Returning to Australia can often be a jarring experience, but for one traveller landing in Sydney, the homecoming defied all grim expectations – at least initially. Journalist John Hanscombe documented a surprisingly pleasant arrival on Saturday, December 2, 2025, only to watch the system collapse into chaos the very next day.
An Unfamiliar Smoothness at Sydney Airport
After a ten-day trip to Japan, Hanscombe braced for the usual ordeal at Sydney International Airport. Instead, he was met with efficiency and courtesy. The e-passport kiosks had no queue and functioned perfectly. At the baggage carousel, passengers stood back politely, a practice he attributed to the etiquette learned from their Japanese departure point.
The real shock came at customs. The green 'Nothing To Declare' channel was open and flowing freely. Gone was the typical "cattle race" atmosphere and the loud instructions from Border Force officers. An officer reviewed his declaration form and offered a smile before waving him through. "Was I hallucinating after the 10-hour overnighter?" Hanscombe wondered, contrasting this with the often unfriendly welcome he felt ashamed to offer visitors.
System Collapse and Transport Troubles
This seamless re-entry was tragically short-lived. On Sunday, December 3, a nationwide outage of the passport processing system plunged Australia's international airports back into familiar chaos. Arriving and departing passengers faced extensive delays as officials were forced to manually process everyone.
Hanscombe's luck had already run out by Sunday, but on a different front. His journey home to the South Coast was derailed by rail trackwork. After experiencing Japan's fast, clean, and efficient rail network, the crowded replacement bus and subsequent misinformation at Dapto station were a rude awakening. He and other passengers were sent to the wrong platform, only to have to haul luggage back.
The final blow came with the news that the connecting diesel train service was delayed for another two hours. This was not the homecoming he had anticipated after his brief airport high.
A Glimpse of How It Could Be
Hanscombe notes he hadn't planned to write about returning to Australia, having criticised Sydney airport's welcome before. However, the positive experience demanded recognition. He questions whether it was mere luck or if negative feedback had finally prompted the airport to lift its game. His Saturday arrival proved how welcoming visitors to Australia could, and should, be done.
As for the nation's transport infrastructure, his conclusion is blunt: "we have a lot of catching up to do." The stark contrast between the precision of Japanese public transport and the disjointed experience in NSW highlights a significant gap.
The piece invites readers to share their own experiences: Have you found returning via Sydney airport unpleasant? Have you noticed any recent improvement? Are you embarrassed by how non-English speaking visitors are treated?
