The flight over to the States was a long one, but I was lucky enough to sit next to Jamie Charman.

I think our flight to LA took 13 hours, and surprisingly I didn’t watch a single movie or TV show the whole flight over.

I got stuck most of the time talking to Charmo, but then I’d get up for a stretch and end up having a chin-wag with everyone else on the plane. I also managed to have a little bit of sleep.

I reckon it’s the first flight I’ve ever been on where I didn’t take advantage of the in-flight entertainment!

Merrett speaks with teammates on the plane

We had a stopover of about five hours in LA, so the guys jumped into taxis and headed out to look around West Hollywood.

I was lucky enough to tag along with Blacky - who knows Rove’s brother Luke McManus - to Warner Bros. studio where they shoot the Rove LA show.

We had a look around the studio and check out the set. Rove was also floating around there so we said ‘G’day’.

I straight away tweeted that me and Blacky were going to be on the show, but our little segment didn’t make the cut. Not enough star power they reckon.
 

Merrett and Black visit the set of Rove LA

Having already been to Arizona last year, I was getting hit up very early days by my teammates who were keen to tap into my experience. They wanted to know things like; what the weather is going to be like, what clothes to bring, and how much to pack.

I’ve over-packed this time, bringing two suitcases.

Last year we got stung by having one bag weighing over 30 kilos, so were overcharged for it. So I brought two bags this time so I can fit in some of the shopping I’m going to pick up in Phoenix.

We’re scooting up Mt Humphrey on Friday - and the boys have asked me what to expect there.

Last year when we went up there, it was covered in snow. It hasn’t snowed yet, so it looks like being a new experience for me as well.

- Daniel Merrett

Daniel Merrett and Brent Moloney at the Flagstaff training dome