Restoration post border closures of what had been my seasonal southern sojourns to avoid the wet season at Port Stephens and catch up with family ended up this year moving straight into a hundred year flood on the NSW mid-north coast.

Tragically this also washed away my sojourn breakfast menu of fresh local blue swimmer crab omelette. It did though in the aftermath wash a few mud crabs into my traps which only confirmed that the iconic muddy is actually a vastly inferior species.

After an extended sojourn stay there was an announcement recently of direct flights between Cairns and Newcastle. I jumped on the flash sale of $59 for a return for a few weeks in September.

JetStar announces direct flights between Cairns and Newcastle; Booming flight sales over Easter show Aussies are keen to travel again

I haven’t caught up with details and while these subsidy assisted flights are seasonally preferable for tourism to Cairns I will be using them in the other direction near the end of the expiry period. It is JetStar so you have to add costs for luggage and seat preference.

Even so, and without the flash sale discount, this route would save maybe up to a hundred dollars and up to half a day travel compared to transiting via Brisbane or flying direct to Sydney (each way). Visitors from Cairns could also be surprised by what the destination offers.

Observations from my return overland journey would include extensive interruptive roadworks along the Bruce Hwy and a substantial number of caravans moving north early in the season. Observably less campervans I thought which may be more reliant on international and backpacker markets.

There is a daunting amount to catch up on.

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