Colombo via Rum Jungle and Connemara

Flying from Melbourne to Colombo via Kuala Lumpur, the tv map on the aircraft wall has thrown up some gems – it’s listing Arthur’s Seat (a beauty spot on the Mornington Peninsula), Rum Jungle near Darwin (never heard of it but its allure is undeniable), and I learn there’s a place called Connemara somewhere near the NT-SA border. 

Crossing the country diagonally, it always seems to be five minutes to 4pm on the wall screen, (which Yasmine uses to try to skype her uncle Berny).

We fly over Alice Springs, the flat land broken by two long ridges that curve gently like a dog’s spoke military-strain roads cutting into the soft pink ground. By the time we hit the end of Australia at the Kimberley coast, it’s dark and the next view are the lights of KL, and finally, around 1am, Colombo welcomes us with warm, thick heat and the scents of a tropical jungle.

Also, just a short aside to praise Malaysia Airlines’ customer service line: They. Do. Callback. Imagine! No more waiting in the queue: just a polite message telling you your position in the queue and estimated callback time. Amazing. Australian airlines, take note please!