Monday 26th October
After the rough landing in Tokyo I was glad to be on solid ground. I found my way between terminals (had to wait a little bit) and headed for the QP (Qantas Club). The Qantas club looked pretty good, just how I expected it. Was good to see VB in the fridge (good little touch of home). Really didn’t want to drink anything after that flight. Was pretty Jittery and it was getting to me. I jumped online and started writing the trip report for the HNL-NRT leg and I was all over the place. I managed to get myself a shower and try and calm myself down but looking out the window at the weather did not help. Eventually I just had to suck it up and get on that plane. We boarded late as the plane we were meant to have went to Kansai instead.
Tokyo Narita to Brisbane (NRT-BNE)
Qantas/JAL/Jalways – QF390/JL761/JO761
Boeing 767-300 – JA620J
2115-0715
Business Class – Seat 2G
Boarding: 2135
Push Back: 2155
Take Off Roll: 2215 – Runway 34L
Top of Decent: 0705
Touch Down: 0735 – Runway 01
Was at the front of the boarding queue so was about 3rd onboard (stuck behind old slow people). No pre departure drinks (must be a JAL thing) but everyone was seated quick enough. We pushed back and taxiied out. It was a bit all over the place as the wind was pretty heavy. I was able to watch the take off from the nose camera (which has to be the coolest thing on board). The take off was not as bad as I expected. We were up out of the crap pretty quickly. We had the drinks service once in the air and I didn’t feel like drinking so just had a sprite (what a waste of the possibility of good booze). Started watching transformers 2 while dinner was being served (food was really good, way better than delta) and by the end of the movie my eyes were closing. I think i may have dozed off for about an hour or so. By the time i came to we were about 4 hours out, and this is where we hit the turbulence. It was a bit rough (not as bad as the landing into tokyo) but you could see that we were flying through a thunderstorm with the lightning striking in the distance.
After it calmed down I started watching “Bucket List” and before you knew it the breakfast (snack) service was coming out. Pretty soon we were skirting down the Queensland coast and starting descent into brisbane. The flight attendants kept saying we would get turbulence coming in but it was very light. Pretty soon we were flying over brisbane and I was able to watch the landmarks go past on the Nose Camera. Touching down had never felt so good, to be home in my own town (even if only for 2 days).
We landed on 01 which meant a nice long taxi to the International Terminal and the gate. By the time we pulled up to the gate, people looked antsy to get off. We pulled up to a gate right next to duty free and right in front of immigration. Managed to pick up my duty free without to much hassle since I managed to lose the collection receipt (somehow). Used the express lane cards to get through Immigration quickly but when I collected my bag (which thankfully made it through Tokyo much to my doubt) and tried to use the express lane for Quarantine and Customs, they wouldn’t let me. O well i will keep the express cards for next time ;). Since i was declaring the Candle Nut Lei i was given in Hawaii I had to go through all the lines and then I find out because its Candle Nut it will cost me $30 to get it fumigated, so i told them to dump it, I couldn’t be bothered paying that for something worth $7 and for something that was given to me (the quarantine guys are probably wearing it right now).
Soon enough I was out through the doors and in the waiting arms of my loving parents who came to pick me up! Gotta love a warm welcome. It was good to be home!