On a bus in Sydney

I'm on my way to visit Marcus in Hong Kong. I got up at 3.50am, and mum kindly drove me to the airport. Just as I alighted from her car a text came from Qantas announcing my 6am flight was cancelled. 

I hung around for a while in the very quiet arrivals area until they announced a replacement flight. Which for me turned out to be at 11.25am... a 5 hour wait. 

I checked my big bag, and tossed up a few options. I decided to do just what I felt like doing, which was go for a walk in the cool early morning, out of the airport, through the adjoining pine forest to Seven Mile Beach. 

It's honestly not a lovely walk. No airport that I have ever seen provides pleasant pedestrian environs.

But i knew it wasn't far. After about half an hour I was on the beach and there was even a great little bench to sit on, breathe deep and read my book.

By about 9 I was on the road back. I found some marsupial jawbones which I can never resist. They're in my pocket now, hopefully will survive the flight to Hong Kong.

My flight to Sydney was uneventful until we landed and the door was stuck. Luckily I'm not a jump-to-your-feet merchant when planes land so I just sat it out for 15 to 20 mins. At least the air con was on. 

It's 29° and 70% humidity here. 

I've now got through security and I'm at the gate which is a semi-renovated no-air con shemozzle. Very familiar vibes to the Tullamarine departure lounge for Tasmania (although that's a little better now, complete with toilets and snacks).

Rows 59+ are all standing and waiting, rows 1-58 have been expelled from the area. I'm 70. A recorded  announcement just started "Please remain seated..." and there was sniggering.

South Hobart news c1986

I've recently started as deputy-and-future editor of the South Hobart community newsletter. I've just been given a ton of back issues as PDFs.

Nº 9, April 1986 has a report on the family fun day, an ad for an electrician that's still advertising 39 years on, and an appeal for witnesses to a murder.

I remember the murder case well, I knew people who knew the three involved. This is from The Age, 15 Aug 1986.

"…on or about 24 February this year, Maurice Huish was involved in a fight with Leigh Turner in which Turner died. Huish had gone to the dead man’s Macquarie Street flat dressed as a woman."

Joey

I was on my way to the airport on Sunday morning, to see my uncle Peter arrive from Sydney. I wasn't responsible for picking him up but I was keen to add to the welcoming party.

Just down the road from home was a recently road-killed pademelon (small wallaby), in the middle of the road. I pulled over to drag her to the kerb to avoid swerving accidents and just awful mess, really. As I got out told myself "check the pouch". 

I hardly ever see such obviously fresh roadkill, and I've never hit anything myself.  I know it;s something you should do but I have never had to do it. On Sunday I had to do it.

And there was a joey clearly in the pouch and clearly still alive; so I had to get him out. Hairless, quite young. I rang Bonorong Park but it was too early Sunday for them so I left a message. He was not as hard to get out as I had thought; the pouch stretched enough.

I walked home and got an old dog-hairy blanket to wrap him up. Amazingly a woman from Bonorong called back very soon after. I sent her a photo of Joey and she confirmed that he was old enough to have a chance of survival. She told me to wrap him in a beanie, woollen things, keep him warm.

I went home again and got Elf to hold him briefly while I put on a pouched hoodie, then I put him in there, lightly wrapped in cotton, thinking my body warmth would do the trick. Over my hoodie I put the woollen blanket. I chatted to Joey as we drove to the 24 hour vet in Moonah; Bonorong Lady had rung ahead so they were expecting him.

The nurse at reception took him and said wait and I'll bring back your cloth (old undies from the rag bag, I didn't really need it back). Then I asked would he survive – she said "Probably not, he’s just too cold". 

I went away feeling I should have got a hot water bottle, done more for him. The short time out on the road on a pretty sharp morning could been enough to push him beyond recovery, I know that. But next time. We get a lot of roadkill along Cascade Road so very likely there will be a next time.

But please slow down, from dusk to dawn.