Day 40. Saturday February 22, 2025 Flight home.

You may or may not remember a war movie called “The Longest Day” starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery and a slew of other well known actors from the 50s and 60s.

That film was about D-Day in WW II. But Penny and I could have filmed a new movie called the longest and shortest trip.

We left the cruise ship in Brisbane, Australia on Saturday February 22 at 7:00 in the morning and we are now sitting in the Embassy Suites hotel in Los Angeles, California and it is Saturday, February 22 at 2:00 PM. So by some reckoning it has been 7 hours and 15 minutes. But in that time we took a taxi from the cruise port to the Brisbane airport where Penny and I sat in the Qantas lounge and ate breakfast and then played cards until we could board our plane to Sydney at 12:15 pm.

We arrived in Sydney at 2:45 PM (a flight that was only 1 1/2 hours). We did not have to get our bags as they were checked through to Los Angeles. We had a little wait in the lounge in Sydney before boarding our plane to LAX at 5:52 PM on Saturday, February 22. This is where the magic happened. We landed in LA at 12:09 PM on the same day Saturday, February 22. We traveled back in time????

But it really has to do with that international date line we crossed in the Pacific Ocean. When we did, we got to start the whole day over.

All of that aside. We are back home in the USA. Tomorrow we will be back to Liberty, Missouri.

My lovely wife Penny and I have been so very fortunate to travel to so many places during our nearly 52 years of marriage. Each place has been my favorite at the time.

This trip was no different. Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu are currently my favorite places to visit. The people I traveled with for much of the time Frank, Jeanette and Penny are some of the most amazing people and incredible traveling companions any one could ask for.

Penny got the short stick and got to travel with me for a week or so without the others. Gratefully several new acquaintances adopted Penny and made the remainder of the trip tolerable for her. It has been wonderfully amazing.

Our next trip will be a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. I do hope all the budget shenanigans of late will not close the park.

Australia and New Zealand trip signing off. Thanks for sharing this adventure with us.