The Trip From Hell
OK in response to popular demand ... well, ok two queries ... here is the story of the trip from hell.
So I'm supposed to be doing this quick trip down to Sale, Vic for work. Basically Brindabella fly CBR-Traralgon 0945-1045, hire a car, drive the 50km to Sale, grab a bite to eat, sit down at midday and you have all afternoon to conduct business. Then we stay the night, have a few social drinks or twenty, fly home the next morning and still have half the work day left. Sound like a plan??
Well it didn't turn out that way. We got to CBR airport at 0845 ...no hint of trouble checking in. Then our boarding time came and went, they put up a 15 min delay. Which became another 15 min delay and then another. So we ask what is going on at the desk of the Qantas Club ... they dont make many announcements as its only a Metro Merlin we are flying on, its only a 16 seater. Mechanical difficulties they say ... that fills me with confidence. Anyway the delay turns into more than an hour and we are now getting worried about making the appointment.
Eventually the Brindabella Airlines chief pilot comes up to speak to the four (!) of us that were supposed to be flying ... a colleague of mine on the trip and two people we didnt know on different business. The pilot confesses that the Merlin was struck by lightning on the way up to Canberra. Initially they thought they just had a dead instrument they needed to changeout ... but on closer inspection they needed to replace the engine (!!! - glad someone decided on that closer inspection !!!). Of course there isnt a replacement in Canberra, they need to get one from Adelaide - ETA two days.
So anyway - its March 15, Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony day ... so all QANTAS flights to Melbourne are fully booked. However they can get us to Sydney on a Dash 8 and then onto a SYD-MEL 767. They will then hire a chauffeured car to take us to sale. The CBR-SYD flight goes at 12, then the SYD-MEL at 2:10, get to MEL at 3:30 and car to Sale there around six pm. Not perfect as we have to push our meeting to the next day but at least we get there in time for dinner etc so we agree. One woman declines and leaves, the other dude agrees so there is three of us to continue. We fly to SYD no problems, get to the SYD Qantas Club and have a few drinks waiting for our 2:10, which should be about a 45 min wait.
2:10 comes and goes and lo and behold up comes our old friend on the screen "Delayed Mechanical". OMGWTFBBQ @&%^@*&@%*&% is pretty much the attitude. More alcohol consumed to calm rising tensions. Qantas announce that the 767 to fly our leg has suffered a bird strike on the way from Brisbane and is now delayed for repairs. ^@*%^@*%&^* even more alcohol consumned. We finally depart at 4:30pm ... and more than two hours additional delay we hope like hell the hire driver is still hanging around at Tullamarine, otherwise its a long walk to Sale.
We get there at 5:40 and fortunately he is still there. Fortunately his car is a nice Caprice and we settle into the back and head onto the freeway. Unfortnuately the driver is French, speaks little English and appeared to have lunched on Garlic Snails or something, becuase the aromas that got worse during the trip were not pleasant.
Halfway to Sale ... they say things come in threes ... we have our third strike as a rabbit darts onto the road, gets transfixed, and we promptly plough straight over (through?) it. The final straw is our driver who claims he just hit a roo. Yes, we explain, its the Common Eastern Gippsland Warbling Speckled Rabbit Kangaroo, very common in these parts. Geez.
Anyway we pull into Sale very close to 9pm. Aftr checking in I visit the two local pub/restaurants to be informed that the kitchens closed at 8:30pm. Accordingly I dined on a packet of Thins crisps, a Kit kat, and a coke from the mini bar.
That's the story. The meeting the next day was very successful and went for 2 hours tops.
Sooo ... how was your day?? :)
So I'm supposed to be doing this quick trip down to Sale, Vic for work. Basically Brindabella fly CBR-Traralgon 0945-1045, hire a car, drive the 50km to Sale, grab a bite to eat, sit down at midday and you have all afternoon to conduct business. Then we stay the night, have a few social drinks or twenty, fly home the next morning and still have half the work day left. Sound like a plan??
Well it didn't turn out that way. We got to CBR airport at 0845 ...no hint of trouble checking in. Then our boarding time came and went, they put up a 15 min delay. Which became another 15 min delay and then another. So we ask what is going on at the desk of the Qantas Club ... they dont make many announcements as its only a Metro Merlin we are flying on, its only a 16 seater. Mechanical difficulties they say ... that fills me with confidence. Anyway the delay turns into more than an hour and we are now getting worried about making the appointment.
Eventually the Brindabella Airlines chief pilot comes up to speak to the four (!) of us that were supposed to be flying ... a colleague of mine on the trip and two people we didnt know on different business. The pilot confesses that the Merlin was struck by lightning on the way up to Canberra. Initially they thought they just had a dead instrument they needed to changeout ... but on closer inspection they needed to replace the engine (!!! - glad someone decided on that closer inspection !!!). Of course there isnt a replacement in Canberra, they need to get one from Adelaide - ETA two days.
So anyway - its March 15, Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony day ... so all QANTAS flights to Melbourne are fully booked. However they can get us to Sydney on a Dash 8 and then onto a SYD-MEL 767. They will then hire a chauffeured car to take us to sale. The CBR-SYD flight goes at 12, then the SYD-MEL at 2:10, get to MEL at 3:30 and car to Sale there around six pm. Not perfect as we have to push our meeting to the next day but at least we get there in time for dinner etc so we agree. One woman declines and leaves, the other dude agrees so there is three of us to continue. We fly to SYD no problems, get to the SYD Qantas Club and have a few drinks waiting for our 2:10, which should be about a 45 min wait.
2:10 comes and goes and lo and behold up comes our old friend on the screen "Delayed Mechanical". OMGWTFBBQ @&%^@*&@%*&% is pretty much the attitude. More alcohol consumed to calm rising tensions. Qantas announce that the 767 to fly our leg has suffered a bird strike on the way from Brisbane and is now delayed for repairs. ^@*%^@*%&^* even more alcohol consumned. We finally depart at 4:30pm ... and more than two hours additional delay we hope like hell the hire driver is still hanging around at Tullamarine, otherwise its a long walk to Sale.
We get there at 5:40 and fortunately he is still there. Fortunately his car is a nice Caprice and we settle into the back and head onto the freeway. Unfortnuately the driver is French, speaks little English and appeared to have lunched on Garlic Snails or something, becuase the aromas that got worse during the trip were not pleasant.
Halfway to Sale ... they say things come in threes ... we have our third strike as a rabbit darts onto the road, gets transfixed, and we promptly plough straight over (through?) it. The final straw is our driver who claims he just hit a roo. Yes, we explain, its the Common Eastern Gippsland Warbling Speckled Rabbit Kangaroo, very common in these parts. Geez.
Anyway we pull into Sale very close to 9pm. Aftr checking in I visit the two local pub/restaurants to be informed that the kitchens closed at 8:30pm. Accordingly I dined on a packet of Thins crisps, a Kit kat, and a coke from the mini bar.
That's the story. The meeting the next day was very successful and went for 2 hours tops.
Sooo ... how was your day?? :)
posted by Buzz at 10:00 PM
2 Comments:
cool story, did you chip your toenail?!
ZOMG can you tell that story in less than 2000 whats :p
Marv
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