This did not get off to the finest start…..

Taxi to Melbourne Airport was fine, albeit expensive, but I realised as soon as I got into the Departures area of the airport that I did not have my phone. Cue panic. Had it in the cab, so must have left it in there.

By dint of using Jean\’s phone, I at least managed to put a block on the SIM, and the phone itself was fingerprint-safe, so hopefully no skulduggery should the phone fall into the wrong hands. Tried to get in contact with the cab company, and I had the receipt, but no joy apart from sending a lost property request via a form. I do have mobile phone insurance, so I may have to claim on that. How stupid can you get??

Checked in with relatively little problem, but then Stupid Error No. 2 came to light going through Security. I\’d forgotten to pack my enormously useful Swiss Army pocket knife in my main baggage, so of course that got confiscated. How stupid can you get??

The flight itself, though late, was uneventful, and I was able to pick up the hire car with no trouble. Check-in at the hotel was again straightforward, and I was then able to get a new phone. Mercifully, I was able to transfer the account information from the lost SIM to the new one, so the Aussie number remains the same on the new phone.

Weather was lovely, so had a walk round Hobart. First impressions are of a much greater colonial influence than anywhere else we\’ve been so far, except possibly Fremantle. Given the history of both places, this is hardly surprising.