It was all too soon time to return home, and our journey back was to involve three planes. (There were more direct, shorter, routes, but we had booked ours relatively last minute so had to endure a longer journey...)
Arriving at Matei airport, Taveuni just after 8.30am (our flight was around 9.15am), we dropped our bags off at the counter, they checked our passports, and then we sat on one of the benches and waited. No long queues from one security check to the other, no confiscating of water, no lengthy walks to the required gate.
The plane landed, people got off, bags were loaded and T and I, and another couple, got on the plane.
Arriving at Matei airport, Taveuni just after 8.30am (our flight was around 9.15am), we dropped our bags off at the counter, they checked our passports, and then we sat on one of the benches and waited. No long queues from one security check to the other, no confiscating of water, no lengthy walks to the required gate.
The plane landed, people got off, bags were loaded and T and I, and another couple, got on the plane.
Twenty minutes later and we were on our descent into Savusavu airport.
Peering through to where the pilots were sat, and glancing over their shoulders through the windscreen of the plane it appeared, to my horror, that we were about to glide into the sea!
At the last moment (sure it wasn't really, but it seemed it to me), they took a sharp right turn and lined up to land on the short runway. The landing was smooth and collected, (unlike myself, who was still getting over the fact we weren't in the sea...)
Our stopover at Savusavu was for three hours, and, like Matei, it wasn't the largest airport in the world:
Peering through to where the pilots were sat, and glancing over their shoulders through the windscreen of the plane it appeared, to my horror, that we were about to glide into the sea!
At the last moment (sure it wasn't really, but it seemed it to me), they took a sharp right turn and lined up to land on the short runway. The landing was smooth and collected, (unlike myself, who was still getting over the fact we weren't in the sea...)
Our stopover at Savusavu was for three hours, and, like Matei, it wasn't the largest airport in the world:
We have flown a fair amount over the past years, but not many times in a small plane.
I am not too sure of small planes.
This was our second plane of the day:
I am not too sure of small planes.
This was our second plane of the day:
The lack of things to see helped me on my mission to read a book in a day.
As we both sat and read, people kept asking us if we were waiting for someone to come and pick us up. (It would appear not too many people stopover here...)
T did get two phone calls though.
We had been there half an hour when the guy behind the desk walked over.
"Phone call for you."
It was the lady we had booked the place tickets through, making sure we got there OK.
Ninety minutes later, the guard strolled over.
"Are you Mr J...?"
"Yes."
"There's a phone call for you."
So T had to go to the guard/fire officer's hut to take the phone call. It was the resort we had been staying at making sure we were there OK.
Now you don't get that at Heathrow!
As we both sat and read, people kept asking us if we were waiting for someone to come and pick us up. (It would appear not too many people stopover here...)
T did get two phone calls though.
We had been there half an hour when the guy behind the desk walked over.
"Phone call for you."
It was the lady we had booked the place tickets through, making sure we got there OK.
Ninety minutes later, the guard strolled over.
"Are you Mr J...?"
"Yes."
"There's a phone call for you."
So T had to go to the guard/fire officer's hut to take the phone call. It was the resort we had been staying at making sure we were there OK.
Now you don't get that at Heathrow!
To my horror, there was only one pilot too (what happened if he had eaten a bad chicken curry? or got cramp? or some other reason which meant he could no longer control the plane??)
I tried to take my mind off what could go wrong and looked out of the window down at the stunning islands below:
But then we came to the main island; sea was replaced by land.
Looking straight through the windscreen, a very large and solid mountain came into view.
We seemed to be flying straight at it!
Uh oh...!
(Unbeknown to me, straight infront of where I was sitting the mountain slipped away - all I could see was the high point)
The pilot turned around to get a pen out of his bag to write something on the official forms and caught glance of my face - it was obviously expressing just how I felt.
He smiled. "You OK?"
I smiled back politely and nodded, all the while wishing he would look where he was going. I knew the plane was essentially controlled by computers, but still...
Needless to say we passed the mountains without a problem.
Looking straight through the windscreen, a very large and solid mountain came into view.
We seemed to be flying straight at it!
Uh oh...!
(Unbeknown to me, straight infront of where I was sitting the mountain slipped away - all I could see was the high point)
The pilot turned around to get a pen out of his bag to write something on the official forms and caught glance of my face - it was obviously expressing just how I felt.
He smiled. "You OK?"
I smiled back politely and nodded, all the while wishing he would look where he was going. I knew the plane was essentially controlled by computers, but still...
Needless to say we passed the mountains without a problem.
Another three hours wait between flights, this time in Nadi airport. It was definitely the largest airport of the three, with oh, around two shops! Even when we had waited forty minutes for a simple toasted cheese sandwich (we came to the conclusion the cafe had got it from the kitchen the other end of the airport), there was still plenty of sitting around - but this did mean that I finished my book in a day! Result!
A packed plane, (without views through to the pilots, thankfully!) I shut my eyes, stuck in my earphones and drowned out the incredibly large number of kids on the plane.
Finally, Sydney.
Our bags arrived too (always a relief!).
The flight had arrived early, and we were incredibly quick through customs, so we were back at home just twenty minutes after we had originally been due to land - which is always nice, but especially so when it's 10pm you are wanting your supper!
Finally, Sydney.
Our bags arrived too (always a relief!).
The flight had arrived early, and we were incredibly quick through customs, so we were back at home just twenty minutes after we had originally been due to land - which is always nice, but especially so when it's 10pm you are wanting your supper!