Flying south

Peg and Dave had a flight departing for Launceston at 9:30 am and wanted to be at the airport around 7:30 am. We were all up and moving early. We ate breakfast quickly and then got into the final tidying and packing. By 7:00 am we were ready to leave and had started taking bags down to pack in the car.

Our flight was not until 12:30 pm and Majella did not want to sit in the airport all that time, even in the relative comfort of the Qantas Club. We dropped Peg and Dave at the airport departures area, said our farewells, and headed away from the airport.

The Cairns Botanic Gardens are near the airport so we headed there. We spent a bit more than an hour exploring the area around the cafe and then the Tanks Arts Centre where old water tanks have been converted to gallery and performance spaces. From there we drove to the northern end of the Esplanade and took a short walk. By then it was getting warm so we did not persist for long.

On the way back to the airport we filled up with fuel at another cheap station closer to the city. Return of the rental car was quicker than our pickup on Tuesday.

We had checked in online and baggage drop was open so we dropped our bags and headed for security. Both carryon bags were pulled aside for closer inspection. At that point Majella remembered that she had her pocket knife in her bag. Luckily the agent suggested she go back out, find a machine selling postage bags, and mail it home from the post office across the street. She went off and I faced up to bag inspection.

My bag was declared OK and I sat to wait for Majella. She was not happy. The machine had not provided the approved postage bag in exchange for the $22 she paid. She had addressed the bare envelope and dispatched it with little hope of seeing her knife again. We will see if it arrives.

We found our way to the Qantas Club and waited for our flight. It departed on time, we collected our car from Andrews, and headed for home.