First Overseas Trip

[coyote25]

Hi everyone,

I've been slowly over a very long time pulling together my entire trip history onto my Insights Blog. With help from family members I've managed to track down details and photos from my first ever trip.

This was as a 12 year old flying with his family to USA from Melbourne on QF17 seat 56B on 27 November 1986.



It would take another 12 years for my next trip in 1998 but after that it was only 1 more year to I really started travelling independently for the millennium. I've now travel overseas for a total of 614 days visiting 52 countries including Antarctica which I personally count.

I was wondering when AFF members took their first overseas trip, how many countries visited and if you know how many days on the road (thousands I'm guessing for some of you)?

 

[coyote25]

Oh the trip report can be found here (very short) -
http://nathanburgessinsights.com/2015/07/03/world-trip-1986-united-states-of-america-and-mexico/

 

[cove]

Do you still have that lovely boyish smile 29 years later?
Our first trip was around 1972 to Singapore.
Thanks for the photos.

 

[JessicaTam]

I think my first o/s trip was when I was about 15 to New Zealand with the family. Then at 17 I headed to (West) Germany as part of a youth exchange.

Once it gets in your blood ...

 

[kpc]

First OS trip in a plane was 1971...I do not have any recollection of the flight!

 

[coyote25]

I think my first o/s trip was when I was about 15 to New Zealand with the family. Then at 17 I headed to (West) Germany as part of a youth exchange.

Once it gets in your blood ...

Absolutely Jessica. Took a while for me.

Maybe we can have a challenge for the oldest boarding pass. I'm thinking someone must have a 70s one here

 

[coyote25]

First OS trip in a plane was 1971...I do not have any recollection of the flight!

Destination?

 

[coyote25]

Do you still have that lovely boyish smile 29 years later?
Our first trip was around 1972 to Singapore.
Thanks for the photos.

That smile was just before going to high school and knowing no one, ie before reality got me like paying bills and friendship cliques

But don't worry the smile came back when I learned reality ain't that important nor are idiots and life can be great fun and the world an amazing place

 

[kpc]

Destination?

Need to check wuth my mother but it was to London. ..maybe BOAC Kul- Bom- Lhr?

 

[RooFlyer]

First o/s trip was when I was 16, in the 1970s, to Canada to see family. HBA-MEL(or SYD)-HNL-YVR-YYF-YXC and return (the latter 2 are small airports in British Columbia) all by myself and no airline 'minder' . I do smile to myself when I see parents today freaking out when their 16-18yos are going away for the first time; texts and calls required at every stage etc etc (although the world is a busier and less safe place today).

It was on QF as far as Vancouver and I remember two things - we got served guava juice which I'd never had before and I was amazed at, and we landed at HNL in the middle of the night, de-planed and a lot of people, including me, we doing zombie laps of the small, shopless area where we were corralled.

 

[love_the_life]

I'm a late starter. Took the kids to Japan in 1994; DrLtL was in Yr7 and her brother Yr9. I was over 40. MrLtL travelled to the UK in the 60s but that was by ship.

 

[robd]

My first o/s trip was to Vanuatu back in 1984 at 19 years of age. It wasn't until 1998 that I took my next one, to the far off place of…...Auckland :shock:

I cleaned out a lot of "cough" a couple of years ago, and that included my carbon ticket from 1984.

** And I remember that the fare to Auckland was $99 return on United (I think).

 

[outbackowner]

My first o/s trip was a Fairstar cruise at 21 yo in 1976 and then to the U.S. on a Pan Am 747 SP in 1978 and then many trips since both in Aust and o/s on a lot of airlines and some which don't exist any more.
In those days I would walk down past the J seats and never dream that I would sit in them, how our lifestyles change.

 

[robd]

My first o/s trip was a Fairstar cruise at 21 yo in 1976 and then to the U.S. on a Pan Am 747 SP in 1978 and then many trips since both in Aust and o/s on a lot of airlines and some which don't exist any more.
In those days I would walk down past the J seats and never dream that I would sit in them, how our lifestyles change.

Ha, how many guys had their first o/s trip on the Fairstar?

The "schoolies" of the time.

 

[amaroo]

Excellent photos/thread.

1975, family holiday thru UK/Europe - aged 8. Started in Mackay and I clearly remember all of it. Sydney, Singapore, London, Nth Ireland, ferry across the channel, France, training it to Rome, Athens and Greek Islands - it was a great introduction to travel!

Next OS trip was 13 years later when I took my GF to Guam/Saipan .... that GF is now the wife and we've continued our love affair with travel.

Our kids have had a great run. The kids are aged 14 and 12 and are looking forward to their 10th year in a row for OS holidays .... some years we squeezed in more than 1 trip - lucky things. It took me 44 years to travel F ... bloody kids were 10 and 8 when they got to do London return in F followed a few years later with a lucky F SYD-LAX upgrade.

Edit: you can see my travels by hitting the flight map link ... it would be 99% accurate

 

[drron]

My first OS trip was in 1967,with a mate,age 21,staying at Youth Hostels,transport via thumb and with an ambition of drinking in every pub in a place starting with W.Unfortunately we landed in Wellington,NZ.:shock:
Second was in 1969.SYD-BNE-POM-LAE-RAB-BUA-HIR (all on TAA) -POM-BNE-SYD.Sounds like a mileage run but they hadn't been thought of then.
Then 1971 to NLK for our honeymoon.Came back with 70Kg excess baggage which we were not made to pay.

 

[LadyC]

What a great thread! My first overseas trip was when i was 3 back in 1978. My father was doing an overseas stint as part of his specialty training and we went to Edinburgh. The only thing i know is that the flight there went through India. I don't remember any of it at all.

I'm not sure of how much time all up i have travelled. I do have all my passports I think, so could probably work it out from there.

 

[Milboo]

My first flight was at about 8 weeks old on a NZ Airforce Hercules as we relocated from the North Island to the bottom of the South in NZ. Apparently I slept through it all!

My first overseas trip was in 1993/4 as a 15 year old. I went to Tahiti on exchange for 8 weeks over Xmas time. I remember our Air France plane was delayed arriving in Auckland so 100 teenagers got put up in a hotel overnight! And then right when we were due to leave there was a cyclone warning! Was an awesome experience and I got to visit a number of Islands, had a local Xmas (I still remember the massive box of NZ oysters, the French champagne and the spit roast pig) and a Tahitian church service for New Years wearing a white hat!

But it took me until 2003 to travel again - a trip to Sydney and I moved here 3 months later. I'd held off travelling, going to Uni etc rather than doing my big OE after high school - mainly cos back then the NZD vs the Pound was horrid - about 33 pence I think.

From 2010 the bug has hit big time!!

 

[romney]

My first overseas trip was to Bali for my honeymoon in 1995. Didn't even think about heading off again until hubby's company offered a move overseas in 2008 and we did a trip to look at houses, schools etc. The move fell through, but I well and truly caught the travel bug thanks to all the research into a different country and culture. It's been 1-2 overseas trips a year since!

 

[Deleted member]

I was too young to remember.
I left Honiara for Sydney, then to AKL ( Aboard the Orsova) some time mid 1958. Next trip ( another ship ) AKL-SYD. I was 16. Then my next trip was by Plane in about 1975 BNE-AKL