The post-holiday rush is perhaps one of the biggest challenges at the opening of the year. It is where we all go back to our normal routines after the holiday gatherings or trips with loved ones at another state. It is also the time when traffic jams are the worst and people rush to the airport preparing to go back to reality.
But of course, there are ways to beat the surge of people, and get you through through your flight. We rounded up the best ones to help you make it in time through the airport.
Nothing ruins a boarding experience than finding out that you have excess baggage. This means you have to take out the things you need the least or pay the fee. Weigh them at home beforehand. Do this by weighing yourself first with a bathroom scale, repeating it while carrying your luggage, and then subtracting the two numbers. Take out the excess weight and have a peace of mind.
More or less 90% of the passengers will board the plane carrying gifts. If they are still wrapped, sorry to bust your bubbles, but the honor and experience of unwrapping or unboxing them will go to the airport security, not you. You may either ship them in advance or unwrap them before going to the airport for less hassle.
Most of us get stuck in traffic because we didn’t know what to expect. Apps like Waze, Michelin Navigation, and INRIX will let you know what is currently happening on the road such as bottleneck, road closures, and road accidents so you may plan a detour in advance.
You may do everything on this list but if you leave on the dot, you may still miss your flight. Holiday rush is where the most unexpected delays happen, car breaks down, hotheaded motorists get into a quarrel on the road which causes bottlenecks, etc. Give yourself a few hours of buffer before your flight schedule to deal with these unwanted surprises. It is better to spend hours waiting at the airport (in case you arrived too early) than on the road stuck in the traffic jam.
Instead of spending hours waiting to pick up your boarding pass, check in online via your phone or laptop. Then you are free to do other tasks.
Footwear with laces and straps takes time to remove and put on again, robbing you precious minutes during security checks. Give yourself and everybody else in the queue a favor by sporting slip-on shoes and go through the inspection with quickness and relative ease. Likewise, minimize wearing too many jewelries.
And speaking of shoes…
Your shoes can help not only your balance, but your luggage’s, too. Place your shoes at the bottom of the bag foot to toe to avoid it from falling over. This makes your bag easier to grab during the rush.
For some reason, people tend to place their IDs and boarding passes in the most inaccessible parts of their luggage, possibly for fear of misplacing them. But you are both in a hurry and in a bit of panic to get to your flight, searching for these documents will feel like looking for Waldo. Place your ID and boarding pass inside your pouch, handbag, or wallet. Presenting them will be faster and easier.
It is not uncommon for partners and spouses to be waiting for their partner visas to be processed without knowing the benefits they are entitled to in the meantime.
A bridging visa “bridges” the gap between substantive Australia visas. So if a visa expires, you are still allowed to stay in Australia until a decision has been made on your next visa. It is the transitioning stage.
A partner bridging visa allows you to stay in Australia until the decision of your partner visa has been made.
So what does a partner bridging visa allow you to do? Here are a few of the benefits.
Income stream is very important, especially if you are starting to build your life together in Australia. Having your partner be employed without any restrictions and be able to contribute to your relationship’s income pool is very essential in achieving your dreams.
Whether your spouse is an engineer or a zoologist - they will be able to build their careers in Australia. The country never runs out of skill shortages. These are brought forth by the ongoing expansion of the economy and the breakneck speed in which technological innovations are moving. Australia’s pool of workers and professionals cannot catch up because of the slow growth in the population as well as the aging demographic of employees, so the country has to rely on the flow of migrants coming in to fill in these gaps.
Your partner, whatever his or her degree, profession, or specialization is, should be able to find his or her place in Australia's talent pool and build a solid career.
As mentioned, Australia is an ever-growing country with technology, career and businesses. Whether you are looking to study to upskill further or looking to change careers or getting your first formal qualifications. A bridging visa will allow you to attend universities. However, International Student fees still apply.
YES. With a bridging visa, you (the applicant) can travel outside the country and still set your foot back in Australia. This is given that you return within the specified amount of time. You may go back to your homeland for a while or travel to other countries with your partner and Oz will still welcome you back.
That’s right. So a bridging visa will allow you to be with your loved one until a decision is made. Given the lengthy processing time, it is an advantage to not be waiting for the partner visa for months on end in order to live and be with your loved one.
The best case scenario for most couples is to stay together in Australia during the processing of their partner visa.
If you are looking to apply for a partner visa but unsure of which visa pathways have bridging visas to allow you to stay in Australia during the processing times, contact us for a free eligibility assessment by a VisaOne Visa Expert.
Otherwise, leave us a comment below for any visa questions you have unanswered.
Please note that this informative article is not a substitute for professional advice. Always seek a professional for Australian visa advice as each individual situation is different.
Starting a new life in a different place is not for the weak of heart. You will leave the comforts of your home, sever ties with friends, and embrace uncertainty. But for most people, it is the only choice. A bad career, a college degree going nowhere, a bitter failure, or even just discontentment in the status quo. These, among others, push people to walk the path of no return and settle for a foreign land they hope to call their new home.
But not all places are created equal. Some are more viable to fresh starts than others. Every year, Australia attends to thousands of hopeful applicants trying to get a job and settle in the country. Most of them escaping an old life to create a new and better one.
So why is the country a harbor for this kind of exodus? We laid out the reasons.
Australia is a huge place. Nobody will know you here. You can blend in and no one will mind or criticise who you are and what you are doing. You can be whoever you are.
Moving to a new place does not only involve making a fresh start, but recreating yourself. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to fit in and let the people decide your identity. No. You establish your personality and identity and find the people that will accept you. It is not difficult to do this in Australia. The country’s culture is known for tolerance and acceptance of people from various walks of life, gender, culture, and religion. You don’t have to adhere to a certain philosophy or way of life to live here.
Anonymity might be good. But isolation is not. In that case…
This social oxymoron is what separates Australia from most of the prime destinations in the world. The Aussies might be tolerant and will most likely leave you alone, but they are open in welcoming people. They love good conversations, cold beer, barbecues, traveling with friends, and other activities that let them meet people, expand their relationships, and strengthen their ties. The fact that Melbourne and Sydney is tagged as the most and fifth friendliest cities in the world, respectively, only solidifies this reputation.
This is because the Australian mindset is bound to the virtue of mateship. This social concept centers on equality, loyalty and friendship, three binding ideals that make Aussies so accepting of other people.
However, respect here is not just given. It is earned. You should also provide the same openness the people give, regardless of gender, politics, and beliefs. For someone going for a new life, this is a good exercise since it challenges the status quo and reshapes your perception of the world through the people you meet and befriend.
Moving away is futile if the destination reminds you of home. Australia is a place like nowhere else. It is a unique conglomeration of British and Native Australian influence with cultural contributions from New Zealand, United States, and even Asia.
Given, the country might always be compared to the other two global haven, the United Kingdom and the United States, as its most similar counterparts, but even people have to agree on the resemblance. This is because Australia has a unique identity. From the work and social practices, to the landmarks and tourist spots, to the equally intimidating and palatable food. And don’t even get us started with the wild life.
The country’s geographical isolation somehow prevented it from being like any other nations in the world, and provides migrants a one-of-a-kind place to call home.
Part of starting a new life is finding yourself. Yes, you have left a lucrative yet empty career back home, but for what? These failures that had battered you down, what did they taught you? What actually makes you happy? There can be lot of questions to be answered, doubts to be cleared. You need to be somewhere else to be alone, but not lonely.
For decades, Australia has been a top choice for solo travelers and back packers who want to experience nature and meet people. The Magnetic and Fraser Islands in Queensland are perfect for musing alone; just hire a boat, paddle in its crystalline and calm waters, and you will appreciate silence and solitude. And if you still want to see a bit of civilization and marvelous architecture, look no further than Sydney Harbor Bridge’s boat ride tour. Admire the expansive beauty of Port Jackson and connect with other people, too.
You get away because you want a better, albeit uncomplicated life, not sink in the depths of poverty and debt. You need a place where you can me employed, pay bills, eat three times a day, and enjoy the simpler things. Australia is that country.
The country’s economy is on a roll, gross domestic product is surging up, the manufacturing and spending statics are improving, and unemployment is decreasing. All these point out to the fact that the country can take care of you. Here, you can find a job that can support you and start a career (if you do not know how, you can read here, here, here, also here, and especially here), or save up buy the house of your dreams, or try go on a business and enjoy financial freedom and independence.
The opportunities in Australia are virtually limitless. All you need is great courage to embrace uncertainty, the openness to other people, and unwavering passion to pursue the life that you want. And a visa. You need to have Australian visa.
Flight delays are like pimples the day before your graduation photo shoot. You won’t see it coming. And it hammers down on you on one of the most important days in your life. Imagine the dread when the announcer booms out that your trip to Sydney has been put off for the day due to weather or technical concerns. There is no way to get around it.
Or is it? However catastrophic it may be, there are some workarounds you can do to survive a flight cancellation (and no, yelling on every airport crew you come across is not one of them). Here are six the things you should be doing when the announcement gets dropped on you.
Prevention is always better than cure. And avoiding the circumstances that will lead to a flight cancellation will save you from a lot of headache.
First, watch out for the weather, and try to avoid flying during heavy storms. And if you can, fly direct instead of stopping in a city or country prone to bad weather.
And second, fly in the morning. Maintenance issue-related delays and cancellations mostly happen late in the day, as the issues accumulate as the day goes by. And if ever the cancellation happens during your morning flight (because fate really likes to test your patience), you still have the entire day to catch another one.
We have mentioned this before. Once the announcement gets out. Drop everything and call your airline customer service ASAP to get you rebooked (the call queue gets exponentially longer with every minute you waste not calling). Somewhere out there is a plane going to the same destination with an empty seat or two and your airline can find that for you. Just be ready with the information they might ask such as your record locator to get the transaction immediately done. Other people from your canceled flight are also doing this. So hustle.
Sometimes it is not the airline's fault that a snowstorm spontaneously appeared to spoil everything, and yelling at the crew all day isn't a sensible move. Accept what is happening and book a hotel if you will be waiting overnight. A smartphone app called HotelTonight helps you find a hotel nearest to the airport, book a room, and even schedule your next flight. A good rest will help you collect yourself and plan your next move.
Most airlines provide meal and accommodation vouchers if the flight is canceled due to airplane-related issues (if it’s a weather concern, they do not owe you anything). ASK if it is available. On occasions where the cancellation leads you to an overnight delay, they will most likely provide hotel stay for the night.
If a shuttle service is being offered to take you to the hotel, get the seat nearest to the door so you can get checked in ahead of the other panicking passengers. Reserve for a shuttle ride back to the airport to avoid missing your flight.
We usually put our toiletries inside our check-in baggage. And in unexpected mishaps like a cancellation, we get separated from our toothbrushes, bar soap, and dental floss as they get re-routed to our destination while we toil the night stranded.
If this happens, approach the airline's baggage service office and ask for an amenity kit. This will usually contain the aforementioned essentials plus a few more like deodorant, body lotion, cologne, shaving kit, and sleeping mask.
Nobody deserves to have their flight canceled. It is one of the most infuriating things to happen to anybody aside from stepping on a Lego block barefoot. But that doesn't mean you can take it out on the flight attendants, airport crew, security guards, or the gate attendants like they are in conspiracy to call off your flight. Ninety percent of the time, it is nobody’s fault. The weather got bad, or the engine messed up. You can't put the blame on them.
Be nice and be calm to them to better work out your situation. Raising your voice will only make them defensive and impair their judgment and their ability to assist you if you keep throwing a fit. That will not help you in the long run.
We have been flying for almost a century now and we have yet to master airplane etiquette. There are still people who think it is OK to make the seat bulkheads their personal ottoman or walk to the toilet barefoot.
Be a decent traveler and have respect. Here are eleven things you need to stop doing inside the plane on your next flight.
Nothing speaks “entitled” than a passenger resting his/her bare feet on the walls or the other passengers' seats. It is insulting and disrespecting of other people. Wear your shoes and put down your feet.
You have at least three hours waiting in the airport before you board your plane. Use that time to empty your bladder. The seat belt sign is there for your and the other passengers’ safety. Follow it.
Bringing your own booze might be cool in parties, but not on airplanes. There are regulations against consuming your own alcohol there. You can only drink alcohol that is given to you by the attendant to monitor your consumption. Wait until you land to get to a bar and drink to your heart’s content.
The plane is not your hotel room. By taking the trip to the rest room barefoot, or worse, with your socks on, you are mopping the pee on the plane’s floor, endangering everybody’s health. Also, eew.
Sure, that chili is irresistible. But inside an air-tight chamber filled with people already struggling with sleeplessness and bland food? Not much. Have consideration and keep the smelly meals away.
Believe it or not, a physical contact is the last thing flight attendants want, no matter how innocent your intentions may be (the fact that some of them had encountered sexual harassments at some point only confounds this discomfort). “Excuse me” will totally suffice for them. It is polite and doesn't invade any personal spaces.
On the same note…
Don’t do this on the plane. In fact, don’t do this anywhere. You are not the King of England. Well, scratch that. The King of England does not even do this. It is plain rude.
Apart from the Bermuda Triangle and D. B. Cooper, this is one of aviation’s biggest mystery: why do people even think it is cool to do yoga in airplane galleys? Is there some excitement to it? Is it considered a new milestone now? We may never know. What we are sure of is that you are invading the flight crew’s office and you will be thrown out if you insist.
If you are applauding because you want to give the pilot a huge compliment, guess what, he won’t be able to hear you. Send your compliments through the attendants if you really insist or just say thank you.
The large suitcase goes to the overhead bins, the small bag and other accouterments goes under your seat in the front. That simple. Have some courtesy to other passengers by not turning the bins into your gym locker.
The flight attendants practiced this presentation to save your life. Be appreciative of their efforts and pay attention. You don’t want to have that “I should have listen to them” moment when things go south.
Last week, Outside Online website threw the Internet into frenzy when it released a report declaring that the Great Barrier Reef has died, stating that "climate change and ocean acidification have killed off one of the most spectacular features on the planet." It also said that the reef is 25 million years old, in complete obituary-style.
The news has been shared 1.41 million times (as of this writing) on various social media, including Facebook and Twitter, with the netizens expressing grief and horror over the loss of one the (if not the) greatest natural wonders of the world.
But it isn't just the individual folks that got concerned, even the legit news outfits jump in on the craze, further fueling the apparent veracity of the article, and thus adding more reason it needs to be shared (because come on, it is bona fide news!)
We don't have any reason to believe it was slow news day that time, however.
Here at VisaOne, we are all about accuracy and truthfulness, whether it is with the help we provide or the information we impart. So when we saw this news exploding all over the web, we did what any responsible blogger would do: we tested the story. And we found it unreliable and hyperbolic.
Here’s the thing, it might be the single greatest living structure on Earth, but the Reef isn't just one organism. It is composed of millions of individual corals, each one being made of billions of microscopic living things called coral polyps. These tiny creatures are what make up other coral reefs around the world. They either live individually or in extremely large groups. Either way, a huge collection of corals such as the Great Barrier Reef cannot all die at the same time.
Basically, Outside just placed Australia's prized attraction along the ranks of famous personalities always being falsely reported as dead like Paul McCartney, Sylvester Stallone, and Jackie Chan (if you have seen his movies, you know Jackie Chan does not die).
The more level-headed and actual authorities on environmental science seems to concur, with environmental reporter Tony Davis calling out Outside for its “greatly exaggerated” news and Cornell University Rockland stating that "The message should be that it isn't too late... not we should all give up."
A good news, yes. However, not a call for celebration.
The news’ veracity might be challenged, but it is not entirely false. You see, the Reef is not in a very good condition. Currently, more than 90% (or around 2,300 kilometers) of it is tremendously damaged because of bleaching, as per the report of ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. Bleaching happens when corals, stressed by the rise in sea temperatures, light, or nutrients, expel out the symbiotic algae living with in their tissues. This causes the corals to go white.
The coral bleaching process based on illustration by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
That’s correct. Only less than 10% of Queensland’s icon is alive and well.
The two most devastating bleaching events happened in 1998 and 2002, where 42% and 54% of the reefs, respectively, were damaged.
There are two factors that are being looked at to be major contributors to these wide spread coral death. One is the El Niño phenomenon, a cyclical climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that causes sea temperature to rise. And the other is the scarier and larger monster called Climate Change. It has affected the Reef not only through constantly increasing water temperatures, but through the rise in sea levels, ocean acidification, and the surge in frequency of severe weather events.
Al Gore speaking about Climate Change on Ted Talks.
image: Ted.com
Human activities have also given their fair share of damage, through indiscriminate fishing, burning fossil fuels, pollution, mining, waste dumping, and overuse of natural resources.
Yes mate. The Great Barrier Reef hasn't kicked the bucket yet. But it is slowly doing so. It is only matter of time before it is completely done. And when that happens, we all got blood in our hands.
Not many people like layovers. They keep long hauls incredibly longer, you are stuck in a foreign country that is not even your destination, and you are confined in an airport as your prison. But thing is, layovers are an extension of your travel work, or even home, and can offer experiences that you can never find elsewhere.
Here are seven things you can do to survive, enjoy, and keep your sanity intact during a layover. You’re welcome.
Before you can do anything on this list, you need to keep your luggage safe first. There’s no point to enjoying a layover if you lost your things. In situations like these, luggage get rechecked immediately to the next flight. If your next flight is too far ahead, then you may find another way.
Most airports offer lockers where you can leave your bags protected for a couple of hours. That leaves you light and free and ready to roam the world for a few hours. Make sure you choose the ones nearest to the departure gates. You don’t want go on 100 meter dashes inside the airport because your locker is situated on the other end of the complex.
Traveling from Tokyo to Sydney is an unforgiving 18-hour connecting flight. And no matter how long it is, it is nigh impossible to sleep soundly inside planes, and don’t start with us how unsanitary their rest rooms are. A layover is your chance to keep yourself clean and doze off.
Many airports provide short-term lodging rooms to travelers that you can rent. They are equipped with a shower room, a bed, and even a work table. There you can properly clean yourself and have real good sleep. You can go to Sleeping in Airports and see if such facilities are available on your layover, how much are the rooms are, and how comfortable they are. It is like Trip Advisor, but dedicated for layovers only.
Can you leave the airport during a layover? Of course you can! However, there are catches. First, see if you have the right visa, and second, make sure it is approved by the customs and immigration office to avoid legal mishaps. Once you do, you are free to explore the outside world, given you have the time and extra money to do so.
Eat their food, visit museums, go to the park, shop, or even just stroll around taking Instragram-material pictures. Your goal is to get a breath of fresh, non-airport air. Basically, you are visiting two countries in a single journey. Also, make sure you do not go that far. Travelling to next city to watch a movie if your next flight is within an hour wouldn’t be very wise. Make your plans within safe distances lest you would be missing your flight.
Just because you are on a flight does not mean emails stops coming. A layover would be a perfect time to catch up with them so you won’t be overwhelmed when you return to work. Also, if your presentation needs finishing touches, you may do this in the airport’s lounge rooms. If you are a travel blogger, you may take advantage of this time start your journal, update your website, upload your pictures, or update your fans and or followers on social media.
It is nice to work inside the airport, no sudden meetings to attend, no summons from your boss to go to his office to answer a few questions, and no distractions from coworkers. It’s just you, your latte, and your laptop.
If you are physically active, you know that sitting for six hours straight with very little activity just pulls energy out of your muscle. A layover, no matter how short it is, is a great time to make those blood running and the heart pumping hard again. No, we don’t advise you to make the airport complex your jogging arena (expect the security to come after you). But rather, see if the airport has a fitness center, gym, or workout facilities. If there isn’t any, you can go out and try to find the nearest gym. If you are in the US or Canada, you may check Airport Gyms to see the nearest fitness centers in your airport.
You see, when you are cramped that long, your posture gets ruined, you develop backaches, or worst case, give you swollen legs. Counteract these by doing light stretching, a light cardio, or even light weightlifting to get your proper posture, energy levels, and heart rate back. We advise against doing intense workout. You don’t want to make your plane trip more uncomfortable with muscle soreness.
We all know airplane food is never up to our palate standards, either because your taste buds get muted while flying 3,000 miles in the air or that’s the bane of pre-frozen and pre-packaged foods. Either way, we cannot ceaselessly complain. You are not in a Michelin-star restaurant. And since no one wants to get starved for nine hours straight, a layover is a good opportunity to feast on airport food (which is an entirely different story, taste-wise).
Airports are filled with restaurants, fast food joints, and cafes that cater to people from all over the world. From the ubiquitous McDonalds and KFCs to the more sophisticated French restaurants like La Vie and St. Tropez. Or better, try out the local eats the complex has to offer to give you a taste (literally!) of your temporary destination. Just be sure you have your antidiarrheal meds with you. You don’t want bouts of tummy aches and trips to the rest rooms to ruin your trip.
Board games, specifically. In a time and age where Internet and mobile games is the saving grace of any time spent waiting, a low-tech piece of cardboard with drawings on it can still tremendously entertain anybody. If there’s two or more of you and you know you will have two to three hours to spare for your layover, bring a board game such as Scrabble, Risk, or even Monopoly with you to keep boredom at bay (just be sure to keep relationships intact with Monopoly). All you need is a table and a few chairs you are good. If you are alone, a crossword, fill-it-in, or Sudoku puzzle book will keep you distracted.
Last time, we showed you the many important but most often trivialized pieces of information that could save your life while you are on a plane trip (check here if you missed it). But since air travel is an inherently convoluted science, one article about these details isn’t enough.
Here are nine more facts lurking in the recesses of air navigation that will help you in one way or another on your next trip.
We always think airline companies dive in cash at the expense of its passengers shouldering pricey tickets and enormous fees. But this cannot be any really closer to the truth. Airline business is one of the top money-losing industries out there. Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Atlantic, once famously said, ““If you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.” His airline company has reportedly lost money consistently despite the many awards and praises from the consumers.
Most of the time, that flight of yours is overbooked. Airlines need to make sure there isn’t a single empty seat in the plane because someone got stuck in the traffic, overslept, or changed their minds. They only earn something once all the seats has been filed.
Flight attendants are probably one of the biggest victims of stereotypes. Gorgeous women in tight dresses whose function are limited only to looking pretty and pour the occasional whiskey. But behind those warm smiles is a repertoire of badass skills this side of 007.
They are trained to do CPR, use defibrillators, AED’s and epipens, initiate evacuation protocols, engage emergency landing procedures, guard the plane from intruders, and apply martial arts and self-defense techniques whenever necessary. So the next time you go sleazy on them, remember that they could go Batman on you.
You probably heard about the hulking passenger who tried to open an airplane’s back door in the middle of a flight to Seattle (he was restrained expectedly, because see item above). While the guy looked he like he spent a good amount of time training (for this momentous instance, probably) there’s no way he can open that door.
Because of the tremendous cabin pressure to balance the equally humungous pressure outside, you need to put more than 1,100 pounds of force per square-inch of the door to pry it open. That’s weight of a wild boar or a bull shark. Have you tried wrestling a wild boar before? No? Then you should let go of that door.
You’ve heard it a dozen times. The flight attendant rattling that you should keep the window open during the takeoff and landing despite you trying to get a nap by blocking the outside light. It is not done so that you can see how the pilot is so rad for slowly making a 100-ton hunk of metal leave the ground.
It is required so that the attendants and the passengers won’t miss any signs of trouble during these dangerous moments, say, if there’s fire or smoke on the wings, or there are bird strikes disrupting the engines, or Thor trying to get a free ride.
On the same note…
It was a long haul from L.A. to Sydney and the plane is descending five past ten in the evening. You are ready to take an Instagram-worthy selfie (“Sydney-bound! #blessed“) but the attendant instructed to turn down all lights during landing. What a bummer.
As with everything about air travel, there is a science for this. Keeping the lights dim during takeoff and landing makes your eyes well-adjusted to darkness in case of crashes. In these situations, cabin lights might not work, and eyes ready for a darkened environment can look for exit quicker than, say someone suddenly blinded by darkness.
Along with crying toddlers and guys trying to open doors inside the plane, getting your flight canceled or delayed is one of the few mishaps we never wanted to cross roads with. But staying in queue at the gate or ticket counter swinging your fists madly won’t really help much. Call the airline customer service hotline immediately to get you re-booked. There might be five empty seats on a different plane going to same destination and if you call as soon as possible, you can be transferred quickly. Just be prepared with information such as your record locator to get the transaction immediately done. Remember that you are not the only person doing this.
You might be comfy on your window seat with re-runs of Friends plugged on your ears, but your pet isn’t going through the same relief. Instead, animals are being stored in the cargo hold of commercial planes, where the noise can be too much to bear even for human ears and the temperature can shift uncontrollably. In 2012 alone, 29 pets perished, 26 were harmed, and one was lost in US commercial flights. Rethink before flying your pooch.
Yes you can turn that lever or push that button to “lock” the lavatory, but the cabin flight crew can always unlock that by accessing a hidden latch somewhere in the door (we cannot tell where) for safety reasons.
We sincerely hope you haven’t been in an airplane turbulence and will never be on one. You can imagine what it feels like. It’s like a Six Flag roller coaster, but with falling luggage, spilling coffees, and more barfing people on top of the sudden rise and drop of the ride.
But no matter how scary it is, there shouldn't be any fear, as progressing technology have already improved airplane designs and made them crash-proof during this tempest-induced inconvenience. It fact, turbulences are quite normal, and it’s been decades since the last airplane went down due to one. So while every passenger in the cabin are in the fit of panic during these trying times, for the pilots, it is just their usual Thursday annoyance. They got this.
Last time, we showed you a list of some of Australia’s most distinguished destinations (and the things you can do there to make your trip more memorable). And there’s a reason these places are popular and inconic. In a single glance from postcards and travel websites, you can pretty much recognise them. The Sydney Opera House with its sales soaring regally in the sky. Barossa Valley and its lush and thriving vines. And the Parliament House with its familiar flagpole.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but these buildings and landscapes do not always look like these. You switch the camera angle or you take the picture on a different time of the year, and they will look instantly unfamiliar, even boring places. They are no different from those cute girl from Instagram who look somebody else when viewed on a different angle.
Let us count the ways.
Image: therealbest.com
We always see Australia’s most iconic landmark from the side. The sails (or shells, depends who you ask) angling upwards, covering each other in succession, and mounted on a majestic podium. The building’s structure is akin to modern expressionist design.
Sydney Opera House in western view
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
But viewed from the front, the Opera House looks like a weirdly constructed church, or even an ambitious event tent. But this doesn't even take away the beauty of the building’s design. What you are seeing at the foreground of the entrance is the smallest of the shells, the Bennelong restaurant. And yes, that’s where the most expensive cheese toast in the world is being served.
Image: flickr.com
Ayers Rock, or Uluru, is the Australian Outback’s shining gem. Its far-reaching, horizontal grandeur is darling for any panoramic shot of the otherwise barren desert land. This natural wonder is also the largest and most famous single rock formation in the world, only slightly rivaled by Dwayne Johnson.
Ayers Rock during sunset.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
From an aerial view it looks like, well, a huge piece of rock. The white lines around are not added digitally to encircle the geological marvel. Those are roads constructed around the rock to give tourists access and a good view of Uluru from all angles.
Image: abc.net.au
The Great Barrier Reef’s wonder can be mostly appreciated when you dived down and get yourself face to face with the hard corals, sponges, echinoderms, mollusks, fishes, mammals, and other aquatic marine creatures that populate its ecosystem, making it one of the most popular eco-tourism destinations in the world.
A variegated lizardfish, one of the creatures inhabiting the reef.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
But people tend to forget that it is also the largest coral system in the world and one of the very few landmarks that can be seen from space (and no, the Great Wall of China isn’t one of them). The aerial image was shot from the International Space Station and shows a section of the north Queensland coast near Cooktown and Hope Vale.
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The 12 Apostles is one of the most awe-inspiring beach sights on the world, and the Google image searches can’t even argue against it. Towering pillars of limestone are standing proudly and bravely guarding the beach off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park. Right now, there are only eight apostles left, as the other four have collapsed through erosion. But still, the name remains intact.
The 12 Apostles as viewed from the beach
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
Looking from the sea side reveals a different beauty, however. On the background of the Apostles are tall, smoothly chiseled walls of stone that make up the rugged and jagged shoreline of Victoria. Its convex formation only reveals how wind and water shaped the shoreline, and the carved nature displays the different layers of the rock over various geological eras.
Image: news.com.au
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria popular among snow sports enthusiasts because of the thick sleet enveloping this alpine region all year round in place where extreme temperatures can reach 50.°C, making it hold the distinction of being a wrong mountain in a wrong country. A quick search in Google reveals a winter wonderland where hundreds of thousands flock every year to ski, compete, or throw snowballs at each other.
Skiers flocking to Mt Buller resort.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
However, it’s not always like this. Last 2014, Mother Nature played a prank on the mountain and robbed it of snow, resulting in bare, boring, and non-white slopes with misplaced chair lifts. According to the owners, this phenomena isn’t the first time to happen. As expected, the snow returned a few weeks later.
And conversely…
Image: adelaidenow.com.au
Barrosa Valley in South Australia is one of the largest wine-producing regions in the country. But you don’t even have tastes their red liquids to be a fan. The picturesque view of the place is a huge draw enough. Rows upon rows of grape vines neatly juxtaposed to each other as they extend towards a lush horizon, while the warm rays of the sunrise or sunset blankets them. Seriously, it’s like stepping inside the postcard, being able to smell the berries and the grapefruits that permeates the atmosphere.
A postcard-worthy shot of the valley's vineyard.
Image: eiseverywhere.com
But last July 2012, a thunderstorm hit the valley, pelting and covering it with hailstones the size of ten-scent coins. And the result is a white and barren landscape with only the vine poles standing. It is quite desolate if you’ll ask us, but the people of the valley think it’s a rather picturesque and charming look of the valley
Image: learn.nearmap.com
Opened on May 1988 by Elizabeth II, the Parliament House in Canberra is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, and undoubtedly one of the most important and famous government buildings in the country. It is built into Capitol Hill with the main entrance as its emblematic and expansive facade.
The Parliament House in its iconic view.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
The aerial view of the building, however, gives us a glimpse on how big the place really is. Visible are the two "boomerangs" overarching the western and eastern part of the ground. The famous flagpole can also be seen in the center. It does not, as many people always think from the images, actually sit on top of the entrance building.
Culture is multi-dimensional. If you are in Australia and you want to experience, say, what it feels like to be in China, munching on Sichuan food won’t be enough. You need to have the entire atmosphere around you. Chinese architecture, Chinese practices, and even the actual Chinese people.
That’s the reason cultural enclaves are awesome. They provide a multi-dimensional, 360-degree feel of a foreign lifestyle. The sights, the sounds, the feel, and even the smell. At the same, they provide foreigners a way to continue their way of life in an alien land.
And since Australia is mostly a patchwork of European and Asian migrants, it boasts of ethnic enclaves that are awe-inspiring and worth the bus tickets. Here are five of them, found in Sydney and Melbourne, in case you miss life back home or you just want to have a culturally charged experience.
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Where: Haymarket, between Central Station and Darling Harbour
Chinatowns are undoubtedly the most common cultural enclave, as there close to 35 of these little Chinas in many parts of the world. Twelve of these are in Australia alone, the biggest of which is in Sydney, although it is smaller compared to most Chinatowns in other countries. it is smacked between skyscrapers, giving it a post-modern vibe.
The food, however, is an entirely different story. Here you can feast on the traditional Chinese fares such us hotpots, handmade egg noodles, shrimp dumplings, chicken feet (that’s not a typo), pan-fried green onion pancakes, the famous Peking ducks, and many more. The stalls offering street foods would cook the meal right in front of you as you wait and confusingly salivate whether those crab meat dumplings would go well with beer or sugar cane juice. Indulge in them while surrounded by glowing street lanterns, archways, and oriental architectures and you have got the feel of China in less than an hour drive.
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The main event is the weekly Friday Night Market where novelty snacks and funky Asian fashion clothes are being sold by rows upon rows of vendors. Best time and place to test your haggling skills.
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Where: Melbourne City Centre, eastern end of Little Bourke St.
Sydney’s Chinatown might be the biggest, but it is in Melbourne where it all started. Established in 1854, it played a pivotal role in setting up the history and culture of the ethnic Chinese immigrants in the country. The Melbourne Chinatown is the noted for being the longest continuous Chinese community in the Western World and the one of the oldest of its kind in Southern Hemisphere.
And that physical history did not go forgotten. The Chinese Museum and Chinatown Visitor Centre contains photographs, documents, and sculptures representing the lives of the first Chinese people in the country. The five-floor building showcases Australian-Chinese heritage at its best.
After you satisfied your hunger for history and information, you can also gratify your gastronomical pursuits here. Much like its cousin back in Sydney, Melbourne’s Chinatown is a food haven. Feast on yum cha’s, shark’s fin dumplings, crispy duck, seafood fresh from the tank, roast ducks, wontons, and many more. Whether you are looking for Sichuan, Jiangsu, or Cantonese, they have it.
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And the annual Chinese New Year here is huge party. Big crowds, dancing dragons, street performances, music, and more food. Their New Year beats everybody else’s New Year every time.
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Where: Haymarket on Campbell Street, to the east of George Street.
Over the past few years, Thai food is gaining recognition on the international scale, being recognized alongside Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine. But here in Campbell Street, it is very much a live for a decade and a half now. Established in 2000, Thai Town has been the epicenter of Thai culture in Australia. And it is only logical, since Sydney has the highest concentration of Thai population in the country.
Though not as expansive and complex as Chinatown up there in west of George Street, this conglomeration of Thai restaurants, food stalls, groceries, and video stores is a lively haven for Thai residents, foodies, and Thai culture enthusiasts. Splurge on the traditional Thai treats such as pad thai (fried noodles), tom yum goong (spicy shrimp soup), gaeng keow wan kai (green chicken curry), and tom kha kai (chicken in coconut soup), and then wash it down with either cha yen (coconut milk tea) or Thai beer.
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A simple tip here: if you somehow get lost with all these choices and do not know where to start, get your cue from the Thais themselves. Go to where the lines are the longest, as they know which foods is worth the bang for your buck.
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Where: Lygon Street, Carlton
Not all enclaves in Oz has an Asian vibe. For those looking for something more European, there’s the Little Italy along Lygon Street between Gratton Street and Argyle Place North. In this small strip of the street runs the many ristorantes, trattorias, pizzerias, enotecas, and tavernas, each serving old-school Italian delicacies like pastas, insalatas, pizza, risottos, porchettas, cheeses, pastries, sorbetos, and of course, coffee. It is believed to be the place where Melbourne’s café culture began.
But the draw of this strip of Italian joins isn't limited to food alone, as it captures what it’s like to grab a meal in Rome’s Via Margutta (without the overly narrow roadway of course). The lines of tents, the crowd mumbling their orders, greetings, and conversations, and the trees providing warmth in otherwise chilly nights.
Indianlink.com.au
If you are done satisfying your palate, you may also shop along the 28 specialty stores found here including Country Road, Forza Italia Melbourne, Alberto Piazza Shoes, Silk Lane Boutique, and yes, they have Woolworths here, too. Or if consuming art films, indie movies, documentaries, and foreign flicks are your thing, Cinema Nova has all of those for you.
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Where: Eastern end of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne city centre.
No. Greek Precinct isn’t a place in Melbourne where uproarious Greeks go to be confined. Rather, this lively little town smacked in the city centre is where Greeks and other people alike go to enjoy Greece’s best treats and offerings.
Melbourne, known to cradle people of diverse cultural background, is also home to the largest Greek population of any city in the world outside Greece. So it only make sense that they establish a piece of their country here. You can find here restaurants, book stores, record shops, bars, jewelry stores, and shoe shops all offering Greek products. The towering Greek Centre is the centerpiece of all these with its functions, exhibitions, performances, and educational events all showcasing Greek culture.
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And after have indulged in these displays, you may satisfy your tummies next in the many estiatorios, psistarias, ouzeries, and tavernas lining the street. Here, you can sample Greek and Mediterranean foods like eliopsomo (bread with olives), garides saganak (shrimp in spicy tomato sauce), fakes (lentil soup), bamies (okra with tomato sauce), chtapodi sti schara (grilled octopus in vinegar), moussaka (eggplant-based dish), tzatziki (greek sauce served with grilled meats) and many more. You may wash them down with beer, ouzo (an alcoholic drink), ouzito (the Greeks' answer to mojito) or good old Greek wine.