As promised in my Palaver last week, this Saturday I recount my second sojourn to Australia—or “Down Under”, to be more precise, Adelaide—which offered me another unique and very different experience.
Here I go. It was in the early 1990s, more than 30 years ago, when I was assigned by my then employer, the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), to travel to Adelaide, Australia, to attend a conference.
I was, as usual, thrilled—I happen to be a travel addict—as this was yet another opportunity to see new lands and gather worldly experiences.
To reduce travel costs, the AICC arranged a slightly tricky and complex flight schedule. I first had to travel by road from Arusha to Nairobi, where I caught a 5 a.m. Kenya Airways flight to Mauritius via Moroni in the Comoros and Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Sleepy and tired, I boarded the flight for a short hop to Moroni. We landed very early in the morning at the then small, wind-blown airport. Luckily, we did not stay long before continuing on to Antananarivo, where we spent about an hour at what was then a rugged and rather spartan airport.
The next leg took me to Port Louis, Mauritius—a journey of more than seven hours—during which I remained completely buckled up and sound asleep. The four-hour stopover at the more modern and cosmopolitan Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport was a welcome antidote to my almost comatose state.
From there I boarded an Air Mauritius flight for a night journey of more than 10 hours to Changi International Airport in Singapore. I confess I slept through nearly the entire flight, waking only for the dinner service, where I naturally had a stiff gin and tonic to revive me.
At Changi Airport I discovered what became one of the most welcome and refreshing layovers of my life. I had a 10-hour wait before my Singapore Airlines flight to Adelaide and in that time I came to appreciate Changi’s “Customer is King” philosophy.
Even in those years, Changi was futuristic and offered a novel and thrilling experience. Transiting passengers were ushered into a vast lounge with themed gardens: a cactus garden, a piazza garden, a sculptural garden and a water lily garden. Today, I am told, there are ten such themed gardens.
We were then welcomed into the magnificent lounge where snacks and refreshments, including alcoholic drinks, were freely provided. Those needing a nap or a shower—even spa facilities—were invited to use them. Hotel and pool facilities were also available.
I took a shower, followed by a nap, before joining a two-hour city tour of Singapore, courtesy of a tour service run by the airport authorities. Snacks and drinks were served throughout the excursion, which was capped with a sumptuous free dinner.
Before departing that evening, I asked the Airport Information Centre how Changi could afford such luxuries. “Our passengers spend a lot of money in our airport shops on souvenirs, drinks and other products—that is where we make our profit,” they explained.
As I boarded the Qantas flight to Adelaide, I could not help but recall our dilapidated Dar es Salaam International Airport of those days. Admittedly, we now have a relatively modern airport, but it would not hurt for our airport authorities to take a leaf out of Changi’s book. After all, Changi has been voted the best airport in the world for nine consecutive years.
Twelve hours later I landed at Adelaide Airport on a refreshingly sunny morning. I was picked up and driven to the Pullman Hotel in Adelaide’s CBD, six kilometres away. As I checked in, a young receptionist greeted me in fluent Swahili: “Shikamoo Mzee. Pole na safari.” I was astonished. She was Amina, a Tanzanian working in this city nicknamed “the 20-Minute City” for its grid-based layout and lack of congestion, which allows easy access to nearby beaches, hills and—of course—the famous Barossa Wine Valley.
Naturally, several delegates and I visited the valley, though I cannot clearly remember what exactly happened there after the extensive wine and cheese tasting. But then, what happens in Barossa Valley stays in Barossa Valley.
The author is a veteran journalist and communication expert/consultant. mpumilwa@gmail.com
