A long road home

Sitting in Sydney airport having spent just spent a further $96.35 on stuff to make me feel better about spending nearly 2 weeks away from home I am wondering what I have learnt from my trip.

I guess in reverse order from my experience I have learned that Brits who move here are torn between a love for the 'home country' and justifying to anyone who will listen - but I suspect to themselves why Australia is such a great place - which it in truth it is if you are prepared to cut yourself virtually off (to all practical sense) from your heritage - to look forward-not back.

As an aside people a number who I know who have spent many years working overseas have never settled very well when they have returned home and either have shuttled between 'home' and their 'adopted home' who wandered from various outposts of Empire seeking salvation.

I have learned that whilst Melbourne is a great city with lots going for it that without iconic locations such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge ultimately it always will be second best to its noisy neighbour in Sydney. If anyone can provide a single compelling reason why someone should go to Melbourne as opposed to any other great cities around the world let me know.

I learned that climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and having nothing between you and a four and half second drop to a spectacular watery grave except for a thin metal grid and a steel cable holding you to another cable is not as scary as I thought.

I learned that whilst I retain the capacity to engage with anyone in a group - and I experienced at least three different groups on this trip-find common ground and hold a conversation to pass the time, when the hotel door closes you are still a very long way from home.

I learned that Aussies serve their beer far too cold, the only reference scale they understand is 'Southern Hemisphere', Sky News Australia is capable of putting a lost dog in front of murder and mayhem in Iraq, that there is a growing population of people from south and south east asia moving into the country which is becoming a growing 'issue'. I learned that Australians get a little spooked by the Brit greeting 'alright?', not every one is called Bruce or Sheila - but I did come across a few Jason's and Kylie's...ok I made that up.

I learned that once you start a journey home the only thing you want to do is get there as soon as possible, so when the girl on check in said the flight was over booked and I was on standby that despite putting on a brave 'I can roll with the flow' face my heart sank at the prospect of another day away from home.

Can Australia work as an incentive destination? Yes it can. It is the ultimate destination for the ultimate performance.

They got me on the flight, so night night new friends in HK, Australia and NZ and good morning to friends and family at home and around Europe.

P

Peter Jackson
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