Cairns
3/11/2011 Thursday
(Also for the 31st October, 1st and 2nd November)
Where to start? The Singapore "diversion" came to an abrupt end with the announcement that an extra flight had been put on by Qantas and we were to be packed and ready to leave by bus for the airport at 5.30 pm. This was after we had been told all flights were full and we would stay another night (our third night and fourth day in Singapore). Before that we were to leave at 9.00 o'c pm by the QF 52 flight we were originally supposed to take. Three changes of instructions in 6-8 hours, not confidence building but we were to go home!
I had stayed close to the Hotel desk so got the message and packed fast. My shirt, that I had washed out to dry overnight, I simply ironed until it was dry enough to wear. Everything else went into the suitcase slightly damp.
The bus was crowded and luggage had to go between seats but we got to Changi by the time specified; then after being processed by immigration/customs/security we had to wait until the plane boarded at 8.30 to 9.00, finally leaving about 9.30 pm. A classic case of "hurry up and wait"! At Changi airport the Qantas check-in was chaotic but the Qantas Club special-entry allowed me to book my seat back to Brisbane and to also book a seat from Brisbane to Cairns. I would only have to take my bags through customs then to the transit drop-off; or so the "theory" went.
After finally boarding the plane we had a scare and a delay when the pilot explained that they had a "a red warning light" that the engineers had to investigate and the plane returned to the parking bay until fixed. That made us late into Brisbane and stuffed up connecting flights. Not happy campers.
The flight was noisy and "stressed" but we finally got to Brisbane. My bags were the last off the conveyer belt (again) but I breezed through customs and found that my "electronic" passport allowed me to take one of the fast lanes. These had not been in operation in Brisbane on my previous trips. So far so good; until I tried to "drop-off" my bags at the Domestic transit desk in the International airport. Apparently in Changi I had been issued a boarding pass for a Brisbane-Cairns flight that did not exist (or had been cancelled in the intervening 24 hours).
I had to re-book on a "real" flight, taking what I could get. As it was there was one seat available on the 10.00 am flight, so after a fast trip to the Domestic terminal (instead of the original 6 hour wait), I boarded my flight to Cairns. I travelled in the second last row, next to a Korean newly-wed couple, but I got to Cairns airport around 12.30 pm. After retrieving my bags, then waiting in a long line of Qantas passengers all trying to get home, I jumped into a taxi and went! Free at last from airport(s); it had taken 5 highly stressful days to get from London to Cairns.
Thankfully Rose was at my unit to hand-over the keys and she had left milk, bread, and breakfast cereal in the fridge, which sustained me for the next 24 hours. It was mid afternoon but I had not slept for the last 24-30 hours so I simply crashed. A series of disorienting short sleeps followed by comfort food then another short sleep. I had the usual "flu-like" jetlag and was popping Paracetamol but I was "home".
I will review my field-trip over the next week then post my last "Blog" when I have a more balanced perspective on the results. At the moment I am paying over-due bills and "catching-up on buisness" after 3 months away.
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