Due to Australia’s geographical location, there’s simply no way around the tyranny of distance in trying to get anywhere outside of the Pacific region. We generally fly “hub to hub” in getting to the America’s, Europe or even large parts of Asia for that matter.
For me, the most convenient exit hub out of Australia is Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport, some 1,157 miles (1,862 kilometres) two flights and an hour and a half lay over south from my home in Townsville. Oh, and the irony is not lost on me that I must fly back over from whence I came, in order to get out – the travel God’s have a wicked sense of humour.
This trip to the United States see’s me up at 3AM for my first flight departure from Townsville Airport at 6AM for Sydney, then flying direct into Dallas (Texas) after a 16 hour 44 minute hopefully non-stop flight across the vast Pacific Ocean – the largest and deepest on earth.
There’s some very good and compelling reasons for this route. The biggest one being able to hang out with Mike & Bekah (my brother and sister in-law) and their family for the first time in over a decade.
The second consideration is that I bypass all the bullshit and head-fucks associated in trying get through customs and immigration in either Los Angeles or San Francisco – at their peak west coast flight traffic times. I would then have at least another 3 hour layover, then clearing airport security again in catching a flight to Boise (Idaho) or Dallas ….. and that’s if there are no delays or hassles, which my shit magnet seems to willingly attract.
So, you can see why I’m more than willing to suck up the initial extra two hours in making the nearly 17 hour “bum-number” to bypass L.A. and arrive in Dallas just after lunch, which is technically off-peak for most airports.
With any kind of luck, after 23 hours and 49 minutes of my first flights departure, I should be in & out of the Avis facilities in good time and on my way to Mike & Bekah’s without much delay or hassle.
Strap yourselves in & brace yourselves folks ….. here we go – we’re wheels up in two hours!