Thursday, February 18, 2010

Training Day

Well after my previous rants about trying to get ANYTHING done in the various halls of power and officialdom we embarked once again on a focused and concerted effort to get stuff sorted. We had a hit list of Medicare registration, visa label in passport, driving licence and bank draft to pay for our new car. And based on prevoius success I resigned myself to a day of frustration and running around and therefore booked a day off work, set the alarm early and off we went!!

Well we were up bright and early and down theferry terminal in time for the 8am ferry which got us to the CBD at 8:30 just in time for Medicare to open and our assault to commence. However, I expected to be writting you a long rantingpost about stupidity, idiots and blind vogonism but no, somebody up there must have heard my prevoius potestations because lady fate was smiling.

We arrived at Medicare, straight up to a counter were a jolly if sleepy lady sorted everything out for us without feeling the need to dream up a new bit of paper we needed (although we did have half a rain forest with us at the time). We then went to RTA, took a ticket and filled put the form only to be told that we had to be in Australia 6months before we could get a NSW drivers licence (not quite sure why it's a min of 6 months and not a maximum but there you go) so that was RTA ticked off. So finally immigration. Arrived, joined queue of one person, spoke to a very friendly lady and five minutes later we were walking all sorted.

So it was that at 11 o'clock the co-pilot and I were stood outside a coffee shop (which smelt of coffee and soap there couldn't be entered) wonder what to do with the rest of the day. Following a short phone call to the garage we are suppose to be going to tomorrow confirmed the car was available and so quick bought train tickets and are now sat on our way to Nowra to pick up the beast!!



And a final rant, this one about trains. Wake up UK and British Rail (or whichever fractured part of what used to be BR is in control of prices and tickets). Having decided to go to Nowra which is 3 hours away by training was able to walk into the ticket hall, pay my money and get on the train. And I didn't have to book a month in advance....on line.....with a credit card. Nor did I need a degree in logistics planning in order to work out which daisy chain of routes and companies I had to join up to make the journey possible. I simply walked up and said "two singles to Nowra please" and he replied "certainly mate, $31 and you want platform 15".

And yes you read that correct, $31!! For Two tickets for a 168km train journey. That's about 15 quid for you pommes back home!!!

And I wonder why I might not be too keen on rush 'home' to the UK.

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3 comments:

R Bailey said...

Double Decker ?

I love the Double Decker and the way the seats flip-flop.

The Yellow Box Of Doom said...

It was indeed double decker as far as Kiama then apparently the electricity extension cable ran out and we switched to diesel.

flip-flop seats are very cool, although what is cooler is not telling your wife they are such and then wait until she is asleep flip the one in front. Then when she wakes up it looks like you have moved from a single row seat to a facing each other seat and confuses her brilliantly as you explain how you had to move her because somebody else needed the seat.

Anonymous said...

I like that, very clever thinking.
But not diffuclut when they have pregnancy brain.

Cheers,
ANONYMOUSE