I went to Adelaide yesterday.
This is very naughty given that NT Tourism Minister Marie-Clare Boothby (pictured, second from left) had just announced a strategy aiming at making more money for our travel industry than Albanese will be spending on nuclear submarines. We shouldn’t be spending money in another state, I guess is part of her message.
My booking with Qantas triggered an avalanche of texts and emails: Welcoming me, urging me to make bids for an upgrade (just get me there, for heaven’s sake), I’m not permitted to charge my power banks on board. And so on.
“Four days to go now” and “Erwin, it’s now time to complete your check-in.”
The next text was “we’re sorry your flight has been delayed”. By three hours. And then another 30 minutes.
This brought to mind the recent disclosure that Alice Springs is the nation’s worst airport for flight delays. That is rubbish.
The airport is not to blame but the airlines flying to it sure are. They are adding to their fare gouging the insult of disrespect for their passengers in The Centre, putting them last in their scheduling.
Qantas tried to make up for it. At the counter where you drop in your suitcase I received a $15 voucher because they were late, twice.
When people travelled to The Centre on camels they had a pretty good idea what they could expect. Not so today.
The security check was difficult. I had overlooked a short computer cable in my pocket and was made to go back. I cannot be described as being of Middle Eastern appearance yet I didn’t pass again.
I had to sign my consent to being searched and was asked: “Would you like go to a discrete room?” words to the effect. Feeling not quite sure about that proposition I said: “We may as well do it here.”
Upon this the guard dropped to his knees and ran his hands up the inside of my legs.
Having threaded my belt back into my shorts, voucher in hand I headed for the airport canteen. I had visions of a nice little light lunch before boarding. I got a single ham and cheese sandwich clearly several days old.
But my mood changed as I looked down on Central Australia after massive rains. There was the vastness of Lake Eyre, empty of all that humans make but full of what nature offers in what’s so aptly called a good year.
On board Qantas did make it up to their passengers. There was lunch, the two chicken pies were small but nice and there were seconds, no charge for the Sémillon from WA.
The Swiss couple behind me couldn’t get the top off the tomato sauce. The flight attendant, with a smile straight out of a Qantas advert but genuine, told them they had to squeeze it. When they did so, firmly, the result was not as intended but that was the only accident during the flight.
Anyway, the delays only mean my absence from home will be three and a half hours shorter.
This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 26 March 2026.
