But you're in Sydney...

Saturday evening

Volcano Cloud Refugee

Europe was waking up to a strong North Westerly wind and a news media enjoying every rolling minute of the descent into self-induced hysteria. Airports were still closed for a few hours but "could be closed for MONTHS" if a neighbouring volcano erupted. We were ensured of course that this eruption was imminent.

An interview with a BA pilot who once flew into a volcanic dust cloud off the coast of Indonesia and heroically rescued his plane from disaster when all four engines shut down was being replayed everywhere. The World and his wife became an instant expert on the impact of sillicas on the inner workings of a modern jet engine.

Airspace was being closed everywhere across Northern, Eastern and Central Europe. It was becoming clearer then that whatever was going on with BA it would be at least a week until I could get out of Sydney and maybe not even then.

At this point I had decided to 'walk' as it were, but I wasn't 100% certain when or where I could go. Or if I could go. QANTAS were coming in for a lot of stick for not getting people out of Sydney and at least part way to Europe. I remember a QANTAS spokesman cutting across a persistent interviewer and shouting "You just don't get it Scott... BANGKOK IS FULL! NOT THE AIRPORT; EVERY HOTEL; THE ENTIRE BLOODY CITY MATE. F-U-L-L. FULL!".

I also wasn't sure that my hostel on Hyde would have a spare room for a week, or if I could afford to stay there for a week. So I worked on a Plan B, which was to appeal through Facebook to everyone I knew to find out if they knew anyone in Sydney that could take in a Volcano Cloud refugee for a day or two! Believe it or not I had not heard of couchsurfing at this point in my life.

The first responses that came back as I announced my stranded status were (in my naievity) a total surprise. I think I had expected concern or worry. Instead I was met with an overwhelming response of 'you lucky bugger!'. Well of course I was, and what I could I complain about?! After all it looked as if I had been gifted an extra week's holiday Down Under.

But being stranded is not the same as being on holiday. These were the thoughts weighing on my mind.

The Aussie Dollar is at an all time high and twice the value compared to the last time I had visited.
A sandwich and a coffee was costing £14 compared to perhaps £7 in Pret in London.
A private single room in a hostel with shared facilities was £72 a night.
I did not know at this stage that BA was liable to fund £100 of living expenses every day because of course they weren't telling anyone! Even if I had known that, living in Sydney would have cost well over that amount. I calculated that I could easily spend close to a grand in a week. And of course the point of going on holiday is you spend your holiday money. It wasn't as if I had a big bundle to fall back on.

I also knew that BA and QANTAS alone were now stranding 3,000 people a day in Sydney.

I knew that the situation was worse than anyone was publicly letting on at this stage though the media was beginning to speculate wildly about it.

I had no idea how long it would take before flights started flying back, let alone when I would get onto one.

At this stage, I also had no idea if my insurers would pay me a penny. My colleague who was in Bangkok had spoken to her insurer. They had told her in no uncertain terms that they would not pay her a penny because the volcano was an 'Act of God'.

I had no idea whether or not I would be paid my salary. I knew colleagues who had had their pay docked for missing a day back after a holiday.

So yes, I was in Sydney. And I was facing unknown liabilities with unknown income across an unknowable timescale.

My biggest fear was that in a week's time I would be a grand down and still facing the prospect of no flight and another week in Sydney.

So as my phone started to buzz with text messages from the friends of friends of mine, who lived in Sydney offering a place to stay or a meet up for a coffee and a chat I really knew in my heart of hearts that I had to act and act fast.