The Land of Oz: Brisbane, Australia

September, 2016

After the Emirates saga of our plane being grounded in Dubai, finally arrived a day late in Brisbane, Australia – The Land of Oz, in a daze and very shattered. 

A delayed long-haul flight is almost like moving around in a surreal state of consciousness. I guess 48-hours door-to-door takes its toll on any body, regardless of age.

Brisbane at last

As expected, the 13+ hours from Dubai to Brisbane passes slowly – this flight leg should only take 7 hours plus 1.5 hours wait time.

Long haul flights are great for catching up on movies, music, and Sudoku. The guy next to me wanted to chat…a lot. Constantly chewing my ear off, even when I have my headphones in – I’m trying to do my own thing, in my own space.

Do you ever want to be alone and by yourself on a flight sometimes?

After the last two times flying back to Australia, it feels as if I am not meant to return. Flying back last year, I experienced a saga with Cathay Pacific also and vowed never to fly with this airline again.

The hired machine

With loads of running around to do in Brisbane including organising tradesmen for a badly needed roof repair at the house, I booked a car hire with Thrifty from Brisbane Airport. Public transport in Brisbane does not always keep to schedules.

What a car hire it turns out to be…

The brightest Fuchsia pink car you have ever seen. What an embarrassment to drive! But there is always a positive to every situation. The up side? I can always find this car in a any busy carpark, regardless.

Although I ordered a Manual, I receive an automatic, which I don’t like to drive. Still, we drive away from the airport and I don’t want to see another plane again…for a while.

House sitting

Extremely lucky as I have house-sitting gigs with my very good friend in Brisbane.

With two consecutive house-sitting opportunities, we also have a third one lined up, but decide not to move a third time. This worked out a perfect catch-up and no outlay for accommodation or calling on friends for a room.

I enjoy house-sitting and have done several over the years. It’s a really nice break from whatever you happen to be doing and as there is usually one or more pets to care for, it is a great time for puppy hugs. Something I really miss when I lived on a boat for 21 years but also whilst travelling. A tad selfish to have pets under these conditions – my view only.

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The Passport Dilemma

Arriving in Brisbane on the Tuesday instead of Monday as scheduled, I am a day late, and now have to visit the passport office in Brisbane on Wednesday. With my online application completed in Italy a few weeks earlier and a reference number, I find the office.

I must have 15 months left on my passport for the 365-day Italian Residency visa, but I only have 13 months – no exceptions.

As my visa interview with the Italian Consulate is next Monday, I now need an express passport, which is more expensive at AUD$381.

It’s a stressful touch and go scenario, as I visited the Australian Passport office in Brisbane with my renewal application, number, and still valid passport.

Nowhere on the site does it say that if you meet the three requirements that I also require an appointment to apply – it’s not an over the counter application after all.

On entering this office in George Street, everyone needs to take a ticket…this is where it goes pear-shaped.

The first question: “Do you have an interview appointment?” No, means you have to pick up the little red hand receiver and speak with the most unhelpful guy, who advised I cannot get an appointment until Friday 12 noon. This means that I ‘should’ receive my passport by Wednesday/Thursday next week – “if I am lucky”. It is Wednesday today – an express passport is supposed to take 2 days…this is express?

My consulate appointment is booked for 13:45hrs on Monday…things are going disastrously! I make the passport appointment anyway.

Pleading with the lady at the enquiry counter and hoping she would take pity on me, I explain that I have flown from Europe to submit this application for my interview. Very helpful, the officer suggests that I submit the application at the General Post Office in the city. The submission would leave today, arrive to this office by tomorrow, then hope like hell my passport would be ready by Monday noon. How absurd. I am standing in the passport office but it is quicker to submit at the PO.

It is supposed to be returned by Tuesday. Nowhere does it say 2 business day from the lodgement day. So Friday became Tuesday and longer. Stressed, I cancel the Monday’s consulate appointment and reschedule to Wednesday.

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To the Post Office to submit my passport renewal application

Lodging my application with the General Post Office (still Wednesday), the very kind lady advises that I should write a letter with my submission to the Passport Office, pleading my case in the hope the office would rush my request through. I do this…

On submitting my application, the lady butchers my still-in-date passport – cutting half of the back cover containing numeric codes and cutting a corner off the front of the passport.

Leaving the Post office and returning back to the house-sit, I have a major panic attack whilst I realise I no longer have a valid passport.

The first time in 30-plus years that I don’t have a passport!

Panicked, I phone the Post Office, which advises a submission to the Passport Office cannot be made without first cutting the existing passport. But my passport still has 13 months and not expired. What if I have to fly somewhere in an emergency? Couldn’t the Post Office butcher my existing passport on handing over my new passport that I had to collect anyway?

“No, this is the process.”

Follow-up calls to the Passport Office

Phoning the passport office on Thursday to see how things are panning out, the office does not have anything logged yet in the system. Things are not looking good…at this rate, I will not receive my passport by Tuesday.

I phone the passport office again on Friday and speak to a very helpful lady that advises my passport is being printed today and it will be ready for pickup by 3 pm this afternoon. Then ten minutes later, I receive a call from a different passport office lady advising it would be ready for pick-up at noon today instead.

Wow! I am now sufficiently impressed and the passport office has redeemed itself.

I race to the city to pick up my passport. It is Friday afternoon and I have my fresh new passport in my hot little hand!

As now I wanted my Monday consulate appointment back, I frantically phoned the consulate only to be told that I would have to cancel Wednesday’s appointment and rebook Monday on the online system. However, there is no guarantee that anything is available – no one can look at the system as it is all automated.

The officer advises me not to stress as the maximum time for the visa is 15 days. I should receive it in time for my flight out on the 11th October.

As I’m flying to Newcastle (NSW) the officer needs to post my passport. I have no faith in Australia Post having had much re-directed mail lost. So, I leave a self-addressed Express (tracked) envelope for the consulate.

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The Italian Consulate experience

I wait patiently at the Italian Consulate whilst listening to a various people applying for differing Italian visas.

One lady is going to study jewellery making for a year in Italy. Another chap is staying in Italy for 5 days just to meet up with his mother. Why bother with a visa for 5 days?  Most nationalities receive a Schengen 90-day visa free on arrival.

My turn finally comes and though I do have a scheduled appointment, in true Italian fashion, the officer is late.

Documents

I hand over the wad of paperwork together with my new passport, and a passport-size mug shot of my very tired and haggard-looking face. This photo was taken the day after I arrived in Oz, following the 48+ hour flight saga.

It’s touch and go again with the very friendly officer who has an issue with my Health Insurance. A requirement is that you must hold 12 months Health Insurance and mine runs out, March 2017. Finally, we get past this hurdle as I’m adamant that the insurance will be renewed – who goes to Italy for a year without health insurance?

The second hurdle is my income. You have to demonstrate a certain Australian dollar equivalent to Euro amount, coming into your account each month. This is for the duration of the 12 months in Italy.

Although my running income is a little short per month, my savings more than covers the shortfall. Something which the officer has trouble understanding. Consulting another colleague, this hurdle is also squashed.

A hick-up

Lastly, the stickler. A completed form from my host in Italy, which I have, although, a few check boxes and my details are not completed correctly.

Mentioning that I can check the boxes now as my host has already signed the form, the officer won’t accept the form as “it is a Declaration”. I expected this bureaucracy in Italy, but not here in Brisbane.

The officer advises, I have to email the form to my host for the correct completion, then email it back to the consulate. The officer assured me on leaving: “she would make it happen for me”!

This is the same officer that I have been emailing with numerous questions whilst in Italy. Let’s hope so. Disheartened, I head straight to the Library’s Internet to email my Italian host again and wait. Needing a drink after the last week’s (or 10 months) hassle, luckily, I’m meeting up with friends in the city for a wine.

I email the completed form to the consulate today, Thursday. Surprise, surprise the consulate is not open today. So, again, have to wait until tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed.

Ever get the feeling that the universe is against you? Planets are not aligned? All those really bad clichés?

I’m feeling very much like this at the moment!

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“Time and tide wait for no man…”

Time is ticking on, I’m still in Brisbane, and need to book the 1.5-hour flight to Newcastle. Still no word from the consulate to confirm receipt of my form.

I phone the consulate. I don’t expect such a curt response and must of caught the officer on a bad morning:

“I’ve received your form and have gone way above and beyond the service that is provided by the consulate. Your visa is being processed and will take up to 2 weeks. If the consulate requires any further documentation, it will be requested from you. You should appreciate that you’re not the only person applying for a visa!”

Politely apologising, I thank her very much for all the help provided to date. It’s such a power trip for some people in these offices. This officer is hard to read: a smiling assassin?

I can only hope that I’ve provided all the required documentation as the consulate is very non-committal, and hope that my visa arrives in Newcastle in 2 weeks – otherwise, I have no passport and can’t leave Australia – but need to book my flight to Newcastle as I can’t stay in Brisbane forever.

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Brisbane street art

Always time to stop and take photos of great street art.

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Food

Brisbane seems to have got quite expensive since I was last here in July 2015. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m used to Southern Italy’s cheap prices or whether it’s just more expensive.

Communal Bar

on George St in the Brisbane CBD, a glass of white, which is not a full glass by any means sets you back $8.50.

Tamarind Tree

Try shop 1, 286 Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne for delicious and authentic Thai food served at good prices (Entrée $3.9+, Mains $12.90+, Desserts $4+), especially for up-market Hawthorne.

This is a small cosy BYO restaurant with friendly staff. A good little find.

Gateau Café + Dessert

Wander to 7 Lindsay St, Hawthorne for scrumptious deserts and cakes ($6+).

This chic café has only been open a few months. A waffle was served cold so the owner delivered a tray of Melting Moments to our table Gratis, to make up for the cold waffle – excellent service! The ever-illusive real leaf tea is also served here – I’m impressed.

Sushi

I marvel how regardless of what country I travel in, Brisbane city still has the best and cheapest Sushi in the world I’ve found to date (I haven’t been to Japan yet).

Take-away Sushi shops are on almost every block in the city and the Sushi on sale is fresh, delicious, and cheap. Depending on where you shop, a Sushi roll costs from AUD$2.50-$3.50 for all sorts of ingredients and types. I crave for Brisbane’s Sushi when I’m overseas.

Leaving Brisbane

Off to Newcastle I go to await the arrival of my passport, but also to go to a wedding!

Visit Nilla’s Photography for more global images. More posts at Image Earth Travel.