Singapore to Hobart 30 Jan 2017

Well, despite believing we'd be leaving Singapore late on Sunday evening, it was well into Monday morning before we got airborne. Sadly, the First-Officer assigned to our flight was taken ill and so we were delayed whilst a replacement was found. This entailed two and a half hours extra sitting around in the airport.

The airport at Changi is very impressive and at least there comfortable seats and places to charge your gadgets all over the place.

Eventually, just before midnight, we started the process of going through security prior to boarding. An A380 carries a lot of passengers so it takes a while to screen them all, but to be fair it wasn't too bad and we started boarding quite quickly. The flight was pretty full so we weren't lucky enough to have an empty seat between us on this flight.

The flight distance tonight is just over 6000km and out route took us south from Singapore flying between Sumatra and Borneo before crossing Java and then out over the ocean. Landfall was made over north-western Australia and then right across the middle of the country and down to the south coast.

We flew over Adelaide, although it was cloud covered and from there directly to Melbourne, we should be landing at 1140. We have less than an hour before our flight to Hobart, but suspect we won't make our connection.

By the time we had got through immigration, collected our bags and got through customs, we'd missed our flight. The Qantas staff at the airport had already assigned us seats on the next flight, so we checked our bags back in and back through security to domestic departures. We were feeling peckish, so tried a slice of pizza, it was very gooey!

We also tried to call the car rental company in Hobart to tell them we would be late. The number on the rental voucher didn't work, but the Qantas customer services kindly found a different number and dialled the number. Although I spoke to a Europcar representative, I'm not entirely sure she understood what I was trying to do!

In the end, we arrived at Hobart airport about 90 minutes later than we had expected and our rental car was waiting for us there. Hobart airport is really quite small, there is only one baggage carousel. It's about 20km into Hobart on the Tasman Highway and it's a four lane road and not much traffic. Just before driving into the city you drive across the Derwent River on a high arched bridge, quite spectacular. Once in the middle of the city, it's a two minute drive up Argyle St to the Argyle Motor Lodge, a Motel-like establishment.

It's quite an old style Motel, but nice and clean, our room is quite large and has a lounge/dining area and a small kitchen. We sorted our luggage out and managed to put some washing through the machine. It got hung up outside in the breeze and had mostly dried before dark.

I made a brief visit to a supermarket and bottle shop, which explains the full fruit bowl and can of Cascade beer in my hand.

We walked down Argyle St, turned off up Federal St and onto Elizabeth St this evening. This part of Elizabeth St is the town centre for North Hobart. There are plenty of places to eat there, we ate well in a Thai restaurant.

We really flagging now, so it's time for a shower and then bedtime, it won't take long to fall asleep tonight!