People-watching at airports is so much fun. You can feel the excitement in some, stress in others. There are tears from people missing their families, and kids filled with adrenaline and over-priced airport snacks.

Our flights to Frankfurt were changed when Emirates and Qantas made a code-share hand-shake earlier this year. Instead of flying via Singapore, we had to switch at Dubai.

The Qantas leg was a breeze, apart from no activity pack for the girls. We were RIGHT up the back of the A380, and our male hosty was ultra sweet (especially when Cam needed something!); meals were great, and the in-house entertainment kept us busy for 14 hours. Anyone who says they can sleep on a long flight must be lying; not sitting next to a 6’5″ man or a wriggling child; or must have been able to relax themselves with free liquor (I couldn’t…thanks anti-biotics!)

We arrived at Dubai at midnight, and the airport (or as Milana called it, the “shopping centre”) was still buzzing. It was people-watching supreme!

Not only were there the obligatory Aussie backpackers, groups of Chinese students and suit-wearing Japanese businessmen, but obviously loads of men and women in traditional Arabic dress. Avalon thought the women in their flowing outfits and scarfs looked beautiful “except for when they’re wearing runners. It just doesn’t go”. An astute sartorial observation!

My favourite site of the night? The sheikh, all in white, with a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist (true story), and six black-clad giggling wives in tow. You don’t see THAT at the Wyoming shops! Well you might, but they’d all be in pyjamas or animal onesies.

We were in Dubai for 3 hours. The Emirates flight from Dubai to Frankfurt was another 7 hours. Horrid food, loads of freebie gifts for the girls. By this point, we were all over-tired. Over all though, everything ran smoothly, we grabbed our car and, exhausted headed towards our first stop…Rothenburg ob der Tauber.