Napier to Sydney

Wednesday 18th April 2018, got to Napier airport at around 1100hrs for my standby flight to Auckland on Jetstar departing at 1210 and to my relief was issued a seat number straight away - always a good sign that the plane isn't going to be full. When you only pay $29 for the fare you don't get high priority over other passengers! With an arrival time into Auckland of 1315hrs and my standby connection to Sydney departing 1515hrs I needed to make a hasty transfer across to the International terminal but it seems the free terminal transfer bus had just departed so I waited another 20 minutes for the next one, getting to the Qantas check in desk about an hour before departure. It was still too early as passengers were still checking in for the flight and it was showing as full. So, told to come back at 1430hrs I waited along with others on standby wondering which of us would be lucky enough to make it on board. They called several standby passengers to the counter ahead of me and I could see my chances diminishing - then my name was called. Yay! I got on, which considering I had a hotel booked for my first two nights in Sydney was a relief (I may have lost my prepaid room cost otherwise). The standby passengers behind me were turned away as the flight was now full.
I landed in Sydney at 1700hrs and investigated options for getting to the Novotel at Brighton Beach, which isn't far from the airport but not on a train route. A transfer by car from the airport was $78 and a taxi would have been about $40 so I opted to use the Opal card I have and go by train from the airport to Hurstville and then by bus from there to Brighton Beach, if possible. As it was rush hour I guessed this would be quicker than a taxi as well as cheaper. so, the train to Wolli Creek was just pulling in as I reached the airport station platform and the transfer at Wolli Creek was equally as fast. By sheer chance it was likely the same train from Wolli Creek to Hurstville that my daughter Ruth was on heading home from her work in the city, but not knowing that I didn't see her. I should have texted her a few minutes earlier and I'd have known.
At Hurstville I found  that buses don't go close to Brighton Beach from there but do go to the Ramsgate RSL which isn't that far away, so I jumped on one to there knowing that they serve an excellent meal with daily specials - and Wednesday night is steak night ($14) for a large steak cooked to your liking with salad and chips - just my kind of meal! Like all RSLs they operate a courtesy bus to and from the club for members - but not necessarily for visitors, like me. However, if there's a spare seat after all the members are in they'll take non members (standby, again!!). Again, I was lucky, one spare seat in the bus and I sat up front next to another Keith, which amused us both. Nice chap and a friendly chat about Sydney and the woes of local government issues, including the mothballed desalination plant at Kurnell which cost millions and has never been used! As this is my first posting on this new blog spot I'll leave it here but will look at adding photos as well if I can - it may get more interesting as my travel advances toward Chile - I hope so. All for now, Keith.