The First Travel Crisis Averted

So given the major storms in Brisbane and the forecast of nothing but rain for the next several days, it’s time to move on. While the T raveling Hillbilly sits on the Miramar on the way to the Koala Sanctuary, it’s time to decide what’s next. After much consternation and research the Traveling Hillbilly decides to head to Adelaide for a few days of wine tasting in the Barossa Valley and a quick side trip to Kangaroo Island. The Traveling Hillbilly figured it would be best to get there and tour the wineries during the week versus fighting the weekend crowds!

The Traveling Hillbilly was wrong! After a long wet day, the Traveling Hillbilly hops online to book the flight and hotel in Adelaide. However, for some reason, there was not a hotel available for the beginning of the week. Something big must be going on in Adelaide. What’s a Traveling Hillbilly supposed to do? Well continue searching online for plan B. Should the Traveling Hillbilly head to Sydney instead? Maybe Melbourne? Ayer’s Rock or Alice Springs? Or maybe head to New Zealand earlier than expected.

The Traveling Hillbilly decided to head to New Zealand. Unfortunately the flight out was a little early. Maybe the Traveling Hillbilly should spend one more day in Brisbane and then head to New Zealand. It was just too much to contemplate, so the Traveling Hillbilly went to bed. Upon awakening at 4am and realizing there’s nothing but rain in Brisbane for the next few days, the Traveling Hillbilly decides (early or not) to head to New Zealand. So I go online, book my one way ticket to Auckland, book a hotel and start packing.

I arrive at the airport at 7am, 2 hours before my scheduled departure, and wait in a very long line for about an hour. I finally get up to the desk to check in, only to be informed that I can not leave the country without having a return ticket! What, this is crazy! Why was I allowed to book a one way if I can’t even use it? Now after some thought, it makes sense. It is considered an “international” flight from Australia to New Zealand. So now I have like 45 minutes to book a return flight back to Australia so I can actually take my flight to New Zealand. The Traveling Hillbilly runs downstairs to find an internet connection, does some quick searches for a cheap return ticket, books it and runs back up to the counter. The Travailing Hillbilly gets checked in, literally 5 minutes before the airline closes check in, makes it on the fly and is on the way to the next adventures!

The first of the travel panics averted!