The longest time (even longer than I imagined)

Well hello my dear reader, it is lovely to be communicating with you again. The title? Read on, all will become clear. Sadly you can't join me on the cruise it is fully booked. Yes, cruise. Surprised? Well, so am I. Still, and I booked this trip about a year ago. I know, I know, a cruise. Me captive on board a ship. Not a pretty picture. To be fair it's not a floating block of flats or a houseboat. Intrigued? This is the same cruise offered in May 2020: https://au.ponant.com/cruises/pacific-and-oceania-australia-s-iconic-kimberley-r080520-db145-5

I had recurring nightmares following the houseboat holiday and that was so long ago I can't remember the year. Trapped. I couldn't get off. This time is different, but, uncharacteristically, let's begin at the beginning.

We packed last evening. Packing for a trip is never fun but this bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. The on-board activities and the fact that is an 'up-market' cruise meant that we packed more clothes than we would for a lengthy European sojourn. Day wear, evening wear, casual clothes, elegant clothes, clothes for scrambling over rocks, a white outfit. A white outfit? I own one white T-shirt courtesy of being marooned in LA on a flight back from Canada. I'm pretty certain that won't meet their exacting dress standards. Then there are two formal dinners. A dark suit is required with a tie or bow-tie. I don't own a dark suit and I don't wear ties anymore. That should be an interesting night. This is a holiday. Allegedly. I was majorly pissed with the pretentious people on Hamilton Island for their 'dress standards'. I know this is next level, but still ... a holiday? 

The taxi ride to the airport was most entertaining in an old school way. The driver was Australian, in his 60s and not pleased with the performance of the NSW Government. We talked politics, we talked about the crisis befalling Sydney apartment dwellers (hopefully not including us), the gridlock that has been created around the international airport, the demise of Kings Cross, the lock-out laws and their impact on Sydney's international reputation as a tourist destination, his dislike for Gladys Berejiklian and his disappointment in the previous leader of the Opposition. Actually, mostly he talked and we listened...Good times.

And so to the Qantas Business Lounge for breakfast. It's not the level of the International Lounge but it is a step up from the Qantas Club and nowhere near as crowded. At least at this hour. My chilled mood evaporated when we received a text to say the flight was delayed. Now my patient reader you may recall the drama I had travelling last year, when almost every flight I had was delayed. Some, in fact were cancelled and I was stranded in LA and Shanghai at varying times. Work colleagues would not book the same flights in case my curse afflicted them too. Today's flight you ask? Delayed by 5 hours. Count them. 5. Why? Operational requirements. Read - the flight crew has to have sufficient down time before flying again. Presumably this would have been a known issue and we might have been notified last night instead of finding out this morning after we arrived.

Not something any traveller wants to see.

I am, however, looking at this as an opportunity not a problem. I now have time to complete a couple of things I've been working on for a while. The down side is the group of three people sitting 10 metres away who don't seem to understand the concept of an inside voice. To add insult to injury they are discussing schools and their failings. Specifically the school system's failure to produce resilient young people.  This balding, loud-voiced, opinionated wanker knows where the problem lies: teachers. Well, he did attend school and compared it to what he believes it to be like today. He is wrong. I am fervently hoping that he is not on our plane because that will mean another 6 hours of this ignorant drivel.

Oh joy! He is leaving and we discover his riveted audience was not actually accompanying him - they depart separately.  We are better off than them - they had to appear interested in what he was saying...

Time passes very slowly. I lap the room for something to break the monotony. The bar does not open until 12 and that seems like a life time away. People come and go, the ebb and flow of a tide of travellers. The loud, who seem to be oblivious to those around them. Or perhaps they believe their conversation is worthwhile for everyone to hear. The quiet men who sit and read the newspaper, flicking from page to page with a passive-aggressive crack that draws my attention each time. The toddlers, unaware of their surroundings who wander happily singing and humming to themselves. The mobile phone users who take the word mobile literally and walk and talk a little too loudly. The bored, the tired, the disinterested, the coughing and sneezing germ spreaders. We are all here. Sadly for Jayne and me we are here for the longest time. Yes, a Billy Joel song from circa 1983.

The bar is open! Sadly, the sparkling white wine is as described and not champagne. Time for a Yarra Valley chardy to break the monotony. And then some butter chicken and jasmine rice to soak up the alcohol. A few laps of the lounge. You can sense my dedicated reader that I don't do sitting still very well. Hence my concern about the cruise. Less than an hour to our alleged boarding time and no gate has been allocated. As a result of my laps of the lounge, I am fairly certain I can identify a dozen or so fellow travellers that are Darwin bound.

The delay is annoying because we are only in Darwin overnight. However, this would have been compensated for had we been flying international. They have champagne in the international first lounge and table service and I have access. Sad face with tears.

New notifications. Confusing and conflicting. We are now going to be boarding or departing at 3:20pm, that's only 6 hours later than scheduled. Not a lot of sorry action going on. Not impressed. Time for more wine ... for the longest time. And some assorted nuts. I'm sure they have extra salt to make me drink more. Like that's ever required.

Pretty sunset as we approached Darwin.

Oh, oh, oh, they just thanked us for our patience. Clearly that does not apply to me. Apparently the plane has just departed from wherever and will be landing in Sydney at 3pm. Boarding shortly thereafter. Excited ... not ... over it.

Flight: uneventful - although extremely beautiful. Refer to picture.

Taxi to hotel: same. There seems to be more high rise than when we last here (2008 according to Jayne) but the drive into town happened in darkness.

It's hot up here. We were thirsty

It was a very long day. Over 14 hours in transit. Cheers to Qantas who knew our flight was going to be delayed before we arrived at the the airport. The date stamp on the original text was dated before 11pm the day before we were to fly. We could have had most of the day at home! Instead we were at the airport by 7am. Cheers Qantas. No, I'm still not over it.

Staring up at the ceiling

We are in Darwin, finally. We have had food and beer at the hotel. Not quite what I had planned for the evening, but refreshing nonetheless. The squid is perfection as you would expect here. It is now time for sleep.

Until tomorrow, or as I would write if I was in France (and I wish I was),
a demain.