Traveler Makes Tremendous Sydney Mistake

Before you click the little button to book your flight, we might suggest meandering just a smidge past the city on the itinerary to guarantee you have the correct country.

Getting that little item wrong can really ruin the best of intentions.

CBC.ca reports 18-year-old Netherlands native Milan Schipper was a bit befuddled on a trip to Sydney recently.

The good news, for Schipper, is that his trip to this Australian metropolis did, indeed, mean a final landing in Sydney. The horrible news, however, is that it was the wrong one.

Oh, it would have been the correct one if the young man was headed for Nova Scotia and its biting winter.

But Schipper was looking for a respite from blustery weather and a chance to walk about warmth before he heads to college.

READ MORE: Tips for Visiting Sydney

This remarkable tale of confused destinations did get him on Canada’s “As It Happens” where he explained to Carol Off, “I thought I was going to Australia, but that turned out a little different.”

It all started thanks to the all powerful need of travelers to find a great deal. In this case, Schipper spotted a flight to Sydney that was $300 less than other tickets.

Without looking at other important details like, oh, the final country, the traveler decided to book the trip and never look back.

Well, he did run into a bit of confusion at his eventual stop in Toronto. Once at the airport, he noticed that some things were awry.

Like Sherlock Holmes knocking off context clues from a list, Schipper noticed that his connecting flight’s plane was egregiously small for an International voyage.

But things really hit him once he looked at the digital seatback map: “I saw the flight plan was going to go right, not left. It was about the time that I realized there was another Sydney.”

Things went as you would imagine from there: “I felt terrible. I think I [swore] in my head for like 10 minutes. But there was nothing I could do about it because I was already up in the air.”

Now when you pack for one Sydney and land in another, the fact that you have summer clothing means looking for the quickest lift home.

Schipper had to deal with what we have to believe was an embarrassing explanation to airport staff. Eventually, he was back in Toronto and on his way back home.

Once in Amsterdam, he relayed that his father picked him up. On that encounter, the now experienced world traveler had this to say: “He felt really sorry for me, but he thought only I could do such a thing. He also laughed an awful lot — just like everyone else.”

Schipper isn’t alone in his gaffe. CBC.ca lists at least four other occasions when travelers completely mixed up the Sydney they intended to enjoy.

It’s enough for the local tourism board to begin advertising lost travelers to cut their losses and stay for a week. It’s an idea anyway.

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