The viral story of the man who traveled to Sidney, Australia, but due to a mistake ended up in Sidney, Montana.

A man from New York, United States, embarked on a dream trip to Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of the largest cities in Australia; however, he ended up in Sidney, Montana, thousands of kilometers from his original destination.

Kingsley Burnett, 62, was hoping to escape the harsh North American winter to enjoy the warm weather and a cruise in Australian lands.

Much to his surprise, he realized that the flight lasted much less than expected and realized that something was wrong when, instead of beaches or the popular Sydney Opera House, he found himself surrounded by a big blanket of white snow.

‘I saw the top of a snow-covered mountain. At that moment, I knew I was in trouble,’ Burnett said in an interview with KTVQ station.

Unbeknownst to him, the man had taken a flight to the small town of Sidney located in the US state of Montana, with a population of 6,340, instead of the Australian city of Sydney, which has a population of 5.3 million.

Flights to Sidney, Montana from New York require a connection and can take between 9 and 25 hours, which would explain how Burnett didn't realize the mistake until he arrived.

A colossal mistake

Instead of traveling nearly 10,000 miles to the place of his dreams, he ended up in a cold town 1,800 miles from home.

He added that he hadn't noticed the price difference, as it usually costs $500 to Sidney but $2,000 to Sydney, since he was traveling on a tight budget and thought he had gotten a bargain ticket.

For the man, however, the problem lies in the initials used to refer to the destination. ‘It's a matter of initials. SYD vs. SDY. Someone has to fix that,’ he pointed out.

Burnett added that he should have paid attention to ensure his destination was correct, rather than seeking a lower price.

Shelli Mann, manager of the hotel where the tourist stayed, indicated that it's not the first time something like this has happened.

‘This is the second time we have had a guest who was trying to get to Sydney, Australia,’ she said.

Now, the distracted traveler hopes to fulfill his dream of reaching Australia in the month of June. He hopes that, on this occasion, he won't confuse his destination.