Now Voyager: Virgin Flight to Perth

The morning dawned early as I woke at five a.m. ready for a seven thirty airport departure. Maisie is always so generous and drives me the twenty minute trajectory to Tullamarine. A quick brekkie with M and her mum, who is always the demanding personality. Sometimes I really wonder how Maisie keeps her cool as it seems to me to be a one way street in that house, what Mum wants, Mum gets. However it is the mother-child syndrome, we all live through it, and it's tougher for some than for others.

Last night a small Japanese dinner in Flemington was a nice tail-ender to a fully packed week. Old friend Di was in fine form and we exchanged a few anecdotes. She is now very happy with her Jack Russell housemate called Harold, also a Greek man called Ari. Harold looks to be an absolute delight in her photos. Di drove me home and together with Maisie and her Mum we even viewed a couple of ABC shows, Miss Marples and a more up-to-date one about a plane crash involving the British PM. I am happy not to be following television anymore. It creates situations we don't need to have.

Bed and sleep and now halfway across OZ I forget how irritating other passengers can be when you are confined in a small space. I am lucky to have a spare seat next to me with a little girl quietly reading on the aisle. But in front of me there is a couple of lovers behaving like two year-olds. They are at least middle-aged and this must be their second honeymoon as I see they cannot get close enough to each other and are constantly whispering to each other sweet nothings and gazing excitedly out the porthole into the cloud strewn nebulous. I suppose I should be more tolerant but his seat never stops moving when he fidgets and shares his intimacies. Oh well, only two hours more after a less than memorable Virgin scrambled egg and sausage breakfast and a coffee which reminds me just how bad airplane coffee can be. That's Air fare for you!

Anyway I am slowly processing a hectic week's offerings at this enromous conference just terminated yesterday. When I return to Wellie I need to collate my notes, write a thousand odd words and fix a few relevant photos to send to Auckland as my peace offering to the BP Board for not attending their next meeting. I am very happy that I have another more pressing engagement in Wellington which I can't miss. Three days on a Marae.

But first a week in Perth with my sister and her family...will be a great rest after Melbourne!