... jiggity jig! Arrived safely in Melbourne this morning after leaving Seattle on Sunday night - Diane was kind enough to pick me up from home and drop me to the airport, saving a taxi fare .

LAX was frantic, as usual - had to get a new boarding pass from the Qantas counter for some reason, but it was only a short wait. Eventually found the lounge, after walking past two other Qantas lounges - they must have been for the 'special' passengers!! Another group of travellers whingeing about the delay in getting the new boarding passes and how much of a cluster the situation was - they must lead charmed lives, if that's the worst thing they have to complain about!

Unfortunately I didn't get my upgrade to business class, so I had to slum it in cattle class  - luckily the flight wasn't completely booked out, so I managed to end up with a spare seat next to me. I must have managed to get a bit of sleep on the flight, as I don't (yet) feel as tired as I was expecting to ... maybe that'll hit later this afternoon. The caterers must have known I was on the flight - the dinner entree was marinated beetroot slices!! Yummo ...

Only took about an hour to collect bags and clear customs - a bit of a record, apparently! Mum & Dad very glad to see me home, and apparently I have a swag of travel bugs looking for a ride back to Seattle next week - hope I have enough room in my suitcase . I don't think I'm ready to drive here either - feels very strange being on the right side of the road again!