The time is almost upon us once again, that time that kids love and parents worry about the welfare of their wallets – The Rylstone-Kandos Show.
And as this is the 85th annual exhibition – an impressive milestone – as an extra special treat everyones favorite radio personality will be on hand and broadcasting LIVE!
The Big DJ Trev Show
That’s right, along with many other KRR.fm presenters, Big DJ Trev will be broadcasting live and on site from the Rylstone Show throughout the day playing some awesome tunes! So between 10 and 11am, come on down to the broadcast building where you will get to meet Big DJ Trev, take a selfie, have a chat and even get an autograph signed – you lukcy ducks you!
So don’t forget to get your tickets for the Rylstone-Kandos Show on the 24th of Feburary 2024
A full 20 years ago my girlfriend (now wife) and I were backpacking Europe and living predominately in London. And like many young Aussie backpackers, we were grateful for the free TNT magazines you could pick up at tube stations (yes folks, these were the days before smartphones).
Issue #1058, Dec 2003
In TNT magazine they had a weekly forum competition; each week they would pose a question and encourage readers to write in with a 350 word answer. The two winning answers would be published and the winners would recieve a prize, usually tied in some fashion to either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa (those being the predominent populations of backpackers in London back then).
One week the prize was a crate full of packets of Tim Tam’s, a much beloved Aussie chocolate bikkie. When my girlfriend read what the prize was she pointed to the competition page and said very matter-of-factly ‘Win that for me’. I still remember her tone of voice when saying it – there was no ‘try and win it’ or ‘think you could win it?’. It was very factual, as though if I wrote in that the foregone conclusion would be those sought after chocolately delights would most certainly be hers – it was kinda touching she had that much faith in my writing ability so early in our relationship.
Well, I wrote in as instructed, answering the question “Are men becoming redundant?’ and yep, I won. So my girlfriend and a bunch of our Aussie female friends were in Tim Tam heavan for a week!
A fortnight ago, we were cleaning out our wardrobe and came across a box of keepsakes from our backpacking days. Opened it up and lo and behold – there was an copy of the TNT issue my answer was in!
So enjoy reading the work of Young Backpacker Trev, as he earns his girl some chokkies.
They changed ‘Them’ to ‘Fido’ – I nearly chucked a Russell Crowe – they messed with my art!
Transcript:
In a world of artificial insemination, single sex relationships and rather interestingly shaped marital aids, the prospect of men becoming redundant seems possible. But ask yourself – do you want this?
We men, proud hunters from the dawn of time, are not ready to be discounted just yet. Can a vibrator change a lightbulb? Not likely. Do all lesbians want to know how to change the oil in the lawn mower? Probably not. Can a test tube kill that big, hairy spider in the bath tub? Perhaps, but you’d have to be a really good shot, and I don’t facy cleaning up afterwards.
And what about the value of the father? Men are needed to teach their sons the skills that will get them through life – how to catch a football, how to shoot peas from your nose, how to impress a girl by burping all 26 letters of the alphabet. And, most importantly, fathers are needed to keep other males away from their daughters. We know what’s on their minds.
In short ladies, you need us. We unblock your drains, lift your heavy objects and check what the creepy nooise downstairs is. Women can do most everything a man can, but wouldn’t you rather have us do it? We may smell, shed hair and leave messes around the house, but so does a dog and everyone seems to like them.
Besides, we love you, and wouldn’t you rather hear that from us than from sperm in a cup?
Rise of the Beasts, the highly anticipated seventh live action Transformers movie, officially hit cinemas around the world on Friday the 9th of June, 2023 (June 22 in Australia).
A June 22 release for the rest of Australia, but a few of us lucky ducks didn’t have to wait that long
However, as befits a multi-million dollar movie of a beloved toy franchise, Paramount and Hasbro held a Special Preview Screening on Thursday the 8th, and for those notables lucky enough to receive an invitation, what an event it was!
If you are going to see a movie, do it in style!
Here in Sydney Australia, the event was held at the Hoyts Entertainment Quarter, and much excitement was in the air. One could attribute part of this excitement to the fact that due to international date lines, it was the 8th here in Australia before the majority of the world, making this one of the first ever showings of the movie!
Love getting invitied to these special events – thanks Hasbro and Paramount!
The attendee’s were made up of executives from both Hasbro and Paramount, professional movie reviewers and various celebrities such as actors, social media influencers and even cosplayers. Naturally everyone’s favouriteradio star and blogger Big Angry Trev was on hand, much to the excitement of the crowds! Photographers snapped pictures and a film crew was on hand to interview guests.
There were even some extra special guests in the form of some of the movie cast themselves – Bumblebee and Mirage decided to come along to grace their fans with their presence and pose for pics.
MirageBumblebee
Over the course of the year we have seen many Transformers events here in Sydney, such as the Beasts Base Camp at Taronga Park Zoo, and the More than Meets the Eye Exhibition at Kings Comics. What was wonderful to see with all these events, were not only the usual cream of society invited, but also notable members of the Australian Transformers Fandom.
Big Angry Trev & Miguel Maestre at the Beasts Base Camp
In attendance for this Special Preview Screening event were Transformer Exhibitors such as Lisamaree Chiu, Ben Keenan and Michael Vella and Transformer Superfans such as Trent Munn and Dallas Roderick. Yes, the royalty of the Aussie fandom were on hand to strut their stuff and I know all were appreciative of how Hasbro and Paramount have included the fandom in this years movie festivities.
Big Angry Trev and his trusty sidekick Orion posing for photo’s with Superfans Dallas & Trent
Free soft drinks and popcorn was on offer for all attendee’s as they entered the theatre, where individual recliner seats, soft and plush, were on offer to cradle every buttock. And for the very crème de la crème of the attendee’s, Hasbro reserved some very special seats dead centre of the theatre for the optimum viewing experience.
What’s better than attending an exclusive event? Getting VIP seating at the exclusive event!
These Special Preview Screenings were not only held in Sydney, but also Brisbane and Melbourne, making it not only a regional but national event!
The Brisbane event, photo courtesy of M.K Griffin of OzformersThe Melbourne event, courtesy of Jason Murray of TCCA
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts turned out to be a fantastic movie, earning a well deserved round of applause from an appreciative audience. I heartily recommend everyone get out themselves out there to watch this fun and entertaining flick.
Sadly, this event was likely the last event for the Transformers social season this year. Lets hope that the powers that be make the next highly anticipated instalment just as fun!
Were you one of the favoured few to get to attend one of these Special Preview Screening Events? Lets us know in the comments section below!
On Thursday the 8th of June, here in Australia, some of us lucky few were chosen to attend a Special Preview Screening of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Love getting invitied to these special events – thanks Hasbro and Paramount!
The lads Mikey and Clinton from the Toy Reel channel were invited along to do a pre-movie taping, discussing the potentials of the new film as well as interviewing some of the special guests attending. This included professional film reviewer David Quinn, as well as fans Wes and Kelvin.
And naturally, if they are interviewing people they weren’t going to miss out on that master of all things Transformers, the curator of the world famous Transformatorium, Big Angry Trev himself!
I’m here, and I’m fabulous!
So enjoy this discussion from the lads from Toy Reel and their 4 interviewee’s (if you want to be naughty and watch the bit with me first, its at the 8.20 mark 😉)
Don’t forget to check out all the other video’s on the Toy Reel YouTube channel, and give them a like and subscribe while you are there 😊
The Transformatorium, my personal collectors shed with over 5000 pieces of Transformers merchandise, was featured in the Mudgee Guardian Newspaper last month.
Something that was a bit of a laugh was when I went to pick up a copy of the newspaper, the guys in the newsagents recognised me from the front page and had me sign a bunch of copies.
Signing autographs: gotta keep the public happy
For those readers who are not local to our region, and therefore unlikely to have an online subscription to the newspaper or have picked up a physical copy, please find a roughly accurate transcript of the interview below, as originally written by Mudgee Guardian Editor Benjamin Palmer.
Inside a relatively nondescript shed 40 minutes from Mudgee lives one of the largest collections of Transformers figures and merchandise in the world.
The collection is owned by ‘Big Angry Trev’ who has spent nearly his entire life amassing a seriously impressive collection of more than 5000 pieces of Transformers paraphernalia from its inception in 1984 to present.
The Mudgee Guardian was invited to Trevor’s purpose-built shed that he has dubbed the ‘Transformatorium’ to view the collection and talk to Trevor about his passion for the shiny shapeshifters.
Trevor was seven years old when he received his first Transformers figurine, a generation one Decepticon named Dirge that transforms into a jet. Trevor, as he put it because his son was in the room, ‘lost his poop’, and the love for Transformers has not waned in the nearly 40 years since.
“It was just something new and interesting I hadn’t seen before, it wasn’t the usual superheroes flying around with their capes with their underpants on outside. It seemed to have everything,” he said.
“If you liked robots, there’s robots. If you liked cars, if you liked planes, it had all of that. If you liked dinosaurs it has giant robot dinosaurs – so it really captured my imagination from the beginning.”
Upon entering the Transformatorium it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of items housed inside the shed which sits adjacent to the family home.
You’re greeted with floor-to-ceiling views of Trevor’s collection which includes more than 4000 individual figures of all sizes and rarities from all generations as well as more than 1000 pieces of merchandise like t-shirts, DVDs, video games, cushions and even a floor mat.
Photo courtesy of Mudgee Guardian Website
Trevor spent his time during COVID lockdown fitting out the interior with enough shelving to display the collection, which continues to grow.
“This is one of the largest collections in the world. I hadn’t intended to reach this [point] – it was more I just really enjoyed it and it was a fun, harmless hobby and it seemed to interest other people.
“People would pass on their kid’s older toys or they’d pass on their old toys from when they were kids themselves…,” he said.
“I just kept collecting and they kept bringing out new versions of classic characters and great new characters, then they started making new cartoons and live-action movies and it just became a hobby that I thought was dead but now is suddenly alive and brimming once again.”
Trevor’s collection and his prolific online presence mean he is well-known among not only the Transformers community but has also attracted the attention of Hasbro and Paramount, the owners of the franchise and the publisher of the Transformers films respectively.
“There’s been a lot of promotional events around the release of the latest film,” Trevor said.
“I got invited to do the Beasts Base Camp at Taronga Zoo, after [the company] wanted some representatives of the fandom. Also theMore than Meets the Eye Exhibition. It’s been very gratifying to be invited to take part in these events.”
“It’s a bit of fun. My son Orion is a big Transformers fan too so he usually comes to these events with me.”
Photo courtesy of the Mudgee Guardian website
Trevor’s 10-year-old son Orion, who sported a Transformers shirt and pants himself on the day of the tour, said he is as much of a fan as his dad.
“They [Transformers] all look really cool and the cartoons are really good,” Orion said.
“My favourite is the Bumblebee movie, it’s really good. [And I like] Bumblebee, both old and new.”
According to the Guiness Book of World Records online, the largest collection of Transformers memorabilia consists of 5,150 items, and was achieved by AJ Ard in the USA on 5 September 2022. Trevor hinted that he might have a go at besting that record one day.
“It is getting crowded but we’re not out of room just yet,” he laughed.
Photo courtesy of the Mudgee Guardian Website
With visitors travelling to the from as far away as Sydney to view the collection, Trevor embraces all corners of the fandom and distilled his love for the franchise, while also lamenting the sometimes toxic online discourse around it.
“I do it for the love of it. It’s toy robots, it’s supposed to be fun,” he said.
“If you’re not having fun what’s the point?”
The Transformatorium is not open to the public, however anyone who wants to get in touch for a tour or would like to donate any Transformers items can get in touch via the Big Angry Trev’s Transformatorium page on Facebook or the Big Angry Trev website.
One comes to enjoy the perk’s of being a celebrity. Whether one is acknowledged for their skills as a radio personality, film star, internet blogger or Transformers expert, it is nice that society values you above the regular folk and treats you as such.
Earlier this year I took my family to Sydney to experience some live shows. My son and I were off to see Weird Al Yankovic, while my wife and daughter were off to see Hairspray. As Hairspray was showing at the Casino, our family decided to book a modest room at The Darling Hotel next door.
Of course, the inevitable happened. Despite having booked a normal room, once the staff saw Big Angry Trev walk through the doors, we were immediately given a free upgrade to the Penthouse (not bad since it cost over $3000 more a night than the room we had booked!).
So when one is treated so well, it is only fitting to give some words of thanks in return. So lets take a look at The Penthouse Suite at The Darling.
Now THIS is what a Hotel Room should look like
I loved the fact that our room had it’s own foyer you walked through before you reached the actual room. Upon entering one is treated to a gorgeous open-planned kitchen, dining and lounge area, with one wall made up exclusively of floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of Sydney Harbour.
The view by night
Exploring the area, one finds that not only is every room climate-controlled – but dual climate controlled, so that if one person wants their side of the room at 26 degrees, and the other at 28 then the room can accommodate. Handy for when you have more than one person sharing a bedroom. And the bedrooms – I swear they must have murdered a dozen flocks of geese to make the beds that soft, perfect to watch the multiple widescreen televisions from.
The bathrooms (yes, plural) that also were climate controlled, were fabulous. The showers had their own room – 2 showers with 3 heads apiece side by side. At the other end of the Penthouse was a private steam room, with a spa bath next door that could accommodate a small family.
When not enjoying the opulence of our Penthouse, we decided to take a dip in the rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi – just the thing to help us relax after a hard day of comfort and luxury.
Rooftop Swimming PoolRooftop Jacuzzi
The next morning, we decided to order a room service breakfast, easily accommodated given the 11am checkout time. You have to appreciate a hotel that gives you this many options for eggs.
Awaiting my breakfast
So when staying in Sydney, do yourself a favour darlings and stay at The Darling. Friendly staff, incredible food and accommodation worthy of even Big Angry Trev himself! 5 Stars darling, 5 Stars!
For the past 6 weeks the fabulous More than Meets the Eye Exhibition has been on show at Kings Comics in Sydney. This has consisted of original Transformers artworks by recognized modern artists, as well as toy displays by prominent Australian collectors, showcasing Transformers merchandise from the past 25 years.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the VIP Opening Night of the exhibition and while there, along with Eddie Zammit – the curator of the exhibition, and Toy Exhibitor Lisamree Chiu, I was interviewed by the lads from Each To Their Own in their That Figures! series of videos. Check out their video below:
You can find more video’s by these talented guys at @EachToTheirOwn – make sure to check them out! And speaking of checking things out, make sure you get down to Kings Comics to see the Exhibition by Radio Velvet before it finishes up at the end of April!
What a time to be a Transformers fan! With the Rise of the Beasts movie to hit cinemas in two months, it seems promotional events are happening left, right and centre!
Wednesday night saw the VIP Opening Night for the Transformers: More than Meets the Eye art exhibition at King’s Comics.
Promotional Blurb: Radio Velvet, Kings Comics and Hasbro, a global branded entertainment leader, are pleased to present Transformers: More than Meets the Eye – a world-exclusive exhibition, celebrating the incredible universe of Transformers, through the eyes of its fans and collectors, plus, six acclaimed artists.
Being everyones favorite exhibitionist, Big Angry Trev was invited along to the exclusive VIP opening night of the exhibition, and what an exhibition it was!
King’s Comics and Radio Velvet went all out in setting up a dedicated space for this exhibition. The floors, walls and even stairs were covered in Transformers art. Sniff… it felt like coming home.
The FloorThe Stairs
The Walls
Toy Exhibitors
Along the outer walls were display cabinets full of Transformer products, classic and new. Cabinets were set up by Hasbro, Lobos Collectables and even Kings Comics themselves.
In what was a wonderful nod to the part the fandom plays within the Transformers brand, several prominent Australian collectors were invited to display parts of their personal collections. Jason Murray’s display, along with his huge collection of Transformers pins, was enough to make the most hardcore fan drool. Lisamaree Chiu’s highly impressive collection of Optimus Prime’s from multiple Transformer continuities showed how the character has changed and evolved over the years. Kelvin Chan, as well as helping set up the comic display for Lobos Collectables, devoted much of his own display to the work of late Australian artist Andrew Sorohan. Kings Comics employee ScottSheens had a wide and varied display, including a wonderful cityscape made up of G1 figures.
Display by Jason MurrayDisplay by Lisamaree ChiuSo many Optimus!Display by Kelvin ChanDisplay by Scott Sheens
A couple of fans even got to present multiple cabinets. Michael Vella’s multitude of Bumblebee’s, many of them quite rare, were very eye catching. And there wasn’t a fan present that didn’t contemplate what it would be like to own his showing of sealed G2 Stunticons! Ben Keenan had an incredible display of different Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime toys, and a collection of boxed G1 figures that would bring a joyful tear to the eye of the most hardcore Geewunner.
Bumblebee’s by Michael VellaVarious by Michael VellaHot Rod display by Ben KeenanBoxed G1 display by Ben Keenan
All the fans putting on displays were in attendance at this VIP event. This meant that guests could ask questions about individual pieces and added that extra delight to the proceedings. And for the exhibitors, they got the thrill of rubbing shoulders with local Transformers royalty – lucky ducks!
Lisamaree & Big Angry TrevJason Murray and Big Angry Trev both point to their personal idolMichael Vella & Ben Keenan with expressions of joy and awe – both appropriate responses
Meet the Artists
Of course, it would hardly be an art exhibition without artists. Running down the centre of the room were huge bio’s of each artist, giving an insight both into their art and the artists themselves.
For young and young at heart
Something I have personally loved is that both the Roar & Snore Beasts Base Camp and the VIP Art Opening event were accessible not only by the invited adult fans, but children too. My son Orion adored being able to stay overnight at the zoo, and felt like a celebrity when the friendly Hasbro staff at the art show all recognised him from The Transformatorium video and helped ensure he had a wonderful time! Thank you to Doublejump Communications too for helping to coordinate such fantastic events!
Father, son & Optimus at Roar & SnoreFather, son & Optimus at Art Exhibition
The More than Meets the Eye Exhibition will be on display at Kings Comics from the 6th to the 30th of April. I highly recommend even the most causal Transformers fan take the opportunity to visit and become entranced by what is truly an enriching experience. Full credit to curator Eddie Zammit, he’s put on a heck of a show!
Have you been yet to see this awesome exhibition? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
With the imminent approach of the new Transformers movie, Rise of the Beasts, promotion and marketing is in full swing!
Yours truly was lucky enough to get invited to help represent the Fandom on the opening night of the Transformers Beasts Base CampRoar & Snore Experience at Taronga Park Zoo. Along with a couple of other fans as well as celebrities and media, courtesy of Hasbro we were treated to a truly amazing night!
First off, you knew you were in the right place when there are two big fellas ready to greet you!
Big Angry Trev & Optimus Prime – I smell a spin-off coming!
We were given a guided tour by the keepers around some of the animal enclosures. It was interesting to see just how more active many of the animals are at dusk, it was the most animated I’ve ever seen koalas in my life! The zoo is very cool after opening hours.
They weren’t asleep!
We were subsequently ushered into an auditorium where we were given a special glimpse at some Rise of the Beasts material. A non-disclosure agreement prevents me discussing what we saw, but fans will be very happy indeed!
Surprises on the way!
After our secret viewing we were treated to some displays of the upcoming Rise of the Beasts action figures, due to hit shelves here in Australia on April 10th.
Sometimes it pays to be a superfan
Next a jaumty stroll to Beasts Base Camp – so cool! Everywhere you looked there was jungle-themed Transformer touches on show.
Into the main communial area we were ushered. Plenty of food and drink on offer as we lounged about on Transformers-themed cushions. Time for Big Angry Trev to go to work and shmooze with the other Aussie celebrities.
Miguel MaestreJordan Raskopoulos
As dark approached were escorted to our tents. Each tent was numbered and had its own Transformers theme. My tent-mate (Griffin of Ozformers) and I were in Tent 6 – The Mirage Tent. And talk about the views!
Inside on our beds, we found the very pleasant surprise of gift bags, containing all manner of Transformers merchandise – thanks Hasbro!
Freebies!
After another short tour we were given dinner, a delightful array of different traditional African foods. Then a special after-dark walk around some of the habitats.
No, not a satanic camel. At night the red light bothers the animals a lot less than white light
Next morning its more tours from the incredibly friendly keepers and then breakfast, followed by some up close and personal interactions with some of the animals. I must admit I absolutely ADORE giraffes, so getting to hand feed one was definitely a personal highlight and I was almost in tears, feeling so moved by the experience.
The event finished just as the zoo was opening up for the day, and what a fantastic fun experience it was overall! I’d like to thank Hasbro Australia once again for the opportunity, I can’t wait to bring my son to meet Prime & Primal! Don’t forget that the toys hit shelves on April 10th, and the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie will hit theatres on June 8th.
“Don’t mess with us – especially the little bloke below me, he’s angry!”
This is the tale of how a bad airline can really f*ck up a good holiday.
This is the 100% true and factual recount of how it took us 8 hours to get from home to our destination, yet FIFTY FOUR AND A HALF HOURS to get home. All with two small children in tow.
We were travelling from rural New South Wales to have a holiday with relatives in northern Queensland. This meant a 3 hour drive to the airport, catching a flight from Newcastle to Cairns, then being picked up by our relatives and driven the rest of the way.
Getting There
We were booked with Jetstar(never again!) for both there and back and booked well in advance. Firstly we had booked a flight that left at noon, then only a week out they cancelled the flight and rebooked us on one over 3 hours later. A pain but we could handle it, it just meant missing out on part of our first day of holidays. We drove to the airport, leaving the requisite time to check in and reach our gate. When getting close to the airport I kept getting alerts on my phone about the Gate being changed, which happened about 3 times.
When we got into the terminal, we saw our flight had been delayed by a solid 90 minutes, which meant we had to entertain our kids in the terminal for an extra hour and a half. Funny how they never sent a phone alert about that. Because we ended up flying out 4 ½ hours later than we had booked for, it meant our relatives had to pick us up after dark and we totally missed out on our first day of holidays.
Kids truding to their first of MANY delayed JetStar flights
Getting Back
Jetstar guarantee’s on their website that all children will be seated with their parents/adult relatives. I checked our seats online the night before we were due to fly out and surprise surprise, they had sat our 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter in individual seats by themselves in different parts of the plane, well away both from each other and my wife and I. Two hours of trying to sort it out online resulted in a “get to the airport early and have the staff there sort it out” reply from Jetstar – thanks so much., how very efficient and customer friendly of you.
(picture courtesy of Imagur)
So we arrive at the airport a solid two hours before we would have had to be there otherwise, and spend a stupid amount of time with the staff until they can ensure our kids are sitting with us. We then have a LOT of time to kill at the terminal.
Half an hour before we were due to fly out, they announce that – once again – our flight has been delayed by 90 minutes! So now we have even more time to kill, and have two very understandably grumpy kids.
Finally, after being at the airport for about four hours, we board the plane and take off from Cairns to Newcastle. Getting to the end of the flight, and I mean right at the end -they had announced our descent 10 minutes previously and the seatbelt sign was on – the captain comes on:
“Please be aware that we have received a storm warning and all flights to Sydney and Newcastle are being diverted to Brisbane”
The groan in the plane was audible, and much muttering and bad language ensued from the passengers. We could SEE the airport from out of the window, there was nary a cloud in the sky! There might be a storm on the way but it certainly wasn’t there yet! We had been less than 3 minutes from landing!
So the plane turns around and we have another hour of flight to reach Brisbane.
Son: ‘Will this flight ever end Dad?’ Me: ‘I don’t know son, I just don’t know’
We get off the plane. I’ve commented on how I’m more ‘Middle-aged Tired Trev’ than ‘Big Angry Trev’ these days, well, not by then. Anyone official not being immediately helpful was not abused, but certainly spoken to sharply in loud irritated tones. I didn’t go full Karen, but by Primus I wanted to.
My family finds some seats, and I get in the line for the desk that is arranging transport to hotels the airline has booked. I was in this line for ONE AND THREE-QUARTER HOURS! I have never been in a line that long in my life! By the time I reached the front I was ropeable! Thankfully my wife came up and did the talking to the girl behind the desk as I was standing back and audibly swearing. The girl told me not to abuse her to which I replied in an aggravated tone “I wasn’t swearing at you or about you or even looking at you so how about you just get on with it”. To be fair she was just doing her job, but she had a JetStar pin on her blazer which made her the enemy at this point. I did however stop swearing and just simmered in relative silence behind my wife.
A full hour after this they finally bus us to a hotel. We had left our resort at 7.30am, and it was now 8.30pm. 11 hours of travel and we hadn’t even managed to get out of the State! Our kids are tired and hungry, we are tired and hungry. My wife gets the kids in the shower and finds some children’s programming on the TV while I walk the streets of Brisbane trying to find a takeaway shop open.
“What the hell am I doing in Brisbane?!”
By the time we went to bed we had eaten nothing but Airport Terminal food and some pizza slices and potato cakes for dinner. We get a message from the airport that our replacement flight will be leaving at 2PM TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
The next day they bus picks us at noon and thankfully this flight was only running 15 minutes late this time. However when we get back to Newcastle and collect our car, we find out that the road we would have used to go home is washed out from the overnight storm. So instead of a 3 hour drive home, we drive 4 ½ hours to my mothers-in-law’s in Bathrust. We reach there exhausted at about 9.30pm that night. We are now 38 hours into our trip home and yet still hours away from our house.
We wake up the next morning, repack the car and prepare to head off. Only one problem, one MAJOR problem. The Bathurst 1000, one of the biggest car races in the country, had been on over the weekend, and now they were finished every man and his dog was heading home, with most of them towing caravans. One of the bridges that served as an exit point to the town was underwater from the storm, so everyone is trying to get out of Bathurst using the same route. The whole town is gridlocked! We kept checking the traffic app every 15 minutes, but it is still noon by the time it lets up enough we can get in the car and start our final leg.
The drive from our mothers-in-law’s to our place takes maybe 20 minutes longer than usual as another bridge in our little home town is washed out from the storm two nights ago, so we had to take a detour to get to our farm. By the time we drive in the front gate we had been travelling for 54 ½ hours! We were exhausted and beaten and after unpacking the car collapsed as a family on our couch.
Since then we have vowed to never fly JetStar again unless absolutely necessary. We are realists, we realise that sometimes flight delays are inevitable and things happen out of the airlines control. But from some rudimentary online searching subsequent to this trip, I’ve found Jetstar is notorious for late flights, more so than most other airlines. On multiple websites they rate only a 1 Star average from thousands of customer reviews.
It was bad enough that we missed the first day of our holiday because they cancelled our booked flight, then delayed our rebooked flight by 90 minutes. But if they had just left when they were supposed to on the flight home, all our troubles could have been avoided. If they had even just landed when they were supposed to (I swear you could see the people on the ground we were so far into our final approach) instead of turning around despite the storm still not having arrived, all our troubles could have been avoided. But because they were running late, and because they couldn’t be bothered landing a plane which was moments from touchdown, by the time we reached our State the storms had actually arrived and washed out the highways we would normally take to our home.
As far as I’m concerned, Jetstar can fornicate themselves vigorously with a pointed stick. No wonder in 2017 an international survey ranked Jetstar as the worlds worst airline. In my opinion a truly inept company on every level. It would give me great joy to hear some irate baggage handler rammed some lost luggage up their CEO’s arse.
Have you had a bad experience with Jetstar? Pop it in the comments below!
