The next few days were easier; we took Saturday off riding to drive out to Willunga and watched the race there. Sunday and Monday were back to riding. We had plans to have a big Australia Day on Monday but the festivities were kind of small and late in the day and we needed to be up at 4 am for a 15 hour drive back to Goulburn so after our bike ride up the Torrens River we had dinner at the apartment and turned in early.
Bushy and I swapped driving on Tuesday about every 250 k so the drive back to Goulburn was long but manageable. Wednesday, a local bike ride and then dinner at Chris and Lyn’s son and daughter in laws, very nice. Thursday a ride down the freeway to Breadalbane, a local favorite with dinner, beers and a trivia contest at the local pub with some of Bushy’s mates. Friday a chance to ride the hills I did the first day in Goulburn now that I feel like I finally had legs and wasn’t jet lagged, much better ride even though Bushy beat me up on the down hills coming back to town. A stop at Rose’s cafe for a coffee, back to home, pack and drive to Sydney where it all began. A little dinner with Stacy and the girls at, of course an “Out Back Steak House” (not an Aussie original, started in the US). We got a room at a Holiday Inn near the airport to make getting to the terminal easy. Sad evening of beers and drinks before retiring for the night in another great lodging pick by Bushy.
That brings me back to wide awake on a darkened airplane, not really sure what time it is in my clock. Dallas time I think is maybe 4 am, I should really be sleeping, about another 10 hours to go before we land in Dallas and try to get through customs and get on the flight to the cold north.
Finally back home, the flight was good from OZ besides not sleeping much. The connection at Dallas was stressful though. We landed and had about 45 minutes to collect luggage, get through customs and then tram to another terminal on the other side of the airport. Yeah, good luck with that. Checking with the flight personal got us express check through status that means going to the far side customs, get to the luggage drop site and then run to the tram. Off the tram and run to the closest gate to get info and listen to them say, that flight left a long time ago, go to gate 22 and try and get the next flight. Casual walk from gate 1 to 22 and as we get close I see there is still a plane at the gate, pick up the pace. Yes they are working on the plane so it is delayed for a wiper problem. We get on and wait about 10 minutes and away we go. On time arrival in Mpls only to find that our luggage didn’t make the plane and may be in later in the night. No, I’m not waiting around, it’s about 5:30 PM Mpls time so that makes it about 10:30 Sunday morning Oz time, about 20 plus hors of traveling time and it’s time to get home and eventually find a bed. Our ride arrives and off we go back to life in the normal lane.