Ontario to Oz first time flight ever! Any advice or buddy?

I have never flown before, I know I know, weird!

I am taking the plunge this fall to fly from Ontario to Melbourne ALONE!!
I have a mate in Victoria who I will be staying with, so once I get to Melbourne I will be in good Aussie hands.

I am completely terrified & excited at the same time about this trip, what to expect while in the airport and navigating myself through everything for the first time alone.

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated!!

Also if anyone else is flying from Canada around the same time (Sep-Nov.. im not picky when)
and might want a travel buddy let me know!!

Where is your departure? Pearson? Are you flying to Los Angeles then onward to MEL?

I am not sure what advice you are looking for except to say you will be flying for around 21 hours so don't drink alcohol on board. Dress casual but not like a slob. Your bags will be checked in and will go on straight through to Australia; you will pre-clear US customs at Pearson.

Make sure you have the proper visa to enter Aus. Bring a book. Take a sweater or pullover as the cabin temperature will change. Bring earplugs to shut out screaming kids and other passengers. Get a window seat so you can lean your head on it rather than the shoulder of the passenger next to you. Don't get air sick.

Thanks for the reply!
not to sure what I'm looking for advice wise either..

I am flying from Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney, trying to avoid flying into the US.
I believe my flight is Air Canada all the way to Oz then I switch to Qantas to MEL

Good to hear my bags will be checked through, one of my worries is accidently leaving them while switching flights.

I heard when I land in Sydney I will need to take a bus to another building to get on my MEL flight, is this right?
My friends in Oz tell me they havent had to when flying back from overseas, yet other Canadians tell me this is what they did.

Is there anything specific I need to do when I land in Sydney, like customs?

I am ok with on flight, I know it is going to be interesting for a first flight & hopefully no air sickness!
it is airport procedures and navigation to and from flights that confuses me & worries me a bit.
I know there are signs and people to ask along the way, but I'm hoping to get a better idea of it before I go.

If you take Air Canada to Sydney, you will pick up your bags at Sydney and go through Customs. Immigration might ask you the purpose of your visit but you should indicate it on your incoming passenger card which will be handed out to you on your flight. There will be beagle dogs sniffing your luggage as you await in the carousel area so do not bring any illegal drugs with you and declare ALL food; don't bring in any food that you might have bought in airports or received during the flights. There are strict quarantine measures in place. Even a tin of beans has to be declared. Any items made of wood ie jewelery or picture frames must be declared. You will be given a card to inform of you of what you must declare and what are prohibited items/materials.

So, once you go through Customs you will be asked to put your luggage on a conveyor belt to be scanned. If the Quarantine agents find something they are unsure of you will be asked to open your luggage. Make sure to have any and all prescriptions labeled appropriately with your name, the medication name and the doctor's name; leave them in the bottles originally dispensed.

Once you clear those 'hurdles' --- it's a breeze really -- then leave T1/T2 (international arrivals) and take the shuttle to the domestic terminal. If you aren't sure just ask. Last time I went through SYD there were individuals who were designated airport guides scattered around.

You should be issued with all boarding passes right through to Melbourne when in Canada, but if not go to a Qantas counter and receive your new domestic boarding pass. Go again through the screening area and then wait for your flight. The flight from Syd to Mel is roughly 1.5 hrs.

Good luck with Air Canada; they have a propensity to missplace baggage! But they always find it. LOL. My husband went to visit me once and took the SYD to YVR to YYZ route and his (and hundreds of other's luggage) went waylaid somewhere; he showed up in TO without anything save for his carryon. As for carry-on bags, take a small one and keep all your meds and docs/passport/credit cards in it. Never pack anything of value in your checked baggage.

You might not bring more than 50-100$ aud until you arrive on Aus soil; the exchange rate at a Canadian bank will be dismal. Don't forget that the Aussie dollar is higher than the Canuck one at the moment, so it'll cost more Canadian to buy Australian money. I found that I got a better rate using my debit card or credit card from an Australian ATM. Better get informed as to how much your Cdn bank will charge per transaction.

Hope this helps. Good luck!