Bizarre Start

I'm sat in the dark, shivering. But the guy opposite me has been sat there, shivering much worse for three hours. He's in shorts and a skimpy Aussie vest. All he has to help him keep a bit warmer is a socceroos shirt covering his chest, face down. There's a big number 50 on it, and above that, an unmistakable name...

A L G I S.

Unmistakable to me, that is, because I'd just chucked it him as a token effort to help him get a bit warmer. Next to him is a classic aussie old timer from Kalgoorlie who wanted to talk about his horses and the bets he'd placed recently.

This was the bizarre scene I found myself in about two and a half hours ago when I arrived at Perth airport only to find that the terminal was closed and wouldn't be open for another hour. The freezing guy was flying back to Kalgoorlie from Cairns - where it had been warm enough to dress like that. He'd forgotten to get his jumper out of his bag when he checked in and so he had to sit and shiver for four hours.

Eventually the doors did open and I was able to check in to my flight to Sydney. I'm now sat by gates 7-10 and in 10 minutes we'll be boarding. I can't wait for that. I really need some sleep having not really done that for a couple of weeks and this evening, not at all.

Anyway. The journey has begun.

I'm travelling very light indeed with just one hand luggage item for the whole trip. The thinking here is not to have to waste time waiting for luggage coming through the carousel at airports and to have everything handy at all times... like a few layers of extra clothes and a lightweight coat to put on at times like this morning.