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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to go to Australia for the weekend?!

920 replies

HufflepuffHarpy · 07/07/2019 07:16

My best friend (male if relevant) is getting married in the autumn. I'm in the UK (where we both grew up) he now lives in Australia.

I desperately want to go to the wedding.

It will cost £1000 for the flight plus accomodation etc over there which is in no way small money.

I have 4DC so would be asking my parents (very hands on babysitters, have had them for me and DH to go on holiday etc) to have the DC (all under 10) while DH is at work.

I would leave on a thursday AM flight and get back tuesday pm. SO literally fly in for the wedding, the day after and then back home.

Am I being totally crazy to consider this?! (Haven't actually asked DH yet!!)

OP posts:
Original poster
HufflepuffHarpy · 07/07/2019 07:54

tweenage i may take you up on that if i can get DH on board!!

burntout on the contrary, if i said i really need some time out they would absolutely let me have it. i am insanely lucky with my DH and my parents. parents had the DC for a week last year so DH and i could go away. they have them overnight at least once a months, do school pick ups just because they want to etc.

OP posts:
justilou1 · 07/07/2019 07:56

It depends where they are getting married. Is it somewhere you can fly straight into from the UK, or will you need to spend ages travelling to from your flight destination?

GnomeDePlume · 07/07/2019 07:56

I once had to give a 2 day presentation in Singapore. I arrived the night before the presentation started and left the evening the presentation finished. It was tiring but fine. I made no attempt to adjust to the time difference just powered through with a lot of black coffee.

Silvercatowner · 07/07/2019 07:56

I did a not dissimilar thing (to west coast USA) a couple of years ago. I had a brilliant time. I'm not convinced the jet lag was as severe as it was when I went for longer - my personal theory was that my body didn't have time to realise it was in a different time zone.

Mummadeeze · 07/07/2019 07:56

I would definitely go! I flew to Ibiza to go to see a DJ for one night and came back the next day. It felt decadent and fun and liberating. If you are on your own on the plane you can relax on both flights. Having 4 children I can imagine just watching movies and sleeping on the flights could be enjoyable in itself. If you can afford it, treat yourself!

BadLad · 07/07/2019 07:57

Economy to Australia and back for a weekend? For a wedding?

Grin You glorious mad bastard.

Go for it.

playftseforme · 07/07/2019 07:58

I’ve done Australia to London and back for only a couple of days of work. But I got to fly business...
I’d think the bigger issue is not would you have a fab time at the wedding, but how would you cope with 4dc when you get back, if your show is straight back to work.

nowahousewife · 07/07/2019 07:58

Jet lag is different for everyone and actually can be different for one person on the same route at different times so you don’t really know how you’ll feel. But you do know how you’ll feel if you go to you best friends wedding!
I’ve flown to NZ a couple of times for funerals and each time was only there for 2 or 3 days. Was dreading the jet lag, but actually found that as I was there such a short stay I didn’t adjust to the local time and suffered no ill effects either there or when I got back. I did arrive back in the UK early in the morning, napped for a few hours, got up for the day then went to bed at normal time.

justilou1 · 07/07/2019 07:59

I am Australian, can I ask where they are getting married? I can guesstimate the travel time from nearest international airport for you.

Saltystraw · 07/07/2019 07:59

East coast or west coast of Australia.. it took me a week to get over jet lag on my last trip back to Aus and couldn’t stay awake no matter how much I tried. I think flying business class would help

playftseforme · 07/07/2019 07:59

Sorry, dh not show

katewhinesalot · 07/07/2019 08:00

Your friend won't have time to send any quality time with you. If that doesn't matter them go for it, but I'd try to factor in at least one more day over there.

HicDraconis · 07/07/2019 08:01

@fraxion no, not kidding. You would usually have a burst of cortisol in the morning after waking which then declines during the day. You can mimic this with a low dose of prednisone (10mg or so) the morning after you arrive in Aus.

Likewise, you can repeat it on arrival in the UK (if you arrive in the morning, otherwise I’d take it the first morning the following day) - I would usually have 10mg the first morning, 5-7.5 the second and then stop when I do the same trip in reverse.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 07/07/2019 08:02

I honestly think if you're able to do it, you should. Memories of crackers adventures like this last a lifetime, you'll watch a beautiful wedding and tiredness is something you can recover from.

wheelywheelynice · 07/07/2019 08:02

Just be content with seeing the wedding photos/video

Original poster
HufflepuffHarpy · 07/07/2019 08:02

its gold coast area.

OP posts:
Bearsinmotion · 07/07/2019 08:03

I work with people who have to travel over there or Japan for one or two day meetings. They come back knackered but otherwise fine! For a one-off I don’t see the problem!

leckford · 07/07/2019 08:03

Have you ever flown to Australia, it is a very long flight and totally knocks you out

TwistyTop · 07/07/2019 08:03

I've flown between Australia and the UK loads of times and I really wouldn't recommend this. The jetlag is absolutely horrendous. It's like no other jetlag. You aren't just losing a few hours here and there, you are completely reversing your sleeping pattern. Day is night, night is day. It's not just being tired, your entire body is confused, you get hungry at the wrong times, you can manage an 8 hour sleep and still feel tired, you get sick and headachey, you get confused and hazy etc. When I visit the UK now I find at the end of my two week trip I am still not 100% over the jetlag phase, and then I fly back to Australia and start the process all over again.

Also, unless you are flying business or first the journey is absolutely horrible. It's two very long haul flights, plus you probably need to throw in an extra one to get to wherever your mate is in Australia. It's pretty brutal and you will probably be a dehydrated zombie by the end of it.

Maybe I'm just a pansy but I honestly wouldn't do this, and I say that as a person who has done this journey over twenty times, all different routes.

Original poster
HufflepuffHarpy · 07/07/2019 08:05

if relevant we have been friends since we were 10, he is godfather to one of my DC and when they visit i always get more time with him than anyone else outside his family. if it was even half the distance and cost i wouldn't be hesitating - as in if i could genuinely do it in a weekend like somewhere in europe or possible usa.

24 hours reading books actually is very tempting on its own!!!

OP posts:
MerdedeBrexit · 07/07/2019 08:05

I couldn't do it unless I was able to fly First, but I am a grumpy old woman with many aches and pains and much obesity.
Go for it! Your friend will be so pleased you made the effort, as will you! If you could possibly go a day or so earlier in case of jetlag, I would. Also, as you are making such a huge effort, might your friend not put you in touch with friends or family with a spare room with whom you could stay and pay for bed and board, but not as much as an hotel would be?

MrsOaf · 07/07/2019 08:05

I went to Brisbane for 3 nights from Uk! Similar situation, a special family event as my sister lives out there.

I actually found it ok & a big adventure Grin

Have been to Aus a few times but always for 3+ weeks. My sister has been to UK for 5 nights quite a few times and finds that no problem.

It’s not a holiday, it’s a trip to see family & as we can’t always be taking 3+ weeks off work sometimes a short trip is better than no trip.

I flew from Heathrow & changed planes in Singapore. Arrived morning Aus time & stayed up until bedtime. Had 3 nights there and left on morning of 4th day. Got taken to and picked up from Heathrow as it’s 3 hours drive for us....

No problem with jet lag, just a bit tired but no worse than a busy weekend away anywhere

TheKitchenWitch · 07/07/2019 08:05

Go. Yes you’ll be knackered but so what? Do it. Life is so fucking short, it’s good to sometimes do stuff like this. Have fun!

Original poster
HufflepuffHarpy · 07/07/2019 08:07

twisty i've traveled to NZ. I'm a pretty good traveller. will make sure i have plenty of water, flight socks etc.

OP posts:
ButtonMoonLoon · 07/07/2019 08:07

Do it!

My best friend got married twenty years ago, I’m godmother to her children one of whom is named after me. I was living a 14 hour flight away when she got married. Right up til the day before I was tempted to fly back but I didn’t, as it seems so whimsical a thing to do for just a few days- and I so wished I had.

Singapore Airlines is super. If you can get a flight with them it will make it all so much more comfortable. Or Emirates a closeish second.