Our flight was cancelled. A captain intervened and saved us nine hours

My family and I were on a recent flight QF729 from Uluru to Sydney which had to be cancelled due to a mechanical problem. It took eight hours to have a replacement aircraft flown in. The response by Qantas was admirable – new flights, provision of food and an overnight stay were all organised quickly and efficiently. The QF729 captain even stayed with us in the terminal throughout the wait, helping every passenger who needed it. He even reviewed the replacement flights assigned to us and came up with an alternate schedule that saved us nine hours. Well done Qantas. Dr Hudson Birden, Douglas, Qld

My beyond-the-usual experience was paddling down the Manombolo River in Madagascar, under the cold stare of crocodiles from its muddy banks. Slowly kayaking past little villages that rarely see travellers had the local children squealing with delight. Then hiking in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park (Tsingy translates to tiptoe) among razor sharp limestone outcrops, where lemurs leapt across the jagged rocks. And then to witness a stunning sunset along the Avenue of Baobabs, where trees appear uprooted and replanted with their roots reaching towards the heavens. It was like another world. Roxanne Le Blanc Croydon Vic

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We recently returned from a visit to Vietnam where we were screened through security at the departure terminal and obviously emptied all water bottles as per the regulations. Once into the duty free area, we used the free water stations to replenish the bottles. When it came time to go to the departure lounge for our return flight to Sydney we again had to empty our water bottles, however at the kiosk inside the lounge, a security guard was present with a sign stating that due to Australian government regulations, water could not be sold to us. I am at a loss to understand the reasoning behind this regulation and have been unable to find out. Mary Hackett-White, Bega, NSW.

I recently returned home from Europe, premium economy. Landed in Melbourne at 7.09am, passed through passport check, then duty free (for the obligatory bottle of gin), collected luggage from the carousel and passed through customs with nothing to declare. I caught the Broadmeadows bus outside Terminal 4, then took the train to Kensington and was home by 8.20am. Nothing to complain about, no tolls, no paid parking, just $2.50 for public transport. Robyn Wood, Kensington, Vic

For some time now my partner and I have thought the Traveller online quiz is getting too easy. We’ve changed the rules to make it more interesting. It’s two points if you answer correctly without multiple choice. Three points if you answer before the quiz master finishes the question. And five points if you’re correct and the quiz master has asked a different, totally cryptic question. Loads more fun. Ed Cooley, Buderim, Queensland

Editor’s note: We’ve looked at the answer data and agree with you. Expect a more challenging Traveller quiz to be coming your way soon.

For overseas travellers arriving or departing from an international airport after or before a long flight, the advantage of an airport hotel stay is obvious – the chance to rest within a reasonable time of arrival or before departure. My recent use of such a hotel at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport required the use of a hotel shuttle bus. The collection point was outside Door 4 of Terminal 3 – that location was accurate, but the directions failed to clarify that the bus bays are in the middle of a busy airport road, on a narrow traffic island. Look for the bus bays in the median strip or you might miss the bus. Roger Smith, East Melbourne, Vic

My husband and I recently went to Abu Dhabi to look after our grandsons, 14, 12 and eight, while their parents were away, before all the family – nine of us – met up in Sevenoaks, UK for a family holiday. We have been to Abu Dhabi many times, but I had a Traveller article about teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and it was the most amazing experience of all for us, so a huge thank you to Traveller. Kerri Hayman, Armadale, Vic

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