New Year Party Goers, Family Visits and a German Guy With a Real Love of Australia

This last weekend there were quite a few Kiwis (New Zealanders) heading home after short visits here. Most were here for family visits or to enjoy the New Year celebrations and fireworks in Sydney. Travelling across the Tasman between Australia and New Year is almost like a domestic flight for Aussies and Kiwis except that you need a passport.

I met a fascinating German guy heading home on Singapore Airlines who was here with his girlfriend on his 13th visit to Australia!! He had done a lot of travel through other countries but Australia was his favourite. And on this trip he traversed a large section of the southern half of our country -not just the big cities. I'm sure he has been to many Aussie places that I've never heard of, let alone been to! His stay this time was only 4 weeks but he was already planning the next Aussie expedition in 2010 which will be for 6 months.

Also heading off after New Year was a Dutch woman and her partner who had been driving and camping all over the countryside and a Swedish woman and her teenage son who had spent time in Sydney and Port Douglas.

I'd love to hear your comments and any airport stories you may have.

Till next week.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

An Aussie in Bangladesh, Another with a Thai Tattoo and a Guy Who Missed Out on the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race

This last weekend I came across plenty of interesting travellers. These included an Aussie woman who had been working in Bangladesh for 2 years and was heading back for the last 6 months of her stint there. It was fascinating to get her insights into a country that we normally hear very little about other than the frequent natural disasters that it seems to endure.

There were a couple of Aussies heading off to Thailand to live and work there. One of these was a teacher who already had 'Mai Pen Rai' tattooed on his arm. This is a common Thai saying which loosely translates to 'Never Mind', 'No Problem' or 'No Worries' as us Aussies commonly say.

I also chatted to a guy who had been in Sydney to be part of the crew on 'Black Jack' in the Sydney-Hobart yacht race but unfortunately couldn't take part due to to being unable to complete safety requirements in time. He was pretty good spirited and not too upset about it.

A Dutch guy I spoke to who was flying home on Malaysian Airlines had come all the way here for only 3 days. And he was proudly wearing his Dutch clogs footwear at the departure gate.

Among the other visitors on their way out at the weekend were an Indonesian girl who had just got married here, more Asian students on their way home and a lot of people who had been here to visit family or friends.

Till the New Year.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

A Birthday Party in Goa, An English Dentist and an Emigrant to Newcastle

There have still been lots of overseas students heading home for a break after their year of study. These included 2 Malaysians, 1 Thai postgraduate student and even one from Myanmar.

I came across a young English dentist who had been working in Bunbury, Western Australia for a year or so and was now working in Mildura, Victoria. According to him there is plenty of work here for overseas dentists at present.

On a flight back to London was a UK guy who had been working in Newcastle for a few weeks at the airport there. He was going home for a few weeks to get his wife and children organized to emigrate here in January and take up a permanent position in Newcastle. Quite a big step for a young family to take. And coincidentally he had spent some of his childhood years growing up in Newcastle, England.

Heading to New Zealand was an English lady and her young son who had been here for a few weeks accompanying her husband who had been working in Scone, NSW.

A very friendly Indian gentleman was on the Thai flight to Bangkok and then onto India. He was heading for Goa where they were going to have a birthday celebration for his son. His son and other family members were already back there. Afterwards the rest of the family were going holidaying in the USA while the father was coming back to Oz to work and earn a few more dollars to pay for it all!

More traveller stories next week.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

A Conference, A Large Family Group Aussie Holiday and More

I've only been working one day a week lately at the airport but still managing to catch up with lots of interesting visitors.

This week I spoke to 2 passengers on the Taipei flight who had both been attending a large academic conference at a Sydney university. Also on the same flight was a Filipino/Taiwanese student on her way home after spending the year studying here.

On a flight to Hong Kong I spoke to a young member of a large family group of 9 who were here for a one week holiday in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Between them they spent about A$2500 per day on accomodation & food and drinks alone so they certainly helped our economy. s

Heading back to London where she is now living was an Aussie woman who had come back home for a short stay mainly to do gardening work at her house in Nowra, NSW.

Other visitors of note this week were a Fijian guy here for a week on business, an American guy here on business who I had also come across on his previous trip 'Down Under' and a friendly couple from Pennsylvania, USA who had just spent 2 weeks in Oz and 2 weeks in New Zealand and had a great time.

Till next time.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

Uranium Mining, Stranded Thai students and Filipino and Indian Family Visits

On the flight to Manila this week was a Filipino guy who had spent some months working in the uranium mines at Roxby Downs in South Australia. His work cycle was a continuous 2 weeks on and then 1 week off in Adelaide. While the money was good it's not something that I think that I could do for any length of time. He was not expecting to be back again for a few months as BHP have already scaled down mining activities due to the global economic downturn.

I came across some Thai students in transit in Sydney from New Zealand and finally on their way home to Bangkok. They had spent an extra unplanned week or so in Wellington after their studies for the year were over due to the airport closure in Bangkok. So they were very happy to be home within a few hours.

I also chatted to a friendly Vietnamese student who was travelling back to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) via Kuala Lumpur after completing his computing studies. His English was great and he was able to give me some tips on travelling in Vietnam for when I finally get to do my long awaited holiday there.

Other interesting visitors on their way home this week were a Swedish family who had travelled down the East Coast, a middle aged female Dutch backpacker, a Saudi who had been doing a TESOL (Teaching of English as a Second Language) course and some Filipinos and an Indian couple here for family visits.

As always, till next week.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

International Students Going Home, A Scientist and a Contiki Tourer

At this time of year I come across many international students who are studying in Australia and are on their way home for their end of year break. One of these was a student at ANU who was staying at a residential college on campus just down the road from the one I used to live in a very long time ago - way back in the 70's. Brought back some pleasant memories. :)-

I also talked to a scientist who had been here doing some research in collaboration with Adelaide University. He did tell me his field of interest but it now escapes my mind, I'm afraid.

Then there was the young English girl who had just done a Contiki tour from Cairns to Sydney and a German sister and brother who took a campervan down the Queensland coast. Talking to some of these people certainly contunies to whet my appetite for all the parts of Australia I should hurry up and go and see!

Others on their way out of the country included a guy who had attended a friends wedding in the Kangaroo Valley area in NSW, a conference attendee at Sydney University and a middle aged UK couple who were disappointed about missing their Bangkok stopover on the way home due to the airport closure and political turmoil in Bangkok. They did have a good Aussie stay though.

Till next time.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse

2 Days of Advenure, A Domain Name Conference & A Midwife

This week I chatted to a Sri Lankan guy who had been working in Tonga for a few weeks and had a 2 day stay in Sydney (which was all he could have on a transit visa for Australia) which he filled with action packed adventure activities including power boating and a Bridge Climb. He was not your average laid back tourist.

I also came across an American who had attended a Domain Name conference on the Gold Coast. As domain name investment is another field of interest for me, we had an interesting discussion.

Family visitors included a woman from the UK who was visiting her daughter who is now working as a midwife in Townsville. They travelled together down the Queensland coast, Daydream Island and to Sydney.

Another conference attendee was an English lady who had attended a risk management conference in Perth. Quite topical in the current financial environment.

Other interviewees of note included a Singapore student studying Maths/Finance in Sydney who was going home for his end of year holiday break, a UK woman here for her nieces wedding in the gardens at Parliament House in Canberra and a young Fench girl who had been working here for 10 months.

Till next week. Take care.

Peter

Souvenirs Australia Warehouse