September 13 to October 15, 2023

Saturday Oct 14, 2023 Day 28 – Tour 7:30am I am showered and dressed and Barbara is having a tough time getting going this morning. 9:00am Left the room to have breakfast with Sallyann & Fred. When we got to the dining room Bowtie Bob was already there and sitting at a table for 6, saving a place for us and Fred & Sallyann. 10:00am Looked around a little on our way back to the room. 11:43am We have to be out of the room at noon so we are doing the last packing and heading down to the lobby to check our bags at the front desk until we are ready to head to the airport. 12:00pm We are on the street and hoping to find a park to relax in. 12:30pm We just arrived at Albert Park. We walked from the hotel to the park because we have time before we get picked up for the ride to the airport. 2:00pm We left the park and started to look for someplace to have lunch. 2:30pm We are at Celine Mediterranean Cuisine restaurant. The sign says they have BBQ, Kebab, Shawerma & falafel. 3:10pm We are heading back towards the hotel looking for gift/souvenir shops along the way. 3:20pm We are standing near the base of the Sky Tower and watching ‘Sky Jumpers’ fall from the top of the tower on guide wires. We tried to get photos that show the experience. 3:35pm We entered the hotel, retrieved our luggage and did a last minute organizing pack and repack in the lobby. 4:00pm We found a comfortable couch in a corner of the lobby to sit and wait for our time (5:15pm) to catch the shuttle to the airport. 4:55pm While waiting we heard some music start and stop. I wandered over to see what it was. In keeping with the “Let your senses Bloom” display near the front desk, there were 3 women in black body suits with large ‘blossoms’ on their heads and hands. Periodically the music would start and they would dance to the rhythm. 6:10pm We are in the airport. We caught the shuttle from the hotel to the airport, checked our bags and are heading for security checks. 6:25pm Three of us made it through security. Barbara’s bag, again, got snagged and she is waiting in a line for them to recheck her bag. 6:40pm We are all past security and we found our gate, #17, now just waiting for them to pack us all onboard. 8:20pm Our plane is running behind schedule. They claim we will be boarding in about 15 minutes. 9:15pm About one hour late and we are on the plane in our seats and the plane is pushing back from the terminal. 9:30pm We are in the air. Our time in Australia/New Zealand is done. Flight #12