Getting to the point

It's time for another retro post from the Kodak era.  This time, it's Atlanta, Georgia, and the Florida Keys. I made my first and only visit to Atlanta in January 1996. On the same trip, I also visited Florida for the first time. This included time in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, before driving down the Florida Keys to Key West.

I was flown to Georgia by Scientific Atlanta, a leader in cable television technology that’s long since disappeared. The company flew me in business class for an intensive week of training and face-to-face meetings with its marketing team. At the time, Scientific Atlanta was bidding for a nationwide Optus Vision cable telephony contract. My company was handling its technology public relations activities and I was the account’s lead consultant. 

Scientific Atlanta was based in Lawrenceville, a northern suburb of Atlanta. As a result, it booked me into a local hotel, located more than 50km from Downtown Atlanta. However, without transport, I didn’t get to spend time in the city proper, aside from an expensive evening at an inner-city nightclub. To get to the club, I hired a town car and driver for the evening which cost more than USD75. It was a lot of money for a 30-year-old back then and there weren’t any rental car outlets in the immediate area.

My trip got off to a rocky start. A week before I flew out, my company laptop was stolen. Opportunistic thieves had noticed a window ajar in my first-floor apartment. They'd climbed onto a nearby roof and broken in. This resulted in an 11th-hour scramble between Christmas and New Year's Eve to secure a replacement device before my flight departed on 3 January. 

Years later, out of the blue, I received a call from Five Dock Police Station. They’d caught someone trying to pawn the stolen Digital HiNote at a secondhand shop. I attended an interview with a police officer who agreed that, thanks to the passage of time, the laptop was worthless. Its technology had long since been superseded. It's good to know the police maintain a stolen goods register long after the initial crime was committed.

Once my week of training and meetings was done, I flew to Orlando. Gary, an American friend from Fort Lauderdale, collected me from the airport. We spent three days exploring Disney World, the Epcot Centre and Florida’s Space Coast. At the time, the Space Shuttle Endeavour was on the launch pad undergoing final preparations for launch. A few days later, while in Fort Lauderdale, we saw it power into orbit on television.

Gary offered to extend our time in Orlando to watch the launch in person. However, I decided to forgo the opportunity as I didn’t want to pass up a planned visit to the Florida Keys. I quietly regretted the decision for years until I finally witnessed a live shuttle launch a decade later.

Seeing the best of American space technology up close and personal was a dream come true. Visiting the Kennedy Space Centre had always been a childhood obsession. I recall watching a live broadcast of the first Space Shuttle launch in 1981. Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed as the countdown approached the five-minute mark. Television New Zealand didn't broadcast its successful launch a few days later.

In the years since I’ve been lucky enough to return to Kennedy on two other occasions. For this inaugural visit, Gary and I booked a bus tour that drove past the launch pad and stopped briefly outside the towering Vehicle Assembly Building. Beyond Kennedy, I loved riding Space Mountain at Disney World. Sadly, the Epcot Centre proved a real letdown. I doubt I'll ever return.

Gary and I drove from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale to spend time with his friends. I don’t recall much beyond a string of nights out on the town. Although we enjoyed an afternoon visiting the fabled Miami Beach, We stopped for a late lunch at Compass Café. At the time, it was located on the ground floor of the Waldorf Towers Hotel, a beautifully restored Art Deco building on the Miami Beach beachfront.

A few days later Gary drove four of us down the Florida Keys for three fun-filled, alcohol-fueled, nights in Key West. Driving over the Seven Mile Bridge was a real highlight. I'd seen images of this extraordinary structure in an old National Geographic magazine. As the name suggests, it spans an extended stretch of open water linking Boot and Big Pine Keys. There's something undeniably surreal about driving for miles over the open sea.

Like all good tourists, I had my photo taken with Key West’s iconic monument marking the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S.A. It's the image that opens this post. The colourful concrete buoy, erected in 1983, immortalises the city’s geographic claim to fame. As the sign says, it’s a mere 90 miles to Cuba from here. In hindsight, it was probably the only real touristy thing we did in Key West.

My strongest memory of my time in Key West was an outrageous drag performance I saw one evening at 801 Bourbon Bar. I later discovered that the show, starring RV Beaumont, was considered one of the USA’s most iconic drag shows. Beaumont’s portrayal of Bette Midler, and Mary Poppins, including an outrageously suggestive performance of "A Spoonful of Sugar”, was truly legendary!

My summer vacation in Florida finally ended after landing in Sydney on the early morning of 21 January. I hope to return to Miami and the Florida Keys someday.  While I’m there, thanks to a childhood spent watching Gentle Ben, I'd love to take an airboat ride through the Everglades.

"Atlantis, you are go for launch"

Space Shuttle Atlantis successfully lifted off at precisely 2:01 p.m. local time today. I should know. I was there! The shuttle's crew of seven astronauts are heading to the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting more than 560 kms above the earth. After 19 years of active duty, Hubble is in urgent need of maintenance. Four previous shuttles have visited the 13-ton observatory on servicing and repair missions. However this final mission is the most ambitious yet. Five spacewalks are planned in an effect to extend its life until at least 2014 before it's finally deorbited some time after 2020.

Several months of planning, a last minute flight change and an early pre-dawn start saw me spend just a few short minutes watching this fiery craft rise into the Florida sky. It all happens so quickly. In fact, I didn't realise until some time later I'd even caught the shuttle on camera as it cleared the launch tower (above). The noise is awesome. The rocket's glare is brighter than you can ever imagine. You're left in no doubt that this machine is burning fuel at a furious pace.


I almost didn't make it to Florida. The shuttle was originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday this week. In anticipation of this date, I took advantage of a business trip to New York and organised a day off. My original plan saw me flying into New York on Sunday evening, then flying down to Florida on Monday evening after a day in the office. However, NASA brought the launch forward by a day to secure an additional launch window this week.

This new date created a last-minute dilemma. My ticket from London to New York was fix-dated and couldn't be changed. Furthermore, the last flight on Sunday evening from New York to Orlando, Florida departed less than 80 minutes after I was scheduled to land. On previous occasions it’s taken at least this long to simply pass through customs and immigration in New York, let alone transfer to another terminal. A domestic transfer to Orlando clearly wasn't practical.

I was left with only one cost-effective option; cancel my Orlando flight on Monday and rebook on a later flight Sunday evening to Tampa, hire a car and drive for almost two hours through the night to Orlando. With luck I'd reach my hotel shortly before 3am. My tour bus was then scheduled to depart for the Kennedy Space Centre four hours later.

However, lady luck was smiling upon me. My flight into New York arrived early, the immigration queue was short and my bags appeared within minutes. I made a quick dash to the JetBlue airline terminal and was able to transfer back onto the last Orlando flight ten minutes before it closed. The flight itself was susequently delayed 20 minutes, all but guaranteeing that both myself and my luggage would make it to Florida. JetBlue must love me after handing over two sizeable rebooking fees.


Witnessing the launch made for a long day. My tour bus arrived shortly after 6.30am. It was one of four departing from the hotel. A crazy queue system in the hotel carpark then kept us waiting until 7.45pm. Waiting and queuing was quickly becoming the order of the day. Eventually everyone was seated and we were on our way to join more than 30,000 people watching today's launch from the Kennedy Space Centre. By 8.45am we were at the gates of the Centre and left to endure the day's second slow-moving queue through security. A third queue several hours later finally took us to a causeway located less than 10 kilometres from the shuttle itself.


The Centre had a giant outdoor screen erected in its Rocket Park. Here we watched and listened to Mission Control making final launch preparation. Sitting in the shadow of rockets from the early days of manned spaceflight simply added to the experience. I watched long enough to see the astronauts catch their transfer bus and witnessed the first of them board the shuttle. It was then time for me to board my own transfer bus. We joined dozens of buses driving in convey out to the NASA Causeway, located across a broad lagoon from Launch Pad 39A. Garry and I were briefly here last year as part of a regular Kennedy Space Centre tour.

Today we had an incredible view, midway along the causeway. I could clearly see the shuttle in the distance, gleaming white in the roasting Florida sun. Mission Control audio was broadcasting continually from a string of poles nearby as we waited for lift-off. The sky was hazy with humidity high and the temperature soon climbed above 30C.

After waiting two hours in the baking heat the crowd suddenly fell silent as the countdown reached its final minute. The shuttle really was going to launch. You know it's real when you see the final supporting arm retracts from the shuttle's giant external tank. The entire launch stack is now sitting free of any restraint. Shortly after the countdown ends.


The initial moment of liftoff is an oddly disappointing experience. At first all that can be seen is a small, silent white cloud of steam bellowing on the horizon. The shuttle swiftly vanishes from sight. After an agonising couple of seconds the white cloud transforms into white hot light as the shuttle slowly rises into view. Its glow is an awe inspiring sight. As the shuttle rises it quickly gathers speed. The first sound waves wash over you shortly afterwards.


The noise of launch is everything you’d imagine it to be. As the shuttle rises higher and higher the sound grows louder and lounder. Sonic booms split the air as it passes through Mach One. The crowd cheers and claps in response. The noise isn't a steady sound. Instead the shuttle's thundering roar is punctuated by a distinct "popping" sound. This crackling is the sound of its solid rocket boosters burning at a slightly uneven pace.


Within minutes the shuttle is nothing more than a tiny glowing dot in the sky. Moments later it vanished behind a heavy cloud and my launch experience was over. A bellowing pillar of cloud slowing disapating from the launch site is all that's left to remind the crowd that a launch really happened. It's almost an anti-climax after so many hours of queuing and waiting.

Within half an hour we were back on our bus and heading home. A chronic traffic jam then engulfs the entire area as thousands head for home. It took us more than three hours to reach my hotel, a mere 43 miles away - the day's final long and agonising wait.

I know the phrase is getting cliche but that's one more childhood dream finally realised. I guess I had an active imagination as kid. Tick that box. Hooray! Atlantis has left the planet.

PS: Did I mention David Milibrand, the UK's Foreign Secretary, was on my flight to New York? I dare not admit it took almost the entire seven hour journey to finally work out who he was. Don't you hate it when someone looks vaguely familiar and you can't think why?

So much to share...

I've finally completed a series of posts from our recent vacation. Fresh links are listed below. This post should make it easy to follow our adventures through the USA, New Zealand and Australia. My subsequent journey back to London via China is recounted in a series of regular posts for the month of August.

• Kennedy Space Centre - shuttle on the pad


• Orlando - Scooby Doo rides again


• New Orleans - after Katrina


• San Diego - the Midway, SeaWorld and the Zoo


• Auckland - bowling with my best friend


• Melbourne - a night with the boys


• Sydney - family, friends and fun


• Wollongong - buffet on the beach (you call this winter?)


• The Sydney Swans - winners on the night!

As you can see - there's lots to share! Needless to say, I've clocked up enough miles this month to renew my Qantas Platinium Flyer Status for another year.

OSLO UPDATE
You'll recall that I lost my camera in Norway and thus my photos from this weekend excursion in July. My parents have come to the rescue. Thanks to them I've been able to upload a few images of our visit. Follow this link.

Home of the Final Frontier

The space shuttle, Endeavour, was in the news this month following reports of damage to its thermal protection tiles. Ice falling from the external tank during a launch on August 8 gouged a small chunk from several tiles on its underbelly. After extensive investigation while in orbit, NASA decided not to attempt repairs before re-entry. On Wednesday this week, the orbiter landed safely without incident at Kennedy Space Centre. Its return came a day earlier than scheduled, due not to tile damage, but concerns that Hurricane Dean might disrupt Mission Control activities in Houston.

Eight days before launch Gary and I had been lucky enough to see Endeavour sitting on Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre. For both of us it was our second trip to the Centre. My first visit was in 1996. At the time Endeavour had also been on the pad making final preparations. It lifted off three days later in a spectacular night launch. Sadly, I was already committed to a vacation schedule in Southern Florida and missed seeing the launch for myself.


Ten years on the sight of a shuttle on the launch pad was still a stirring moment. Despite its bulk, the Pad 39A complex feels rather insignificant surrounded by the vast open expanse of wildlife sanctuary that makes up the bulk of the Kennedy Space Centre. I couldn’t help but marvel at the thought that this was the very spot from which people regularly departed Earth to live and work in space. For a moment the bravery of the astronauts felt very real.

Garry and I spent a full day exploring the Centre and its numerous sights. A personal highlight was the Apollo-Saturn V Center. This museum building houses a restored Saturn V rocket, once used to transport men to the moon. Portions of this rocket had once been scheduled to fly on Apollo 18 and 19, two missions subsequently cancelled by the Nixon Adminstration in September 1970.


The 110.6 metre long rocket is as spectacular as you’d expect it to be. I was thrilled to finally see it up close after missing the Saturn V on display at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston (this rocket museum was closed for refurbishment when we visited almost three years ago). Five enormous exhaust nozzles from the first stage greet you upon entering the main hall. A truly breath-taking sight. This was one powerful machine.

We also caught the shuttle bus across to the International Space Station where visitor can observe final preparations underway for various station modules. From an enclosed viewing gallery we could see the European Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo module. Columbus is scheduled to go into space in December, with Kibo following early next year. It was surreal to imagine that the equipment in front of us would soon be orbiting over our heads.


A new attraction at the centre is the Shuttle Launch Simulator. This ride convincingly reproduces the sensations of a shuttle launch including its sounds, shuddering vibrations and eventual weightlessness. The final moment when the orbiter’s payload doors are opened and weightlessness is felt was surprisingly realistic. In a clever feat of engineering the entire simulator imperceptively shifted our position from near vertical, where we’d lain on our backs, to a position past horizontal that had us dangling forward in our harness.

As we exited the simulator we discovered that the heavens had opened up. An impressive tropical downpour ensued for almost an hour, flooding the Centre's carpark. This proved to be a daily event the entire time we were in Florida. However, each afternoon’s downpour soon gave way to clear, almost cloud-free skies for the remainder of the day.

Orlando transit stop

As I type Garry and I are sitting in comfortable cane armchairs at Orlando airport. We're waiting to board our connecting flights to New Orleans. The weather is less than sunny this evening. About 2:00pm a tremendous thunderstorm came through the area dumping the most amazing volume of rain. The weather never let up again.

At the time we were strapped into a wild water ride at Universal Studios theme park. There was little we could do except sit back and get completely soaked - both by the ride and the torrential downpour overhead. Needless to say, we finish the ride as wet as its possible to get without swimming. I'm now trying to dry out my mobile phone in the hope that it will still work. Fortunately my digital camera seems to have survived OK.

Our time in Orlando has been terrific. We've had a total muck around period, playing mini-golf, doing theme park rides, movies and shopping until our arms failed under the weight of yet another bag. We've also seen the Space Shuttle on the pad and ready to go. More from the Deep South shortly!

It's fake, it's fun, it's Florida

Orlando lacks absolutely any authenticity, yet wears it like a badge of honour. Its resorts and parks pedal a sanitized version of almost every conceivable environment. In a single day you can tour an artificial African savannah, Europe’s cultural icons and postcard perfect replicas of America’s most popular streetscapes.

In fact, the most authentic experience we encountered was Raglan Road, the local Irish pub at Downtown Disney. The pub's reception is situated in an original 19th Century building carefully dismantled in Irish and shipped to Florida. It’s even owned and managed by native Irishmen. Sadly, the rest of Downtown Disney lacks any defining character.


We based ourselves for fours days at the Buena Vista Palace hotel, located across the road from Disney. It had recently been renovated and was offering a cheap rate in an attempt to win back clientele. We were pleasantly surprised. Our room was well appointed and offered a stunning, uninterrupted view over the lake. You’d pay twice the rate we did for a room like this in any other city.

Aside from the usual distractions we spent several days raiding the local malls and designer outlets for bargains (of which there were plenty). Our suitcases left far heavier than they arrived. We even found time for a round of mini-golf. Here the ultimate water hazard consisted baby gators in a nearby pond.

We also caught the Circus Soreil production, La Nouba, on our second night in town. As always, the production was slick, and the acts were an amazing array of skill, balance and bravery. There’s nothing quite like watching a man stack chairs and tables into 20-metre tower, before climbing to its peak to perform an extended handstand.


We spend two delightful days at Universal Studios. I finally got to experience the Jaws adventure boat ride and fend off rampaging dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Scooby Doo drove by and Popeye stopped to offer us a photo opportunity. In the neighbouring Adventure Park, we encountered the delightful Dr Seuss Land and risked life and limb on the Dueling Dragon roller-coaster. However, the highlight of our day out was completely unintentional.


As we strapped ourselves into the wild rapids water ride, the heavens above opened up and soaked us with a truly tropical downpour. By the time our boat entered the ride itself we were already sopping wet. My cell phone destroyed itself and my wallet began converting old receipts into wads of paper mache. It was also our last day in town. An urgent change of clothes was required in the car park before heading off to the airport.

Yes, Orlando lacks character, but boy it was fun. Best of all, Garry loved his enormous roasted Turkey Leg. You can’t find them anywhere else quite as big!