After tossing and turning for ages I finally admitted at 4.30am I just wasn't going to sleep anymore. I'm too excited and as always on travel days way too nervous. I'm not nervous about the actual flying it's all the stuff that comes before, I always worry something will happen to stop me going ( which is why I like to be at the airport waaay too early ).... as it happens today was almost my worst nightmare come true.

The day started ok, as both Deb and I were up early we decided to leave at 7.30 to get to GJs place stopping on the way at the Coffee Club in Strathpine for a hearty breakfast to get us of to a solid start. We got to Gwendols place at 8am and this is where my first big OH NO moment occurred when I realised I'd left my long black winter woollen coat on the lounge at Patrick and Sarahs... doh!! After a few minutes of remorse and disbelief that I could have managed that I pulled myself together and decided to let it slide, no point crying over spilt milk and all that.

I'll let my "ghost writer" tell you the next part... the part where this trip almost finished before it even really got off the ground.. so to speak!!

From Debras view:

The time had finally come, I was picking Liane up at the airport after her flight from Longreach and we were both staying at Patrick and Sarah's for the night before our big trip. The plan was for us then to drive to Gwendoline's the next morning, leaving my car the duration, and the three intrepid travellers would taxi to the airport together from there.

Before I left Gwendoline’s place to get Liane, she and I had the first of what I envisage will be many negotiations - this one centred on what time we would book the taxi the next morning for….. Our flight was due to leave at 1.40pm so really with an international flight that would mean you wanted to arrive at the airport at 10.40am…. Well let’s make that 10.30am to start with because who wants to muck around with the extra bits, far easier to calculate by the half hour….. So OK Gwendol’s place is about half an hour from the airport so theoretically you’d leave hers at 10am…. But mmmm no I don’t think so….. Say the taxi is late, or there’s heavy traffic, or well a flat tyre even….. who knows? The point is you want to be at the airport WAY before the flight just so you know that you are where you need to be and you can take a breath and relax. And really you either sit and clock watch at home or you do it at the airport and I’m a fan of the latter and know that Liane is exactly the same.

Gwendoline not only seemed to be on the same page but actually the page before as I was plumping for a 9am taxi and she wanted an 8am one…. Even for me that seemed a bit extreme so we happily settled on an 8.30am compromise. Now bearing in mind that was 5 hours before the flight it may seem excessive to some, and even Larn did say she was surprised we were going that early, but we were all happy and content with the decision.

As a side caveat I have to say that I did get a 1.30am text from GJ who had obviously had a late night re-think (the girl was packing her bag…. Let me repeat that…. Just then, she was packing her bag….. like 7 hours before taxi time…… madness I say….. Madness!!)…... Anyway she suggested we change the booking for 9am after all but when I was reluctant she quickly agreed to leave it as it was….. And thank God, hallelujah and all the rest because what happened at the airport was of the “are you kidding me? Is this a remake of Candid Camera?” variety……
The next morning after much giddy excitement, jumping around, “ooh I can’t believe it’s finally here” chatter (and teary farewells between the young lovers as Gwendoline and Kyle said goodbyes) we arrived at the airport just before 9am. We all acknowledged to one another that we were ridiculously early but all of us were equally happy with that fact and just quietly it gave me enormous confidence in the future logistics of our travelling together. It seems we are all cut from the same cloth in that regard which would be a big bonus!

As we entered the airport we all stopped and looked up questioningly at the departures board. Someone said “oh our flight isn’t on there”, someone else suggested it was because it was too early yet but then someone noticed there were later flights being displayed (who knows who said what exactly at this stage but that was the general conversation)….. As we were still looking a airport “greeter” came up to us and asked what flight we were after. When we told her the flight details she looked puzzled (NOT good) and then said oh no you’ve missed that….. PARDON?….. WHAT?….. There were some quick, and VERY expressive glances exchanged before a flurry of questions attacked this woman who responded she really thought that flight was cancelled/non-existant/gone….. None of which were descriptions we wanted to hear in regards to our flight to Europe!

She directed us to the counter to find information and we flew there like possessed women, bantering possibilities and questions between us and all trying to talk each other out of pure and utter panic and terror as we are racing along so fast that our bags on wheels barely touched the ground….. When we got there we were standing in line and then a man says “these counters are closing you have to go over there”, pointing across the way….. Now it wasn’t very far and the line over there wasn’t long or anything but REALLY…. Are you kidding me?…. I want attention and I want it RIGHT NOW!! I don’t want to leave here and go line up somewhere else! But of course, though on the inside we were all screaming hysterically, we politely and seemingly calmly moved over and waited our turn.

The woman to whom we explained our problem quickly confirmed that yes the 1.40pm flight was no longer existant…… I am sure I can speak for Liane and Gwendols also when I say that we were gutted, I mean just completely astounded and devastated and well I’d say we were possibly in shock…. It was incredible - who does that happen too?

It seemed that the flight had been rescheduled and was now leaving at 10.20am so in less than an hour and a half…. Oh my God, the horror…. Could we get on it?……she became our absolute hero when after some mad typing around her computer she said that it wasn’t too late and we could immediately check in our luggage and we would just make the flight.

Liane, Gwendols and I just looked at each other and it was all right there written on our faces….. We’d been from a giddy high of airport arrival to something MUCH worse than Anne of Green Gables “depths of despair” to a blast of relief so huge it felt like a tsunami…… We honestly didn’t come down from the high of all that drama for ages and ages…..even now when I think of it I get the rush of all those emotions tumbling through me…. I don’t EVER want to go through that again….. The woman who helped get us on the flight said with quite genuine pleasure and admiration I think “it’s fantastic and so amazing that you got here so early for your flight” and it’s totally true because if we’d been ANY later at all….. Oh it just doesn’t bear thinking about!

The moral of the story of course is to not ever make fun of someone like us who likes to be at the airport YEARS before their flight so they are in the right place at the right time….. And oh yeah and also maybe confirm your flight details before your flight as they might forget to tell you when they decide to change it at the last minute!!!