Quick trip back to the UK!!

[JaseandAnne]

I just wanted to put a quick post up about going home for a visit and how easy and doable it is for a week. This is mainly for people who are moving out here or might be worried about distance and not being able to get time off work for 3 week visits home.

 

I had to return home to pack up the rest of our stuff and clear out my workshop that I have now given up and sold the contents. I also had to pack up my car and boat for shipping and take them to Southampton but I will post those experiences when they arrive.

So, flew with Emirates (don't think I'll fly anyone else, Emirates are great) from Perth to Dubai on the fab A380 leaving on Saturday morning, this flight was only half full and I had a row to myself, nice! had an hour and 15 mins connection, that by the time I got off that flight I had 45 mins to get through the terminal to meet it. Did it with 15 mins to spare and they had only just started boarding.

 

Another Fab A380 from Dubai to Heathrow arriving, because of time difference, Saturday evening, this flight was packed!! Altogether 17 1/2 Hours in the air.

I find the trick is not to sleep on the planes and pick a flight that lands late after noon/early evening then once you get back to where your staying youre ready for bed, get up next day as normal.

 

I did what I needed to do, saw the people that matter and had a few beers with some old work mates, then back on the plane the following Saturday at lunch time arriving back to perth evening time on Sunday, home then bed, back up for work Monday morning.

The actual flight time on the way back was much shorter, only 15 1/2 hours!! Tail wind to Dubai made the flight 6 1/4 and the Dubai to Perth was over an hour late leaving so they made it up taking 9 1/4 hours. Yes I do realise I spent nearly 4 hours in Dubai instead of the 2 and quarter but Id much prefer to be on the ground longer and in the air less!

 

So, the long and the short of it is, its very easy to pop back for a just a week, I got everything I needed to do, done, and all the people I needed to see, seen. If I had had the time off of work it would of been nice to spend longer with family but when you haven't got that available to you then you have to work with what you've got!

Jase

[Scot01]

I've done the trip to the UK for a week and was also surprised that it was doable. Got a call on a Monday evening in Perth that my Mum was sick. Caught the early Emirates flights at around 6am on the Tuesday, arrived in Glasgow, drove two and a half hours to Fort William and arrived near midnight on the same day I left Perth. Luckily she had survived and lived a few months more. I spent a busy week, felt much longer, then back home to Perth. (I don't say going home to the UK, Perth is home). Jetlag fine going and awful coming back!

[ali]

Similar circumstances to Scot for me in March with my dad passing away suddenly. We left on the Tuesday and arrived on the Wednesday and were back home in Perth the following Wednesday night (as it was my daughter Uni graduation on the Thursday).

[Rossmoyne]

I had to make a work trip from Perth to London a few years back.... I was out of Australia for 9 days in total. Arrived at Heathrow at 6 am, taxi to hotel in London, showered, changed and was interviewing at Australia House within 4 hours. Spent 7 days interviewing back to back, finishing last interview at 8pm on the last day.... back at Heathrow Airport by 8.30am next morning.....arrived back in Perth late Friday afternoon and crashed for the weekend before going into the office on the Monday. It was a successful business trip and doable.... I just felt so gutted that my employer wouldn't allow me even one day off to catch up with friends and family! And don't even get me started about the jetlag upon the jetlag I suffered!