Ve are back! The land down under was great but nothing beats home does it, even if it is the most backward province in Canada [thanks partly to the Danny Williams Government].

Hot as Hades in GB and humid too, fog and rain in Halifax while we were there so we stayed on the Dartmouth side.

Our trip up from GB yesterday was on the newest in the Air Labrador fleet, a shinny refurbish twin otter, smelled all shiny and refurbished too; I think we [six of us] must have been the first passengers on her.

Wish I had the same positives to say about the rest of the return journey, alas not.

Our flight left Sydney 45 minutes late, then we were held up on the ramp in Vancouver because, get this, a domestic flight had disgorged it’s passengers across the international arrivals territory in the terminal and ‘contaminated’ the area.
So despite the 14 + hour flight we still may make the connection to Halifax [11/2 hours]. That is if our luggage had not been the very last to hit the conveyer belt, and if Air Canada had seen fit to hold the on going flights for maybe 15 minutes. The barstards knew we were coming and who was connecting to where, yet they only offered up other flights, and they had the paper work all ready when we arrived at the check in.

Any way we took that in stride and went to TO for a connecting flight to Halifax. The TO flight left late as well and it was a rush to get to the gate in TO for the Halifax flight, but no worries, that flight was delayed for half an hour so that gave us time for some nourishment and a beer.

Arriving late in Halifax in the fog [it was foggy when we left there a month ago] we patiently await our luggage, not there, go to happy friendly Air Canada lost luggage service provider and fill out appropriate forms.
Wait quite awhile for taxi; finely get a limo with very friendly and sympathetic driver who asked “no luggage”.

So needles to say we were a little drained of energy after the 14 ¾ hours from Sydney to Vancouver, the couple hours there then the 6 hours to TO and an hour or so there then the 31/2 hours to Halifax and the news of no luggage and then the wait in the fog for a cab.

On the bright side the friendly and supportive lady at the Supper8 hotel in Dartmouth sort of brightened our souls a little; she could not do enough to help us.

Our luggage arrived around 12 next day; just in time to prevent an outburst from someone who shall remain nameless in the interest of not wanting incriminate myself.

And the warm weather has finely arrived on the Labrador, up to 23 yesterday and for several days previous I hear.

Not much has changed while we were away, still same old troubles with marine shipping, a milquetoast NG government; an incompetent provincial government, stuff like that never seems to change.

We were greeted in a very friendly manner by lots of people, sort of makes ones day.

There were also two tragedies in recent days, the sort that yanks at the heart. More on that later perhaps.

My apologies to ExSham on the comments, only had access to my hotmail account and for some reason the comments were not showing up as they should have.