62 days

So, Nathan left last night on the last flight out of here, to Jakarta with RBA to pick up the Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi.

He is on his way to start our new life, which means that the countdown for the rest of us has now officially started. If everything goes according to plan, we now have 62 days left in the Abode. That's nine weeks, and 81 more school runs...

I know it will go quickly, especially when I will be looking back at it from the other end - but right now, it feels really long; more so since we don't know if Nathan will be able to come back and see us somewhere in the middle or if this is it. For nine weeks.

But I can do this. We can do this. It'll all be worth it in the end.

BWN-HKG-BWN

Nathan's last flight with RBA was a Hong Kong, with F/O Julian and David, a new Captain, on the jump seat. Nice weather and good company made for a great last flight.

There he goes

There he goes - off on his last flight operating for Royal Brunei Airlines. End of an era.

BIA upgrade well on it's way

The Brunei International Airport started a major renovation project last year. A big expansion is planned, to become smoother, more efficient and enhance the overall experience of passengers. The capacity of the airport is planned to double from 1,5 million to three million passengers per year.

At the moment, not all areas are completed, but we can now start to see how it's all going to look, and it looks good!

You get a new experience arriving into Brunei these days, since the new arrival hall recently opened. It's big and roomy and looks really modern - quite a difference to how it used to be. This is the first thing you see coming out from immigration now:

Here's a short video from the Brunei Times about the airport expansion. The new arrival hall is only the first step, now we are waiting for the new check-in area to open as well.

The 787 Dreamliner

I've said it before, traveling from Brunei to Singapore is such an easy trip to make. I went over again this weekend, and this time I was lucky enough to get to fly on RBA's new Boeing 787 - the Dreamliner for the first time. It was launched here in Brunei on the 12th of October, and only did it's inaugural flight on the 18th.

We were spoiled with lots of space on Friday morning, there was only 6 of us up the front. I took the opportunity to take some photos. Nice and roomy:

My seat for the morning, by the window:

The windows are bigger, and they don't have blinds. Instead you push that little button under it, and you can gradually control the tint of the window from transparent to dark:

 

Unfortunately there was another couple sitting just across the aisle from me, so I felt a bit silly (especially on such a short flight) starting to play too much with all the buttons! I would've wanted to check how the seat reclined, and how flat the bed went etc. Instead I just put my feet up and enjoyed a movie.

Ha ha, not sure I can send the kids to the toilet by themselves anymore though, they'll take forever having far too much fun with all the buttons in there..! :D

It was nice that when you opened the door to go into the toilet, the light was blue, until you locked the door from the inside. Makes for less disruption for the passengers sitting right outside the toilet I guess, they don't have to get the bright light in their eyes.

It really was a nice flight. I'm looking forward to getting on the Dreamliner again when it's time for another Europe trip.

Nostalgia is a thing of the past

At the swimming hall the other day, I also bumped into someone I used to know a very long time ago. He is actually probably my first friend.
This was quite a coincidence, as he doesn't live around here anymore either, but was back at the moment visiting his parents.

Jesper and I used to live on the same street in town when we were kids. We used to play all the time and were best friends. We got up to all sorts of fun together! That was, until I started school a couple of years ahead of him, and then thought he was too small to play with... :/

It was nice to catch up, some 30+ years later, both with him and his parents. I went straight back home with a smile on my face and dug out the only photo I have of us together from back then.
Look how cute we were in our clogs, stripey socks and suspenders! :)

Historical Air Show

This weekend continued today in the theme of flying, with an air show at Axevalla Hed, just a few kilometers from where we are.
They were celebrating that this year it's been 100 years since the Swedish Air Force was founded, right here in Axvall. Axvall was also the base for the first Military Flight School in Sweden.




We started by watching an air display by the monoplane Bleriot XI, the oldest still functioning plane in the world. This plane is an original model, and it was one of the planes that flew across here 100 years ago!
















After that, we took a huge technical leap and got treated to another air display, but this time by two JAS 39 Gripen, the most modern of our Air Force aircraft.
























After the air displays, there were a lot of different old aircrafts represented on ground that we could go and have a closer look at. F.e a FPL Super Cub and a FPL 61 Bulldog.












Lots of people were there and the weather held up luckily, an exciting morning!

At Ålleberg

Yesterday we drove to a place not very far from here where we've never been before, neither us nor Mormor and Morfar - the Glidermuseum at Ålleberg.
Ålleberg is the soaringcenter of Sweden, and the museum's mission is to exhibit the development of the soaring hobby in Sweden and show different types of soaring aircraft used through the years.
A perfect activity for a rainy day!

Photo array from Milford Sound

Here are some photos from our little trip yesterday. This is the little Cessna we hired:


All aboard!


And we have lift-off, leaving Queenstown airfield and Lake Wakatipu behind. A perfect day, perfect weather - sunny and clear.











Family photo!


Most of the lakes up here get fed by the glaciers, which means that they have a silky smooth surface thanks to the silt, and their temperature stays between 10-12 degrees all year around. Lake Wakatipu is the longest lake in NZ, 100 km long.


Talking to the pilot is always fun!





Beautiful snowy mountains...








Then we reached the west coast, here we are looking towards the north:


This area is a World Heritage Area, a status earned by it's very special flora, landscape, fauna and geology. Here we are flying in over the 16k long Milford Sound - which despite it's name, actually is a fiord.



Approaching the airfield, to the right. To the left you can see the Bowen Falls Drop (160m).


Landed!


Beautiful weather even here! So lucky!
We opted out of the short shuttle bus servo wand enjoyed the 20 min walk around the bay to the Visitors Center instead.


Then it was time to board the boat for our cruise.


Bowen Falls (160m) and Lucas, the photographer.


Linnea, the photographer.





Copper Point, the narrowest and windiest point.


The not-so-happy family... Just being told off by the Captain for running around...





Fur seals!!

















Lucas found a friend.








Ready to go back again.


Bye Milford Sound.


Mitre Peak, one of the tallest mountains in the world to rise straight from the sea floor, to a height of 1692m. This is the symbol of Milford Sound.






Paradise Valley, used to house one of the biggest sets of the recordings of the 'Lord of the Rings'- movies.


Put her in a moving vehicle, and this happens...


And here we are approaching Queenstown again, from the south. Fantastic view! Can you see Bob's Peak to the left, where the gondola goes to?


What a fabulous day!
One we will always remember, for sure! Such a special memory.