As a kid we used to live in Cairns and fly every year or so to SY for the family gathering at Christmas......
Warning: Thread drift....
Gees Griffo you must have been in the wealthy mob in Cairns, I can remember doing the same Christmas trip each year from about 1959 but we got seats on the 'Red Rattler', for a few years then went upmarket on the Sunlander & Brisbane Limited to Syd (maybe how come I ended up a Train Driver)