something positive (despite some bad language) and to really understand the power of true leadership, this is it. The way the team at AFC Richmond develops as a family is very much how our little Travel team is.

BRAIN STORM

Ted Lasso pulling himself back in line when someone offers a bad suggestion at an ideas session: “Never bring an umbrella to a brain storm.” Memorable.

More Lasso advice: “Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” Precisely.

HOT, COLD

There are two choices of breakfast served on the flight, for those who are served first (options reduce as service progresses). The roast vegetable quiche does the job, but this vegetarian option comes with two pork sausages on the side, which I leave. The cold option is a mix which includes a pot of yoghurt.

FEELING LIGHT

Ah, the joys of travelling with just carry-on. No baggage conveyor in Sydney for me. But, seeing as I am here for an event tonight, I do feel rather guilty that Casey, my faithful suitcase, isn’t with me. I’ve brought his smaller cousin, Justin. (Just in case.) Justin contains my “black tie” get-up for the event tonight, wash bag, night wear and a change of shirt to fly home in.

CREASELESS ROLL

To fold or roll, that is the question. Usually I fold (carefully, on an ironing board), but not today. Because I’m travelling with just Justin, I lie my dinner suit trousers on the bed, fold the evening shirt lengthways on top of them, then my tuxedo jacket (first folded in half) lengthways down the seam on the back, arms uncreased at the sides. Then I put everything else I want to take in a towel (including my bathroom bag, also folded lengthways), place this one end, and carefully roll the whole lot together and put the big sausage in Justin, putting the extending elastic strap over it. Job done.

(When I take it out in Sydney, there’s not a single crease.)

SYDNEY ARRIVAL

Sydney from the air is beautiful. It is a place of arrivals. At some point, Indigenous Australians arrived, migrating south across the Sahul continent, and became stranded in what is now Australia as sea levels rose after the ice age. There are about 29 clan groups of the Sydney metropolitan area, referred to collectively as the Eora Nation.

The first European settlement in Australia was in Sydney, after about 850 convicts and their marine guards and officers, led by Governor Arthur Phillip, arrived at Botany Bay in January, 1788. This was the “First Fleet” of nine transport ships and two warships.

And today it is me, flying in on a sunny morning, with light bouncing off buildings, picking out parks and illuminating the waterways to a beautiful blue.

Sydney is always a great place to arrive.

FREE SHUTTLE

I arrive at the domestic terminal, T3, and I’m staying overnight at Rydges Sydney Airport hotel. Thanks goodness for good airport hotels. It is right outside the international terminal, T1, and I take the free shuttle bus there. The shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes, and the purple stand is right outside the domestic terminal. It takes about 15 minutes in the bus from the domestic to the international terminal, then it is three minutes’ walk to the hotel.

RYDGES HOTEL

I repeat, thank goodness for good airport hotels — they are a lifesaver when you have long connections or “overnights” between flights. And Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel is one of the best I know. We paid just over $400 for the night, which is a wad of money, but always figure in rideshare, taxi or public transport costs when thinking about a less expensive but less convenient hotel.

The room at Rydges is nicely presented, with a basin and basic amenities, separate toilet room, big walk-in shower, white towels, mini bar, tea and coffee making (with mugs!), hanging space with iron and board, comfortable queen-sized bed with white cotton sheets and doona, TV, desk, armchair and table.

The view is of the car park, but who needs a view in an overnight hotel? (Not me.)

TAKING TRAIN

I’ll mention here that if I were staying in the centre of Sydney (I’m usually around Darling Harbour or The Rocks, as I like to be in the middle of things), I’d catch the AirportLink train in. Without doubt. It’s easy ( I went “there and back” to try it for you) and about $20 to central Sydney, depending on the time of day. airportlink.com.au

OUTSIDE VOICES

Sunday morning and I’m up and happy to be in my comfortable room. It’s just a pity that the room cleaners banging around in adjacent rooms (understandable) are using their outside voices inside (not understandable).

But still, there IS A MUG for the English breakfast tea.

STOPPING CHOICE

I stroll to the shuttle bus, to get to the domestic airport. Don’t get off at Virgin stop, do get off at Qantas stop.

FAMILIAR CONCOURSE

It’s not that I come to Sydney domestic airport terminal 3 that often, but it always feels so familiar, calm and sensibly laid out. It has one long concourse, plenty of space, good cacophony muting, a few shops and coffee shops.

(I recommend no one ever orders banana bread from the coffee shop next to Luke’s Bar and Bistro. Just how much sugar and saturated fat can you squeeze into one little square?)

AISLE BELIEF

… and we are back to the joys of the Boeing 737-800. Seriously, I do recommend avoiding at least the last eight (or preferably 10) aisle seats when you are choosing where to sit in this plane type. Frankly, I’d rather have a middle seat than one of these.

But I score big time. Here I am in 6A (a seat choice with no extra charge!) with (drum roll) an empty seat between me and the person in the aisle seat. And that, for my (considerable) money, is better than business class, any day.

FREE SIGHTSEEING

A good trick on flights from Sydney to Perth is to try to get an A window seat, on the left side of the plane when you’re facing forward. The flight line is pretty much direct to Adelaide and then across the Great Australian Bight, crossing back onto land at Esperance. At one point I’m looking out over Yorke Peninsula to Kangaroo Island, in South Australia, and I get clear views of the Dampier Archipelago and Esperance as we arrive in WA.

TRAVELLERS’ CREED

… and back to Ted Lasso, and some classic quotes:

+ “Be curious, not judgmental.”

+ “I think that you might be so sure a person is one thing, that sometimes you completely miss who they really are.”

+ “I promise you, there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad.”

+ “I believe in hope. I believe in belief.”

… and it seems to me that all of those apply to travel, and us as travellers.

… and it is so strange hearing the last comment. I have written and previously performed a words-and-music piece called Belief, which begins “I believe in belief.”

We have a special recording of this on The Pod Well Travelled this week. You can listen to it here.