TRAVEL|ADVICE

Don’t Do This When You Travel

Basic Rules of Travelling

I’m not usually one to give advice but some people obviously need it — not you, dear readers.

Number One: Don’t lose your passport as soon as you enter the country.

Number Two: Plan how you are going to get from the airport to your accommodation. Don’t expect your host to pick you up. Have appropriate rideshare apps on your phone. Don’t hitchhike.

Number Three: Don’t arrive with no money nor access to money. Have some cash and/or a card with money of the country you are visiting.

Number Four: Have your laptop and phone fully charged.

Number Five: Use your common sense.

On Monday, a lad from South Korea arrived to spend a few days. His only question before arrival was could he see the stars from my place to which I responded “yes if he had a telescope.” He answered yes. No more questions so he booked.

No Australian cash or credit/debit card

Somehow — and I’m not sure how — he expected me to pick him up from the airport. Maybe because I asked him what time his flight arrived but at no time did I mention picking him up. When I said I was unable to pick him up, I advised taking an Uber. He doesn’t have any rideshare apps on his phone. He said he would walk.

I told him it was too far to walk but nevertheless, he set off walking along the grass median strip from the airport. I know this because my son-in-law happened to see him and thought how strange it was but didn’t stop to pick him up, but someone did and gave him a lift to a station where he managed to hop on a train to my place. He had no money or card to pay. Luckily there was no ticket inspector on that train. It’s a hefty fine!

When he arrived, he couldn’t open the front gate. It’s a pool gate so you just have to lift the latch. He walked around the back and dragged his huge suitcase up the stairs. The front is level ground. I gave him the key and the wifi password.

Lost passport

Then he tells me he’s lost his passport. Surely not? I advise him to look thoroughly through his luggage. He thinks he’s left it on the train or maybe in the guy’s car who gave him a lift. It’s a public holiday so I don’t think there’s much we can do until the lost property office opens.

I figure he must be tired from flying all the way from Korea and then walking dragging his huge suitcase on the grass so I leave him to rest and go round to my daughter’s. She had expected me much earlier so I tell her the boy’s story. Carl tells me he actually saw him walking along the highway from the airport! What are the chances?

Carl makes a few calls — he’s worked for Queensland Rail for 15 years and knows a lot of people. He locates the boy’s passport at Kippa-ring station. Not only that, he offers to drive there and collect it. I know — my daughter has a good one. He picks it up and delivers it to the boy. I don’t think the boy knows how lucky he is! You can’t do anything in a foreign country without a passport! Carl says lost passports are usually returned to the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Battery flat on phone and laptop

On Tuesday, he asks me can I take him to the bank. I say I can take him on my way to lunch with girlfriends. But no! His computer won’t charge and he needs to get information from it to give to the bank. Now I’m not tech-savvy at all but I know when something won’t charge, there are a few possible reasons.

Eliminate the variables one by one. The first being is the electrical point working. Whilst checking I noticed the power converter is large enough to press the on-off switch enough to disconnect the power. Solution. Plug it into a double adapter or power board. Success.

But he wants to start using his laptop immediately not giving it time to build up a charge. He’s convinced there’s something wrong with his laptop and wants me to take him to Jaycar, an electronics store in the opposite direction to the back AND my ladies’ lunch. I oblige — shit, I’m a nice person — and miss my lunch. On the way, he asks can I teach him French because he’s planning on travelling to the Netherlands! I tell him as nicely as possible, you know they speak Dutch there, right? I won’t tell you what I want to say.

Later on that day, he says the bank was full and he needs to go tomorrow, I tell him I can’t take him as I’m babysitting.

While I’m babysitting I receive a text asking me can I take him rock climbing. What the…?? Keeley laughs. Why didn’t you just explain to him you provide a bed and breakfast, nothing else? I should have! He tells me it’s only 20 minutes by car but an hour by public transport. I don’t know if he goes rock climbing or not. Don’t you need two people to go rock climbing?

When I come home, he’s eating rice with a wooden kebab stick I have on my kitchen window sill to clean out the dust and cat fur that gets stuck in my Dyson vacuum cleaner. I have chopsticks in my top kitchen drawer!

Fruit picking job

Later that afternoon, I receive a text that says Hello Adrienne, I got a fruit picking job. I think ok, must be strawberry picking.… the only fruit I can think of that grows around here, but no.

May I ask you advice about my job? I am not sure whether wage they pay me is reasonable or not. They will pay me $25.41 per hour, no matter amount I pick. Accommodation is $150 per week and shuttle bus from accommodation to work is $12.

I reply, That’s very good. Where abouts is it?

He is worried it’s a scam. It does sound too good to be true. But who am I to tell him? I know nothing about fruit picking but I don’t think any farmer would pay a picker by the hour. I think they’d pay by the crateful.

I advise him to get all of the pay details in writing before accepting the job. I’ve never heard of this place but I googled it and it’s in New South Wales, 1,692 km away. If he can’t get himself to rock climbing a few suburbs away, I have no idea how he’s going to get there. I dare not ask!