Now Voyager: The Seminar

Well the weekend seminar begins wonderfully with benign mild Sydney weather of twenty four degrees celsius - perfect. The Air New Zealand flight was also perfect with excellent staff attention and the three hour flight disappearing into the clouds as we sped into Sydney. The Kiwi element was certainly present as they have incorporated the Lord of the Rings into their MO, with the safety procedures all filmed with Hobbits playing the roles of the passengers securing their belts and even Peter Jackson playing himself in a role. It was funny and diverting and made you enjoy the safety procedure for the first time in history. Such is the Kiwi humour! Also two honorary staff members, young boys of eight or nine, were given fitted Air NZ staff jackets and given the role of distributing complimentary lollies to all the passengers, again a nice Kiwi touch.

We arrived fresh at five p.m. and I immediately went to the Optus counter to buy a prepaid Sim for the local calls, but no luck, I was told my phone would not work. Hey what's new? On my way out I decided to to try the Vodaphone company with whom I am in NZ, and they sold me a card, assuring me it is good, but it hasn't worked either. So message is, forget the technology, just enjoy the present.

A quick and efficient bus service with one change gets me to Brighton Le Sands by six o'clock for all of two dollars fifty. A quick check-in and the charming lady insists I accept a complimentary upgrade to the Bay-view Suite with gorgeous views over Botany Bay. Yes please, I say and retire to luxury and a warm shower. An hour later I descend to catch up with various friends who have also arrived the night before and we decide to have a nice meal on the 'strip', Bay Road, which has a multitude of cafes of all ethnicities. We choose Vietnamese, and I sit with good friend M, who took over from me in Tassie when I left five months ago. We catch up with all the news and I feel at one with the universe. Lots of hugs and smiles and a pretty little girl called Lily sits next to me wearing the sparkliest of pink sandals, so I take a photo and she is delighted.

Casual return to the Novotel to have an early night, but too excited and can't sleep, so turn on one of the two huge TV screens offered, after all it is a Suite! The programs are all awful and I realise I am missing nothing in Sydney. Sleep finally beckons and I have a dream-filled night and wake up to a quiet buzz from the phone, 'Mr.Murali has arrived from Singapore, can he come up?'

My good friend Murali soon appears at the door, a big smile and a bit sleep-deprived, having flown all night from Singapore. We chat for a while but I soon put him to bed for a two hour kip as today our Seminar starts today at eleven o'clock. An auspicious beginning to what I am sure will be a great experience.