OS travels business/leisure anybody......

[defective]

My trip pales in comparison lol,,but the missus and I just spent a few days down northern Nsw.

We went down the inland route to avoid the traffic around the Gold Coast, and what a drive that was.
Wow, such a difference form Se qld. Megan fell in love with Maclean of all places, me I was told about a little place called emerald beach, just north of Coffs Harbour. What a brilliant little beachside village.
We stayed in Coffs for the last night and I really wish we hadn't haha, should have stayed in emerald beach.

And the drivers... Nsw drivers are so much better at getting the hell out of the right lane once they've passed another car.
Must be paranoid about speed cameras but, even in 110 zones everyone was doing at least 10 under.
I had cruise locked into 115 and it was like Moses parting the Red Sea lol, everyone just moved.

Came back up the coast and as soon as we hit the border the traffic seemingly quadrupled and everyone needed to be in the right lane again.

Good few days away but, I could easily move down that way.

[FTe217]

mate, any trip is grand no matter where, its away from the norm and you can relax wherever you are and enjoy many moments !
Mid north coast up is one of our favourite haunts since I was a kid.
Know it well and will keep visiting it till the day I'm gone.
Emerald and surrounds is magic ! will be heading up that way Easter been booked since last Easter.
I could only move up that way when/if I slow down mentally to 25klm and hour lol.....worse over the border
Now you see what I have experienced for yonks doing business travel around the country, qldrs mexicans are no where as per the general nsw driver in keeping left.
Surprised you reckon most under 110 though, I feel most are on the limit but I suppose this would vary what you experience at the time.

[defective]

mate, any trip is grand no matter where, its away from the norm and you can relax wherever you are and enjoy many moments !
Mid north coast up is one of our favourite haunts since I was a kid.
Know it well and will keep visiting it till the day I'm gone.
Emerald and surrounds is magic ! will be heading up that way Easter been booked since last Easter.
I could only move up that way when/if I slow down mentally to 25klm and hour lol.....worse over the border
Now you see what I have experienced for yonks doing business travel around the country, qldrs mexicans are no where as per the general nsw driver in keeping left.
Surprised you reckon most under 110 though, I feel most are on the limit but I suppose this would vary what you experience at the time.

Yep,,I put the lower speeds down to it being a double demerit points weekend. Was plenty of marked patrol cars on the road too. Those sneaky hwp cars with no graphics on the front sure do make them blend in well.

[FTe217]

oh yer, if double demerits all the more keeping below limits.
Those pesky bears are everywhere at that wonderful gov revenue time.
Those designs they have now only visible more so from the back to mid section really can catch you from front on.
That explains it.

[FTe217]

Well, been in transit since last night - left Milan 9.40pm Thursday night landed Qatar 5.25am their time 2hrs ahead.
Have had the day checking out this desert having not been here before.
Surreal fellas surreal, I need to spend sometime and update since my last post incl here.
Take off from here 8.30pm but land in Sydney 7pm Sat.
14odd hour flight - at least on the 380 will make it more bearable.

[Paxton]

Well, been in transit since last night - left Milan 9.40pm Thursday night landed Qatar 5.25am their time 2hrs ahead.
Have had the day checking out this desert having not been here before.
Surreal fellas surreal, I need to spend sometime and update since my last post incl here.
Take off from here 8.30pm but land in Sydney 7pm Sat.
14odd hour flight - at least on the 380 will make it more bearable.

I'm heading to Europe in September - my Brother lives in London so off to visit him and spend some time on the continent. Never been before (I have mainly done the USA) so will be an eye opener. It is the flying I don't think I can tolerate - I can just about tolerate a domestic flight but god help me on an international flight. I am stumping up for Premium Economy but the flights are what I am dreading the most.

[FTe217]

Having done the US for quite sometime I do enjoy it. Probably because its similar to here BUT BIGGA !
People in general are really nice as well.
If you've endured the 13odd hr flights across the pacific its no different going EU.
Done premium economy - its not bad.
If you have the 380 to London imo you don't need Premium Eco - the room in econo in the 380 is very generous.
Best tip if booking for this is get the eco seats on the top deck behind business.
Therefore this section only had 50 seats eco. The hosties look after you very well.
Seating is 2 4 2 - we had 2 window aisle seats with a shelf and extra storage room under it, as well the usual above.....
Quite comfortable for a 13hr flight - best thing to do is sleep ! I do much to the amazement to my wife.
Upon landing in last night I turned to my wife and said what a good flight - smooth, she looked at me and said your always sleeping, it was turbulent for ages lol.....
She's not a good flyer - turbulence for only 5-10mins already freaks her out.
Kids didn't complain at all - one son slept like me for some 8hrs.
I can understand though - these flights are killers in the mind when looking at the times spent up there but its damn worth it !

[FTe217]

well, I'm at my annual Vegas Aapex/Sema show trip but also needed to be in Michigan for a Monday meet so flew in there on Saturday night.

My first feeling of being in Ford city was when getting a rental car from Avis upon landing - this person was so helpful and thoughtful, in the way of asking me do I work for Ford ? being a foreigner making sure if I work for Ford abroad I guess, I asked why, making sure that they put the person in a Ford and not another brand.
I liked that, also she quoted she was proud that Ford didn't put out their hand for US Gov tax payers support at the time whilst GM and Chrysler did.
Interesting isn't it.
So Sunday being a free day what did I do ? being in Detroit the day involved going to the Henry Ford Museum !
What a hoot of a day !
A day didn't do it justice imo - I need 2-3days walking around the huge grounds Ford owns incl Greenfield Village, the Museum and driving by many of Fords facilities it did make me proud of the brand.
The museum is quite mind boggling, HUGE and quite high ceilings, I wondered how old this building was by its design and how and when did they put in the exhibits.
Its not just cars, collections he loved or was involved with over time in the early days.
Can you believe there is old steam train locomotives ! so bloody huge these things are, when looking at the toolings/castings of the whole beast make me wonder how they made these huge things back in the day with the tools they had back then.
A collection of other early steam trains, such a variety - the mind boggled and cast you back compared to the modern spoilt times of today.
I was thinking how innocent it was back then and how such opportunity there must have been and then the have's and have nots.
by then I had come into an area where I was hanging for - cars cars from every shape and form and NOT just Fords.
One that caught my eye very quick was the recent Class winning GT40 of 2016 qouting 50 yrs to the day, still filthy as it was from its battles on the track.
A very classy white TBird, a beautiful 1965 Lotus Ford powered GP car of Jim Clark !
A very long land speed record machine Goldenrod powered by 4 FI Hemis in 1965 did 658klm an hour !
A beautiful speedway sprint car driven by Bobby Unser.
Classic Edsel ofcourse
A awesum '56 Conti MK11 driven by the likes of Sinatra Rockerfeller etc...
A perfect early model Black Bettle.
A line of Presidential custom made limos be it Lincoln of Reagan, Kennedy's '61 Lincoln he was shot in, the additional customising of these is interesting reading.
Quite a variety of epic cars, too many to name but its more so a "time warp" to walk through, well noted with notes of the date and other events of the time.
An old Diner still operating just as Happy Days type of for eg to have a stop,coffee and feed.
So many important items to get you absorb as walking by, like a first Brick Mobile from 1988 ! all these type of things.
A collection of hardware tools used way way back.
How steam was being used and type of machines that built up heat - how globes were being made, the evolution of tractors.
Did you know Henry ventured into early aviation https://www.thehenryford.org/collect...ons/sets/7140/
The main quote I recall was in just over 5yrs he lost $5.5M - imagine that way back then.
You can get involved and build a Model T - black ofcourse ! some parts are still original but some body panels are repos.
I found out there is still around 1,000 of them still around the USA.
This is just off the top of my head BUT all I'll finish to say - if you ever get the chance to visit the USofA and near Detroit - get yourself sorted and make sure to visit this amazing place !
What a way to start off my week !

[FTe217]

I'm heading to Europe in September - my Brother lives in London so off to visit him and spend some time on the continent. Never been before (I have mainly done the USA) so will be an eye opener. It is the flying I don't think I can tolerate - I can just about tolerate a domestic flight but god help me on an international flight. I am stumping up for Premium Economy but the flights are what I am dreading the most.

Pax, did you end up doing this ? if so how was it ?

[FTe217]

Since last Nov I did China again Dec 17.
3 more China trips done to date in '18 (throw in some domestic flights in between) and now as some know went to Frankfurt last Tuesday.
Flying Emirates this time, Syd - Dubai 13 long hours - 2hr stop over Dubai to Frankfurt 7hrs.
On the 380 its not too bad but 20hrs in air + arriving to Sydney couple of hours prior the 2hrs in Dubai took the wind out of me for 2days once I settled in Frankfurt.
No time for sight seeing Frankfurt was there for the large Automechanika Show.
Walked 24k's.
Enjoyed my dinners got to say - Italian lol......
Friday lunchtime flew to Venice (thankfully just a 1hr 15 flight)
Leisure days before some meetings for Monday.
Been here before but wow what a city to hang around, no need for a car, just walk the street maze's its a challenge I tell you.
We were loling with some people I met, google maps must be one of the most used in Venice.
Get home by Wednesday night.

Then have Bathurst for 5days.

Then back to China middle Nov, end of Nov to Vegas for the AAPEX/SEMA Show and down to Nashville for a couple of days.

Another trip back to China early Dec for the Automechanika Show there.

Thats the last trip for 2018 then start again 2019.

Love my job, the variety keeps me going even though the flying does get me.
Go figure I don't enjoy being up in the tin can at all as well but my seeing parts of the world always opens your eyes.