We needed to be out of our cabin by 10:00, so moved our things to the Somerset transit room and read magazines in there. There wasn't really enough time to do much so we just sat and lazed away the morning.
At 12:00 I went down to Thompson's to get us some burgers for lunch - vege for Michelle, and sweet chili chicken for me. I also got some chips and Michelle another iced coffee drink.
While we waited for our 14:00 transfer to the airport, several other people returned to the transit room to claim luggage they had left there and go to the airport for an earlier flight than ours. Reanne poked her head in and told us that our flight had been delayed 20 minutes and we;d be taken to the airport at 14:30. Eventually the time passed around and we boarded the van with Cheryl and some other guests to go to the airport.
Once there we checked in and sat outside to wait for our plane. It arrived soon after and refuelled. We boarded, and as we were doing so another Dash 8 landed - being a flight from and returning to Brisbane.
We took off eastwards on the runway and made a graceful turn north over Lord Howe, giving us a last grand view of the island before we climbed through solid cloud cover west of the island for the flight to Sydney.
We've just been served peanuts and cups of water. Michelle pointed out a ripple pattern in her cup. I said it was like the one caused by the T. rex in Jurassic Park.
"It's caused by vibrations."
"I hope they're good ones..."
This cracked me up just as I'd taken a sip of water.
As we approached the coast, we could see a couple of fires - one in Clontarf not far from Michelle's parents' place, and one in French's Forest. The air was hazy with smoke.
We landed at Sydney and the plane taxied to a park by the terminal. When the door was opened and we stepped out it was like stepping into a sauna. We learnt later that the temperature that day had reached 45°C (113°F) at 17:00 in some Sydney suburbs. It felt like it. But still, it was good to be home.