The Adelaide Airport International terminal is brand new, and no one really seemed to know what was going on.
I waited in the check in line for about an hour, whilst every single passenger except me argued that they did not have excess baggage, when some of them had 4 suitacases each....
The vast majority of the passengers appear to be Malaysian.
Then after that line, we move to another line for customs, only theres no one there.
Everyone including me is confused, as we were just told to proceed to customs.
The pilots and crew are at the head of the line, and they are bitching to airport police, that they need to get on the plane to start pre flight checks etc, the cops are saying they have no idea, but they try calling on the radio, next thing they are borrowing a cell phone of some guy and making some calls.
Eventually, 2 guys turn up to man the customs area, and we proceed through, I get quizzed about my business visit, and have to fill out an extra form, the fellow asked me why I was going and who I worked for, and after that story asked me if I had any ID stating who I worked for, my business card was sufficient.
Stock photo not taken by me
Inside the new Adelaide Airport
Adelaide as seen from the airport - we are lucky it is close to the city.
The flight was absolutely full, of fools!
In front of me is a German guy, and no matter what he does he cant stay seated more than 5 minutes, he actually tried to get out of his seat as the pilot powered up on the runway for takeoff, but sat back down when he realised just how dumb he was. I would estimate that in the 8 hours he got up 100 times minimum.
Meanwhile, to my left is an english backpacker couple, and the guy is a real dick, insulting the stewardesses, the food comes, you have a choice of 3 things, and he tells the malaysian girl to her face 'so its all fucking gook food then?'
For the Nerds interested, the in flight entertainment thing in the back of every seat is interactive, and mine crashed and rebooted and it was linux, but I dont know what flavour.
I did not sleep at all during the flight and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was sort of interesting, and 'the extras' with the guy from the office.
I think most of the people on the plane were students returning home who attend university in Adelaide.
There was more food than I could eat, some chicken in soy and oyster sauce with rice, with cake, then a large 'giant twin' ice cream, then some smoked salmon on noodle things came around, then later a bread roll, a slice of cheesecake and some honey glazed nuts.
The cabin staff were extremely professional, but I have never ever seen men so openly gay! they wore pink eye liner and called each other darling, with a malaysian accent.
Stock Photo not taken by me
Picture of the plane I was about to get on
I do not have pictures unfortunately, I will try when I go back through or on my way home, but the airport is huge.
You arrive at a shopping mall, which is inside the controlled area so its only passengers, this is a satellite terminal, you then get on a train that goes to the main terminal, this is before you have cleared customs or got your bag.
The line at immigration is enormous, probably 500 people long, nearly all of them japanese and not able to read english or malayan, theres 30 or so desks to check your papers and the line moves fast, but as each japanese person gets to the line they have no clue when the sign tells them which desk to go to, so someone has to scream at them, which was amusing.
The immigration check was no problem, and my bag is there waiting....now though I have to find my transit bus to the hotel.
Immediately I am mobbed by taxi drivers, and I am telling them 'no, I have free bus pass to hotel' and they say 'yes sir, we take you', so I let them escort me around the building whilst I am looking for a Malaysian Airlines desk to ask where the bus to the hotel is, and 3 of them follow me for at least 20 minutes, eventually I find a desk right by the exit and give them my pass, and within minutes the bus is there ready.
The bus is a mini bus, and it is full of course, im squashed into a corner, my blackberry works! I thought maybe only the phone features would but no I have email and internet working on it.
The drive was long, at least an hour, the bus was slow and twice we had to pull over on the highway, as some VIP's passed with police escort.
Most of the other people on the bus are japanese tourists, and they are totally lost and confused, we get off the bus and it drives off, and I am moving to the hotel reception, but the Japanese people all just stood out in the street, I can see them whilst I am checking in and suggest that someone goes and gets them.
The hotel rooom is fine, large and with what I believe is free internet, king size bed, many tv channels, some with western movies (schwarzenegger, stallone, van damme, seagal movies ONLY).
There is also free bottled water, which is good since tap water is out.
My hotel room at Shah Alam