Welcome (back) to Australia

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After airport dinner and a sleepless night flight from Hong Kong, plus additional security searches at the plane doors, I landed in Brisbane early yesterday morning to an arrivals hall teeming with tense looking security guards. Got the chance to use e-passport for the first time but slightly disappointed at the lack of stamps in my passport. Lots of bustle, mutters about which direction to go, convoys and the need to get this over quickly, with one particularly bossy American.

Watching all this while waiting for the bus to the domestic terminal, I wondered who was expected and guessed it must be someone fairly important from the size of the convoy that arrived with a police escort. Next clue was the posse of cameras being kept back by security. Finally someone appeared: a slim, dark skinned man strode through and was whisked away in seconds. All that for one guy who was there no more than a few minutes! Checking the news later it turns out the G20 summit is in Brisbane this weekend and presidents have been turning up all week, with Obama expected imminently.

A couple of hours wait, plus an upgrade to a large hot chocolate as an apology from Krispy Kreme for waiting 2 minutes (how many upgrades would Costa have to give to compensate every 2 minute wait?), and I was on my way to Cairns. Landed in 26 degree heat and was collected by the hostel minibus. Saw the first mynah bird of the trip while waiting. Hostel is OK: nice pool and a 15 minute walk to the centre. Food shopping for the basics, booked a 1/2 day riding through the rainforest for Sunday and off to the great barrier reef Monday before leaving Cairns Tuesday.

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