4. Heading to Narrabri for work

Tuesday. Probably up to $15.50 now. Bruising is getting darker and is less mottled, more dense. Doesn't hurt that much though.

Train to the airport, check in with Link Airways. The best thing about small airlines is there is no queue and no wait time. I head down to the gate. It's a small plane so we need to catch a bus across the tarmac to where the plane is located. Whilst waiting at the gate a guy joined our group. "Are there toilets anywhere?" he asks. I volunteer the information "Just go back up the escalator, turn left and they are about 10 metres on your left." He looked at me and said "I don't think I have enough time." I look at my watch, 20 minutes until boarding. I wonder how much time he needed....number two maybe? The flight was an hour and 15 minutes. I was pretty sure a 19 seater plane wasn't going to have a bathroom on it. It quickly became clear that his guy had never flown before. He was probably late 40's, early 50's. Maybe it was just a nervous wee situation.

Time to board, bus drove halfway around the airport to the small plane, correction, tiny plane! Me being an international traveler and used to airbuses, jumbos and 16 hour flights this was a new experience. I had flown on a 28 seater plane to Lord Howe Island before but this was even smaller. I clambered up the 5 steps into the plane, quickly realised there was no way I was going to be able to stand up and remained bent in half. Even my knees had to be bend as I negotiated my way to seat 2A. A cheerful female voice floats from the cockpit, which is open. No door, just a curtain pulled back. "Please help yourself to refreshments". A tiny water bottle (probably two big gulps) and a muesli bar. The man who hadn't flown before takes 2 bottles of water and 5 muesli bars. Didn't he need to go to the toilet??? My hunch was correct, no toilets on this plane. A single line of seats, isle, another single line of seats. He plonks himself down in 1B. I later find out that this wasn't his assigned seat but it was probably a good thing he sat there.

The cheerful voice belongs to the captain. She appears from the cock pit, squats in the doorway and proceeds to do the safety brief. It's a pared down version of the ones I am used to. No mask that would fall from the roof, no life vest placed awkwardly over her uniform but our cushions could be used as floatation devices.

A clanging is heard from the steps and a young man's head pops in through the opening. A quick word to the captain and she says "I'll unplug it and plug it in again and then you try". Did I really just hear her say that? If that the plane version of 'just turn it off and on again'? Whatever it was it must've worked as the propellers roar into life. They are LOUD! The first officer clangs up the steps again, closing the door, squeezes through the opening into the cock pit. Leaves the curtain pulled back. I am going to have a view out the front of the plane when taking off. How exciting!

Taxi....taxi....more taxiing. It takes a while to get to the end of the runway but we take off. Lots of red lights, alarm sounds, pilots pushing buttons and pulling levers. Seems like it's all normal and we are up and away. Some clouds, a few bumps and then we level out. That was fun, being a small plane we aren't that high and it was nice to see the coast below.

What is that noise? Is that a phone ringing? Yes it is. The guy who had not flown before took his phone out of his pocket and answers it. Starts to tell whoever is on the phone that he's on a plane. The first officer's head whips around and he yells over the roar of the engines "Hey mate, hang up and turn your phone off now. No calls during the flight.". The man obeys and then he nods off to sleep a few minutes later. I wondered how his bladder and/or bowels situation was treating him.

Some turbulence along the way, a couple of times even the pilots had to hang onto the front of the cock pit dash board....what do they call the top of the flight panel? We had quite a bit of cloud cover but occasionally I could see the countryside below. Brown swaths of flood water scarred the land, looking like someone had gotten a massive paint brush and painted sweeping brown streaks over the green.

On approach to Narrabri, slightly bumpy landing. The man didn't wake up until the first officer tapped him on the shoulder. First thing he said "Where's the toilet?" I surmised he really needed to go now and by the slightly drunken gait as he almost ran across the tarmac I was pretty close to the truth. I hope he made it in time.

Baggage claim was a spot on the footpath where the bags were placed. I called a taxi and got a lift into town. The lady driving asked why I was visiting. "I'm starting a new job with Whiddon. I'm their FIFO AIN - Fly in fly out assistant in nursing." She approved "There isn't enough staff in aged care, I'm glad you are here. My nan used to live at Whiddon. Do you know anyone in town?" "Yep, my cousin Rusty lives here, I haven't seen him in about 20 years". "Oh yeah, I know Rusty, he' a builder."

She drops me off at The Crossroads hotel. I check in then go for a wander down to the Narrabri Creek - which is a swollen fast flowing brown river with bit of trees rushing past. I can see the brown water line marks on the trees nearby and puddles still on the sports fields from flooding a few weeks back. I walk over the bridge and check out where I will be working tomorrow. I'll be at Jessie Hunt. I walk past the Robert Young property on the corner, past the hospital (helpful to be so close!) and then past a day care, a few houses and then to Jessie Hunt. 17 mins. Everything is flat. It'll be a good walk to and from work. Everyone is friendly, they smile and wave, even the teenage boys.

Back to The Crossroads, unpack, then head to woolies for some food supplies for breakfast and lunch, have some dinner downstairs, and then settle in for something on Netflix before bed. I check out my boob, getting closer to $20 worth of bruising and much darker purple, almost black. Half of my boob is now bruised. I think I am developing a hematoma as well. Great. I thought that was on rare occasions. A bit of an ache but nothing to keep me up at night. The bed is comfortable and I drift into sleep, dreaming about my first shift tomorrow.