Leaving Darwin - Back to Brisbane

Today is the beginning of the end. We slept in. We went down for our complimentary breakfast and came back upstairs to finish packing up. Today at about 1:30pm, we fly to Brisbane. The flight is about 3 hours 45 minutes and there is a time change. We get there about 5:45m. We are staying out by the airport as we need to be back there the next morning at about 7:30am. We will hope that we can just find a good, inexpensive meal nearby there tonight. We are staying at the Airport Clayfield Motel. Clay is setting up Uber to get there since when we booked breakfast and an airport shuttle were included but not now. We'll see how it goes when we get there. It is for less than 24 hours so it can't be too bad hopefully.

We had our first email from a neighbor today! She wrote to let us know that after 8 inches of rain last week that we have thigh-high weeds in our yard. She wrote that she had used a hedge clipper to mow down the parking strips by the street to spare us a fine from the city. She wondered if we had someone to do the mowing for us. Clay thanked her. We were hoping for a hard long winter and a late dry spring to handle the weed growth while we were gone. It looks like our plan ran a week too long. Clay wrote back that he'd mow it himself on Monday. Best laid plans and all. If that's the worst that goes wrong, we'll count ourselves lucky.

Our flight went off without a hitch. Security in Darwin domestic terminal was cursory. No one ever checked our ID. No one. We printed our boarding passes and luggage tags at a kiosk without a line. We checked our bags without a line. We cleared a security bag x-ray and metal detector without a line. We went straight up the escalator to sit outside our gate. We watched a plane unload there where multiple families reunited with passengers arriving. They were picking up their family members inside security at the gate. When was the last time you saw that happen at home! They served lunch and drinks in economy for a flight slightly less than 4 hours. We had pepper beef meat pies with a potato topping served with mushy peas and mushy carrot sticks. No tomato sauce on the side. We each had a mini Coke Zero with no ice. I did have my water bottle filled with ice at no charge in the airport though. Later they brought around tea and coffee and later still water and frozen Mars bars treats. We each watched movies. We both watched Red Dog: True Blue. I also watched Sing. We arrived to a comfortably cool and dry Brisbane. Clay decided on Uber vs. cab or calling to find out about the hotel shuttle. It cost around $17USD. It took longer than expected for the pickup and we had a bit of a weird encounter with the driver but arrived safe and sound and pretty quickly at the motel. The driver was right about one thing though, why do Americans choose this place. I blame Google Maps. It is not an Acton Town quality dump but it is not great. It is though inexpensive at about $115 a night including continental breakfast for booking online direct and free Internet and a $15 per couple airport shuttle. We had a number of places offering food within a 5 minute walk so it is convenient. We picked Hell Pizza. We wound up taking out since the only seating was outdoors and it was at the intersection of 2 busy roads. After we ate we walked over to check out Doughnut Time and Clay got a Cold Rock Creamery cone.

So far, so good. We can only hope the rest of the trip home is as painless. It may be more than a day or 2 before I post again. Be patient. I'll be back.