Singapore
31/10/2011
Re the Qantas Strike/Lockout/Delays: The message came through that we were leaving Singapore at 10 o'c pm today, then it was amended and we are staying an extra night. The return flight to Brisbane will now be tomorrow (no time given). The Hotel is very good but the meals, which started out as superb, have got less varied in choices at each sitting. I suspect there is cost control in operation. I have emailed Qantas Frequent Flyer customer service asking for advice/information but do not expect a reply.
When checking my Qantas booking/account page for announcements (there have been none) I came across an extra booking on my current London-Cairns journey. I have a "mystery flight" booked for the 12th of November, that I know nothing about. When I finally get to the Airport I will check this out with the Qantas Club. Theoretically my Club membership finishes today, the 31st October, so it will remains to be seen if I get into the lounge at all. If all went according to plan I would have renewed the membership in Townsville today, but the "wheels have fallen off" a number of plans due to the travel delays. I will miss the CSIRO/GBRMPA workshop for a start!
Although I am in Singapore, and so is my MA co-supervisor A/Prof Stephen Naylor, he is busy with a visit by the JCU Pro Vice Chancellor, so I do not get to show off my data collection of images from the 1801-05 "voyages of discovery" to Australia. A pity but I will catch up in Cairns later in the month. It actually gives me some time to organise and "pre-process" the images into a Power-point presentation for my initial MA seminar. I have been working this up while "trapped in Singapore" but without the image processing software available at the Townsville JCU campus I am limited in what I can do on my laptop.
I am still staying close to the Hotel so I can get any Qantas instructions/news, apart from ducking across to the Coffee shop in the Shopping Complex for free WiFi. My tummy upset which has been "low-level" throughout the three-month trip had flaired up again in Singapore. I am wondering if it is the Singapore water (Giardia??) as it was after the Singapore stopover on the way to London that I had the last major bout. This need for toilet facilities is probably the real reason for staying close to the Hotel. Being very careful with what I drink at the moment, (or of course it could simply be the side effect of sitting in a fairly cramped space for 12-14 hours.)
We still have 7 hours to get to Brisbane and another 3 hours to get to Cairns so I am not happy. Being able to use the Qantas Club facilities has turned out to be more urgent than I anticipated.
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