Chilling
We started the day with a long waterfront walk towards the south then the north. After that, we kept close to base as Kim was on the verge of sealing a deal for the purchase of a boat with his friend.
After a light lunch of Vietnamese sandwiches, we took a swim in the Esplanade lagoon pool. I spent considerably longer than Kim in the sun and the water that I came back with quite a distinct tan-line. The temperature was a pleasant 29 degC at 1300 with no uncomfortable heavy humidity.
I took a quick trip to the supermarket to get a few items for tomorrow’s breakfast and got drawn into a box of five cookies, made in the supermarket, for AUD2.50. They turned out to be an awesome afternoon tea snack. Similar cookies were AUD3.50 each in the café downstairs.
Playing lawyer again
The afternoon disappeared quickly as I played lawyer again. We typed up Kim’s boat sharing agreement as it became clear that the purchase of the boat was going ahead.
I ran out of time for the much-desired massage downstairs. We had a simple Vietnamese meal at the Night Market again before taking an after-dinner walk along the waterfront.
The weather was so perfect both day and night. It was always warm and humidity was never unbearable. The mercury read 27 degC at 1900 and we joked that we should return every year for several weeks if not months.
Playing lawyer on the rooftop, working on a boat sharing agreement.
Covid-19 chaos (again)
When we returned to our room, I played on my phone and checked flight schedules from Auckland to Cairns and back to Auckland.
I noted that our Air New Zealand flight from Cairns back to Auckland, in two days, was still for sale. However, the airline had stopped selling flights from Auckland to Cairns for an extended period of about a week.
I had picked up a similar anomaly before our previous flight was cancelled. Of course, there was the possibility that the airline might cancel the flight from Auckland to Cairns but operate it empty, then fly the backlog of passengers from Cairns to Auckland.
Fearing the worst, Kim and I discussed our options. Should our flight Sunday be cancelled, we would be up for a third Covid-19 test. We would miss some appointments at home. Flights could get pricier as the backlog of people grew.
Looking around for flights, our best option was to leave early tomorrow at 0600 on Qantas, flying via Brisbane and then connecting 2h later to Auckland. The price was higher than what we’re used to but still reasonable especially considering the heft Australian airport taxes.
We quickly snapped up the ticket and started to prepare for our departure. I gave away our food, some of which had only just been purchased hours ago. We returned to our room to pack and took a sleeping pill after 2100 each to help us get some sleep before our alarm at 0320 tomorrow.
We were very fortunate that both our Covid-19 test results had come back today, one day after collection. Kim’s came after lunch while mine around dinner time. If had been delayed till tomorrow, we wouldn’t have been able to book the Qantas flight.
The day had taken such a sudden twist, one that I would never have anticipated during the relaxed hours of most of the day.