Hi, my name is Lena, and I am the Enrolments Officer at Langports Brisbane. I have lived in Australia for 5 years, and I now call Australia home. I am originally from Sweden, which is really about as far away from Australia as you can come (15099 km, or 19 hours and 15 minutes direct flight time). Before I boarded my first flight to Australia, the longest I had flown was to West Coast USA, a flight of about 11 hours. I had thought that was a long flight!
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make the flight easier, survive the long plane trip to Australia and to settle in faster once you get to your new “home”:
- Wear comfortable, loose clothing — you want to be able to sleep, so avoid tight jeans or anything you have to keep adjusting. Also wear comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off. You often need to take your shoes off at the airport security check.
- Stay warm — the air conditioning on the plane and in the airport will often be set quite cold. When you get tired, as you likely will on a long journey, it is also easy to feel cold. Wear or bring warm socks and a warm jumper. Remember that the seasons in Australia are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere, so even if it is summer where you take off, you might land in winter.
- Get up and move around when you can — it will help with a number of health issues, and it will make you feel a lot better in the days after you arrive.
- Pack something that’s easy to snack on — I like to bring some nuts so that I have something to eat if the plane is delayed. Please note that you are generally not allowed to bring live animals and plants, plant material, animal products and some food from overseas to Australia; if you have any food left in your bag when you arrive in Australia, you should declare it to Customs, and they will let you know if you can keep it or if you must throw it out.
- Try to arrive in the afternoon or at night — it is a lot easier to go to bed later than to wake up earlier. This means that flights that have a late afternoon or night time arrival are better. If you arrive earlier, you will have to stay up a lot longer. It really helps to keep moving when you arrive until you have to go to bed; if you rest or take a nap, it is very hard to get up again!
- Plan fun things after arriving, but not too taxing — as I said earlier, it is easier to beat the jetlag if you have something to do. Maybe plan to go for a walk in the sunshine to look at your new home city, or meet some friends. Avoid going to the cinema; you don’t want to sit in the dark, as that will make you sleepy.
Enjoy your flight to Australia; we hope to see you soon!
