As fairly experienced travellers you would think Matt and I would be pretty good at remembering to pack everything we need for a trip. Well, we’re not! We try our hardest but we often end up forgetting something. Sometimes that something is small and non-essential, other times it’s very important and something we can’t get at our destination! Lucky for us, our home airport happens to be Brisbane Airport. There’s a wide range of items at the International Terminal both before and after customs so you can find just about anything you’re looking for. Here’s a look at 16 things you forgot to pack and where to find them at Brisbane Airport!
1. Essential Medicines
If you get to the airport and realise you’ve forgotten some essential medicines, there are many things you can find at News Travels. You can find a wide range of essentials including cold relief, hayfever medicine, Imodium, aspirin, Advil, Neurofen, paracetamol and sore throat lozenges. You can also find items for the little ones including Bonjela, Bepanthen, nappies, baby wipes and baby food in pouches. Not only that but they have some items you wouldn’t expect like nail polish remover wipes, contact lens solution, aqua ear medicine and high-strength bug repellant.
2. Personal Care Products
For any forgotten toiletry items, head directly to News Travels where you can stock up on whatever you may need to stay fresh during your flight and when you land! They have a wide selection of essential beauty and toiletry products including mouthwash, toothpaste and toothbrushes, floss, moisturisers of all kinds, deodorant, face wash, exfoliant, shampoo and conditioner.
3. Essential Tech
Forgetting an essential tech item can be a real pain but, don’t worry, there are loads of useful items you can pick up from News Travels. You’ll find items like batteries, charging cords suitable for a wide variety of devices, emergency battery packs, splitters and a great range of headphones for all budgets. You can also pick up power converters for the destination you’re visiting or even a mouse for your laptop if you’ve left yours at home.
4. Children’s Gifts and Toys
Whether you need to entertain your little ones or simply grab a gift, there’s a whole kids section at News Travels that should have pretty much everything you could need. Peruse the wide variety of cute, cuddly plush toys, little bags and backpacks, kids sunglasses and even more toys! They even have mood rings and slap watches which I spent way too long playing with. My mood was ‘happy,’ which sounds about right!
5. Drinks and Snacks
Even when I’m flying with a full-service airline I always like to bring my own snacks with me. If you forgot your snacks at home, don’t worry, you can stock up at News Travels. They’ve got you sorted with a wide range of chips, lollies and healthy options too. You can grab packs of gum or lollies to suck so your ears don’t do that weird ‘pop’ thing and, now you’re through security, you can grab a nice big bottle of drink to take on-board with you or enjoy pre-departure. My favourite chocolatey snack is ‘Wallaby Bites,’ so if you see them be sure to try them.
6. Magazines and books
Whether you’ve been meaning to start a great book or simply forgot yours at home, you can get your hands on some reading material at News Travels. I watch a lot of movies on long-haul flights but sometimes I get sick of it and really need a good book to get stuck into. Not only can you find a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books to choose from they have some awesome magazines and even travel guidebooks so you can do some last minute planning during your flight.
7. Unique gifts
If you left a gift at home or simply forgot to get one, you can pick up a unique Australian gift from Dreamtime Journey. They have some really beautiful items to choose from including tote bags, jewellery, artworks, ceramics and so much more. Gifts from here are perfect for someone from overseas. I know my extended Canadian family would love some of the beautiful pieces found here.
8. Australian Food
Another great spot to pick up a uniquely Australian gift or even just an in-flight snack for yourself is Australian Way. You’ll love the wide selection of delectable Australian chocolates and they even have a fridge with decadent truffles and individual chocolates to choose from. You can also choose from their wide range of Australian wine, beauty products and unexpected items like emu or crocodile jerky.
9. Clothing and Swimwear
For that moment when you realise you didn’t pack all your summer essentials, look no further than the Billabong store. Here you can get your hands on a wide range of summer clothing including swimwear, hats, dresses, shorts, skirts, boardshorts and tops. You’ll also be able to find sunscreen, sunglasses, surfboard wax, leg ropes for your surfboard and even a brand new pair of thongs/pluggers/jandals/flip-flops. I’m adding them all in there! I know North America’s got a different view on the word thong so let’s just clear that up right now. You can also grab fresh sunglasses from the Sunglass Hut, which stock a great range of shades to choose from and even have some smaller pairs for the kids.
10. Australian Icons
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve arrived at an airport only for Matt to say he’s forgotten his belt…. again! If this sounds like you then you’re going to want to visit R.M Williams. What I love about R.M Williams, personally, is the quality of their products. Everything is really well made so you know whatever you buy is going to last you a very, very long time. You can find some really good quality clothing including jeans, button-up shirts, tee’s, hats, belts, bags and coats at R.M Williams, just to name a few.
11. Woolly Classics
If you’re on your way to a colder climate and need some warm winter gear to help you stay nice and cosy, you’re going to want to visit Merino Collection. Here you’ll find delectably plush Ugg boots in all sizes, from adults through to adorable little kids ones that look like ladybugs! They also have some fantastic base layers, super warm coats, waterproof coats, gloves, thick socks, beanies, gloves, scarves, jumpers and more.
12. Chocolates and Treats
You probably don’t know this but I have a bit of a Toblerone addiction (so does my mum!) If like us, you love nothing more than to stock up on those ridiculous-sized Toblerone’s at the airport, you’re going to want to visit the Duty-Free shop. Here, you can get your snacks sorted for the flight or even pick up some sweet gifts for anyone you may have forgotten.
13. High Tech Electronics
For people who travel a lot, we sure have a knack for forgetting important electronic items that we really need for our job! If you find yourself at the airport missing something important, like we have before, then you can find a great range of high tech electronic products at the Duty-Free shop. You can get digital cameras, noise-cancelling headphones, Bluetooth speakers and a wide variety of GoPro accessories. They’ve also got smartphones, iPads, laptop charging cords and even fitbits!
14. Beauty and Makeup
If you arrive at the airport and suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to pack some much-needed make-up or beauty products, don’t worry! A visit to the Duty-Free shop will have you sorted in no time. Here you can pick up a wide range of items including foundation, mascara, eyeshadow palettes, blush, concealer, setting powder, lipstick, highlighter and so much more. Not only that but you can also find makeup brushes and nail polish too! If you’re in need of skincare products you can find loads of different products including the amazing range at Kiehls where you can find everything from scrubs, serums and moisturisers to cleansers, make-up remover and masks.
15. Foreign Currency
It’s a great idea to have a little bit of the local currency for the destination you’re visiting. That way, when you arrive, you’re covered just in case your card doesn’t work or you can’t find any way to get money out for a day or so. If you forgot to get it sorted before you head to the airport, don’t worry! You can either take money out from one of the foreign currency ATMs or you can have money converted at the foreign exchange counter.
16. Travel Insurance
If, for any reason, you didn’t get your travel insurance sorted before you got to the airport you can and MUST get yourself covered before you depart. Brisbane Airport has great wifi so you can easily jump online and book your policy yourself or, if you prefer, can visit the Flight Centre counter in the departures hall of the International Terminal.
