The Ferry Queue

Denise is visiting the harbour museum with Leon and their teacher, Mr Grant. They have planned to travel by ferry and walk from the landing to the museum. Denise buys her ticket at the machine, then folds the little harbour map into her pocket. The boat is already waiting beyond the terminal windows.

A long queue stretches beside the barrier. Denise joins it quickly because she does not want to miss the ferry. Leon follows, but he looks back at the board above the waiting area. Two boats leave from this terminal. Their tickets name North Quay, while the nearest sign points towards Island Pier instead.

Denise feels certain she saw the right boat outside. Mr Grant asks them to compare the destination on the ticket with the board. Leon finds North Quay on a separate line. Its boarding time is later, and its gate is on the other side of the terminal. The queue they joined belongs to a different journey.

They leave the queue together and speak to a ferry worker at the help desk. She confirms their gate and explains that boats sometimes use different berths. Denise checks the number on the sign rather than relying on the view through the window. She is relieved that Leon noticed the destination before anyone started boarding.

At the correct gate, an announcement says their ferry will leave ten minutes late. Denise looks at the time on their museum booking. “Will we lose our visit?” she asks. Mr Grant helps them check the arrival time and the short walk from the landing. They still have time, even with the delay included.

Leon suggests waiting by the gate, where they can hear any further announcement. Denise marks the landing on her map and puts her ticket in the same pocket. When the ferry worker opens the barrier, they check the destination once more. Then they follow the staff along the gangway and take seats together inside the ferry.

Across the harbour, Denise spots the museum roof from the window. The journey feels different now that she knows where they are going. At North Quay, they wait for the crew’s instruction before leaving the boat. Leon reads the walking route from the map while Mr Grant stays with them on the busy pavement.

They reach the museum before their booked visit begins. Denise keeps the ferry ticket beside the map instead of throwing it away. They will need to check the return journey later. The most useful clue that morning was not the boat she could see, but the small destination printed on the paper already in her hand.