My Nightmare Trip Home From Aussie

I’m still recovering — two weeks later!

This photo was taken in passing. I was on a train heading to Hornsby, a suburb in Sydney where my Dad lives. I couldn’t believe my luck catching two Aussie icons and a cruise ship in one pic! © Barb Dalton

0630: Tuesday, December 20, Sydney Australia

My alarm goes off announcing the end of my vacation. I’ve no idea where 26 days have gone, but that’s why the saying ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ exists I guess.

It’s a ten-minute walk and an hour train ride to the airport from my Dad’s place, so we set off around 0730 with my overloaded suitcase. I’d already ditched some goodies that weren’t essential takeaways from the land of Oz, but the suitcase still tipped the scales by three kilograms. Fingers crossed they’re wrong — or the check-in agent is forgiving.

0845: Sydney Airport

The automated check-in counter rejected my passport. I was directed to join a queue to be processed manually.

The problem? Having dual citizenship and the airline can register only one passport. I used my New Zealand (NZ) passport to enter Australia to avoid paying for a visa; returning to Canada, I have to use my Canadian because I live there.

It always causes trouble.

Forty minutes later, only two people had been processed through the manual check-in. I summoned the agent wandering around with a basket of Air New Zealand…