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Once we got to Brisbane (around 3 am after going through baggage reclaim) we had to wait around in the arrivals lounge for a few hours until 6 which was the first train to Roma St. Station (where we were going to get the train from to go to Cairns). However I checked my email using the free Wi-Fi, and had received a message from Queensland Travel to say that due to severe flooding, they were disconnecting the line from Townsville to Cairns, and to phone them (from 7 am) to discuss what we would do instead. I had assumed we would get the train to Townsville and then find some other way to get to Cairns, so we got the air train into the city which was astonishingly priced at $16 for a 30 minute ride! To waste a bit of time before the Queensland Travel office was open, we went to find a supermarket so we could stock up on train-friendly foods. It was quite nice being in a supermarket and having so much choice again! Anna had told us that there were so many different types of tuna flavours, and she wasn't kidding! Sweet chilli, Spanish style, lime and pepper- I want to have ticked them all of by the time we leave! We brought a pot of sweet potato and cashew dip to share, along with bread rolls, bananas, granola yoghurt and some baked beans.
The office at Roma St. station said we had to call the number given in the email, and we found out that in actual fact the flight from Brisbane to Cairns is cheaper than getting the train, so we booked a flight over the phone. The train ride probably wouldn't have been that scenic in the cloudy weather anyway! It was just a bit annoying that we had spent a lot of money coming in, then going back (we went on the bus on the return journey but that was still $14.50) and hiring a locker for $8 in between. Although we did get to go to the supermarket, rather than using the expensive airport shops- I had brought a 75 cl bottle of water for about $5!
Whilst waiting to be allowed to board, I booked another night in the hostel we have got for tomorrow night, as they did free airport transfers, but I didn't have my mobile number on me, and couldn't leave the computer unattended whilst I was logged in so we were unsure as to whether or not they would have got my request to be picked up in time- particularly as I had forgotten to give the flight details, and just told them what time our flight was arriving.
I think I managed a bit if sleep on the flight (my only hour I've had in the past 24 hours), and then once we had got our bags, found an internet source to see if they had emailed back to give us instructions of where to meet them. It was on a phone with a large screen, and it was very frustrating typing in my email address as the cursor kept moving to different parts of the screen. They hadn't emailed, but managed to find a (working) number to call them- the one on their booking.com email wasn't working.
Got chatting to a Dutch boy, an English guy, and a Swedish couple- the boyfriend had teabag type things of tobacco that you leave in your mouth, and the tobacco dissolves.
Bex got dropped off, and we had a catch up, before going for somewhere to eat. We went to Pie Face, and I and Alice got the $9.95 pie, potato, gravy, mushy peas, drink and a cookie deal.
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