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Austin took me to the Gifu Hashima station on Monday morning. I had thought to catch the slow train to Shinagawa but that would have involved a change in Nagoya, so I caught the later express train instead.

The man in the ticket office suggested that I book on the train from Shinagawa to Narita airport which left 20 minutes after I was due to arrive. I thought that was pushing it a bit. The Narita Express is a reserved seat only train. If you miss the train you are booked on, you have to buy a new ticket. I didn't know where the platform for the Narita Express was, although I did know it wasn't in the same place as the Shinkansen platforms. I absolutely didn't want to be rushing around the Shinagawa Station, hunting for the next train. I also didn't want to have to buy a new ticket.

It was just as well I booked on a later train. I would have missed the earlier one. I wasted a lot of time and steps looking for a dedicated Narita Express platform. In vain, because there isn't one! The Narita Express is a JR train which leaves from a JR platform. Eventually I found a member of staff who pointed me in the right direction. The earlier train would have been easily doable - had I know where the platform was. Still, I was in no hurry and was happy to wait, stress-free, for the next train.

As it was, I got to the airport very much earlier than I needed to. I found myself a spot in the food court and indulged in a cheese burger with chips, and one of the best lemon and ginger drinks that I have ever had. Lots of lemon slices and a good hit of ginger. 

I checked in pretty much as soon as it opened and went through to a departure lounge which is even more bereft of things to do than Cairns is.

It does have some rather nice, if expensive, food though. My wagyu beef skewer was as juicy and tender as can be

Wagyu beef skewer and
a tiny glass of wine

An unremarkable flight home and I arrived in the Cairns airport at 04:30. My flight to Melbourne wasn't until 09:45. No hurry, no urgency.

I was, however, slightly surprised when, instead of being waved through customs, which is what usually happens, I was sent through to an initial screening. I was even more surprised when I was then sent through to a proper screening. I wondered what I could possibly have in my suitcase that would have attracted the attention of the customs officers. As far as I could remember I had nothing that I hadn't brought in, unchallenged, on many previous occasions.

The customs officer asked me all the questions that you see on the border control TV programs. Is this your signature? Did you fill in this declaration form? Did you understand the questions? Did you pack your bag yourself? Are the contents yours?  Then he asked me to open my suitcase.

More and more and more puzzling. I could not imagine what the problem was.

Turned out, it was these:

Tubs of chewing gum for Lindsey

Customs could see that they were in my case but didn't know what they were! 

He looked at the paper bag with tubes of peppermints, and cast an eye over my other snacks but I think that was for form's sake. He wasn't all that interested. He didn't ask if all those snacks were for me and  I didn't discuss it, although I assume he realised that some of them would be presents. Then he thanked me for my patience and understanding and I thanked him, just because. He told me how to get to my next check in point and I wandered off. 

There was ample time for a restorative cup of coffee before check in opened. And I had plenty of time to charge my devices airside before the flight was called.

This particular flight departs from the international terminal, even though it is a domestic flight. I think it's because passengers can check in through to the onward flight to Bali and their baggage goes straight through. They do have to change planes in Melbourne but they do not need to go landside.  I did need to go landside and I wasn't sure how this would all work.

So - if you are flying to Melbourne and not to Bali, you are issued with a boarding pass with a big red D printed on it. You need a form of government issued photo ID (passport, driver's licence, ID card). As you go through immigration you go to a staffed desk, not to the machines, and they stamp your boarding pass, not your passport. When you get to Melbourne, you show your stamped boarding pass  and ID at immigration and then after you collect your luggage you give your boarding pass to the customs officer and go on your merry way.

This was a considerable relief to me! I did not want to have to go through customs again with those pesky tubs of chewing gum in my suitcase 😂

My flight unexpectedly left 30 minutes earlier than its planned departure time. Everyone was checked in, they had a leaving spot and a landing spot, so they called us all to boarding 30 minutes earlier than we had expected. We had to wait for one passenger who missed the announcement, but he turned up shortly after and the plane left 25 minutes earlier than originally planned. I believe it was so that the onward passengers would have more time to make their next flight.

I didn't mind. It meant that I got to Melbourne earlier than planned, caught the SkyBus home and was back in my flat by 15:30.

Brandy and Whiskey were quite pleased to see me.

This morning I have been unpacking and getting organised and doing a few useful things. I am about to head to the supermarket before the forecast rain appears.

Tuesday evening, Docklands

Oasis Park

 Yesterday was Kaori's birthday - and she HAD TO WORK!!!!

So we postponed her birthday to the evening and Austin, Tatsuki and I went to Oasis Park for the morning.

At Oasis Park there is a ferris wheel, an aquarium and a park with water features and eating spaces and play spaces.

I do love a good ferris wheel:

I was a bit worried about going into the aquarium. The one in Ise was a sad, unhappy place with animals in spaces that were (to my mind) far too small. I remember it as dark and crowded. The one in Gifu is lovely. Its design appears to follow the local river from where it rises to its lower reaches, and then explores rivers in other parts of the world. You go to the top in an elevator and then meander your way down the river and it is open and light and airy and there are waterfalls and it feels happy and bright.

Then we had lunch in the park.

Hot corn soup in a can

I didn't realise redback spiders had migrated to Japan until I saw this warning poster. Apparently they arrived in Osaka in 1995 and have now spread over almost all the country. I did a google translate of the poster to make sure I was right about the type of spider and it definitely is a redback.

Then we made a quick visit to Donki. Still no bags of mixed KitKats, but plenty of bags of other mixed chocolates.

Then we went to a fancy bakery to get cakes for Kaori's birthday.

a quick trip to the supermarket and then home for a Birthday Feast. Austin made prawn pasta. We had pizza from the prize winning pizzeria next door. We had Kaori's favourite croquettes and mince katsu. And we had cake

It was a good day. And it was my last full day in Gifu. Today I am making my way back to Tokyo on two trains, two planes back to Melbourne and the SkyBus home. All being well, I should arrive home late in the afternoon tomorrow (Tuesday).

Breakfast yesterday:

Pastries from the bakery on Saturday:
Half a custard bear, a piece of apple pie
and part of a potato, sausage and cheese
tart

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Nagahama

Yesterday we took a drive to Nagahama, a town on Lake Biwa, about an hour's drive from here. 

The point of the drive was, in fact, the drive. It's a lovely route, passing Sekigahara and Mount Ibuki, both of which we have been to.

We had lunch in a Coco Curry place.

We went to the shore of Biwako, so I could say I had seen the lake and the water.

We walked along an old style shopping street

Tatsuki had an ice cream

We came home via a country bakery

and went to Big Boys for dinner

Mixed grill with mashed potato for me

I think Austin did extra time on the treadmill at the gym this morning. I am just resigned to my clothes having shrunk a bit. I shall have to restrict myself to salads when I get home. Although, I have been eating salad quite a bit while I've been here

Big Boy salad plate,
corn soup on the side

Hayakunen Park, Gifu

It was a public holiday yesterday, to celebrate the vernal equinox.

We all went to Hayakunen Park, which is on the other side of Gifu. It is a lovely drive there and the park itself is big and filled with trees and plants. It also has a small museum.

Kaori and Tastsuki went up these stairs

This is in the park

Looking inside

I did not go up the stairs to the museum. I did not walk up the path. Austin and I went up in this elevator

It looks like a self-driving tram. Austin and I got in. Some Japanese people got in. The door closed. We all sat there, not moving, until Austin noticed the elevator style buttons and pressed the one for Up. Whereupon the elevator started to move. Everyone laughed 😜

The museum itself is very cute. It's not especially big but it is lots of fun. There was a replica of the house down in the park. There are dinosaurs and nature exhibitions. Local archaeology. Daily life. Plenty to see and do

The elevator to the upper level

My favourite object

These can be my new walking boots

Then we came back to the 21st century and went to a nearby mall for a light lunch and to a Donki to see if I could get some packets of mixed KitKats (answer: no) and then home.

Before going to a sushi place for dinner

Garlic prawns

Coffee jelly

Cherry blossom time is approaching, although I don't think I'll be here for the main event. I'm leaving on Monday and I think it will be a few days before the trees come into full bloom

And for anyone following my breakfast adventures, this is what Austin made for me yesterday morning