In (roughly) one week, I’m going to get on a series of planes and time travel to Brisbane for GenreCon. (The schedule is at that link if you’re actually going to be there. And, in fact, if you’re going to be there, you should make sure you come say hi! Don’t be afraid! I do not bite unless I’m really drunk or unless I’ve contracted some kind of koala chlamydia.)
One of my plane flights is a 16-hour flight from Dallas to Brisbane.
Sixteen holy-shit hours.
I don’t know that I’ve ever done anything for 16 hours. Longest car trip was maybe 14? Jeez, I dunno. Point is, I’m going to be in an economy-sized seat (thankfully on an international flight, where the planes are bigger and with them, the seats) for a very long time.
And then, the inevitable jet lag.
Anyway, as I like to do, this seems a good time to crowdsource tips. Where I exploit you, my fabulous readership, by drilling a blog post into your brain and tapping your sweet, honey-like knowledge. The questions then, that I’d like to ask are:
a) Survival tips for a very long flight?
b) This very long flight seems like a good opportunity to digest great gulping mouthfuls of delectable pop culture medicine. As such, I am soliciting your opinions for interesting movies, TV shows, comic books, novels, and games to shove into my brain holes. In particular: noodling wolfing down entire seasons of television, as that seems to be an option.
c) How to deal with jet lag?
d) BRISBANE. My trip to Australia is 10 days, though due to the Time Travel Laws, I will actually only be Down Under for seven. As such, I’ve chosen to remain in and around the Brisbane area, so I’m narrowing down my “What To Do In Australia?” question to, “What To Do In Brisbane?” Essential sights, experiences, foods, what-not.
And there you have it.
Thank you, humans.
Screw you, robots.
That is all.
(Oh wait, that’s not all. While gone, by the way, terribleminds will remain in operation, its forges burning bright with the kindling of wonderful guest posts.)
Mona Karel (@MonaKarel) says:
I went to Australia in 2006, Finland in 2005. Both times crammed into that tube with far too many people but at least the Finland trip offered screens on each seat back so I could, as you say, immerse myself in pop culture (in this case a Clint Eastwood marathon. Up until then I’d only seen the spaghetti westerns and Rawhide) For Australia I was on Qantas along with most of the migrating population of the Western Hemisphere. I read, I walked the plane, I stood looking out the window. At that time they let us congregate in the aisles, not sure what you’ll have to do. I don’t jet lag, or haven’t so far possibly because I put myself into the new schedule as fast as possible, drink a lot of water and get into bed early.
Have fun, I love Australia, and all my Australian buddies. Some seriously talented writers in that part of the world
September 30, 2013 — 12:17 AM
Stefan Slater says:
Have a great trip! You’re probably already all caught up on Fables by Bill Willingham, but it’s a series I always recommend. Also, Firefly marathons capped off with a Serenity viewing are pretty amazing too (oh, and Hell on Wheels, too, if you like westerns). Have fun!
September 30, 2013 — 12:22 AM
zer_netmouse says:
The best piece of advice I ever got about flying was to take your shoes off during long flights. Taking a walk or two and stretching helps too. If you wait until the flight attendants pass you with the beverage carts you can go stretch in the Galley. Or do kung fu or something. 🙂
I have had business associates who frequently traveled to SE Asia who swore by the benefits of both melatonin and noise-canceling earphones.
I will leave it to others to tell you how to fill your brain. Except, if you have not yet read Alaya Dawn Johnson’s The Summer Prince, you’re missing out on one of the best books of the year.
September 30, 2013 — 12:22 AM
Ruth Dupre says:
Although I don’t fly to Australia, I do take the eight hour hop to France on a regular basis. I sure hope your seat is bigger than mine. I’m a fairly small 5/2″ and I find the econ seats crowded. Don’t expect to do much on your laptop, esp. if the person in front of you decides to lean back. I usually can’t even get to mine, and it’s at my feet.
OTOH, you’ll probably have a lovely choice of TV shows and movies to watch. Walk around if you can. Sleep as much as possible. Read a lot. Maybe you’ll get lucky and the person next to you will be fascinating.
September 30, 2013 — 12:29 AM
bethmatthewsbooks says:
If you haven’t read the Raksura books by Martha Wells they are quite good. First one is The Cloud Roads.
September 30, 2013 — 12:36 AM
Alan Baxter says:
I do the flight from Australia to Europe a fair bit. Here are my tips:
Get an aisle seat so you can get up a lot without disturbing people. Walk up and down as much as possible. Stretch a lot. Drink loads of water.
To avoid jet lag, the ONLY thing that works is staying up til bedtime on the first day. Even if you arrive at 6am local time, stay awake til at least 9 or 10pm the first day to lock in the local timezone.
As for what to do, don’t forget the whisky bar in Sydney if you get down there. The offer still stands. 🙂
September 30, 2013 — 1:04 AM
Lexxie Couper says:
Have flown the Brisbane to Dallas flight, and the Sydney to LA flight often (I’m an Aussie) and have it down to a fine art now.
Tips:
If you can get it, take the aisle exit row seat. Extra leg room so you can stretch out.
Take eye drops and saline nose spray. When your eyes and nose get dry (and they will on such a long haul flight) not only is it uncomfortable to breathe, it also exposes you to air-born germs and viruses. Keeping your nose moist (yeah, I know it sounds kinda gross) is the best way to avoid bugs and your nasel passage will thank you, trust me.
Take your shoes off and change into soft, warm socks a little after take off. Take slip-on shoes if you can for trips to the loo. (But remember to put them on, otherwise yucky wet soles of your socks. Eww)
If you can, take a pair of soft tracky-daks (aka, sweat pants) to change into before you try to have a sleep. The more comfortable you are the better chance you’ll have of getting some shut-eye.
Buy the best memory foam neck pillow you can. It may be a nuisance to carry through customs if you’re also carrying two carry-on bags, but trust me, it will make sleeping or even just dozing so much better.
If you don’t have a pair of comfortable, noise-reducing earphones get a pair. Makes on-flight movie/tv watching sooooooooo much more enjoyable. Also helps smother the sound of any snorers or unhappy babies/restless children that may be seated nearby.
No coffee at all on the flight and two cups after you wake (if you’re lucky enough to sleep). If you’re touching down in Brisbane in the morning, have another cup at the airport while you’re waiting for your luggage, or buy one to drink in the taxi going to your hotel (I can thoroughly recommend the Gloria Jeans coffee at the Brisbane airport. Try a flat white. Infinitely better than a latte or cappucino)
Hmmm…what else? Oh, change of undies mid-flight. It just feels nicer and fresher. A magazine/book/paper and pen for when you have to turn off electronic devices but still want to do something with your brain. Disposable toothbrushes are a must. I use at least three a flight.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your flight. And if you see a short crazy brunette in a TARDIS T-shirt waving at you in Brissie, it may be me 🙂
September 30, 2013 — 1:38 AM
John says:
Depending on the time of day, I’ve found flying West easier than flying East. YMMV.
As for what to do in Brisbane, unfortunately we’re not one of the great tourist hotspots of Australia, but here are some suggestions:
South Bank Parklands in the city is a nice place, with some restaurants and bars, views of the inner city and river, plus the Wheel of Brisbane. http://www.visitsouthbank.com.au/
You could climb the Story Bridge, too. http://storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au/
You shouldn’t have trouble finding a bar in the city, but Fortitude Valley (AKA “The Valley”) can get crowded and rougher late at night.
Further out, (like, way further out) Mt Coot-tha Lookout is where you can get a view of the sprawling city lights by night, plus there’s a restaurant at the top. http://www.brisbanelookout.com/
The only beaches are well outside the city, to the North or South. I like King’s Beach on the Sunshine Coast, but you’ll need a half day off, minimum, to get there and back. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Beach,_Queensland
September 30, 2013 — 1:50 AM
Eliza says:
Aussie here who’s done the long haul Europe and USA flights a bunch of times.
Alan is right – shoes off, walk as much as you can and drink HEAPS of water. Make sure you take a big bottle on the plane and fill it up after security (obviously) but before you get on the plane – it can be hard to get refills once on the plane, weirdly.
Stay up as late as you can when you get here – I find being away from my hotel and places that I could conceivably fall asleep helps a lot. Also, the sunlight will help you stay awake.
Yes to noise cancelling earphones – if you try to sleep on the flight, I would get a couple of free apps that make sleepy white noise for hours and hours. That can be a lifesaver if there are crying babies on your flight, or you happen to be seated near the toilets (thoroughfare central). Try to sleep on the flight, even if only for a few hours – you’ll be glad you did, later.
Depending who you fly with, they’ll probably have a pretty decent selection of movies and TV on the screen in front of you, which will be way easier to watch than stuff on your laptop just because of space. (I flew LA->Melbourne a couple of months ago and my flight had all the best picture Oscar winners for the last 30 odd years in its movie menu.)
And I will definitely come say hi at GenreCon! 😀 As for what to see, Southbank in Brisbane is lovely.
September 30, 2013 — 1:52 AM
Alan Baxter says:
Ooh, addendum! If you have an iPad or similar tablet device, planes now have a USB charger built into the seat, so you can keep that sucker juiced up through the whole flight. Load it up with movies, TV, games, etc. and you’ve got your own entertainment centre right in your bag. As Eliza said, they usually have a pretty solid selection of movies, but with a tablet you can have a whole season of Breaking Bad, or Sex Nuns of Alpaca Island, vol. 1 – 10, or whatever your preference is. Worth bearing in mind.
September 30, 2013 — 1:57 AM
CJ says:
Ex-pat in Japan, here. I’ve taken the flight from Houston to Japan 3 times now.
For the flight: Research online to see what kind of features (wifi,USB ports, entertainment consoles) that your airline and plane will have available to you. While many of the overseas flights now have USB ports and wifi, not all of them do. I just flew to and back from the States in August and my flight had neither. However, most international flights will have a really extensive collection of movies. In my experience, for TV shows, they often only have one or two episodes and that’s it. Bring all electronically entertaining devices with you, fully juiced up. I had my iPad, my laptop, my iPod and my Kindle. In addition, one paper back book and my writing note book and pen.
Take off your shoes (I always wear flip flops to the airport, just makes life so much easier) and walk around a lot. I try for every couple of hours. My trick is to drink a ton of water so I have to constantly get up to go to the bathroom.
Bring snacks, bring lip balm (it gets ridiculously dry), bring melatonin or some other sleep aid, bring noise cancelling head phones and take vitamin C, emergen-C or airborne before your flight and for the entire time you’re in Australia. Tons of people get sick on long international flights because of the recycled air in the cabin and the close proximity to others.
Jet Lag: I’ve kicked Jet Lag in its little snotty face every time it’s tried to pull me under. The key, like others have said, is to stay awake until it’s bed time. Get out and do stuff in Brisbane as SOON as you get there. Drop your bags at the hotel. Don’t even LOOK at that comfy sweet ass bed. Get the hell out of there and go do something. And if you land at bed time take melatonin, NyQuil, a sledgehammer to the head, anything to knock you out cold. The key is getting on that country’s schedule that very first day. If you are able to do that, you should be fine. You might notice yourself waking up slightly early or getting tired earlier, but not much more than that.
Have a blast hanging around upside down!
September 30, 2013 — 2:31 AM
Charlotte Grubbs (@literary_lottie) says:
Having made twelve trans-Atlantic flights and two trans-Pacific flights, my advice is thus:
1. Wear comfy clothing, and dress in layers. Make sure your pants have a good bit of stretch, and that the waist band isn’t so tight that it’s going to be cutting off circulation if you sit down for 12+ hours. Wear a hoodie or sweater onto the plane, and have a throw blanket or shawl in your carry-on baggage (do NOT trust the blankets on the airplane).
2. Wear shoes that you can easily put on and take off. You’re going to have to go through security multiple times, and you don’t want to have to unlace and re-lace your shoes at every security screening. Also, you feet can swell on a long flight, so you will probably be more comfortable if you take your shoes off for the duration. Bring slippers and/or a pair of extra-thick socks in your carry-on, because your feet WILL get cold.
3. If you think you might be able to sleep (I’m never able to), bring a neck pillow or roll. Eye masks and earplugs are also recommended. There will always be a jerkass who thinks the middle of the night when everyone is trying to sleep is a great time to play a videogame with the volume turned all the way up. They will usually be seated next to you.
4. Noise canceling headphones are your friend.
5. Bring a reusable water bottle and fill it up after passing through security and/or buy one at the airport. You dry out a LOT during a long flights due to the recirculated air, and they won’t give you nearly enough to drink during the flight. Make sure you stay hydrated – otherwise, you’re going to get a nasty headache.
6. Also for the dryness – moisturizer and chapstick. And, if you’re like me and have sinus problems, an over-the-counter saline nasal spray is a life saver.
7. Chew gum during takeoff/landing. It’ll help with the pressure in your ears.
8. As others have said, once you get there try to stay up as late as you can. If you get there in the early morning, you *might* be able to get away with a quickie 1-2 hour nap, but if you arrive after noon it’s better than you suck it up and go to bed at your usual time. (At least get through dinner.)
September 30, 2013 — 2:37 AM
Charlotte Grubbs (@literary_lottie) says:
As for culture – it’s all subjective, of course, but these are the sorts of things that make me smile and would captivate my attention for a sixteen hour flight:
Games – Do you like adventure games? There’s a lot of great ones for iOS. Ghost Trick, Home, Machinarium, Sword and Sworcery EP, Gemini Rue, Puzzle Agent and Year Walk all have terrific stories (and several of them fantastic art) that will occupy hours of your time. Non-adventure games I’d recommend are the space-strategy game Star Command, the platformer The Other Brothers, sidescrollers BADLAND and World of Goo, the Oregon Trail parody Organ Trail, and the indescribable but creepily-hilarious (or, hilariously creepy) Little Inferno.
Books – I feel like I couldn’t even begin to advise you on books. Just ones I’ve enjoyed recently: The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne, Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters, The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer, Sidekicked by John David Anderson, Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz, Doll Bones by Holly Black, Delia’s Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer, Brilliance by Marcus Sakey, and Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason. Also been hearing fantastic things about Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice. For non-fiction reads I can’t recommend Geoffrey Kabaservice’s Rule and Ruin, a history of the last fifty years of the Republican Party, enough.
TV Shows – Most things I watch you’ve probably heard of/watch (i.e. Sherlock, Supernatural, Mad Men, Justified, Parks and Recreation and The New Girl – all fantastic shows, all available on Netflix, and all rewarding to binge watch). Things that you maybe haven’t heard of/seen, which are also awesome and great to binge-watch: the original BBC production of House of Cards; Foyle’s War, a Masterpiece Mystery-produced series set on England’s south east coast during WWII (each episode is an hour-and-a-half long and more emotionally satisfying than 95% of movies); Top of the Lake, a contemporary murder-mystery mini series set in New Zealand with Elisabeth Moss; and Belfast-set crime thriller The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson – all of which are on Netflix. Not on Netflix (but available in the iTunes store) is the best show I’ve seen in years, Broadchurch, which is eight episodes long and which I watched all in one go. Fantastic writing and acting all around.
Comics – Not a huge non-webcomic reader, but I’m enjoying the new Astro City series, Batwoman, Saga, and Bravest Warriors a lot. (Also the My Little Pony comic, but I’m not sure if that’s really your jam.) If you’re willing to dip your toes into the webcomic realm and will have access to the internet on your flight, the archives of ongoing comics Skin Horse, Lackadaisy Cats, Bad Machinery, Max Overacts and The Meek are all very rewarding. Finished webcomics I’d recommend include Narbonic, Anders Loves Maria, and Darwin Carmichael Is Going To Hell.
And of course, I’m currently pushing Welcome to Night Vale on everybody, their brother, and their brother’s dog – but you’re ahead of the game, there.
September 30, 2013 — 4:04 AM
Daniel Nest says:
Just spent 5 weeks in Australia myself earlier this year.
Jet-lag: stay awake as long as you can, until it’s night-time on Brisbane clock. Then surrender to the sweet, sweet embrace of sleep. Don’t get too cosy with the sleep, though. Try to wake up at “normal” time.
Brisbane sights/to-dos:
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is well worth a visit, especially if you’re into koalas and sanctuaries. But there are more than just koalas there. You have “Birds of Prey” shows, “Sheep Dog” shows, etc. Good fun.
Definitely take a trip on the RiverCats – they’re the water “busses” that run between the two banks. You get to see a lot, cheaply, and while waving at people and pretending to be a royalty.
September 30, 2013 — 3:25 AM
Virginia Llorca says:
To avoid koala chlamydia, don’t have sexual intercourse with koalas.
Doxylamine succinate is an amazing OTC sleep aid sold generically or as a more costly name brand.
September 30, 2013 — 3:34 AM
Steve Hall says:
Surviving jet lag: I’ve done this each of the last 2 years, with tremendous success. First, I’m assuming you’ll arrive in Brisbane sometime in the morning. Get out of the airport as quickly as you can (duh!).
Check into your hotel if you can, or at least leave your bags there. Then, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE HOTEL. Go walk, sight-see, window-shop. Go for a run. Just DO STUFF.
Around 3 p.m., go back to the hotel, check in (if you haven’t already), and take a two- to three-hour nap. Set an alarm; have the desk call you; do whatever it takes to get up after NO MORE THAN three hours.
Have dinner–whatever you want, have a drink or two as well, if you like. Stay awake till 10 p.m. before you call it a night. Sleep as late as you can (and if you DO wake up at 4 a.m. or so, try to get back to sleep, but don’t worry about not enough sleep).
When you do get up, you’ll be refreshed, and you should be able to make it through the day with only a few yawns. DON’T NAP TODAY! (Chances are, you won’t even consider it.)
By the way, this works pretty well, regardless of how well or badly you sleep on the flight over.
September 30, 2013 — 4:17 AM
Steve Hall says:
Oh, I forgot this bit: If you’re flying Qantas, they’ll give you an eye-mask. USE IT. Or, buy one before you go. USE IT. Use it on the plane, and use it in the hotel for your first-day nap and at least the first night.
September 30, 2013 — 4:23 AM
Carol McKenzie says:
As the others have said, many times…walk around on the plane. Sitting in cramped quarters for long periods of time can lead to blood clots (it’s like 1 in 4500 people actually get them, but having had them…not from flying…they are painful and can lead to other, more serious complications).
Walking gets the blood moving and keeps that from happening.
And there would be nothing worse than you coming back from Australia with something more serious than koala clap.
Besides, when you’re up and about, you have the chance to terrorize small children or talk to interesting people.
September 30, 2013 — 4:55 AM
EmmaH says:
Jetlag – as others said, the trick is to get your body into the new time zone asap. I find prescription sleeping pills help eg. temazepam. Use them when you wake up in the middle of the night, your body erroneously thinking it’s time to get up like it is back home. That helps stop you going crazy from lack of sleep.
But you are going to feel like shit for a few days. There’s no escaping jetlag altogether.
September 30, 2013 — 5:14 AM
harris30 says:
Hiya! Best way I’ve found to deal with jetlag is to sleep at least five hours on a long-haul. Try taking an anti-histamine of the drowsy persuation. Coming back is harder than going out! Have a great time.
September 30, 2013 — 5:25 AM
georgie538 says:
DRINK WATER NOT ALCOHOL! Sorry, I know that’s boring but true. You’ll thank me. Unfortunately not in person as I am not attending this year…long story! Enjoy. I don’t know Brisbane well, I’m a Sydneysider.
September 30, 2013 — 6:01 AM
decayingorbits says:
If you want to see what sort of seat size/pitch (pitch is the distance between your seat and the one in front of you) your flight has, plus whether it has A/C power for laptops, etc., go here: http://www.seatguru.com
Unfortunately, I think you’ll find that except for a couple of airlines, coach is coach. I fly long-haul international flights fairly regularly. I always try to get a aisle seat so I can get up and stretch when I want to — which you should do fairly often. Long flights blow, period.
Brisbane is fabulous, but I was there many years ago, and for only a couple days on business. I didn’t do any sight-seeing. That said, check out their maritime museum — it’s supposed to be the bomb. My Uncle is a docent there — and he is a huge sci-fi fan. 😉
Have a great trip.
September 30, 2013 — 6:02 AM
Pat says:
Make sure you get a chance to put your feet up and/or wear compression socks. Don’t want a freak blood clot to take you out. You are valuable to the world, Dude! have a great trip!
September 30, 2013 — 7:49 AM
Whitney Peckman says:
If really don’t want jet lag in either direction, forget the trash in method. Go straight for the Melatonin starting NOW or about 4 days prior to flight, continuing the entire time you are gone, and extending through about a week coming home. You take it at the time you should be going to sleep, which means a little mathematical computation as you move toward Australia. I go to Malaysia once a year – another 4-8 hours more than Aus depending on whether I leave from the east or west coast, and the Melatonin has saved my life, and my sanity.
Google it.
September 30, 2013 — 7:50 AM
Natalie says:
We just spent time in Brisbane and around the Gold Coast and we loved it! Roma Street is good for walking around, spending an afternoon reading, picnics, etc. We ate at Kinglsey’s which had great views (sort of average food) so it might be worth checking out. Walking along the esplanade is fun, especially at lunch when everyone is sitting out in the sun. There are tons of things to look at around the city, as well. We really loved the beaches at the Gold Coast if you have time. We got Go Cards for the train which have a $10 deposit but save you a ton per trip. It’ll get you all over Brisbane as well as to/from the airport and to/from the Gold Coast. Then, you just cash out when you show up at the airport to leave and get your deposit back. Have fun!
September 30, 2013 — 8:06 AM
Robin Storey says:
HI Chuck
I’m an Aussie who’ll be attending GenreCon, so I’ll definitely come up and say Hi, though being a shy retiring writer and overawed by your fame and good looks, I’ll probably need a skinful first, so will probably end up throwing up all over you.
But apart from that slight diversion (and I’m sure that wouldn’t be the first time a fan has thrown up all over you), I’m an ex-Brisbaneite (that spelling looks wrong, but the ‘e’ is silent) who now lives on the Sunshine Coast, an hour north of Brisbane. If you get a chance to get out of town you should definitely visit, even if just to see why we ‘Sunshine Coasters’ are so insufferably smug about living here. (And don’t let any pneumatic-breasted facelifted-to-the-eyebrows jewellery-dripping Gold Coasters try and tell you that their coast is better! They’re just jealous).
September 30, 2013 — 8:11 AM
terribleminds says:
HAHAHA fame and good looks.
You’re funny. I like you already!
I have heard Sunshine Coast over Gold Coast repeatedly, now. Good tip!
September 30, 2013 — 8:24 AM
Lynne Connolly says:
Hi, Lex!
The trick on traveling cattle class is to be self-sufficient. Don’t assume, take what you need with you.
Take your tech. Laptops are sometimes too big to fit comfortably on the little table, so a tablet is handy. Take extra power. You can buy power packs, which have adapter plugs for most of your stuff, and they’ve saved my life on more than one occasion.
Take a passport hard drive loaded with music and movies and TV. If you’ve been planning a “The Wire” marathon, this is your big chance.
Good earphones. I take two pairs – over ear and in-ear, so I can switch them around.
Carry at least one change of clothes in your carry-on so you can arrive reasonably fresh. Wear comfy stuff. On a flight that long, there will be people who make a visit to the bathroom after take-off and reappear in their pyjamas. Don’t be shy. I have a pair of pants that have an elasticated waist and wide legs, and they’re that soft sweatshirt material.
Some means of freshening your breath. Mints, mouth spray, toothpaste. People are going to be sitting in close proximity to you, and you don’t want to be Mr. dragon breath. Plus, you can offer the mints around and the dog breath sitting next to you might like mints. Take it from me, it is so worth it.
Wipes don’t count in your liquid allowance, so take a pack. Great for freshening up.
Like Lex, who takes her drops and sprays, I take an empty spray bottle and fill it with water from the drinking fountain or a bottle once I’m past security. I use it to hydrate.
Take one of those little toiletry packs they sell for planes. Don’t wait until the airport, because they cost humungous amounts there. Toothbrush, with a tiny tube of toothpaste, deodorant (a stick deodorant doesn’t count as liquid), lip salve, moisturizer, a bit of soap and a washcloth. I take a small make-up kit, but you might not want to bother with that. Try not to use perfume, though. It’s drying and it can make people sneeze.
Don’t forget Douglas Adams – take a towel. It’s amazing how useful a small hand towel can be. Rolled up, it’s extra lumbar support or a neck pillow. Spread over your lap, it’s a napkin. And of course it’s a towel!
Once you get through security buy lots of bottles of water. I’d say one bottle for each four hours in the air. You will get water, but you need much more if you’re going to avoid dehydration, and that’s a big source of jetlag.
I wear horrible granny compression stockings in flight. Really ugly. I mean ugly and then some. But it means I don’t get swollen ankles and it helps prevent thrombosis, which is a really dangerous condition.
Jet lag affects you in very different ways, unexpected ways, and it can affect you for up to 3 days after your flight, so don’t plan anything really important for at least a day after you arrive. Jetlag isn’t about sleep patterns per se, it’s about light. It’s the way your body reacts to light, and there are ways of regulating that to shorten the period of jetlag. I use a program where you plug in where you’re going and the times, and it tells you when you should expose your body to light, and when you should darken your environment, so you catch up faster. It’s insidious, it affects mood and eating patterns and, well, everything.
Lastly, think of this – it’s an opportunity. You have a laptop and 16 Internet free, phone free hours when nobody can get at you. Freedom!
September 30, 2013 — 8:41 AM
22pamela says:
Advice, take it for what its worth here, cause this time it’s free.
A)IF there is ANYWAY possible…call your airlines and change coach to First Class. After 16 hrs on any airplane, you will not be sorry you did. The above peeps are right…Coach is Coach no matter what the airline. An aisle seat is ok…but a seat at the exit is better for leg room, but not shoulder room. You can ONLY get that in First (not Business) Class. Get up every 2 hours and walk to the bathroom…hang out with the other passengers or just annoy your seat mates by standing in the isle for 10 min and looking around. You’ll thank me later…First Class…make it happen.
B)Activities to prevent boredom…there aren’t enough. Take a wide variety with you, but just know you will most likely eat, sleep, stand and watch T.V. Be sure to take your own favorite ear pieces, as the airline’s version suck like robots.
C)Jet lag survival-Agree with the Melatonin…add some Magnesium to that little bedtime cocktail and drink plenty of water. Plenty = a whole lot more than you usually do.
D)No love here. But would like to visit some day.
Good Luck! Have fun! Don’t forget to Post!
September 30, 2013 — 8:47 AM
terribleminds says:
Hahaha, oh, if only. Business class — which is two steps up from where I’m at — has a bed and a lot of really lovely accoutrements. And it’s also like, five times the amount that the economy seat is (which is not on my dime anyway, thanks to the kindness of the con shipping me there).
It is really very expensive to upgrade the seat, unfortunately.
September 30, 2013 — 8:50 AM
Audykins (@audykins) says:
I’d recommend bringing a bottle of diphenhydramine (Benadril, Unisom, offbranded “Sleep Aid” and “Allergy Medicine” at CVS – all the same drug so just grab the one that is cheapest) – it will help you with allergies (different season, different plants, platypuses), adjusting your sleep schedule (and with just a week there it will still have a lot of punch at the minimum effective dose) and best of all motion sickness. Much more cost effective than Dramamine. I’m also a big believer in staying awake until local nighttime and I also try to sync my meals to the local day time. Hope you have loads of fun!
September 30, 2013 — 8:54 AM
Adam Christopher (@ghostfinder) says:
As someone who lived in New Zealand, and worked on medical conferences that required a boatload of long-haul international travel each year, I’ve got some advice for you! I’ve done Singapore to London several times, which is an *18-hour* flight, so I have experience.
Most importantly, eat as little as possible on the flight, and avoid all alcohol. A lot of jet lag is simply dehydration, so drink as much as you can, so long as it is non-alcoholic. And eat as little as possible. Airline food is awful anyway, but have a nice meal at the airport before you leave, and then if possible a snack at your transit point, but don’t eat on the plane.
Aside from that, just take what you like for entertainment – Kindle, iPad, phone, laptop, whatever. Laptops can be a real pain outside of business class, and you may not have a power socket available. Also paper books can be good, provided they aren’t doorstops, because there are a lot of those annoying periods where you can’t use electronics – if you end up in hold over an airport for an hour without anything non-electronic to entertain you, it can be a real drag.
I’m lucky in that I’ve done so many long-haul trips, my body has adjusted to the point where I can go to sleep almost immediately. That’s the best way of coping with a 16-hour flight!
I have taken sleeping pills on a long flight, and half the time they’ve been great, half the time they’ve done nothing. I’ve never tried melatonin – I’m suspicious of that, since the bioavailability of oral melatonin is practically nothing (that is, if you take melatonin as a tablet, pill, or capsule, your body will absorb virtually none of it).
September 30, 2013 — 9:08 AM
Maren Smith says:
Congratulations and I hope you have a wonderful time!
A.) Stand up. Even if you can’t walk around, stand up every couple hours and move your legs. Just sitting there during my flight from Chicago to England nearly killed me. I had to get up and walk to the back of the plane where there was room right outside the bathroom to simply stand there. Fortunately, there were three seats available in the very rear, so I was able to move my seat there and wouldn’t feel like I was disturbing anyone else.
B.) Big Bang Theory. You’ll be the guy everyone looks at oddly because he’s been laughing to himself for the last 16 hours for no discernible reason.
C.) Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
D.) Hit the visitors center when you get there and see what they have that most appeals. 🙂 Have fun!
September 30, 2013 — 9:08 AM
McVladie (@McVladie) says:
Here goes…old school travel will probably be frowned upon but I’ve traveled around the world and still kicking. Drink if you want to… doubles in fact. Dehydration is inevitable. Take a quality sleeping pill unless you’re on emergency exit but I don’t picture you as the woman and children first type. Announce don’t wake me unless we’re going to crash…second thought don’t wake me. Comfortable shoes and clothes a must. Breath mints not for you but for fellow passengers trust it helps. May the gods be with you!
September 30, 2013 — 9:15 AM
Paul DeLaurentis Jr says:
I used to travel when with the military and at least your flight will have actual seats! I used to travel heavily for work, too. Some of my points will be redundant to other advice offered…but here’s what I learned over the years.
For the Flight:
* Wear pajamas. No…I’m not kidding. Be as comfortable as possible.
* Bring layers. Planes get really cold…then hot…then cold again.
* Hydrate
* Bring earplugs. Don’t rely solely on headphones for peace and quiet. Get the earplugs that you can mold to fit your ear.
* Use high quality earphones that cover your ears. Earbuds suck major ass in a pressurized tube.
* Make sure your devices are charged to the fullest. Ask the airline if there will be power outlets available on your flight. Prepare to be without an electronic device if they don’t supply outlets.
* Bring slippers or sandals to change into.
* Load up on zinc before the flight…you’re going to be exposed to a lot of germs. Or take Airborne.
* Bring allergy medicine, ear/eye/nose drops, and congestion medication (if not in your allergy medication)
* Try to sleep as much as you can on the flight.
* Break the flight down into segments in your mind and try and pre-plan your activities. It’ll make the trip a lot easier if you have a battle plan.
* Get up and walk once every hour for at least 5 minutes and stretch.
* Make friends with your neighbors. You don’t have to have a bonding session…but at least get a little friendly so that it’s easier to get in and out of your seat. Also…they may have some awesome snacks to share.
For the Jetlag:
Good luck. I’ve never been able to completely avoid it, but the steps I read here helped when I went to the left coast a few months ago for 2 weeks.
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Jet-Lag
September 30, 2013 — 9:18 AM
Rachael Acks (@katsudonburi) says:
Sleep on the plane if you can. Stretch. Drink a lot of fluids since it’ll prevent blood clots and give you an excuse to get up and move around when you have to pee. I don’t take my shoes off, but I do almost completely unlace then so they’re more comfortable.
The jetlag will suck no matter what. Never had success with melatonin myself but if it works for you, more power to ya. All that’s ever worked for me is making sure I’m up and moving until it’s actually bed time where I’m at. Do that by any means necessary. Get up and walk if you have to. Don’t take naps. Just power through until bedtime and that’ll do you the most good.
September 30, 2013 — 9:22 AM
Dara the Writer says:
I know nothing of jet-lag and long distance travel.
I do however and a master of killing time in front of a television/something-that-plays-things-like-a-television.
If you’re bringing a laptop, some older and el-cheapo games would be fun, like Age of Empires and Roller Coaster Tycoon, even The Sims.
Epic movie fest; LOTR extended edition is just under 12 hours, get caught up on shows like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, and other such insanely addicting programs (if you’re not already).
Sleep/nap, assuming that won’t mess with the jet lag.
Have fun!
September 30, 2013 — 9:26 AM
Kat Black says:
Bigger planes mean bigger seats…ha, you’re so cute. Sandwich yourself in, pull on the free socks, drink the bar trolley dry, eat whatever they give you, roll bleary-eyed off the other end and party in true Aussie fashion. Jet lag? If you even notice it before you’ve made it home again, you’ll know you’re not doing it right.
September 30, 2013 — 9:37 AM
terribleminds says:
Hey, trust me — you compare the seat dimensions and knee room with those on a domestic carrier, it’s bigger on an international flight. Er, probably still soul-crushingly small, but bigger. 🙂
Just the same: I LIKE YOUR MOXIE.
September 30, 2013 — 10:28 AM
Tara says:
Homeopathic no jet lag from Whole Foods taken as directed actually helps with jet lag ( frequent India flyer here) also lots of Bottled water on arrival.
September 30, 2013 — 9:46 AM
Laura says:
I second this. Used it for a trip to Latvia (from US West Coast), and it really seemed to help.
September 30, 2013 — 11:30 AM
Maggie says:
Melatonin helps regulate sleep cycles. The boys are on it for their erratic nighttime schedules, but the packaging also promises assistance with jet lag and insomnia. It’s one of the body’s chemicals that create the circadian rhythm; you can pick it up in the supplements aisle, usually for 5-10 bucks a bottle. Easy-dissolve, peppermint flavour goes down well in the Carroll household.
September 30, 2013 — 10:02 AM
Justin says:
There’s a lot of good advice here. So I concur with a lot of what others have said.
For myself, I generally would wash down a couple of Dramamine with a large glass of wine right as soon as the drink cart comes around.
Definitely bring some sort of comfortable neck pillow! It doesn’t matter if you look silly wearing it. It’s so worth it.
Don’t forget to drink lots of water. No matter how much you’re drinking it’s rarely enough because it’s uber-dry in there.
Get up and walk around as often as you can. Even while you’re sitting down try to flex your feet and legs to keep the blood moving around down there.
And kick off your shoes when you can.
I bring lots of sanitizing wipes for hands and face. And liquid hand sanitizer. I’m generally dubious of the hygiene of everyone around me.
For the inevitably jet lag, I think the best advice has already been mentioned. No matter how difficult it is, stay awake until 9-10pm local time. Since you’re crossing the international date line and traveling so far, your body may be super confused. But try to force it onto the local schedule as much as you can as quickly as you can.
Do yourself a huge favor and eat light when you get there! Your digestive system will be off-kilter. So don’t eat anything super-rich or heavy right away. But when you do eat, try to time it to the local schedule to help get your internal clock synched.
Good luck!
September 30, 2013 — 10:07 AM
Doranna Benker Gilkey says:
Just wanted to recommend a series I stumbled across some time ago-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262150/ “Black Books”. You probably will be able to watch the whole thing.
From IMBD: “Bernard is an anti-social, heavy drinking chain-smoker who owns a small London bookshop – an unusual vocation, given that he detests customers and delights in physically and verbally abusing them at every opportunity. ”
I just love this show.
September 30, 2013 — 10:24 AM
Georgia says:
YES To Black Books! And if you like this, check out Absolute Power, with Stephen Fry as an amoral PR guru.
October 1, 2013 — 12:04 AM
Aly says:
Jet lag advice: drink lots and lots of water! Try to sleep on the plane (I love me some Dramamine). As soon as you land, convert immediately to Aussie time. If you land at 10 am, stay up as late as you can, then get up early the next day (like, 7 or 8 am) and do it all over. You’ll feel like crap on toast the first day, but the second will be much better. Do the same thing when you get home.
Also, whoever said don’t eat heavy foods: AGREE! The food and the water will all be much different that what your body has accustomed itself to.
As far as consuming entire seasons of shows goes, I recommend:
Battlestar Galactica
Dr. Who
Big Bang Theory
have fun!
September 30, 2013 — 10:27 AM
137 minutes says:
Consider yourself lucky. I used to fly to Chinain the ’90’s when they had the pull down screen in the front of the cabin for the inflight movie. Joy.
A few tips:
1. Get yor flu shot this week, just in case. Planes are like petri dishes.
2. Take your Airborne and Cold-eeze for same reason as above.
3. Netflix original Hemlock Grove series, Breaking Bad, if you haven’t gone there already. Anything on AMC to download. Haven’t seen any great movies lately.
4. Books : YA Fantasy, Daughter of Smoke a d Bone series (Lainit Taylor), 5th Wave. Any of the Gillian Flynn books (Sharp Objects, Dark Places).
5. For the love of God please don’t take your shoes off! I always thought that was a little too intimate, the person snoring and drooling next to you can’t be avoided,but their sweaty stranger toes can be. It always made me throw up a little bit in my mouth.
Wear something comfortable, a slip on perhaps (helps in security too). With good toe room. No laces.
If you must remove, be sure there is no wafting funk.
Safe flight.
September 30, 2013 — 10:32 AM
terribleminds says:
Netflix Original will only work if I can access Netflix reliably on the plane. 🙂
September 30, 2013 — 11:41 AM
Paul Baxter says:
Compile all these wonderful travel tips, then turn them on their head and write the Great Dystopian Jet Lag Novel. It’s a fresh new genre to exploit.
You’re welcome.
September 30, 2013 — 11:03 AM
James F. Brown says:
Jet lag is MUCH worse flying eastbound. Not nearly as bad westbound. Be prepared to crash really bad when you get back home.
September 30, 2013 — 11:38 AM
Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) says:
Have a very wonderful trip! Deliver my fond hellos. Feel free to namedrop.
Jet Lag: try a product called No Jet Lag. Take one called Air something that has vitamins in it, or many packets of Emergen-C. Wash hands frequently. If you could get COLD FX in the US I’d suggest that too, but anyway take some Oil of Oregano. The main thing is not the Jet Lag, it’s the avoidance of colds + flu.
There is a great product made in Oz called Serena Scent. It is all natural and will Realy help you go to sleep once you are there and battling sleeptimes.
Do not pick up any snakes. Any!
Very best, M
September 30, 2013 — 11:41 AM
terribleminds says:
“Feel free to namedrop.”
I think I need a laminated card or some such that just says, “Atwood Approved.” I will wear it around my neck, attached to a lanyard, and I will show it to everybody. I don’t know that the customs agents will appreciate it but by golly, I’ll try.
“Oil of Oregano…” — this is a new one for me. I’ll look it up, thanks!
“Do not pick up any snakes.” — Well, there goes my Wednesday “Handle All The Snakes Of Australia” tour. PLANS RUINED. I will now have to spend my time collecting random angry spiders, instead. Or maybe jellyfish!
Thanks!
— c.
September 30, 2013 — 11:45 AM
Imelda Evans says:
If you get that laminated card, be aware that I will steal it from you while you are here. Re the snakes, it’s fine to handle snakes that are handed to you by reputable wild-life wranglers. They will only be pythons, who do no harm if they are well fed beforehand. Picking them up in the wild though will probably qualify you for a Darwin award. The lady speaks the sooth.
September 30, 2013 — 8:39 PM
Leslie says:
I did an LA to Sydney flight a couple of years ago that was about the same length and no jet lag going there just returning. I think that is pretty typical. Just try to sleep for some of your flight and you should be good to go when you land, assuming night flight out of Texas and morning arrival in Brisbane.
Also don’t let Foster’s fool you,Australia has lots of great beer (I like Beez Neez myself). Drink up.
September 30, 2013 — 11:51 AM
Uriah Braden says:
No need re-hash what others have said, some great advice up there, but would like to add a word on Jet-lag. Some people seem to adjust very quickly, but most take about a day per time zone to adjust no matter what you do. Going in you need to just accept the fact that your body clock will most likely feel screwed up for nearly your entire trip and build your expectations around that. I re-iterate, you will almost certainly NOT feel ‘normal’ so just don’t expect to get to bed on local time the first day and then wake up the next day like it is no big deal. You can still have a great time, just expect to feel weird and have a plan for how to deal with it.
Ideally you would want to shift your sleep schedule forward a couple hours each day starting with normal, but since you only have seven days that would have you sleeping during the day there for most of the trip, so that won’t work. You will need to just trick your body as much as possible. Most people’s body clock wants a good night’s sleep and a mid day nap (although we most likely don’t take the nap). You will want to basically flip flop this and take your nap when you would normally be sleeping all night and get your long sleep in when your body would normally want to nap. This way you will still be sleeping at the times your body wants to sleep, you will simply be changing the length of time for each sleep session.
Planning for an hour or so nap may seem like a pain, but losing an hour for this will make every other hour way more enjoyable in terms of quality.
While sleep is the biggest deal your body will want to eat at normal times too. Keeping some snacks handy can bridge the gap until you get to a meal.
Bottom line is that since you don’t have time to adjust properly you will want to kind of keep your body’s normal clock, but just give it a very shitty version of what it expects at the ‘normal’ time in the form of naps and snacks as much as possible. Your body is used to shitty night’s sleep and missing meals.
September 30, 2013 — 11:56 AM
Em Faerman says:
Deadwood….if you haven’t seen it already. There are 3 seasons so it should keep you occupied on both the trip there and back….also try to sleep on the plane,DO NOT TAKE A NAP when you arrive and drink LOTS of water to avoid jet lag.
September 30, 2013 — 12:06 PM
Ahimsa says:
Pains me to say, but you kind of have to turn down the free booze if you want to minimize the jet lag. You’ll love Brisvegas though–a town the size of a city half hidden in a jungle. Get some sushi handrolls, take the city cat to the West End, drink some Bundaberg rum, and if you get a chance to head to the Sunshine Coast do it!
Also, for your sanity, don’t ever mentally covert prices! Australia is expensive, yo!
September 30, 2013 — 12:43 PM
Melissa Wright says:
I’ve done many a 16(+) plane trip. Here’s my advice:
– Bring layers. It can get F-ing COLD on these flights (more likely cold than hot)
– Do some of everything. You can’t watch TV all 16 hr or you’ll feel like gopher shite. I usually plan for a blend of work, reading, TV/movie watching, and sleep.
– For jetlag: figure out what time of day it will be in Australia when you arrive and plan your flight activities around that. Eg, if you arrive 9am in Oz, then aim for your sleep portion of the flight to be last (ie, watch a movie, do some work, read, THEN try and sleep) it will help your body clock recalibrate. If you arrive in the evening, reverse order.
– Drink lots of water. Alcohol is nice (and some is free on international flights) but water’s important cause the air’s so dry you really prune up by the end.
– Go for the odd leg-stretching walk
– When you get to your destination, don’t nap during the day – it will take you longer to sort the jetlag
Have fun!!!
September 30, 2013 — 12:58 PM
ClaireM says:
Ha! 16 hours! I do London to Brisbane fairly often and I would kill for 16 hours! I am a nervous (see also: terrified) flyer and can’t concentrate during long-hauls so I distract myself with as many of the worst movies showing as I can physically watch before falling asleep. New York Minute, anyone? Step Up 4? Yeah, that’s about my mental capacity. I also don’t get jet lag so I’m thinking I’m not going to be a big help with the flight part of your question.
Take your shoes off, walk around when the seatbelt sign is off and sleep as much as possible during the first half if you arrive in the afternoon and the last half if you arrive in the morning. Also, if you’re flying through the night, be sure to press your face to a window when they turn all the lights off because then you see a beautiful shitload of stars. Or sometimes big tropical storms, which is really quite cool.
When you get there, trains take you to the City/Valley fairly frequently. Don’t judge Brisbane on the view from the train, its a bit crap. Get a Go Card – they work on trains, buses, CityCats and ferries and you don’t need to know where you’re going or interact with the driver at all.
Speaking of CityCats, take a round trip on one, its a cheap way to tour the river and a nice way to kill a few hours if its not raining. Stand in the very front, its way more fun that way. I’m a local who used to catch them home every day and I still think that’s fun. The University of QLD is at one end and is really nice to walk around, Breakfast Creek Wharf is at the other end and apparently has amazing seafood, if you’re into that sort of thing.
New Farm Park has the Powerhouse in it, which usually has something cool going on and is a nice place to have a drink during the day.
The Valley and West End have tons of bars and live music. The City and Southbank also have bars. There are pretty much bars everywhere. And cafes.
Southbank is pretty nice to walk around in during either day or night and has markets on a Friday (unless that’s changed in the last few years). It has great views of the city, especially when said city is all lit up at night. Just don’t go in the water, its where the homeless people bathe. Southbank also has the museums, if you want to get all cultural.
The best SF bookshop in the world, Pulp Fiction, is in Central Station in the City. It smells like books and has creaky floors and staff that actually know things and I miss it terribly.
Outside of Brisbane there are a few zoos, namely Alma Park, Australia Zoo (which I’ve never been to on account of being scared by Bindi Irwin) and the Koala Sanctuary. You can obtain your obligatory awkward koala-holding tourist photo at any of these. If you like (and have time for) rollercoasters or waterslides, there are theme parks a-plenty on the Gold Coast. If you like the beach, don’t go there, go to the Sunshine Coast.
Enjoy the city of my birth and the long-ass flight to get there!
September 30, 2013 — 2:31 PM
terribleminds says:
Great information! Woo, thank you.
I have heard of this magical “Go Card.” I SHALL PROCURE ONE AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.
September 30, 2013 — 3:43 PM
Jessica says:
Music. Music. Music.
Did I mention music? It helps soothe when you need to sleep, it blocks out the sounds of humanity when you want to focus on reading/writing/whathaveyou. I can’t deal with even a short flight (Sacramento to Las Vegas, for example. Hour and a half. Nightmare.) without something in my ears.
Soft socks. Shoes that stretch with your feet. Your own pillow (the case can double as a carryall for small items you don’t want to repack mid-flight). At least two more books/projects (I’m an in-flight knitter) than you think you’ll need in case of boredom or forgetting something. Small snacks in case you get hungry between in-flight feedings. Many people have sung the wisdom of water, be sure to stock up on overpriced bottles post-security unless you like the flavor of airplane water (ew.)
Happy flying.
September 30, 2013 — 4:05 PM