Homeward bound...

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11th December

I woke up with that bloody magpie stomping on the van roof. Made a cuppa and emptied all the know and crannies if the van to make sure I did not forget anything. Was going to go for another cuppa but realized it was 8.15, I need to be at the volunteering place at 8.45. I quickly wash up and throw stuff out that I no longer need, including some very smelly slip on beach shoes that I bought. How the they got so smelly on such a short period of time I do not know.

I got to the volunteering place and no rangers or wardens today just us volunteers. I head along to the nursery and help pot up native tree seedlings. The reserve is gradually replanting farmland with native species and they grow everything from seed collected on the site. I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty and listen to the gossip of the locals.
At tea break someone had brought homemade Christmas Cake, lovely it was too.

After we finished about 1, I had some if my tuna, pasta concoction for lunch and the head to the hotel I had booked. I booked in just after 2, dumped my bags and then took the van back. The campervan people gave me a lift to the hotel.

Back at the hotel I had a long hot shower. A luxury after time limit showers in most campsite due to local water restrictions. Another luxury was being able to get dressed with no risk my clothes getting wet from the shower floor.

Then time for a nap, but first I spied a hot chocolate on the tea tray.

I napped for an hour or so and felt refreshed. Time to sort out what out what needs to be stashed in hand luggage and what could be binned. Tipped everything on the bed, I hate throwing stuff away but not worth taking home almost empty shower gel, shampoo and toothpaste containers, fruit went o too, razor, flannel, body scrub.

Oh god, somehow I have to get my boots in my rucksack, something is going to have to come out. Ok I have taken a bundle of clothes out and put it into hand luggage. Right, socks and things stuffed inside the boots, and I managed to zip it all up.
I finish the pasta, tuna concoction have a cuppa and head down to reception. I was originally going to walk from the hotel from to the airport but they do a shuttle service for $5, so I buy a ticket from the machine in reception. Wait a couple of minutes and there it is.

Best laid plans and all that, I managed to get off at the domestic terminal rather than the international, so I grab a trolley and follow the green path. The signs rain 12 minute walk, as I walked along I began thinking of it as the walk of shame, you were only walking along this path with you trolley if you had got off at the wrong terminal I thought. Oh well I got a little walk in today after all.

Checked in, dropped my bag off and followed the sign for departures. Wrote my blog. Bought a pot of tea, wrote my next blog. As I was looking for a loo, I notice the gate number had need added to the departures board. So after my loo break I went in search of gate 18. There sure is a lot of walking at airports.

Start writing my blog again and then they call my seat number to board.

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