Lucky man!

I have a friend who visits his daughter in Australia every couple of years or so. In the past that journey has been by air and with the least expensive ticket he could find. Inevitably that meant a three or four sector flight each way with no opportunity to break the journey en route and thereby make the experience more palatable.

He’s retired and increasingly he finds that the flights to and from Australia leave him ‘wrecked’ for several days when he steps off the plane at each end of the trip.

So, for his latest visit to Australia, he chose to go by sea. Not in an ocean liner (because there are none) but as one of 12 passengers on a container ship leaving Tilbury (London) and reaching Sydney 35 days later.

From the e-Mail I received after he arrived it seems he’s been blown away by the experience. The ship called at Hamburg, Rotterdam and La Spezia with time for brief visits ashore then the Suez Canal which, for a first timer, is an experience not to be missed. 12 days at sea to reach Fremantle after transiting Suez might seem a bit daunting but when you have the run of a large ship with a swimming pool, a comfortable cabin, sun, fresh air and three meals a day what’s to really complain about?

The sort of accommodation you get.

He’s arrived fit, relaxed, sun-tanned and ready to go – no jet-lag, no DVT, no aches and pains – just one very happy traveller.

I don’t know what it cost but he probably paid around 80 Euros a day or (in total) about the same as ‘premium’ economy class on an airline.

I accept that there are many for whom a journey time of 35 days is totally out of the question. It’s only retirees and those who do not have jobs to go back to who can afford the time.

But given the choice I know which I would choose!