Packed half of Sunday (day -5) and half of Monday (day -4). The bike went easily into a ‘large frame’ road bike box. Difficult bit was getting weight overall to 30kg checked and 7 kg in cabin. Made it after half an hour of shifting stuff between bags using the scales at the airport. 100 g to spare.

Nice chatting to Uber driver on way to airport. Somalian refugee by way of South Africa but entertaining and sensible.

Met 3 other LEJOGers at the check-in. John looking sweet, not like he had just ridden The Sevens (115 km x 2900 m of climbing on gravel roads 8:47 h) mountain bike race two days earlier. Vanessa 6:52 h. Did I mention he is the wrong side of 70 years old?

Easy route through passport control if you didn’t leave your sunglasses on your head.

A coffee and chat, on the A380 QANTAS/Emirates and we were off.

Currently 2301 miles out of Perth and 3429 miles to Dubai. 3am Perth time. The witching hour of personal reverie when listening to Annie Lennox passes for philosophy. Sad that her music reads so differently after the story of her relations with David came out.

Three hours to change planes in Dubai then seven hours to London.

Getting old sucks. Not only does your back hurt from sitting for so long and you have to get to and walk to prevent possible blood clots but the planes are full and the seats close together. No wandering around finding an empty row of seats to lie down on as in the 747s of the late 1970’s