In 2008 I went out to the World Cup with my 9 month-old daughter and my mum and dad. This time I've decided to give it a miss. I've thought about how I'd structure a review of my World Cup trip and I've decided that a list of highs and lows will be the most succinct way of doing it. When you've cast an eye over it, and noted the difference in length of the two lists you will perhaps understand why I'm off on a med cruise this year instead:
Rugby League World Cup 08 Lows In Chronological Order As Far As I Recall:
When I got to the airport I was told that three out of our four visas were invalid due to careless errors on the forms we'd filled in. Cue panic. Turns out this was quite easily sorted by our nice airline peeps.
Baby was extroadinarily restless on flight out there, leading to me having to stand in the aisle for 2 1/2 hours at one point singing 'Marching on Together' to her in lullaby stylee.
On only one of the 6 legs of our flights there and back was I sitting with my parents thus negating the point of them coming out to help me on the flight.
The seating arrangements also meant me having to breastfeed in VERY close proximity to total strangers.
Every time there was a bit of turbulence the air stewards asked me to take Evangeline out of the sky cot, so when I did get her settled I had to wake her up.
Evangeline vomited down me in Bangkok Airport, but the porter who was pushing my mum's wheelchair spoke no English and I couldn't stop him motoring through to the gate to stop him to clean up.
This is a corker! When we got to the gate at Bangkok for our follow on flight the BBC World Service News screen informed me that England had fallen to a record defeat to Australia 52-4.
Evangeline had a very upset stomach and her nappy, er, leaked while me were landing in Sydney. It was all up her back and I of course had to have her atttached to me by a seatbelt on my knee for 40 mins.
When we got to baggage reclaim in Syndey they had lost my brand new, bought especially for the trip, pushchair. They loaned me one til the found mine (it had gone on to Auckland) and we nicknamed it the sh*t mobile.
Jetlag is not good with a 9 month-old. So easy to let them sleep while you have your dinner but then they're awake til 4am.
Sydney harbour has these long beaked birds that don't take no for an answer. This caused a massive family fall out which looking back is quite hysterical.
In Newcastle we stayed in the same hotel as the Kiwis. The hotel was nice but Newcastle is not very touristy and it was hard to get a meal with a baby. Oh yes, and we lost again, this time to the Kiwis.
After the final whistle we walked up and down outside the stadium (me carrying baby, Dad pushing mum in wheelchair) to try and get a taxi. After 2 hours Jason had to come and rescue us in England car.
Up to this point the weather had been poor but when we got to the Gold Coast it got worse. Rain rain rain, wind wind wind, cloud. Awful.
After the weather got worse we went to Brisbane and it was like Armageddon. Brisbane had the worst storms they'd had in 38 years while we were there for 10 days. NEVER seen anything like it. Thunder like you've never seen. Rain you'd never want to see again. Lighting that looked computer generated. It was, and I am not jesting, declared a national disaster zone.
We were staying in a nice place a bit out of town in Brisbane. Parking in Brisbane was $15 aud for half an hour. So we had a hire care and couldn't afford to take it into town. Oh, and yes, we lost again in Brisbane and were out of the tournament.
While Jason was on the job we only saw him for an hour here and there every couple of days. I totally appreciate that this is how it should be when the boys are in camp, but it's still a long way to go for that.
Jason managed to get transferred onto out flight to come home. Yay, I thought. Help on the flight home. Jason was in business and there was one period of six hours during which he did not emerge from behind that velvet curtain! He said it was because the 'Fasten Seatbelt' sign was on and he thought he couldn't move. I had to ring him on the internal phone because his daughter needed a drink of water and we weren't getting any service. He brought me a bottle of his compimentary Evian then returned to his fully reclining throne saying, "I have to go back. They are about to serve the canapes." I kid you effing-well not.
Oh I forgot this bit and have had to come back.... When I got off the plane I realised I'd left my wallet in a loo in Brisbane Airport and my mum through up all the way home in the taxi.
The fact that everyone thought that we could win the World Cup, but it turned out we were bobbins.
I never went to one single 'barbie' while I was there.
The fact that Australian KFCs put gravy IN the mashed potato?!?!?
Rugby League World Cup 08 Highs In Chronological Order As Far As I Recall:
The promise and anticipation of the trip of a lifetime.
Darling Harbour Sydney, great shopping and atmosphere. What a place to say you've been. Bought a roxy bikini and bucket and spade set.
My husband surprising me and turning up at the hotel in the middle of the aforementioned 'big beaked bird family row'. I hadn't seen him for more than three weeks and had never understood people crying with happiness until the moment that I bumped into him at reception.
Sharing the Newcastle hotel with the Kiwi boys who are a pleasure, and the Kiwi TV commentary team. Had a great low key night with Stephen McIvor and Peter Ropati. Peter seemed lovely and they've since let him go. Shame. Stephen was a character. Oh, Andrew Johns was staying there too and we bumped into Mal Reilly at a pizzeria. (Name dropppppppeeeerrrr - Sorry!)
Seeing the England boys turn their backs on the Haka. Say what you like about the rights and wrongs of it; I was there.
Meeting Stevo, Eddie and Phil at Newcastle Airport. Stevo and Eddie were lovely and offered to help me with luggage and baby.
The wonder of Surfers Paradise. People say it's like Blackpool. I haven't seen many Gucci or Louis Vuitton outlets on the Golden Mile. If only I'd been there a few years before, childless and ready to catch some waves, I'd have been able to lap it up.
The amazing atmosphere at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, for the semi-final despite it being pretty empty and getting to meet Tony Smith's family from Aus and sit with them for the match. Tony has changed our lives for the better and this meant a lot to me.
People stopping me and telling me how cute my baby looked in her full England kit.
Australia Zoo. A wonderful, inspiring place. So sad.
Australian hotel buffet breakfasts.
