Thursday 16 April 2009

Holidays!!!

Well the much earned cash that has been saved up is once again going to be burned to thin air, I'm talking jet fuel here as once again we are off on our holidays for four weeks to a nice hot summers holiday to Melbourne, Australia.......oh no wait a cotton picking minute there is no sunshine down there at that time of year it's the middle of winter where everybody freezes for a few months, except for mad Englishmen who still go around in t-shirts whatever the weather. Once again I am giving up the English, summer that is booked in for August 7th-9th where it will might get up to a high of around 22C and then every other day it will rain!

For the second year in a row we are taking the nightmare journey to see the in laws! Mrs Stu feels she has to go and see her sister due to all the problems this year they have had with the fires and having to put down two of her horses. This time there is a change to how we are travelling, Mrs Stu, teaches children so in her authority this year they have an extra week at summer so in total she has off nearly six and a half weeks just for summer and she doesn't want to waste it so she is travelling as soon as she can to make the most of her time with her family. In my place of work I am on the maximum 32 due to the length of my service and if I took off all those days then I would be wiped out for the year and I am not doing that again, so the compromise is that Mrs Stu flies out first in the Wednesday, evening that school finished and I travel 16 days later and then we both come back at the same time as the coming back is the harder journey to make we find. Now I don't envy her as she will have Little G who will be no problem as she is 8 this year but The Terror, is a different matter and he is a law onto himself at times and we usually take it in turns like tag team fighters to look after him and keep him entertained. We are flying with Emirates this time as they are the cheapest and quickest from our airport and they have a great in flight entertainment system which we are hoping to act as a kind of a babysitter. it's either that or unleash him onto the other passengers to cause havoc. 

It's going to be kind of weird not travelling with them and being at home on my own. Mrs Stu has started drawing up a list of jobs for me to do before she goes, like painting the hall and staircase and the lounge room as she says it would be far easier without all of us around! My plan is to hit it hard and fast so I have more time to chill out on my own with the cat, I can see some serious game console time coming here and a few beers.  All I am hoping is that the seats are not to cramped and I can get an exit aisle as being 6'4" and cramped is never good on the legs at least with the kids I have an excuse to stroll up and down the plane to stretch, knowing me I will settle into my seat, turn on the films and then I will be gone until I land 24 hours later!

14 comments:

  1. Bachelor Party!

    Mrs Stu will never know

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  2. Especially if you do all the painting after the party to clean up the stains!

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  3. Be prepared for it, but you are going to miss the noise and the mess and all the things that normally drive you nuts. It happens.
    Shame you are not spending time in Bris Vagas, would have been great to catch up.

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  4. I can't believe it, how did you luck out and not have to fly with litt'ns.

    Melbourne is lovely right now. But that will probably change in the the next 30 minutes.

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  5. 6'4". 24 hour flight. You'd better hope for the aisle seat. My longest flight was Honolulu-St. Louis, which was only about nine years, er, hours long. I don't envy you the flight there-or back.

    The pics I've seen from Oz, looks like a fun place. Enjoy the long holiday when it gets to August!

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  6. LERM - Mrs Stu knows everything!

    Nautilus - I just want some peace though and to eat meat whenever I want being married to a veggie!

    DD - Maybe I will we will have to see, but I won't miss out picking up after them that's for sure. We did Brisbane last year for a few days it was great.

    Barnesm - a lack of holidays is the answer to that one and Mrs Stu wanting to see her family for longer.

    YD - The flight is usually ok as I am one of this sad nerds who enjoy flying and being around aircraft so I enjoy the experience. The flight there should be easy, the flight back with The Terror not so easy!

    Going to try to drive down the Great Ocean Road again this time they have some stunning scenery.

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  7. The Great Ocean Road is a great drive, well worth the effort.

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  8. Are you mad? Melbourne in August...clearly mad!!

    Although you must get your PIL to take care of your chickens and head out for a meal. My recommendation for a not too expensive meal is Gingerboy - very delish.

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  9. God, how is Mrs Stu going to manage a 24hr flight and two children on her own? Good god, the woman is brave.

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  10. Lou - We drove down it seven years ago and now the kids are more grown up it's time to show them again, but as Australia is so vast maybe we need to see the other things first.

    Polly - I'm English off course I am mad....lol

    It's our long school holidays so it's the only time we can go for any length of time. I know this place in Warburton that does the best steak I have ever eaten.

    kimmywoo - All I can say is one child is fine and the other we are investigating sedatives or a big hammer.....lol

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  11. Enjoy the peace while you have it Mr Stu (and I'm hoping we can catch up for a brew at some point).

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  12. Before having daughter, husband and I travelled all over the world and the best airline we travelled with was Emirates. I'm sure you and Mrs Stu and the kids 16 days earlier will be fine. They certainly looked after us very well whenever we flew with them, the inflight entertainment was state of the art and there was plenty of leg room. I'm quite envious of your trip!

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  13. bangarrr - I'm hoping to make that a meet up then when I'm over.

    working mum - this will be our fifth time down under this year so the flight is not new I must admit we go with Emirates because of the price but Singapore is far better we have found and even QANTAS were superb last year.

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  14. Man, I cannot believe your vacation times! My husband gets two weeks and I usually get three!

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