anat0l

I had thought about heading towards the shops to check out the shopping and even consider walking into a restaurant to have a bite to eat (perhaps see what comfort food is like in Beijing), but I was too tired and - strangely enough - too attracted (and thus stingy) to the promise of complimentary food in the lounge. Besides, I had no Yuan (Renminbi) and the prospect of having to withdraw some using my 28 Degrees Mastercard, or pay with it (and making sure I don't fall for the infamous DCC scams in China) was not appealing. So, I stayed put.

Eventually, it looked like my tired wait would be soon over. A man in the familiar aqua / sea-green-blue of NZ walked towards our counters, along with a bunch of staff from Air China (obviously contracted to check-in NZ services at PEK). The staff took their sweet time being briefed by the NZ head agent, refamiliarising themselves with how to twiddle thumbs Western style, do their hair and nails, standing to attention, making sure that the NZ bag tags are all lined up to micrometre precision, gossiping about the weekend ahead and rearranging the queue tapes three times before finally opening check-in to accept passengers.

Alright, I confess - I did embellish that last bit... they didn't do all of that stuff I said... either way, check-in didn't start until well after the T-3 hours mark had surpassed.


That's where I'm sitting!

Fortunately, check-in was relatively painless as my check-in agent had little trouble completing all procedures and issuing me with my boarding pass, along with directions to the lounge. For those travelling through PEK, it's probably worth noting that yes, my agent could speak English competently, but of course please have patience and speak clearly without slang for the benefit of understanding. Also, don't be put off if someone replies to you in English and it sounds very abrupt or brusque (e.g. says rather nonchalantly, "Of course!"); this is a cultural thing and should not be misconstrued as condescension. (This applies to all staff in the airport - check-in agents, passport control agents, helpers etc.).


Another check-in hall artefact.

Anyway, after receiving my BP, it was time to head back to T3E ASAP. So it was through the international departures point-of-no-return and downstairs to wait for another ride on the automated people mover.

Once I was back at T3E, the little chaos set in. I have no idea why an airport would be smart enough to have an effective area for inbound immigration and yet such an ineffective one for outbound immigration. It probably didn't help that since we were a level below the highest one so we don't get the benefit of a high ceiling to give the feeling of space, but waiting for outwards immigration the lines were configured to snake around meticulously and everyone was pushed in tight, right up to the counter face.

Once I finally got to the immigration counter, I handed over my passport and immigration form, whilst my picture was examined by the surveillance monitor nearby. I was then asked for some ID. What? Isn't that what a passport is for? I didn't understand why they still needed ID, and what ID could I use? I asked whether drivers licence was OK; they said yes. So, I offered my Queensland drivers licence (which, as any Australian knows, is one of phoniest looking drivers licences in the country, indeed the developed world). This seemed to suffice for purpose, so I went through to security screening.

Literally five steps beyond immigration we were inside another meticulous snaking queue towards security screening. I felt like a hot potato being forced through a ricer. Despite the amenity kits in my cabin baggage (i.e. many little LAGs), I managed to get past security screening without trouble at all. The density of people at the point and being forced through did give rise to concerns about the safety of my belongings going through the x-ray. I'm happy to say that my concerns were unfounded, but frankly if anyone did have real concerns then this is probably no appropriate place to raise them in any case, because it would be both fruitless and would be like riding a bike in heavy moving traffic then stopping suddenly, i.e. very dumb idea.


The fountain which greets those who finally get through outbound immigration and security screening.






More airside artefacts at PEK T3E.

Airside T3E once again feels quite airy and spacious. There are plenty of shops and eateries all around, but fairly spacious walking avenues makes sure that it doesn't completely feel like another busy Asian mega mall. The lounges at PEK seem to be - at least the main Air China ones - one level up, like "islands" up higher than the main airside concourse.

As a NZ Business Premier passenger (or Star Alliance Gold, if I had it), I was normally entitled to use the Air China Business Class Lounge. However, I was feeling a wee bit like pushing my luck, as I had been previously advised that the First Class Lounge was better than the Business Class one, notably on a couple of features. Strictly speaking, although my previous flight was in F, and LX and CA are Star Alliance buddies, I still had no entitlement to use the F Lounge. I think tiredness and being annoyed at the inability to get back to airside quicker this morning got the better of me, so I decided to try my luck.


View of the entrance to the CA F Lounge at PEK T3E from the main airside concourse.


Sign denoting the entrance to the CA F Lounge.


Looking out to the rest of the airside concourse from the top of the escalators and the entrance to the CA F Lounge.

Me (to front desk attendant): "Umm... this morning I came from Swiss First Class flight, but my next flight is Air New Zealand Business Class. Is it OK if I use this lounge?"
Front Desk Attendant: "Hmmmm... (sighs) OK, OK, this time only you can use." [stamps boarding pass]

My next enquiry was whether I could use a shower in the lounge, and the attendant said this was OK, but he would have to hold onto my boarding pass in order to do so. Fine... handed him the boarding pass and he pointed out where the showers were. When I arrived at the small shower and bathroom complex, a cleaner showed me to a free shower room.

Let me just say - these shower rooms are small. Don't even think about swinging cats - you'd be lucky if the cat even fit with you in the shower room. To visualise the size of the shower room, think about it this way:

• The shower room has two sections - one was the shower and the other is the vanity and changing area.
• In the vanity and changing area, think about the floor area occupied by the vanity sink and a little bit of space on either side (e.g. to place a towel, an accessories basket). Now double that floor space. That's the size of the vanity and changing area.
• Now take the space which you've just figured out and visualise a shower area that big.

That's how big the shower room is. It isn't big at all. If you're on the more rotund end of the human shape scale, like myself, it's not the most comfortable space to be in. Worse, because it was quite compact, compounded by the fact that there isn't an option for active ventilation, when you had a warm shower, the steam has no where to escape quickly. Effectively, you create a little sauna. Perfect.......oh, and worth noting that there is no toilet in the shower rooms, so you better not have any 'urges' whilst you're having a shower......

...but, who am I to complain? I had a shower - better than nothing - and it would be quite a relief after my long flight from Europe and all the mess I had to put up with early this morning. The fact that the shower was quite adequate and had good water pressure was more evidence that this was quite sufficient.


Vanity sink area. Double this floor space to get the area of the vanity and changing area. You need just a bit more than guts to be able to use the hair dryer in this space, especially if you've just had a warm shower.

anat0l

Basic shower accessories. No name brands here, not even ones popular in Asia.


Shower. Yep, it's one of those types that sprays on your head and at your body. Those who are familiar with the BA lounges will know what this contraption is.

A steamy shower later, I was feeling quite refreshed, so I went back out and retrieved my BP before exploring the rest of the lounge.

The CA F Lounge doesn't look all that big, mainly because it is on top of part of the shop complex that forms the airside concourse at PEK T3E. That said, this is a First Class lounge, so it may not have to cater to a lot of people at all, even at peak demand, so in that sense the lounge might have been the right size, or even bigger. There were a number of lounging areas (including one area where apparently tea tasting can be experienced), a home entertainment area, a small dining area and a very small bar area. There was a nice sprinkling of green life around the lounge, which is rather different to many lounges (even those that are not First Class lounges) around the world. The edges of the lounge offered views of the rest of the airside concourse. From a decor point of view, the lounge appeared to have that comfort that a tranquil retreat from the rest of the airport should have, along with a bit of prestige that gives the premium lift that would hopefully be befitting of a First Class standard. Not the best First Class lounge by any means (this lounge and some UA Global First lounges would probably have a bit of a competition as to which is the better lounge).

Sometimes, pictures help tell a better story......




Lounging areas in the CA F Lounge, PEK T3E.


Home entertainment area.




A smaller enclosed area of the lounge.


There are a couple of these special small rooms that are specifically designated for CA Phoenix Miles Platinum members only.


Small bar area.


View of the rest of the airside concourse from one edge of the lounge (the edge facing towards the centre of the terminal).

anat0l

I was feeling a slight peckish so I moved over to the food area of the lounge, which is located in a far corner (from the perspective of the entry to the lounge), opposite the corner where the bar is located.

Although there is an array of food from cold to steamed to hot, plus snacks and nibbly bric-a-brac, I have to say that the food was very average. It's much more just a filler than anything to enjoy tasting. Different food is available at other times (which is indicated by the directives at the buffet). One of the "staples" of the buffet - the steamers - seemed to be there in order to provide at least comfort food for the Chinese who used the lounge. It was certainly comfort food at best as the taste of the food was definitely not top notch; not even Business Class worthy IMO.


One part of the buffet corner.




The seating area around the food and beverage section of the CA F Lounge, PEK T3E.


A statue in bamboo in the corner of the food and beverage area of the lounge.


A selection from the steamers: (clockwise from top left) har gow (虾饺, prawn dumpling), bao (包子, steamed bun), siu mai (烧卖, a common dumpling filled with pork), and man tou (馒头, another kind of steamed bun, typically plain and is a 'bread' staple in northern China). All of these, unfortunately, tasted very, very average.


Coca cola in CA glassware. Just a word of note: almost all drinks are available at room temperature, not chilled. Consider using plenty of ice if drinking these beverages like the Chinese do is not your style.

The seating in the dining area had a nearby power point and provided some great space for me to lay out my laptop, mobile and iPod so that I could charge up all my devices whilst utilising the free internet using a code provided by the front desk. I took care of a few emails; Facebook, however, seemed non-responsive, which I blamed on the Great Firewall of China. Some emails, some web surfing and some plane spotting on the tarmac outside... fairly soon, I was just over an hour away from leaving my stop in PEK and continuing on back to the southern hemisphere near home. My devices suitably recharged, I packed up my belongings and started to make my way to the lounge exit to head towards my gate.


Flight: Air New Zealand NZ286 Beijing Capital (北京首都国际机场) (PEK T3E) - Auckland (Tamaki Makaurau / Akarana) (AKL I)
Depart: Sched 1150h; Actual 1219h
Duration: 12 h 55 min
Distance: 6,463 mi (10,402 km)
Aircraft: ZK-OKB Boeing 777-200
Class: Business Premier
Seat: 3A



Air New Zealand plane docked at gate, bound for AKL.

I find myself once again with the short straw of efficiently reducing the time I have to spend at the gate area as our flight to AKL was clearly delayed a bit; they did take their time updating the status of the flight to reflect this delay, however. The gate staff had to virtually verbally beat back the crowds in direct proximity of the boarding area in order to lay out the queue lines. Luckily, however, the elite boarding line appeared to be shorter and much more ordered than the other lines.

Boarding started and I didn't have to wait long to reach the front of line. As I boarded the NZ aircraft, I found my seat quickly in the herringbone configuration that is NZ's Business Premier product. Traditionally, I am not a fan of the herringbone configuration, of which my first experience was with VS, and I'd also had the experience with CX (when they still had herringbone in J). I find it mostly a bit crowding (even though the short-ish walls are meant to provide a cavity of "privacy"), and a bit uncomfortable (particularly during sleeping) laterally, which is not helped again if you're a bit wider than is recommended healthy. Nevertheless, when I had weighed up my options and routing possibilities to get to AKL from Europe, the balance appealed to me to go with NZ. At least I can rely on the dependable NZ service and good food and drink, and it was a non-stop service from PEK. Besides, I always thought that even though I didn't like herringbone, NZ had the best seat of all the carriers who had the same kind of cabin.

The Business Premier on this B777-200 is the older product from NZ. Their newest Business Premier, finished in white leather rather than brown, is only on their newest 777-300ERs, which at the time were only used on their premier longhaul route, AKL/LAX/LHR. The main differences also included different amenity kits (much better ones) and an on board bar area with self-serve refreshments on the newer services. The cabin was also starting to show a bit of wear and tear; most noticeably scuff marks on the pearl white panelling and tables or other accessories not quite latching in flush to the panels. Nothing completely non-operational, and scuff marks are waaaay too easy to make on any white panel, especially in an area which was most likely to be subject to various impacts.


Business Premier cabin on board the NZ B777-200.


My seat, 3A.


Leg room in 3A. It actually doesn't feel like a lot, and I'm not very tall. Menus, wine guides and amenity kits are placed on the ottoman before boarding commenced.

anat0l

Old IFE software on this aircraft, and not yet functional so no gate-to-gate if you wanted it.


Nearby seat and table release controls.


NZ J amenity kit contents (shot taken after the flight).

The cabin wasn't completely full, but that said there were only a couple of spare seats. Most of the pax in the J cabin appeared to be Chinese, with not many non-Chinese around. Myself, I do have a Chinese background, but seeing as I speak my "mother tongue" extremely ill I consider myself a phoney at the best of times around other Chinese. The cabin crew were also predominantly Chinese, save for the chief purser, who was clearly a New Zealander. I later learned that all of the Chinese cabin crew were recruited from Shanghai.

Pre-flight drinks were being distributed; I opted for the safe choice of an orange juice. No reason to punt a guess on the Champagne, if it even was Champagne, and besides I could use some restraint this morning.


Pre-flight drink of orange juice, served on the cocktail table which is just nearby one's left shoulder (if you are in an A seat).

Boarding was completed, so the front door was closed and the NZ safety video was screened. Or rather, the mishmash of several of NZ's safety videos was screened. Basically, the safety video was a moving collage of cuts between NZ's famed safety videos, including Nothing to Hide, the All Blacks special edition and the edition featuring Richard Simmons (*shudder*). Just as it was this morning, our taxi to the runway took absolute ages, so thankfully there were no other impediments when we were lined up and cleared for take off.


The ugly side of Kia Ora that you don't normally see.

The crew were up and into gear as soon as the seat belt sign turned off, making arrangements for the lunch service. One crew member started going around to each passenger to ask for pre-lunch drinks. NZ have an arrangement to the wines where you don't actually get a list of wines available. You do get a wine guide, which lists all of the wines that NZ may have on a given flight, but in order to obtain today's selection, you need to ask the FA. Fortunately, Sauvignon Blanc, my choice and a common and stable choice in New Zealand, was available. My wine was served with a small appetiser of a few nuts and a few other things on the side.


Pre-lunch wine with appetiser.

The starter of duck breast was delivered soon afterwards, along with a selection of bakery. Despite there being a few greens on the starter course, NZ do not provide a separate side salad. The duck was alright - a little tough and the flavour was quite subtle (perhaps almost taken over by the five spice). The combination with the sweet mango salsa probably didn't help by further masking the delicate duck flavour rather than accentuating it.


Starter of five spice duck with small salad and mango cranberry salsa, along with bakery selection and optional olive oil (no balsamic, though).

I decided to lay off the alcohol and opted to continue drinking with a New Zealand iconic L&P.


A New Zealand iconic soft drink: L&P.

Main course orders were taken in advance rather than being offered on-the-go. Seems like they might have had enough for all to have a first choice, but then again I did sit near the front of the cabin on the A side to beat that game slightly (given I had no status on NZ, the Gold Elites on board should've easily trumped me there). I selected the chicken breast, which sounded the most interesting of the three choices. Can't say much about the presentation, but to be really fair I had just come off a First Class flight. It tasted quite nice, though the butter was a bit of a questionable addition as well as having a very subtle horseradish element.


Main course of thyme roasted chicken breast stuffed with bacon mousseline, served with herb roasted pumpkin, broccoli and horseradish butter.

After main course, in a switch to the previous flights I had been on, the dessert was served first, followed by the cheese course. It was hard to select between the two desserts, but I settled on the pleasant ice cream choice.


Mango and strawberry ice cream with wafer. Elementary selection, perhaps, but it was very nice ice cream.

anat0l

I took my time with the dessert, but the FA was happy not to return until I had finally finished in order to clear my dessert bowl and offer the final course of cheese, which I agreed to as well as ordering a glass of the dessert wine.


Cheese course.


Brilliant colour on the dessert wine.

Finally the entire lunch was rounded off with a coffee.


Coffee served in the new line of distinctive NZ mugs.

By this time, most of the cabin had finished and had the same idea about getting settled in for a sleep. Of course, NZ do not provide sleeper suits to their J pax (only very few airlines give sleeper suits to J pax), but I still had my sleeper suit from LX F. I asked the FA to make up my bed, then headed to the forward cabin bathroom to get changed, and was surprised to see the bathroom quite ill-equipped for a J bathroom. Last time I was here there was a small selection of amenities - including moisturiser and toner - but this time there was just the compulsory hand wash, with empty bottle holders standing bare where the other amenities should be. Gotta say, I was just a little bit disappointed.


NZ J bathroom - rather bare of amenities.

When I returned, I noticed that my seat had been transformed into a bed and the doona underlay had been laid out along with the covering quilt.


My bed made up.


Snug up in bed.

Given that this was a fairly long flight, there was an excellent chance to get an adequate period of sleep. I listened to a bit of music and watched a video on my iPod before stowing my items into the recessed storage pod nearby, then put on my eye mask and went to sleep.


Friday 27 April 2012


Strictly speaking, we probably didn't hit Friday until well into the flight and approaching descent, but let's work with this. When I woke up after what felt like a decent block of sleep, I found myself in a dark cabin, save for a couple of pockets of light in the cabin from the night birds who were enjoying a movie or two.

I got up out of bed and had a bit of a walk up and down the dark aircraft. A few of the FAs were in the galley keeping an eye on things. I saw one of them in the galley aft of J and struck up a bit of a conversation with her (which is how I learned that the crew were from Shanghai, and that in the service industry, it appears that people prefer those from Shanghai rather than Beijing!). There is no self-serve bar for J pax in the NZ B777-200, but in the galley there were beverages and other bric-a-brac strewn about in full view behind barrier shelves. The FA apologised as she seemed quite embarrassed that the galley was a bit of a mess, but I told her that it was nothing at all. Over a cup of tea we had a bit of a chat about working for NZ and the withdrawal of the PEK/AKL service, which the FA was not really in agreement with, especially if it meant having to route pax from PEK to PVG with CA.


The galley area, a little bit unkempt, according to the FA.

After finishing a short conversation, I felt like raiding the fridge at midnight, so to speak, so I asked for a small selection from the snacks, which consisted of a dim sum platter, as well as a selection of chocolates and cakes.


In-flight snack selection of dim sum...


...and chocolates / cakes mini-selection.

The in-flight snacks were nice. The dim sum, surprisingly, had a better texture and taste than what I got in the CA F Lounge. All was washed down with a swig of water, and after relaxing a little bit in the dark, I decided to go back to sleep to get a couple more hours. I didn't stir up again until I was awoken by the smell of breakfast wafting through the cabin. By this time, even though it was literally the wee hours of the morning (ETA into AKL was 0445h!), the lights were set to just breaking dawn.


Good morning NZ J cabin!

anat0l

As the cabin began to stir awake, FAs started going around, helping to open tables and lay out table cloths. First drinks orders were taken, which was returned with the breakfast tray and a choice of continental openers.


Wake up cup of coffee and muesli topped with fruit and yoghurt.

This was soon followed up by a choice of extra continental selections or smoothie. Bakery items were also offered, and for those that wanted the more substantial warm options, their orders were also taken.


Bakery items and glass of smoothie.

I wasn't too keen on the sweet brioche toast option and the Chinese breakfast didn't sound all that appealing, so I went with the omelette. Can't say it tasted great, but it wasn't horrid. Couldn't taste much brie in it and the mushroom was near absent, but at least it still had an egg taste present and it wasn't the consistency of rubber. Breakfasts are pretty difficult to impress since they are pretty standard in variety almost all over the world, so the most you really hope for is something that will satisfy you, and something that doesn't taste bad. That's in every single class of service, even First class.


Brie and mushroom omelette with sides of bacon, potatoes and tomato.

As soon as I finished up breakfast, I was keen to get changed back into street clothes ASAP to beat the rest of the pack; after all, the bathroom is the cleanest when the least people have used it before! I was even happy to carry up my finished tray to the galley to return to the FAs (who returned my initiative with a rather odd glance). Soon enough, I was changed out and refreshed just as most people were having their trays removed from their tables.

I returned to my seat and packed up my bedding, returning it to the seat configuration. There wasn't much left of the flight after breakfast, so after filling out my incoming immigration card, I mainly just relaxed and tried to get a few little winks here and there before we started our descent into AKL in earnest. Soon enough, we touched down into AKL and were off to the international terminal. It was still dark as anything outside, with the airport lighting shining down on a few NZ aircraft (including an All Black aircraft) parked around the terminal and some at gate, and a couple of QF and JQ aircraft also parked... and of course there was the standard LA aircraft parked at the terminal for the usual OMG o'clock hop across the Tasman.

Whilst it wasn't quite 100 hours or so that I went from (real) bed to bed like one of my previous trips from Europe - it was only 35 hours this time - I was very much looking forward to crashing into a soft bed on land and having a nice rest!

Absolutely no troubles at all getting through AKL. Immigration was no questions asked, baggage came out relatively quickly with priority tagging working all the way from Europe, and customs just asked one question then waved me on my way. Once I was out in the familiar landside of AKL I, I had a look around to find out where to catch the Airbus to get to the city. Once I found where to go, I didn't have to wait long for the next service. Bought a return ticket on board and I was on my way to AKL with barely any other pax on board. As to be expected, there was no traffic to speak of as the Airbus roared down quiet streets - residential and major - as it snaked its way into the city centre. Even when we arrived in the city centre, it was still asleep.

Even though I had quite a decent block of sleep on my NZ leg, I was still a little fatigued and could use a nice soft bed to relax on. The Airbus reached its terminus near the Britomart, after which I had only a block and a bit more to walk to get to my accommodation at Princes Wharf.


Accommodation: Hilton Auckland
Room: Twin Deluxe Harbour View Plus


It was great to finally walk all the way to the end of Princes Wharf to arrive at the Hilton Auckland. The Hilton Auckland was a nice, stable choice in the Hilton Australasia portfolio, if the only major "failing" of the property was that there was no Executive Lounge. Most rooms, however, have access to a nice outside deck, of which some of them also gave excellent views of Auckland harbour.

Normally I'd be looking forward to checking in, getting up to my room as fast as possible, then relaxing on the bed. There was one big problem: it was very early in the morning. Possibility of having a room ready for me? You've got a better chance dancing for rain. And... wouldn't you know it, I was right.

As I trudged up to check-in, the gentleman at reception was most genuinely apologetic but he said that a room would not be ready until some time later. However, he was happy to accommodate some of my other needs in the morning as best as he could. So I asked him if I could have a shower - he said that would be no problem. He arranged for a temporary card so I could have access to the gymnasium, of which there are two individual shower rooms attached so I could have a shower.

I took a bit longer in the shower than usual as I felt the water run over my tired body (as well as slightly rehydrating it at the same time). I was also probably thinking of ways to burn up time, so to speak, so I didn't have to wait as long for my room to be ready. When I finally finished up refreshed in a new change of clothes, I went back downstairs to be told that a room was still not ready.

No matter... how about internet? Again, the reception was only to happy to help me out by offering me the complimentary use of the business room behind reception, which had an able computer and printer ready. Thankfully, as New Zealand is two hours ahead of the Australian eastern seaboard, there were not any new emails bombarding my account at that time of the morning, so that gave me a bit of time to put out the fires on the rest of them.

Unfortunately, 9 am came and still there was no prospect of the room being ready yet. The reception offered breakfast. Whilst I was already one breakfast up for the morning from my NZ flight, I could use at least a cup of coffee and maybe some fresh fruit, so I took up his offer. He told me just to proceed to FISH restaurant and tell them who I was, and the reception would take care of the rest (reception had my restaurant account charged to a house account so it was free of charge). Up at FISH I asked for a table with a view of the harbour, whereupon I indulged in a few cups of coffee as well as a couple of small plates - salad, some bread... nothing too heavy.

When I finally decided to head downstairs again to the reception, I thanked them for breakfast, but my room was still not yet ready. I told them that I would wait over near the seating area facing the harbour (which forms part of Bellini bar) so that I could relax. They said that they would be happy to let me know once the room was ready.

As I was relaxing in seats overlooking the harbour, I was interrupted from my state resembling somewhat that of a zombie by a familiar, "Hello there!" As I looked up, it was Itsalongwaydown.

Itsalongwaydown and Mrs Itsalongwaydown sat down and we had a good catching up. I certainly did my best as I was trying not to let on that I was too tired. Eventually, someone from the front desk came along and informed me that my room was finally ready. I headed back to the reception to collect the keys, as well as two drinks vouchers for Bellini (in lieu of no Executive Lounge), then I headed up to finally find somewhere I could rest.

As I entered the room, I could see that it was big. The main thing which really stood out, however, was the awesomely large outdoor entertainment area adjoined to the room which had sweeping views of Auckland harbour and beyond. I'm not sure the room was actually a suite, as there was no separate rooms / walls for bed and living area (even though there was a couch and desk with still ample space that I think an extra wall would have been pointless), but you certainly can't complain about the space!

I got settled in, snapped a few pictures of the room for sharing later, then collapsed onto the bed. In the sky, you can get as comfortable as possible on an aircraft which glides through the clouds, but on land, a good bed is like resting on a cloud....


Entering our large room at the Hilton Auckland. The first left is the bathroom, the second left is a small ante-section with wardrobe and bar, then straight ahead is the rest of the room - beds, couch and desk.


Large bathroom at Hilton Auckland, including a full size bathtub.


Small ante-section with wardrobe (furthest) and bar.


The main part of the room.


Huge outdoor entertainment area adjoining our room...




...with magnificent sweeping views of Auckland harbour.

anat0l

Air New Zealand NZ286 Business Premier Beijing Capital - Auckland
Thursday 26 April 2012 / Friday 27 April 2012


Main Meal (Lunch)


To Begin

Five spice scented roasted duck breast with garden greens and mango cranberry salsa (created by Geoff Scott)


From the Bakery

Garlic bread

Crusty olive breads

Foccacia


Mains

Slow braised lamb shank with gratin potatoes and sauteed leaf spinach (created by Rex Morgan)

Oriental fried fish with sweet chilli sauce and preserved rice, carrot, pak choy, shiitake mushroom and egg fried rice

Thyme roasted chicken breast stuffed with bacon mousseline, with herb roasted pumpkin, broccoli and horseradish butter (created by Geoff Scott)


To Finish

Gourmet ice cream dessert of mango and strawberry ice cream with crisp wafer

Baked blueberry almond tart with honey and yoghurt cream (created by Peter Gordon)


Cheese

A selection of fine hard, soft and blue cheeses


Hot Drinks

Freshley brewed or decaffeinated coffee, tea, jasmine green tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate


Light Refreshment


A selection of sandwiches, cakes and dim sum will be offered during your flight.

Freshley brewed or decaffeinated coffee, tea, jasmine green tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate will also be available.


Breakfast


Wake-up Drinks

Start your day with a fruit smoothie, your choice of juice, freshly brewed or decaffeinated coffee, tea, jasmine green tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate


Light Breakfast

A bowl of muesli topped with yoghurt and fresh fruit is available as a lighter option


Full Breakfast

Fruit and cereals will be offered followed by a hot bakery selection and your choice of a hot breakfast

Fresh fruit salad

Yoghurt (natural or fruit flavoured)

Fruit and nut mini Weetabix

Swiss muesli

Weet-Bix

Cornflakes


From the Bakery

Croissants

Wholemeal and white toast

Muffins


From the Stove

Brie and mushroom omelette with grilled bacon, breakfast potatoes and roasted cherry tomato (created by Rex Morgan)

Cinnamon spiced brioche toast with mixed berry compote and mascarpone cream (created by Rex Morgan)

Traditional Chinese rice porridge with pickled vegetables, pork floss and fried milk bun (man tou)


Drinks


Wine

The premium wine selection on board this flight has been chosen by our wine consultants: John Belsham of Foxes Island Wines, Kate Radburnd of CJ Pask Winery and Jim Harre, nationally recognised wine judge. For details of our on board wines, refer to your Air New Zealand Wine Guide.


New Zealand Sparkling Wine


Champagne

G. H. Mumm Cordon Rouge
France


Spirits

Glenfiddich Malt Whisky

Chivas Regal Blended Whisky

Jack Daniel's Black Label

Gordons Gin

42Below Vodka

Courvoisier VSOP

Coruba Rum

Ron Bacardi Superior


Port and Liqueurs

Portuguese Port

Grand Marnier

Baileys Irish Cream


Beer

Steinlager Pure

Export Gold

Heineken

Low alcohol lager


Cold Drinks

Mineral water

Orange juice

Apple juice

Tomato juice

Cranberry juice

Pineapple juice

Cola

Lemonade

L&P

Tonic water

Ginger ale

Diet Cola

Diet lemonade


Hot Drinks

Freshly brewed coffee

Decaffeinated coffee

English Breakfast tea

Hot chocolate

Chamomile tea

Lemon and ginger tea

Decaffeinated tea

Raspberry, strawberry and loganberry and cranberry and pomegranate tea

Earl Grey tea

Peppermint tea

Green tea

Jasmine green tea

anat0l

Air New Zealand Business Premier Wine Guide
February - July 2012


Sauvignon Blanc

Cable Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Marlborough

Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Marlborough

Matua Valley Marlborough Reserve Release Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Marlborough

Two Rivers of Marlborough "Convergence" Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Marlborough


Chardonnay

Crossroads Winery Chardonnay 2010
Hawke's Bay

Riverby Estate Chardonnay 2009
Marlborough

Saint Clair Marlborough Pioneer Block 10 Twin Hills Chardonnay 2010
Marlborough


Premium Aromatic

Hunter's Wines Riesling 2010
Marlborough

Lawson's Dry Hills Gewürztraminer 2009
Marlborough

Mt Difficulty Pinot Gris 2010
Central Otago

West Brook Pinot Gris 2011
Waimauku


Pinot Noir

Crossroads Winery Pinot Noir 2010
Marlborough

Desert Heart Wine Company Untamed Heart Pinot Noir 2008
Central Otago

Esk Valley Pinot Noir 2009
Marlborough

Te Mara Estate Pinot Noir 2009
Central Otago

The Crater Rim Pinot Noir 2009
Waipara


Premium Red Wines

Clearview Estate Enigma Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Hawke's Bay

Crossroads Winery Merlot 2009
Hawke's Bay

Matawhero Wines Merlot 2010
Gisborne

Mills Reef Winery Reserve Syrah 2010
Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay

Villa Maria Private Bin Syrah 2009
Hawke's Bay


Dessert Wines

Allan Scott Late Harvest Reisling 2009
Marlborough

Alpha Domus AD Noble Selection 2009
Hawke's Bay

Riverby Estate Noble Reisling 2009
Marlborough

roadwarriorafrica

Excellent report. Well detailed, and very well written. I enjoyed it.

anat0l

Making sure I wasn't fatigued for the weekend was crucial, as it was going to be a great weekend of food and drink, and you just don't taste food that well when you're tired. Besides, tonight would be a prelude to the culinary highlight of the weekend, as we were all going out to Jervois Steak House. So, a little bit of rest later and I was fit to go for tonight's dinner.


A welcome amenity from Hilton - fruit, water and chocolates.

The arrivals at the Hilton swelled and in the evening, many of us convened in the lobby to get ready to go to Jervois, whilst some others were just about arriving into AKL. A few pre-dinner drinks were taken, but not long after, a number of us piled into taxis and on our way to Jervois.


A guide to meat at Jervois - here, it's taken seriously, and prepared seriously well.

As we arrived at Jervois - an establishment by famous NZ chef Simon Gault that prides itself on meat - we headed upstairs to a rustic and cosy looking saloon-like sitting area, and yet with a modern edge to it. Certainly, once we were all seated, it did feel quite cosy indeed! But it made for great conversation with everyone.




Everyone seated around at Jervois.

A set three-course menu was laid down for all to choose from. There were some tasty choices indeed, which made selection far from a trivial exercise!


Bread with standard accompaniments to whet the appetite.

Firstly, I have to say hats off to the restaurant staff who were waiting on our tables for their tireless attention to service and detail; they all did a tremendous job. Before the "formal proceedings" started, we were all treated to an amuse bouche of a shot glass of jus with a savoury crisp.


Amuse bouche of jus shot with crisp.

The entree I selected was the calamari schnitzel. Not the most common thing you see around, and I like calamari, so that really stood out for me. It was fantastic - calamari well cooked, not rubbery, then a nice crumbing that didn't take over the calamari, coupled with some slightly cooked off capers. Perhaps some people might say it's the same as calamari rings from a fish and chip shop, except flattened out. I'd beg to differ - it had a so much better flavour than something just out of the average deep fryer.


Entree of calamari schntizel.

My choice for the main was the house signature dish of prime rib, which was served with horseradish. What an absolutely delicious cut of meat, cooked perfectly. The mains were delivered with a generous selection of sides: potatoes with aioli, creamed spinach, and rocket, cheese and chorizo salad.


Main course, the Jervois signature prime rib.




Side dishes of potatoes, creamed spinach (inside the small pot) and rocket salad.

anat0l

To round out the night, there was a choice of two decadent desserts or a cheese plate. I was torn between the two sweet options, and I think many people would be too - chocolate fondant or orange creme brulee. Ultimately, I settled on the more unconventional bitter orange creme brulee. I wasn't disappointed - technically pleasing creme brulee? Tick, glassy and crispy on top. Great tasting creme brulee with a nice hint of bitter orange? Big tick, and a nice concerto of flavours, including the biscuits and the dehydrated fruit.


Dessert of bitter orange creme brulee with cinnamon biscuits.

If this was a warm up for the main event tomorrow, then I had goosebumps. The food was brilliant.

We started at Jervois quite late, with a few more members arriving throughout the course of the night, so we ended rather late. The night had great food, great company... and we also managed to be in the presence of a lucky couple's engagement (smooth fella! It wasn't overly public, but news travels pretty quickly). Heading out of the restaurant, I stared at my watch and saw it was pretty late. Most of us headed back to the hotel; some had a couple more drinks but many decided to call it a night. After all, we had a big day of food and drink tomorrow!


Saturday 28 April 2012


As I awoke the next day - properly refreshed after much air travel - I got dressed and headed down for breakfast. Naturally, many of us were down in the restaurant to enjoy the complimentary breakfast, but at the same time most of us were being judicious with our breakfast choice in anticipation of the grand lunch there was to follow. Nothing wrong, though, with a nice coffee with friends around the table.


Having a "meeting". Alright, not really, just good conversation as usual.

I wish the morning could have been lazier, as there might have been more of a chance to enjoy that huge outdoor entertainment area next to our room, e.g. to enjoy a cup of tea, read the paper, etc. (though the outdoor area was rather lacking in deck chairs and the like). Bundy Bear, sharing the hotel room with me, and I got ready in our smart casual for lunch before we headed down the wharf towards our venue, Euro.

Euro Chic Epicure

Euro - another restaurant of acclaim of Simon Gault - appears to be rather casual from the outside, but inside the decor is well-appointed, just like the modern and, especially for the upcoming meal, innovative menu. Today, we were in for a culinary showcasing treat many of us would not forget for a very long time.

As Bundy Bear and I arrived at Euro, we saw that there were many people already there, also in their smart casual best, and several with a flute in hand filled with sparkling. Inside, a long table had been immaculately set for all the attendees. The atmosphere was electric with positive anticipation and the cheer that comes from great company.




The buzz of the crowd at Euro getting ready for a superb lunch.


Welcoming refreshments.

Finally, as the crowd reached a critical mass, we were invited to the dining area to be seated to start proceedings.


The beautifully set table.

As we got comfortable, many of us started to marvel at the multi-course feast that lay in front of us. We were also very lucky to have Simon Gault himself with us today, where he preceded each course with a description about the food.




Everyone seated and settling in.


A place setting ready for the lunch.

anat0l

The first courses were brought out to the table. Normally I am somewhat a minority of my own when it comes to photographing the food (and, as you can tell from this TR, it is somewhat beyond something I like to do!). At this event, however, almost everyone had their cameras out - whether they were point and shoot, SLRs or phone cameras. Some snapped for the memory, some blogged / Facebook'd / posted on the go.

Course 1: Chipotle olive & Tempura sage and anchovy chips
Wine: Daniel Le Brun Brut Methode Traditionelle (Marlborough)

This was a most interesting start. It's a sole olive but not as you'd expect it. The tempura anchovy chips reminded me a lot of the deep fried crispy fish that is familiar of Philippine cuisine, but with a different flavour. One could almost say it's a sexier version of tasting fish and chips (particularly with the sparkling), but the very mention of the humble chippo might be insulting to the food and the chef! The match with the New Zealand sparkling that welcomed us to the lunch provided a nice sharp contrast and start.

With an eight course menu to look forward to and generous pours of each of the matching wines, it was definitely welcome of the house to help us all in pacing through the meal carefully.


Chipotle olive.


Tempura sage and anchovy chips.

Course 2: Cured salmon - Cured Akaroa salmon, pea & mint mousseline, crispy prosciutto, orange dressing
Wine: Te Whare Ra 'Dry' Riesling 2011 (Marlborough)

A wonderful harmony of flavours on this course. A nice flavoursome fish set off by peas tends to always make a nice combination, and you can't go past a nicely cured bit of salmon.


Cured salmon.

Course 3: Rabbit ballontine - Central Otago rabbit, summer vegetables a la greque, tomato sable biscuit
Wine: Nevis Bluff Pinot Gris 2009 (Central Otago)

I have to admit I had never had rabbit before this moment, and given the opportunity beforehand, I'd usually either leaned towards another choice or never thought of plucking up the courage to try it. Asking around the table, a few people had had rabbit before and enjoyed it. I do know that rabbit was quite lean and if it was overcooked, it would have the consistency of string or twine.

When the rabbit was presented, the only elements that came out at me (that I understood) were the bright summery young vegetables, full of flavour and sweet. Very French and suggestive complement of the namesake dish hero (ballontine). As for the rabbit, I can't say that I could tell rabbit from chicken (except the texture seemed notably more delicate), which is probably unfortunate, but this dish tasted nice all the same.


Rabbit ballontine.

Course 4: Simon Gault's crab and prawn - Jalapeno creme fraiche sauce, tobiko, tuna wafers
Wine: Palliser Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Martinborough)

When this course hit the table, the first thing that catches your eye is the dancing tobiko on top. The second bit that makes you think is the course construction. It appeared like a little soup - perhaps similar to a chowder, except with a different, exuberant colour. The first taste that goes in your mouth just explodes with richness and flavour - superb. The seafood was cooked just right and was complemented nicely by the creme fraiche "sauce".

I can't say enough - that creme fraiche "sauce" was to die for. Needless to say, it was creme fraiche, which means that if there was any more there, I'd probably die eating it! You wouldn't find this course within 100 feet of a patient recovering from heart surgery. This was probably my favourite course of the menu, and my favourite grape (Sauvignon Blanc) complemented the course.


Crab and prawn in creme fraiche.

At this point, there was a little break in proceedings as we were half-way through the menu, so I decided to get up and do a bit of a turn about the room, which again exhibited elements of new and old juxtaposed against each other.




Old and new sit next to each other in the Euro dining area.




Diners enjoying themselves, mingling about.

Course 5: Porcini risotto - Wilted spinach, truffle oil, grana padano
Wine: Mt Difficulty Chardonnay 2008 (Central Otago)

The favoured dish of our gracious host was set on the table, which was quickly followed by Simon Gault personally going around to every member to freshly grate on the grana padano. Risotto is one of those dishes which can be pretty difficult to get just right - not too gluggy and not overcooking the rice - especially when you're preparing enough portions to feed all of us! Then, the flavour needs to shine with the rice offset by the complement, i.e. the porcini mushroom, married through in a creamy consistency. Well, the spinach gave a bit of a different texture, and the sole cherry tomato provides a burst of sweetness. Flavour through the risotto was wonderful. I'm not usually a Chardonnay drinker (except Champagne), and this drop didn't really change that, but I can see where they were going with the match, though.


Porcini risotto.

anat0l

Course 6: Venison loin - Caramelised shallot puree, braised fennel, wild onion
Wine: Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2009 (Central Otago)

The sole dish complemented with a red wine - spearheading the end of the main part of the menu - arrives and I see the gamy venison presented as you would expect - rather rare and seared. I'm sure I've had venison at some point of my life beforehand, but I'm not a usual consumer of game meats, except the more commonplace ones (e.g. duck).

The venison was flavoursome, but it was lifted another notch when matched with the sweet accompaniments, namely the shallot puree, fennel and onion. An enjoyable meat course.


Venison loin.

Course 7: Warmed crepe - Puhoi triple cream brie, strawberry and balsamic, long island sauce
Wine: Chapoutier Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (France)

Almost every great Western course menu has a cheese and dessert course to round out the meal. Simon offered this twist on the traditional cheese course, presenting the brie crepe with sweet accompaniments. The portion of brie was quite generous and the overall richness of the course made it very enjoyable, if that it really started to push some members at the table as to whether they would be able to finish this and, indeed, the next and final course!


Warmed crepe with Puhoi triple cream brie.

Course 8: Modern tiramisu - Manuka honey gold sponge, espresso gelato, fig terrine, mascarpone mousse
Wine: Warre's Otima 10 year Port

The modern twist on this tiramisu was mixing up the identity of the normally carefully combined elements of a tiramisu, giving each a different texture and deconstructing the result. I'm not sure if you presented this dish and told someone to taste it, whether they would be able to imagine it as a twisted tiramisu that was deconstructed. That doesn't mean it wasn't a bad way to end the meal! Suffice to say, however, seven courses down with seven generous pours of wine, and it was no surprise that around the table, some plates were nibbled at, some plates were untouched, and a few only were cleaned.

I'm not usually a port drinker, given that it can be sickly sweet, but I didn't mind it too much here. Certainly, it seems more the traditional choice of sweet ending liquor in cultures not usually used to making dessert wine, but that said dessert wines can have a tendency to be much more subtle than port. Coffee and tea to finish the afternoon was also offered at this time.


Modern tiramisu.


End of the meal, and many members are struggling to even make a dent into the tiramisu.


A latte to finish off the afternoon.

It's late afternoon. There are a bunch of us meandering around the dining room and they have been well fed and are starting to slowly pickle from the amount of alcohol served. The kitchen team, along with Simon, lined up for us and we gave them a deserving thankful ovation for their efforts. After that, most of us moved back towards our accommodations. A tentative agreement was to meet at Bellini for evening drinks... it would be interesting to see how that would go, given that we only had just over 2 hours before that happened!


Just over a couple of hours later, most of us were still stewing the massive lunch we had just had, but we met for drinks at Bellini anyway, with most of us toting our couple of drinks vouchers. Hilton Auckland, though a nicely appointed hotel, lacks an Executive Lounge. A couple of drinks vouchers might not quite make up for the lounge, but at least it was better than nothing else.

At this point, most people had resigned to the fact that a full on meal for dinner was not going to happen. What was not quite so clear was where should we have dinner. The entire group hadn't convened, so obviously others had either decided to go low key (either something simple, or nothing at all). Eventually, quite late into the evening, a bunch of us had decided on trying the Hilton Auckland restaurant, FISH, which is headed up by none other than... you guessed it... Simon Gault! Whilst Bellini bar did offer a grazing like menu, it didn't seem to appeal to some of us, even though perhaps we were only going to nominate a single course or something simple, but suffice to say some of us were still looking for something a bit more than mere comfort could offer.




Seated at FISH for a late dinner.

We had a surprise amuse-bouche in the form of a soup shooter. Bread rolls were also offered on the table, which was served with a rather soft butter sprinkled with balsamic and paprika.


Soup shooter amuse-bouche.


Rolls and butter.

Looking at the menu and keeping mind that I was trying to keep the evening low key, I looked at the menu and saw the rather inexpensive choice of the fish and chips. It was much more than that you'd get at the local fish and chippery, but I was hoping for a nice twist on the usual comfort. Perhaps a salad would have been more advisable.

The fish and chips hit the table, and I have to say that it was just alright. The chips were probably the best thing on the dish, which is perhaps not the best thing to say about it, but they were crisp and tasty, if only that they were... chips. The fish was a tad overcooked - though the flavour was still there - and the batter rather overpowering for the fish and was drying it out. There was a nice sauce on the side, but it was hardly enough to complement the fish, let alone enough so that the whole dish could be enjoyed (rather than just to keep it moist). A bit more of a salad with the dish would've been great to cut through the slightly greasy fish.


FISH and chips.

By the time most of us had got through dinner slowly, it was starting to hit midnight or so, not to mention that we were likely keeping the restaurant staff from tidying up and going home! Slowly, we all started to move away from FISH. Some retired to Bellini for night caps, but most of us decided to head back to our rooms for a much needed rest. Well... that wasn't quite true. Some of us decided to head around to different rooms to have smaller late evening chats, since most of us couldn't make up our minds as to who would (or perhaps should) be hosting the after party. I ended up joining a few at Storyteller's room for some light refreshments whilst on the balcony high overlooking the harbour. After some relaxed conversation and feeling the long day catch up to some of us, it was time to head back to my room to get some much needed sleep.

anat0l

Sunday 29 April 2012



Waking up to a gloomy morning.

Thank goodness also for Hilton and having a later breakfast time on a Sunday, which meant not having to get up too early on the standard day of rest....


Another morning, another Hilton breakfast.


Hilton breakfast at FISH, with buffet set up on the raised portion of the centre of the restaurant.

Our tables were abuzz with the usual FF conversations, with everything ranging from which flights and airlines we were taking back to Australia, to why did the good Lord decide to gift the earth with an airline called Jetstar . On top of that, espressos, flat whites, lattes and other cafe concoctions were being constantly ordered to the point that the waiters got to know our table rather well.

Can't say much about Hilton breakfasts, though they do tend to slightly adapt to their local influences. That said, there wasn't a lot of New Zealand influence into this otherwise Western breakfast, except for some Kapiti cheeses and feijoa juice. The warm station seemed to be neglected a bit as far as the food prepared there was concerned, but thank goodness for the egg station, which was being maintained this morning by a very capable young chef who had done a bit of the rounds in the good hotels in Auckland.

As usual, some of us without an agenda today stayed until it was buffet closing and last drinks called, when there's always time for another cuppa whilst chatting away and seeing the tables being slowly cleared for breakfast and being laid in preparation for the rest of the day. Eventually, as the breakfast mired and muddled into the conclusion of brunch, I went back to my room in order to shower up and get changed, then repack the bag to get ready to move out.

Check out complete, some of us again made tentative plans to meet for evening drinks and then dinner, after which I headed off walking with my bag to my stay for the night, which wasn't too far away.


Accommodation: Mercure Auckland Windsor
Room: Standard Queen Bed


At reception, the welcome was a bit stone faced - not rude but not an overly welcoming disposition. Although no gazetted benefits actually applied, once again I find myself in the dilemma that my Le Club Accorhotels Platinum status offered me not much at all, though on mentioning it casually to the check-in agent (a manager, actually), he offered me an "upgrade" which translated to a higher floor and a better view.

After exiting the lift and getting to my room, I have to admit that the furnishing and even cleanliness of the room seemed a bit different to when I last stayed here. I remembered the room being a bit brighter, and the bathroom being quite well done with white light and tile. When you entered the room, even with light streaming through the window that faced Queen Street, it still felt overall quite dark. The room was still quite clean and acceptable, and I suppose it was quite a juxtaposition given that I'd just come from the Hilton where the finishing was much better, the rooms were spotless and... the internet was free (internet was only free in the lobby of the Windsor, and then it was something like 15 minutes a day or 10 - 20 MB, which ever came first).


Entering the room, it actually feels a bit dark and not well lit, even with the outside light streaming through.


Bed and window - rather perfect for a hotel website shot, don't you think?


The room is well appointed enough, with a small closet, queen bed and little mini-bar / work area (not really - not enough space, you work on the bed here).


Inside the bathroom. It looks a bit old fashioned with the yellow walls, even with the white light. Probably would've been nicer painting the walls and ceiling white, or using more white tile.


View outside my window, looking down Queen Street in the direction of the Britomart and the harbour.

Most of the afternoon was spent napping, or at least going over the travel for tomorrow as well as planning for some work after I returned from holiday. Early evening arrived, so I freshened up and headed out back to the Hilton to meet at Bellini for the usual evening drinks. Most of us hadn't actually decided where we were going for dinner, but someone suggested another outing to Euro. After all, we were encouraged to patronise this place, and after the superb culinary display the previous day, I think most of us were confident that we shouldn't be disappointed. Plus, it was close to the Hilton, with no need for taxis etc., and not many others had another plan in place.... why not?

So here we were again back at Euro, except that instead of being in the special dining area where we were yesterday, we were seated where the rest of the customers would be (but admittedly with a nice large table arranged for all of us).


The bar at Euro as you enter the restaurant.


Euro restaurant, with our reserved long table setting.

anat0l

We were handed the menus and perused what was quite an interesting selection of courses. Some of them actually sounded rather pedestrian at first glance, which made me think why they would be in such a restaurant, and at such a high price. Even the selection I eventually made for my main course seemed rather commonplace at first, so I was interested to see how this would be presented later.

Our taste buds were whetted with an amuse-bouche reminiscent of yesterday's fine meal - a soup spoon of the seafood with creme fraiche sauce. Mrs Itsalongwaydown actually ended up ordering this larger version of the dish later as a main course, having enjoyed it so much (but keeping in mind that the dish was very rich!).


Amuse-bouche of the familiar seafood and creme fraiche.

Our seasoned Euro patron and host implored all of us to sample the risotto, a dish of which he has become very fond of at Euro. So this simple first course was presented to all of us, and I could clearly see why it was a favourite. Wonderful flavour and creamy... just like a good risotto should be.


First course of risotto.

The main courses followed swiftly afterwards. My selection was the braised chicken with coleslaw. Pretty simple? Sounded like it. Sounds like something you head to the supermarket to get in preparation for an impromptu picnic. This dish was no picnic! The braising of the chicken was excellent and the meat cooked perfectly. The sauce that was generously poured on the dish had great depth of flavour. The addition of some peanuts into the coleslaw - which was far from the mere shredded veg with sickly sweet 'mayo' from the supermarket (or KFC) - was a nice touch. All of the elements of the dish complemented each other well.


Main course of braised chicken and coleslaw.

On the other end of the table, a fresh rosemary carvery was being enjoyed, rustic style like a casual dinner with friends in the countryside.


Freshly carved meat anyone?

Normally, in a low key situation like this, dessert would probably be passed on unless it came as part of the meal (i.e. set menu or the like). However, many of us seemed brave enough to have a peek at the dessert menu and actually order, which was unusual for many. That said, I had a look at the chocolate pudding that seemed to be screaming for a try, so I gave in and ordered it along with a coffee. The resulting dish was yummy, to say the least. The runway of chocolate on the plate was bordered by the moist chocolate pudding and the scoop of espresso ice cream... wonderful...


Chocolate pudding dessert.

Once again, I don't know about the other members, but in my mind I was convinced that Euro had great food with excellent taste. Some might argue that it'll put a nice dent in your wallet, though suffice to say when I looked at the end bill, it wasn't outwardly expensive as you would think, or at least rationalising the cost by the quality (and even quantity) of the food delivered was well and truly worth it. (And - let's admit - our Australian Dollars are worth a bit more than Kiwi pesos... err, I mean, New Zealand Dollars - no offence intended, my fellow readers from the Land of the Long White Cloud!! ).

Finally - the weekend was over. Almost all of us had to return to Australia soon enough, and for me that was the next day. As I returned to my room at the Mercure, alarms were set as I washed up before heading to bed. My three week jaunt was coming to an end...


Monday 30 April 2012


The next morning I woke up, had a quick freshen up and got dressed, ready to go to the airport. No complimentary breakfast here, but that wasn't such a big deal, considering there was an airport lounge to look forward to. Sure, it wasn't a First class lounge, but the flagship NZ Koru Club in Auckland isn't too shabby at all. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Once I was checked out, I headed out to Queen Street and found the closest Airbus stop. The Airbus is fairly regular during the main parts of the day, so waiting no more than 10 minutes for the next bus was pretty normal. What I wasn't depending on, however, was the traffic jams which we had to negotiate once I had boarded the bus.

As we sat on the Airbus seemingly not moving even an inch per hour, I got up to have a look as to what was going on. I know Auckland seemed to have a bad reputation for traffic, but I didn't think it was this bad, and it wasn't even rush hour (so I thought). Having a look ahead of the bus, I saw lots of students marching down Queen Street, seemingly without any sort of barriers or police and completely unencumbered as the vehicular traffic dared not move whilst there were marching students about. I also saw that they were dressed in graduation colours, and eventually I was told that there was some sort of graduation tradition happening at one of the universities. Apparently this is an annual thing, though suffice to say if it was annual then why were the streets not blocked off etc... the way things were going, it seemed like no one knew that this was happening and were completely helpless. You'd expect flash strike marches to have this effect, but not something which was "expected" every year.

Eventually, the vehicles managed to work out that the stream of students was not receding any time soon, so people finally resigned to finding turns off Queen Street to work around the march. Having slowly but surely extricated ourselves from the unusual gridlock in the city, we were soon back on our way to the airport.


Arriving at Auckland airport, showing the new (well, new since I was last in AKL, which is a very long time) Novotel hotel.

Having not been to AKL for quite some time, much of the terminal has changed since I was last here. Air New Zealand, for their part, had redeveloped their check-in areas with new fonts, as well as installing self-serve check-in and bag drop systems for Australian flights (normal counter check-in for other international flights) and renovation of the premium check-in area.


New standard check-in area for Air New Zealand. Left for Australian flights, with self-serve check-in and bag drop services; right for other international flights, with regular check-in desks.




The renovated entrance to the Air New Zealand premium check-in area, with their new swish font and a bright white theme, compared to an older, more corporate fashioned looking gold and koru colour theme. Strangely enough, the sign mentioning who can use the facility doesn't include Virgin Velocity elite members - seems unusual?

The NZ premium check-in area was similarly divided into two sections like the standard area, with one for Australian flights and another for other flights. Oddly enough, the Australian flights section was outfitted with five self-serve check-in machines and a small bag drop area. When I entered the premium check-in area, there were no other passengers present, so the lonely attendant looking after the Australian flights section at the service counter greeted me and showed me to a check-in kiosk.


Entering the NZ premium check-in area. The area in the far background is standard counter check-in for all flights except to Australia, whilst just around the corner to the left is check-in for Australian flights.