Qantas Travel Writer Comp

I sent an entry in to the Qantas Travel Writer Competition, but my entry never appeared on the site (I think maybe because I sent it from within NZ). The competition was to write an original story of "250 words or less about the destination, dining experience, hotel or adventure that fuelled your passion for travel." Here is my entry:

Stonehenge Hangover
When visiting Stonehenge, having a hangover isn't recommended. Unfortunately, this was the predicament I found myself in as we sat in a hotel lobby at 5AM waiting for our tour bus. The short walk over hadn't cleared my head, the fog and drizzle matching my mood.

I slept fitfully as the bus rolled through the London suburbs, rain-streaked concrete eventually breaking into rolling countryside. As we approached Stonehenge the guide suggested we lean into the aisle and look out the front window. I eased myself over and dangled my head into the aisle just as we crested a rise.

And there it was. Stonehenge. Sitting in the middle of a field. From this distance, it seemed so small and out of place. It looked almost apologetic as it stood there, naked, nothing around it and the whole bus gawping at it. It seemed so ridiculous, I almost laughed! I was also struck with a sense of just how far we had travelled, all the way from Adelaide. Our holiday was now truly beginning.

The morning sun had burned away the clouds by the time we arrived at the entrance, and soon after, we were inside, amongst the stones. We ran around like children, touching the stones, feeling their warmth, ruffling their moss, all under the quizzical gaze of the resident blackbirds. We giggled and laughed, took a million photos, but nothing could capture the rush and exuberance of the moment. Too soon, we were gone. Amazingly, so was my hangover.