Waiting for aircraft departures (especially when delayed) gives me the perfect opportunity to write about my 'road trip'. In actual fact my road trip is a combination of air and hire car travel to and on the east coast of Australia.

The goal of this recent trip was to visit Qantas and Virgin Australia airline cabin crew bases in Melbourne and Brisbane. It is essential to introduce the Louise M range of cabin crew shoes to as many crew as possible in these ports. Due to the rostering system of the airline industry, the teams change on a daily basis and therefore it does not matter how often I visit, there are usually new crew to meet and show shoes to. Perth, Sydney and Melbourne ports have already seen the range, and will be visited again, and again, throughout the year.

The reality of a shoe business is that it entails carrying numerous pairs as extra luggage, and for me who likes to travel lightly is a new concept. At least if I have to carry excess luggage, shoes would always be my ideal excess of choice. Actually I have been know to carry a few shoe purchases home as cabin baggage (very precious cargo!).

As I have come to know Melbourne quite well over the years, working as cabin crew and visiting family, I choose to hire a car on arrival at Melbourne airport. This makes the carriage of luggage and flexibility for visiting business locations so much easier. There are a couple of considerations in regard to accommodation when hiring a car. Car parking in the CBD can be excessive and best avoided by staying in nearby suburbs, and traffic congestion can be a time waster. For these reasons, South Yarra is always a convenient and beautiful location of choice for me to stay.

Brisbane I am not so familiar with. I have had three overnight stays over the years, two while working for Ansett Airlines. However, this involved arriving late into the CBD and leaving the next morning on the next sector of our duty. Travelling alone, I always make sure I feel safe in the location of the hotel and have access to meals without having to walk too far at night. I was actually delighted in my hotel choice this time, a newly refurbished hotel in the Queen St mall. The clever room layout and facilities, helpful and pleasant staff, and location of the NEXT hotel was perfect for this stay. The only downfall was the downpour on the night of my arrival!

It was wonderful to visit the Brisbane Virgin and Qantas Cabin Crew bases for the first time. I was warmly welcomed and delighted that the Louise M range was immediately recognised as exceptional quality along with looking very professional and stylish.

My eight day road trip concluded with my departure from Brisbane en route to Perth. At last we are set to go and as always I love the take off, particularly when I am going home to my beautiful family.