'Nothing to declare, except my genius': Sydney airport travel hack only experts know

The last thing you want at the end of a long flight is to get stuck in a giant queue. By following this one piece of advice though, you can be be waltzing through to the Priority Pick Up zone faster than you can say "Nothing to declare."

If you can resist the urge to line up here, you're well on your way to success.

You wake up, bleary eyed. You remove your face mask and yawn. The pilot says something about the weather. Welcome to Sydney, Australia. 

Before you can lumber off the aircraft, the cabin crew come through and crop dust you with a chemical spray.

Then there's a painstaking five minutes of indeterminate waiting before the cabin crew open the door. Finally, after muscling your way into the stream of passengers exiting this tin fart can, the crowd condenses again as everyone lines up for the first round of SmartGates, waiting for their ePassport ticket.

This is where you make your big mistake. Rather than following the masses, sheeplike, towards the machines, like everyone else, put on a stiff upper lip and soldier on.

Queue free and (almost) home bound.

According to Escape Social Media Editor Edwina Hart and Escape Associate Digital Editor Simone Mitchell, this is what savvy travellers do as just before the actual customs gates at Sydney's international airport, you'll find a few more ticket dispensing machines with barely anyone lining up for them.

You'll get to Duty Free and think you've gone too far, but our best tip is to pass the Beefeater gin and giant Toblerones and you'll find you've hacked your way to the front of the SmartGates queue. Now all you have to do is hope the baggage handlers are having a good day (and that the traffic outside is co-operating) and you're home free.

"Nothing to declare officer, aside from my sheer genius."

Originally published as 'Nothing to declare, except my genius': Sydney airport travel hack only experts know