Arrival formalities into Oz was quick today. The Qantas domestic bagdrop at the international terminal was closed so I bused over to domestic with luggage in tow on a very full bus. Nearly no one wanted to get off at domestic meaning that I had to squeeze past everyone with my pack. Talking to someone, she managed to drop off her luggage back at international at the Jetstar counter which was able to help her out even though she was flying Qantas.
The 2h connection was generous for today’s airport conditions and I had about 40 mins waiting at the gate before we boarded.
A hot meal of bangers and mash was served in a box on the 2h domestic flight, with an option of a salmon quinoa salad. Very impressed with Qantas’ improvement since my last time I travelled with them 2 years ago when they gave only snacks on a much longer domestic flight.
It started drizzling as I joined the taxi queue. There was a constant supply of cabs at first but that dried up as I approached the front of the queue. It didn’t take long for the a few more to come along, thanks to the man managing the queue calling up. It was a short ride to the hostel that cost me AUD25; there had been no cheaper options in sight.
Getting into the Reef Lodge afterhours went OK, except that I had to dig for my specs to use the combination lock to get my key from a secure box. I managed to get washed and settle myself into bed by 2300.