The Depature

Thurs. 8th Oct 2009 – We’re up early getting ready to leave. Saying goodbye to Scott and Maur where we have been staying for the last 10 days since we sold our house. Selling our house was exhausting and stressful and full on, but fairly quick.

I had everyone's clothes laid out ready but we still only get away in the nick of time. Arrive at the airport and run into mum and dad McClarty, who help us with the luggage. Too many backpacks make it a bit awkward. In future have to re-think our strategy of 10 carry on items. My brother, Richard, and his wife, Zelka, and Vincent’s sister, Anne-Marie, also come to see us off at the airport.

The first flight (of four) to Sydney went fine. We managed to swap seats with other passengers so we had 6 seats together. We arrive at Sydney airport. The airport staff arrange a people mover (an oversized golf buggy) to transport us from our arrival gate to the shuttle bus which will take us to the international airport.

The 'buggy' is the first of many special treatments we receive along the way on account of ‘all of our children’. It was a very kind and helpful thing to do, it would have taken us ages to walk. The kids of course think this is great fun, zooming through the airport, almost running down a few loitering Japanese tourists.

We arrive at the shuttle pick up point and Vince realises he has left ‘The Folder’ (contains all of our tickets, bookings and papers to show customs – very important) on the plane. “Don’t get mad, I do mistakes like that too”, I tell myself. The driver of the jumbo 'golf cart' kindly offers to drive Vince back to the plane, while I wait with the kids in nervous anticipation. Vince is able to get back on the plane after clearing security and retrieves the all important folder. Next time I see him running towards us from a distance, he’s running like some jittery lunatic and yes, I am relieved to see the (blue) folder nestled in his arms. Needless to say the last question asked before we left any future destination was, “have you got the folder?”

Off to the Sydney International airport on the shuttle bus, again the kids are loving the ride as the shuttle bus goes up really close to the large aeroplanes, it’s a great sight.