DownUnder2014: OZ F Suites, OZ J, TG F (A380 + 747), NZ Y, EK F, VA Y, CA J, and NH F
Apr 25, 2014, 5:14 pm
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
EK 407
Not much to talk about in terms of the final day in Auckland so I’m going to skip ahead to the flight from Auckland to Melbourne
I hope you enjoyed Auckland as much as I did. We certainly saw the very best of the North Island and not a single drop of rain during our time there. Even better we got in a round of golf, saw glowworms, swam in the ocean, saw the unreal scenery that makes up New Zealand, and snagged three (3) bottles of wine to take back to the US.
Now it’s time to take our tourist hats off and get ready for another flight. While the flight from Auckland to Melbourne is just 3.5 hours long (think New York to Dallas) we’ll be flying on one of the top airlines in the world, Emirates. Yes I know what you’re thinking –we’ve already flown on 2 of the top carriers in the world in Thai and Asiana why should we be looking forward to this flight more than those.
Well, for starters you should know that Emirates is commonly referred to as “Bling Air” at least in First and Business Class because of the approach they took to the décor in both cabins. While Asiana and Thai both had nice seats and nice cabins, Emirates has made a point of making the First Class and Business Class cabins as showy as possible. The cabins are fully of faux wood, metallic and faux gold surfaces, and every high-tech gadget that exists. On top of all that Emirates has something that no other commercial airline in the world has, two (2) showers in the First Class cabin available for passengers flying in First Class. These showers have five (5) minutes of water available (though you can get an extension if needed) and include a heated floor, towels, top-notch toiletries, and everything else you’d expect in a proper shower.
Okay I’ve sufficiently bored talking about what to expect, where were we, right we were just arriving at the airport to board the Emirates flight. Nothing to speak of in terms of immigration or customs – getting out was as easy as getting in – how about we go check out the Emirates lounge.
Hmmm – this is pretty nice. There’s no free massage so it’s not quite at the level of Thai Airways but it is pretty dang nice. The only drawback is the lack of tarmac views from the lounge, which for aviation nerds like us is a downer. Since we’re taking showers onboard there were no showers to be had here but I did manage to snap a few pictures of the shower stall when I went to the bathroom:
Ah before I forget how about we grab a nice glass of champagne – cheers, to you!
We’ll be well fed on the flight but that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of the food in the lounge, the cheese spread is quite nice so I’m thinking some cheese and bread should tide us over until dinner:
Okay it’s almost departure time – let’s walk over to the gate. There she is – the ugly humpback whale that will take us over to Melbourne (our plane is the far one in the first picture):
No matter nothing can dampen my spirits – since we’re first class and we’ve timed this perfectly so we can walk straight onboard right now. Did you notice that there’s literally a separate line for F/J passengers to board through complete with a barrier and “do not cross barrier” sign?
Oh by the way, I’m in 2K and it looks like we’ve there is someone in 3K, you’re in 1K, and it looks as if the entire left side of the plane is full in F.
Another quick walk up and once again we’ve got a left hand turn coming our way and wowww. First impression – I can see exactly why it’s nicknamed “Bling Air.” Holy crap – First Class has more bling than a rap star in the 2000s (say Nelly). I mean look at this seat and the overall view of the cabin:
First impressions – well if you haven’t already guessed I’m a huge fan of the privacy walls that are on these suites. You know from our flights up until now that I place a high premium on privacy features in First Class and Emirates certainly delivers on that. In fact from what I can tell this is may be the most crowded flight we’ve had in First Class yet like on the Asiana flight I can’t tell that anyone else is in the cabin. The privacy walls ensure that each of us remains well private and safe from prying eyes, even the prying eyes of the other privileged first class guests.
The inflight entertainment system (named ICE – information, communication, and entertainment) is by far the best we’ve seen so far. The vast array of music, movies, and TV shows is quite impressive. But there is no time for movies on this flight, it’s only 3.5 hours long and we’ve got things to do.
Before we get too far though, Miss Flight Attendant – I believe your airline serves Dom to its First Class passengers; How about a glass while we wait for those other people to board. Oh and hello to your Miss Inflight Manager. I like the British accent (nope I don’t like it, I love it), you are quite lovely.
Are we still boarding? Well then we better not let the Dom stop flowing. Oh and of course I’ll try the Arabian Coffee and dates while we wait:
Mmmm – those are surprisingly good. Ohh crap you better head back to 1K and buckle your seatbelt – looks like we’re finally taking off. Goodbye Auckland!!!
Despite being just a 3.5 hour flight we’ve got a full meal coming our way. No caviar or pate like our long-haul First Class flights but still a proper meal. How about we take a look at the menu options:
Appetizer
Seafood Platter
OR
Air-dried Beef
Salad
Salad Bar with your choice of dressing (dressing not listed)
Main Course
Roast Chicken and artichoke fricassee
OR
Stir-fried Beef with hoisin sauce
OR
Grilled Salmon
OR
Goat’s cheese ravioli
OR
Vegetables
Hmmm okay I’m trying to pretend to be healthy after all the food I just ate in Auckland so how about we go with the salad and air-dried beef to start and then we’ll go with the salmon for the main (and I do love salmon so that helps). And, since we’re having fish let’s go with a white. Hmm there are two chardonnays on the list which is better? Surprisingly the FA recommends the white that’s also available in business class, the Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2012 – okay I’ll trust him – let’s go with that.
Looks like the salad and beef are going to be served together:
Wow – can’t speak for you but I can say that’s the best salad I’ve ever eaten on an airplane. I think it was because of the cheese – the parmesan and pesto on that salad was top notch and made it taste like a legitimate gourmet salad you’d get in a restaurant.
Onwards to the main – bring on the salmon:
Honestly can’t really complain about that either. It’s not in the top 15 salmons I’ve ever had but definitely a top 15 airplane meal. Now let’s grab some dessert. Since I’m on apparently on a health kick for this meal we’ll stick with the fruit though I won’t complain about this Godiva chocolate the FA has brought us:
Oh and I think the 1974 Graham’s Single Vintage Tawny Port sounds good. Ahh even better it looks like they’ve actually stocked the 1969 on this flight according to the label on the bottle.
Now that the meal is out of the way let’s make a booking for that shower – Flight Attendant, how about we go with 75 minutes before we land (we can each use one of the showers since no one else seems to have booked them at all on this flight – though feel free to go whenever you like). That’ll give us enough time to go enjoy the bar back in business class and still have time after the shower to enjoy a last drink before landing. Perfect.
Now about that business class bar I’m going to take a stroll back there care to join?
Ahh poor business class people it looks so cramped back here:
What do you mean you only have Johnnie Walker Double Black? This isn’t a freaking ski mountain – blue is most certainly better than double black in this instance. Fine I’ll take it, but now I know to grab a Johnnie Blue from up front before we come back after the showers. Anyway how about a look at that bar:
This is pretty cool standing back here chatting with other people (no of course I haven’t gotten tired of traveling with you yet……I just like to you know branch out sometimes). As far as I can tell everyone back here is terminating in Melbourne and just is in J or F for the trans-tasman flight. The good news is most of them seem to be Australian and Melbourne locals so I picked up some good tips for us regarding our time in Melbourne and Sydney.
Ahhh it’s shower time???? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Sorry business class person I was having a conversation with – it’s been lovely having a discussion about something (Melbourne? The US? Snooki? I think someone famous broke up or cheated on someone or something else really interesting and important???) but it’s time to go shower up in First Class it was nice talking to you but you know I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
Okay looks like I’m in the shower on the left side so you’re in the right, I’ll see you after:
Now now, those of you who aren’t with us don’t worry I have pictures and a review of my shower. Okay so first let’s have a look at this bathroom. It’s just about as big as the Thai Airways one except where Thai had just a sitting area this thing has a full shower stall. Before I go further some basic rules about the shower; I’ve got five (5) minutes of water but I can turn it on and off as I please (aka I can turn it on to get wet and then turn it off while shampooing and then turn it back on to wash the shampoo out). The shower will automatically turn off at one (1) minute to give you warning that you’re down to the last 60 seconds. Other than that I’ve got as much time as I want in the bathroom and if for some reason I do need additional water I can request that, especially since demand for showers on this flight is pretty light.
So what does an airplane shower look like?
Ohhhhhhhhhh my gooooooooooodness. Coolest thing ever. I don’t know how your shower was but that was the coolest shower I’ve ever taken. Seriously. I’ll try and do it justice so just close your eyes and imagine taking a shower in a shower stall but a private one say in your bathroom at home. Good pressure, solid shower head, hot water. Except instead of being in your bathroom at home you’re in a airplane 35k feet above the Earth. After the shower the shower attendants came in and cleaned it and by the time I returned to use the bathroom later in the flight you couldn’t tell that a shower had even occurred.
Oh right of course a shower rating is expected here okay lets see:
Cleanliness: 10/10 – The shower attendants thoroughly cleaned the bathroom both before and after the shower and you could tell:
Toilet: 7/10 – Nothing special though for being on a plane the amount of space in here is huge so it gets additional points for that – especially compared to the bathrooms and toilets on US carriers (it's on the left):
Shower: 8/10 – Good shower head, warm / hot water on demand. My main reason for taking off a point is the five-minute limit. Yes I know I could’ve asked for more if I needed it and in reality I didn’t need any extra time. I just didn’t like the fact that the whole time I was showering I was thinking about how much water I had left – it took away from some of the enjoyment because I didn’t want to run out of water
Shower Amenities: 10/10 – Uhh did I mention this was on an airplane. That alone gets this a 10/10 on amenities – otherwise the towels were quite nice, the shampoo/body wash seemed nice though again no real insight into how nice it is. The heated floors are a really nice touch as well:
Overall Rating: 10/10 – This definitely lived up to the hype and I have to give Emirates a lot of credit. It’s a truly unique experience for First Class passengers that no other commercial carrier in the world offers and when you’re flying in First (whether paid or with an award) unique experiences are often the most memorable experiences and this was no different.
According to the pamphlet we were given the shower is obviously limited to just one person at a time. I am curious though if anyone couple traveling together has found a way around that rule. I would imagine in the middle of a 14 hour flight they might not be paying that much attention. Or if you were a celebrity or royalty (or even just a smooth talking businessman) you could probably get them to “attend to other things” while you joined the mile high club in the bathroom.
Now that we’ve taken care of that how about a return to the business class bar – but first Mr. Flight Attendant, a Johnnie Walker Blue to take back with me, thanks! It looks like the flight staff wants to take a polaroid of all of us behind the bar (I actually still have the actual polaroid).
Almost time to land – let’s take a few last pictures of the seat including this one from above (apologies for the low light):
Next up, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road!
Not much to talk about in terms of the final day in Auckland so I’m going to skip ahead to the flight from Auckland to Melbourne
I hope you enjoyed Auckland as much as I did. We certainly saw the very best of the North Island and not a single drop of rain during our time there. Even better we got in a round of golf, saw glowworms, swam in the ocean, saw the unreal scenery that makes up New Zealand, and snagged three (3) bottles of wine to take back to the US.
Now it’s time to take our tourist hats off and get ready for another flight. While the flight from Auckland to Melbourne is just 3.5 hours long (think New York to Dallas) we’ll be flying on one of the top airlines in the world, Emirates. Yes I know what you’re thinking –we’ve already flown on 2 of the top carriers in the world in Thai and Asiana why should we be looking forward to this flight more than those.
Well, for starters you should know that Emirates is commonly referred to as “Bling Air” at least in First and Business Class because of the approach they took to the décor in both cabins. While Asiana and Thai both had nice seats and nice cabins, Emirates has made a point of making the First Class and Business Class cabins as showy as possible. The cabins are fully of faux wood, metallic and faux gold surfaces, and every high-tech gadget that exists. On top of all that Emirates has something that no other commercial airline in the world has, two (2) showers in the First Class cabin available for passengers flying in First Class. These showers have five (5) minutes of water available (though you can get an extension if needed) and include a heated floor, towels, top-notch toiletries, and everything else you’d expect in a proper shower.
Okay I’ve sufficiently bored talking about what to expect, where were we, right we were just arriving at the airport to board the Emirates flight. Nothing to speak of in terms of immigration or customs – getting out was as easy as getting in – how about we go check out the Emirates lounge.
Hmmm – this is pretty nice. There’s no free massage so it’s not quite at the level of Thai Airways but it is pretty dang nice. The only drawback is the lack of tarmac views from the lounge, which for aviation nerds like us is a downer. Since we’re taking showers onboard there were no showers to be had here but I did manage to snap a few pictures of the shower stall when I went to the bathroom:
Ah before I forget how about we grab a nice glass of champagne – cheers, to you!
We’ll be well fed on the flight but that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of the food in the lounge, the cheese spread is quite nice so I’m thinking some cheese and bread should tide us over until dinner:
Okay it’s almost departure time – let’s walk over to the gate. There she is – the ugly humpback whale that will take us over to Melbourne (our plane is the far one in the first picture):
No matter nothing can dampen my spirits – since we’re first class and we’ve timed this perfectly so we can walk straight onboard right now. Did you notice that there’s literally a separate line for F/J passengers to board through complete with a barrier and “do not cross barrier” sign?
Oh by the way, I’m in 2K and it looks like we’ve there is someone in 3K, you’re in 1K, and it looks as if the entire left side of the plane is full in F.
Another quick walk up and once again we’ve got a left hand turn coming our way and wowww. First impression – I can see exactly why it’s nicknamed “Bling Air.” Holy crap – First Class has more bling than a rap star in the 2000s (say Nelly). I mean look at this seat and the overall view of the cabin:
First impressions – well if you haven’t already guessed I’m a huge fan of the privacy walls that are on these suites. You know from our flights up until now that I place a high premium on privacy features in First Class and Emirates certainly delivers on that. In fact from what I can tell this is may be the most crowded flight we’ve had in First Class yet like on the Asiana flight I can’t tell that anyone else is in the cabin. The privacy walls ensure that each of us remains well private and safe from prying eyes, even the prying eyes of the other privileged first class guests.
The inflight entertainment system (named ICE – information, communication, and entertainment) is by far the best we’ve seen so far. The vast array of music, movies, and TV shows is quite impressive. But there is no time for movies on this flight, it’s only 3.5 hours long and we’ve got things to do.
Before we get too far though, Miss Flight Attendant – I believe your airline serves Dom to its First Class passengers; How about a glass while we wait for those other people to board. Oh and hello to your Miss Inflight Manager. I like the British accent (nope I don’t like it, I love it), you are quite lovely.
Are we still boarding? Well then we better not let the Dom stop flowing. Oh and of course I’ll try the Arabian Coffee and dates while we wait:
Mmmm – those are surprisingly good. Ohh crap you better head back to 1K and buckle your seatbelt – looks like we’re finally taking off. Goodbye Auckland!!!
Despite being just a 3.5 hour flight we’ve got a full meal coming our way. No caviar or pate like our long-haul First Class flights but still a proper meal. How about we take a look at the menu options:
Appetizer
Seafood Platter
OR
Air-dried Beef
Salad
Salad Bar with your choice of dressing (dressing not listed)
Main Course
Roast Chicken and artichoke fricassee
OR
Stir-fried Beef with hoisin sauce
OR
Grilled Salmon
OR
Goat’s cheese ravioli
OR
Vegetables
Hmmm okay I’m trying to pretend to be healthy after all the food I just ate in Auckland so how about we go with the salad and air-dried beef to start and then we’ll go with the salmon for the main (and I do love salmon so that helps). And, since we’re having fish let’s go with a white. Hmm there are two chardonnays on the list which is better? Surprisingly the FA recommends the white that’s also available in business class, the Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2012 – okay I’ll trust him – let’s go with that.
Looks like the salad and beef are going to be served together:
Wow – can’t speak for you but I can say that’s the best salad I’ve ever eaten on an airplane. I think it was because of the cheese – the parmesan and pesto on that salad was top notch and made it taste like a legitimate gourmet salad you’d get in a restaurant.
Onwards to the main – bring on the salmon:
Honestly can’t really complain about that either. It’s not in the top 15 salmons I’ve ever had but definitely a top 15 airplane meal. Now let’s grab some dessert. Since I’m on apparently on a health kick for this meal we’ll stick with the fruit though I won’t complain about this Godiva chocolate the FA has brought us:
Oh and I think the 1974 Graham’s Single Vintage Tawny Port sounds good. Ahh even better it looks like they’ve actually stocked the 1969 on this flight according to the label on the bottle.
Now that the meal is out of the way let’s make a booking for that shower – Flight Attendant, how about we go with 75 minutes before we land (we can each use one of the showers since no one else seems to have booked them at all on this flight – though feel free to go whenever you like). That’ll give us enough time to go enjoy the bar back in business class and still have time after the shower to enjoy a last drink before landing. Perfect.
Now about that business class bar I’m going to take a stroll back there care to join?
Ahh poor business class people it looks so cramped back here:
What do you mean you only have Johnnie Walker Double Black? This isn’t a freaking ski mountain – blue is most certainly better than double black in this instance. Fine I’ll take it, but now I know to grab a Johnnie Blue from up front before we come back after the showers. Anyway how about a look at that bar:
This is pretty cool standing back here chatting with other people (no of course I haven’t gotten tired of traveling with you yet……I just like to you know branch out sometimes). As far as I can tell everyone back here is terminating in Melbourne and just is in J or F for the trans-tasman flight. The good news is most of them seem to be Australian and Melbourne locals so I picked up some good tips for us regarding our time in Melbourne and Sydney.
Ahhh it’s shower time???? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Sorry business class person I was having a conversation with – it’s been lovely having a discussion about something (Melbourne? The US? Snooki? I think someone famous broke up or cheated on someone or something else really interesting and important???) but it’s time to go shower up in First Class it was nice talking to you but you know I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
Okay looks like I’m in the shower on the left side so you’re in the right, I’ll see you after:
Now now, those of you who aren’t with us don’t worry I have pictures and a review of my shower. Okay so first let’s have a look at this bathroom. It’s just about as big as the Thai Airways one except where Thai had just a sitting area this thing has a full shower stall. Before I go further some basic rules about the shower; I’ve got five (5) minutes of water but I can turn it on and off as I please (aka I can turn it on to get wet and then turn it off while shampooing and then turn it back on to wash the shampoo out). The shower will automatically turn off at one (1) minute to give you warning that you’re down to the last 60 seconds. Other than that I’ve got as much time as I want in the bathroom and if for some reason I do need additional water I can request that, especially since demand for showers on this flight is pretty light.
So what does an airplane shower look like?
Ohhhhhhhhhh my gooooooooooodness. Coolest thing ever. I don’t know how your shower was but that was the coolest shower I’ve ever taken. Seriously. I’ll try and do it justice so just close your eyes and imagine taking a shower in a shower stall but a private one say in your bathroom at home. Good pressure, solid shower head, hot water. Except instead of being in your bathroom at home you’re in a airplane 35k feet above the Earth. After the shower the shower attendants came in and cleaned it and by the time I returned to use the bathroom later in the flight you couldn’t tell that a shower had even occurred.
Oh right of course a shower rating is expected here okay lets see:
Cleanliness: 10/10 – The shower attendants thoroughly cleaned the bathroom both before and after the shower and you could tell:
Toilet: 7/10 – Nothing special though for being on a plane the amount of space in here is huge so it gets additional points for that – especially compared to the bathrooms and toilets on US carriers (it's on the left):
Shower: 8/10 – Good shower head, warm / hot water on demand. My main reason for taking off a point is the five-minute limit. Yes I know I could’ve asked for more if I needed it and in reality I didn’t need any extra time. I just didn’t like the fact that the whole time I was showering I was thinking about how much water I had left – it took away from some of the enjoyment because I didn’t want to run out of water
Shower Amenities: 10/10 – Uhh did I mention this was on an airplane. That alone gets this a 10/10 on amenities – otherwise the towels were quite nice, the shampoo/body wash seemed nice though again no real insight into how nice it is. The heated floors are a really nice touch as well:
Overall Rating: 10/10 – This definitely lived up to the hype and I have to give Emirates a lot of credit. It’s a truly unique experience for First Class passengers that no other commercial carrier in the world offers and when you’re flying in First (whether paid or with an award) unique experiences are often the most memorable experiences and this was no different.
According to the pamphlet we were given the shower is obviously limited to just one person at a time. I am curious though if anyone couple traveling together has found a way around that rule. I would imagine in the middle of a 14 hour flight they might not be paying that much attention. Or if you were a celebrity or royalty (or even just a smooth talking businessman) you could probably get them to “attend to other things” while you joined the mile high club in the bathroom.
Now that we’ve taken care of that how about a return to the business class bar – but first Mr. Flight Attendant, a Johnnie Walker Blue to take back with me, thanks! It looks like the flight staff wants to take a polaroid of all of us behind the bar (I actually still have the actual polaroid).
Almost time to land – let’s take a few last pictures of the seat including this one from above (apologies for the low light):
Next up, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road!
Apr 25, 2014, 5:36 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Thanks!
Thank you! Yeah New Zealand was incredible, I have to find a way to get back. You'll enjoy that in May!
Thanks! I was basing the cost of the ticket from what UA offered me to buy it straight up which I realize is not a fully accurate reflection of cost but it's the only thing I had to go on.
I agree it's public transport but to a degree - and obviously they can't prevent people seeing you boarding, de-planing and going to the bathroom, but I found with the suites you could keep things as private as you wanted and if I got up to go to the bathroom there were no eyes following me because everyone was in their own world in their suites so for me if I was a celebrity I'd prefer that over the more open layout of say TG A380 F where if I got up and walked to the bathroom people would see my walk by. Obviously people can pick and choose and if that's something they value there are carrier thats offer it (EK, NH - new, OZ - new, etc.)
Ah okay that makes sense
Haha sorry! I had never traveled to that part of Asia before so the toilets (aka the buttons on the side) fascinated me so I included them
Thanks glad you're enjoying the journey!
Thanks!
Thanks! Hopefully I'll have a few more posts up over the weekend in addition to the EK 407 post I just put up
Interesting first report.
That ticket (or one close to it) could be had for 10-12 K US. I don't think you'd get many takers for the 20K price you've noted.
You mention the expectation of "anonymity" for F class for "celebrities" and "politicians", etc... but this is actually public transport. Anonymity would require a private jet. People are going to see you (them?) boarding, sitting, going to the toilet, etc.
The food on Thai just looks worse and worse each year. Haven't flown with them in about a year and a half and it just looks bad. The re-heated lounge food (microwave city) has never been very good.
All Americans need to be told not to wear "shorts" whilst travelling in airports! What are you people thinking?
Nice pictures in your report.
That ticket (or one close to it) could be had for 10-12 K US. I don't think you'd get many takers for the 20K price you've noted.
You mention the expectation of "anonymity" for F class for "celebrities" and "politicians", etc... but this is actually public transport. Anonymity would require a private jet. People are going to see you (them?) boarding, sitting, going to the toilet, etc.
The food on Thai just looks worse and worse each year. Haven't flown with them in about a year and a half and it just looks bad. The re-heated lounge food (microwave city) has never been very good.
All Americans need to be told not to wear "shorts" whilst travelling in airports! What are you people thinking?
Nice pictures in your report.
I agree it's public transport but to a degree - and obviously they can't prevent people seeing you boarding, de-planing and going to the bathroom, but I found with the suites you could keep things as private as you wanted and if I got up to go to the bathroom there were no eyes following me because everyone was in their own world in their suites so for me if I was a celebrity I'd prefer that over the more open layout of say TG A380 F where if I got up and walked to the bathroom people would see my walk by. Obviously people can pick and choose and if that's something they value there are carrier thats offer it (EK, NH - new, OZ - new, etc.)
As you booked an *A reward it by default books you into 'the works' product, which includes meals, drinks, movies, bags. Where as in you booked a fare locally within the NZ/AUS the default fare is 'Seat Only' which basically is an seat with only tea/coffee/water and limited IFE. Pretty much all explained here http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/the-choice-is-all-yours
In saying that most people travel on seat only or seat + bag fares across the Tasman these days. After all when your paying $129ow for AKL-SYD you can't really expect much.
In saying that most people travel on seat only or seat + bag fares across the Tasman these days. After all when your paying $129ow for AKL-SYD you can't really expect much.
Thanks!
Thanks! Hopefully I'll have a few more posts up over the weekend in addition to the EK 407 post I just put up
Apr 25, 2014, 6:03 pm
#65
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,415
Did you notice that there’s literally a separate line for F/J passengers to board through complete with a barrier and “do not cross barrier” sign?
Apr 25, 2014, 9:00 pm
#66
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
Ahh poor business class people it looks so cramped back here:
.
Ahhh it’s shower time???? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Sorry business class person I was having a conversation with – it’s been lovely having a discussion about something (Melbourne? The US? Snooki? I think someone famous broke up or cheated on someone or something else really interesting and important???) but it’s time to go shower up in First Class it was nice talking to you but you know I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
Did you actually have the balls to speak to people this way or is it just FT pomp & circumstance?
Apr 29, 2014, 4:01 pm
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Melbourne
In terms of location, as I mentioned at the outset of the Trip Report, I was fortunate enough to stay with a mate who I worked with at a camp a few years ago. He and his flatmates live in Balaclava, a suburb of Melbourne connected to the Metro allowing access to Melbourne CBD with ease.
Tuesday
As I often do on my first day in a new city, I spent the entirety of Tuesday walking around Melbourne including a stop at the Tourist Information Center to get my bearings and get a feel for the city:
Wednesday
The next day, Wednesday, I decided to take a tour of the Great Ocean Road. The tour departed at 7am and didn’t arrive back into Melbourne until close to 1015pm but it was worth it in every way imaginable. These pictures (and any other pictures you see on the internet) can’t begin to come close to capturing how incredible the views of the Great Ocean Road are (especially the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, and Loch Ard Gorge). I was there on a day full of rain and wind and while some might think I was disappointed not to have a nice sunny day, I actually preferred it since it caused the ocean to be quite frothy which made for some fantastic photos:
Sleeping Koala:
Beach / Ocean Up-close:
The most disgusting ice-cream I’ve ever tasted:
The Twelve Apostles:
Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge
Thursday
The next day I was supposed to go on a tour of the wineries in the Mornington Peninsula and due to a screw-up by the tour company I ended up on another Mornington Peninsula tour that was focused on the peninsula itself and not on the wineries. The tour was fine and the sight-seeing was nice but it was a bit of a letdown. Unfortunately I have no pictures really worth adding for that so I’ll skip to my last full day in Melbourne, Friday.
Friday
Like the first day I decided to just stay in Melbourne and walk around the city and enjoy the sights and sounds. Fortunately one of my mate’s flatmate’s wasn’t working that day so he joined me and was able to show me some of the local spots in Melbourne, especially the side-alleys that have great lunch spots.
However before lunch, I insisted on a stop at the Parliament of Victoria. I’ve always enjoyed the comparing the various political systems around the world (that and being a public policy major in college it’s kind of my civic requirement to take tours of the seat of government when I have a chance):
And the Upper House:
After Parliament it was time to walk around and grab lunch before heading to Rod Laver Arena (as a tennis player it was another must see):
After lunch we walked over to Rod Laver Arena along the river:
And proceeded to take a tour (center court was covered ahead of a concert but the #3 Show Court was open to walk on):
Last but not least, the day ended with yet another sports-related event, my very first footie match at the MCG. The match was a rematch of last year’s grand-final and featured Hawthorne vs. Freemantle. Hawthorne destroyed Freemantle but despite the lopsided score it was a lot of fun:
Next up, a quick flight to Sydney on Virgin Australia!
In terms of location, as I mentioned at the outset of the Trip Report, I was fortunate enough to stay with a mate who I worked with at a camp a few years ago. He and his flatmates live in Balaclava, a suburb of Melbourne connected to the Metro allowing access to Melbourne CBD with ease.
Tuesday
As I often do on my first day in a new city, I spent the entirety of Tuesday walking around Melbourne including a stop at the Tourist Information Center to get my bearings and get a feel for the city:
Wednesday
The next day, Wednesday, I decided to take a tour of the Great Ocean Road. The tour departed at 7am and didn’t arrive back into Melbourne until close to 1015pm but it was worth it in every way imaginable. These pictures (and any other pictures you see on the internet) can’t begin to come close to capturing how incredible the views of the Great Ocean Road are (especially the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, and Loch Ard Gorge). I was there on a day full of rain and wind and while some might think I was disappointed not to have a nice sunny day, I actually preferred it since it caused the ocean to be quite frothy which made for some fantastic photos:
Sleeping Koala:
Beach / Ocean Up-close:
The most disgusting ice-cream I’ve ever tasted:
The Twelve Apostles:
Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge
Thursday
The next day I was supposed to go on a tour of the wineries in the Mornington Peninsula and due to a screw-up by the tour company I ended up on another Mornington Peninsula tour that was focused on the peninsula itself and not on the wineries. The tour was fine and the sight-seeing was nice but it was a bit of a letdown. Unfortunately I have no pictures really worth adding for that so I’ll skip to my last full day in Melbourne, Friday.
Friday
Like the first day I decided to just stay in Melbourne and walk around the city and enjoy the sights and sounds. Fortunately one of my mate’s flatmate’s wasn’t working that day so he joined me and was able to show me some of the local spots in Melbourne, especially the side-alleys that have great lunch spots.
However before lunch, I insisted on a stop at the Parliament of Victoria. I’ve always enjoyed the comparing the various political systems around the world (that and being a public policy major in college it’s kind of my civic requirement to take tours of the seat of government when I have a chance):
And the Upper House:
After Parliament it was time to walk around and grab lunch before heading to Rod Laver Arena (as a tennis player it was another must see):
After lunch we walked over to Rod Laver Arena along the river:
And proceeded to take a tour (center court was covered ahead of a concert but the #3 Show Court was open to walk on):
Last but not least, the day ended with yet another sports-related event, my very first footie match at the MCG. The match was a rematch of last year’s grand-final and featured Hawthorne vs. Freemantle. Hawthorne destroyed Freemantle but despite the lopsided score it was a lot of fun:
Next up, a quick flight to Sydney on Virgin Australia!
Apr 29, 2014, 4:04 pm
#69
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Yeah, I know in most instances J looks cramped after being up in F, but in this case it seemed particularly cramped though I'm sure it's very nice when not influenced by F
Apr 30, 2014, 10:06 am
#71
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I usually don't look at these longer incremental reports until they're completed, but your title was certainly suggestive and - like a kid looking at Christmas presents under the tree - I just couldn't resist a peek. You're a first time reporter? One wouldn't have known it! What a great trip - very enviable in both flights and destinations. Thanks for a great report so far, and here's wishing you happy contrails over the rest of your travels. ^^
Apr 30, 2014, 2:52 pm
#72
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VA 841
I hope you all enjoyed Melbourne as much as I did but it's time to finally get to the place that inspired this trip in the first place, Sydney. I've wanted to see the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge for as long as I can remember and we've just got a short flight to get there.
Unfortunately it's going to be in coach so you'll have to reset your expectations after that ridiculous flight on Emirates. There will be no shower, no Johnnie Walker, no bar, not even a proper meal. That being said the flight cost just $73 AUD each so I guess we'll survive right?
Okay before we get on our flight I've got to get a bagel since you know we won't be getting a meal or anything on this flight...
Actually not that bad for an Australian attempt at a bagel. Well we might as well make our way over to the gate - the good news is despite having no status we still managed to snag seats that were just behind the wing and somehow are in zone 2 for boarding, seats 18D and 18E (aisle and middle) respectively (sorry you’re in the middle).
There she is - looks like our plane today is painted red and in the "virginblue.com.au" livery. As for plane type, we're on a 737-800, which we know quite well from flying around the US given our recent move from United to American which flies 738s pretty much everywhere we’ve been recently:
Thankfully because this is a domestic flight boarding is relatively easy, no passport check, only a short call for First Class, and a quick walk down the jetway. I know that we aren’t used to sitting back here, I mean even on domestic flights we’re usually up front, but you know what I can live with these seats for the next 75 minutes (apologies my picture did not come out well at all so I've also included a stock / professional picture taken by Australian Business Traveler - photo credit here: http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-virgi...c-sky-interior)
I’m not sure what you think but after sitting down I have to say, these are pretty darn comfortable. Even better it looks like we have free access to the streaming IFE via our laptops today (hello quick episode of Friends), though sadly there’s no WiFi included in that. Okay let's get this show on the road and head to Sydney!
One Friends Episode Later (aka 25 minutes)
What's that - we actually do get a minimal meal service on this flight? Okay what is it? An apple and some bar? HAHA okay I'll take it - I mean it's better than the peanuts they still serve on US domestic flights. Oh and we have a choice of drinks hmmm what do they offer on this flight? Juice and water? What do you mean there’s no Diet Coke / Coke Zero included for free? Pshh, okay I’ll go for the water and the same for you right?
Whoa that was fast, the pilot says we’re about to land! That flight wasn’t bad at all, quick, cheap, and certainly more comfortable than EasyJet or RyanAir. I don’t know about you but to me it felt like flying on the US Airways Shuttle from DCA – LGA, slightly longer flight time, but overall block time was the same (shorter wait at MEL than at LGA).
Woooohoooo, hello Sydney! I’ll meet you at baggage claim!
I hope you all enjoyed Melbourne as much as I did but it's time to finally get to the place that inspired this trip in the first place, Sydney. I've wanted to see the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge for as long as I can remember and we've just got a short flight to get there.
Unfortunately it's going to be in coach so you'll have to reset your expectations after that ridiculous flight on Emirates. There will be no shower, no Johnnie Walker, no bar, not even a proper meal. That being said the flight cost just $73 AUD each so I guess we'll survive right?
Okay before we get on our flight I've got to get a bagel since you know we won't be getting a meal or anything on this flight...
Actually not that bad for an Australian attempt at a bagel. Well we might as well make our way over to the gate - the good news is despite having no status we still managed to snag seats that were just behind the wing and somehow are in zone 2 for boarding, seats 18D and 18E (aisle and middle) respectively (sorry you’re in the middle).
There she is - looks like our plane today is painted red and in the "virginblue.com.au" livery. As for plane type, we're on a 737-800, which we know quite well from flying around the US given our recent move from United to American which flies 738s pretty much everywhere we’ve been recently:
Thankfully because this is a domestic flight boarding is relatively easy, no passport check, only a short call for First Class, and a quick walk down the jetway. I know that we aren’t used to sitting back here, I mean even on domestic flights we’re usually up front, but you know what I can live with these seats for the next 75 minutes (apologies my picture did not come out well at all so I've also included a stock / professional picture taken by Australian Business Traveler - photo credit here: http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-virgi...c-sky-interior)
I’m not sure what you think but after sitting down I have to say, these are pretty darn comfortable. Even better it looks like we have free access to the streaming IFE via our laptops today (hello quick episode of Friends), though sadly there’s no WiFi included in that. Okay let's get this show on the road and head to Sydney!
One Friends Episode Later (aka 25 minutes)
What's that - we actually do get a minimal meal service on this flight? Okay what is it? An apple and some bar? HAHA okay I'll take it - I mean it's better than the peanuts they still serve on US domestic flights. Oh and we have a choice of drinks hmmm what do they offer on this flight? Juice and water? What do you mean there’s no Diet Coke / Coke Zero included for free? Pshh, okay I’ll go for the water and the same for you right?
Whoa that was fast, the pilot says we’re about to land! That flight wasn’t bad at all, quick, cheap, and certainly more comfortable than EasyJet or RyanAir. I don’t know about you but to me it felt like flying on the US Airways Shuttle from DCA – LGA, slightly longer flight time, but overall block time was the same (shorter wait at MEL than at LGA).
Woooohoooo, hello Sydney! I’ll meet you at baggage claim!
Last edited by Duke787; Apr 30, 2014 at 3:13 pm
May 2, 2014, 12:39 pm
#74
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Sydney Day 1
Ahhhh I finally got to Sydney!!! I know I know it's on me for taking a really long time to get to Sydney and it's not like I've been slumming it along the way; So far I've gotten to eat sushi in Tokyo, see incredible sights in Bangkok, see some of the most stunning landscape in the world in Auckland, and experienced Melbourne's top notch culture. That all being said, Sydney has always been the crown jewel of this trip and I’m excited to finally be here.
This being a domestic flight, no customs or immigration after deplaning and after a short 16-minute train ride I arrived at my first hotel, the Sheraton on the Park (hereafter SOP). The SOP is named so because it is literally directly across from Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Sydney. The park itself isn't particularly big - but it is quite nice. Shaped like a rectangle, the SOP is in the middle of one of the long sides (the side bordering Elizabeth Street for any familiar with Sydney). On the opposite side sits St. Mary's Cathedral with the WWI and WWII memorial on the short side to the right of the SOP. The other short side is actually rounded and contains a fountain and some additional trees and green space.
First up though was the hotel. Since I am only SPG Gold, I knew in all likelihood I wouldn’t be getting an upgraded room but I could expect to get a decently high floor and a decent size room in addition to free WiFi. All three of these things held true though I did not get a room facing the park and instead had a view of a few office buildings. The room was quite big with a sitting area (including both a desk and a couch), a Queen bed (that was actually a proper Queen - not two twins held together), and a large bathroom complete with marble and a full bathtub. In addition the view from the gym was absolutely stunning:
On the other side of the SOP is Pitt Street and the Westfield Mall which together form the busiest (and most high-end) shopping area in Sydney. After unpacking I was starving so I walked over to Pitt Street and grabbed a delicious baguette from Taste Baguette and walked around the area:
Finally I knew it was time to trek down to Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the harbour on Sydney Cove, the cove that is home to among other things the Opera House and the Park Hyatt Sydney where I'd be staying for the last three (3) nights of my time in Sydney:
Seeing the Opera House first hand was the very top things I had on my list for Sydney and I can say without an exaggeration that it was absolutely worth the 18.5k mile journey I took to get to Sydney. You'll notice a couple interesting things in the photos. First there is a rhino. If you've ever been to Burlington Vermont (or I'm sure numerous other cities that do this), you'll notice that in Burlington there are cows all over the downtown pedestrian area. In Sydney apparently rhinos is the thing to put up everywhere. Oh hey there Park Hyatt, I’ll see you Monday afternoon:
We also have the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) right here in Circular Quay, though it’s almost closing time so I’ll look to stop back her later in the week:
After walking around for a bit I decided to hop on a ferry out to Manly Beach - one of the most popular beaches in the Sydney area. The ferry ride is ~30 minutes long and since the sun was starting to set the views it provided were unbelievable (you can tell those pictures from the lighting). At Manly Beach I ate some proper fish and chips (grilled not fried) at Monger's before returning back to Circular Quay (and taking more pictures of the Opera House and bridge):
Sydney Day 2
The second day at Sydney was all about wine. Located roughly two (2) hours outside of Sydney, the Hunter Valley Wine region is one of the most well renowned wine regions in the world. It features some phenomenal wines as well as wineries big and small. I specifically chose a wine tour run by the company Boutique Tours that only goes to small wineries. I wanted to be able to try and experience wines that could only be purchased at the cellar door right there in the Hunter Valley and nowhere else. As for featured specialties - most of you know Australia is known for their Shiraz but the Hunter Valley also has another specialty, the Semillon grape.
The day started at 7:30am and we went to three wineries, a cheese shop, and a chocolate shop. Our first stop was Iron Gate Estate where we had a great tasting and saw the wine production process up close. Iron Gate was by far my favorite winery of the day (though that’s not to take anything away from the other two which were also quite good) with both the wine and the people working there top notch. They accidentally sent me home with the wrong bottle of wine and I didn’t notice until the next day when I went to pack up and move from the Sheraton to the Park Hyatt. I called Iron Gate as soon as I noticed and they offered to send the correct bottle back to Sydney with the Boutique Tour driver and told me to just keep the bottle they’d given me incorrectly:
After Iron Gate we proceeded to Savannah Estate, which had some interesting wines including a really good cleanskin for $10 AUD, which I bought as a table wine to drink during the rest of my time in Sydney:
Our final stop (after lunch) was at Ernest Hill Wines, which was another great boutique winery with some really interesting wines. The gentleman leading our wine tasting noted that in a year Ernest Hill produces ~70,000 bottles compared to Jacob Creek which makes ~70,000 bottles of Chardonnay an hour. Gives you an ideal of the difference in scale and it helped drive home that the day was truly a unique experience:
All in all it was a pretty amazing day and the wines were delicious. Now that I'm back in the US, I can report I successfully brought back all eight (8) bottles of wine I purchased on my trip (3 in New Zealand, 5 in Australia) using "The Wine Diaper" - which you can buy on amazon.com for ~$10 for 2. I would highly endorse them for anyone traveling to a wine region in the world with a desire to bring back some of that wine.
Before we headed back home we came across a few kangaroo just hanging out in someone’s front yard. Since we were a mini-bus full of tourists, the driver stopped so we could take lots of pictures:
We got back to Sydney around 5:30pm and I ended up going over to Ippudo Sydney in the Westfield mall to have ramen for dinner which was the perfect meal to cap off a great day of wine tasting.
Sydney Day 3 – Part 1
Day 3 in Sydney was moving day. After two nights at the Sheraton on the Park it was time to move to the crown jewel of the trip, the Park Hyatt Sydney, for the remaining three nights of my trip.
However before I moved hotels, I wanted to take advantage of the SOP's location and go running through Hyde Park and the connected Royal Botanical Gardens, which are spectacular. On one side they run up to the Opera House and on the other side they go up to a point that has sweeping views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The Gardens also contain the Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General of New South Wales (the Queen's representative). Unfortunately since it was a Monday there were no tours of Government House going on, but the grounds were still open to walk onto and see the House up close. I also stopped by the St. Mary’s Cathedral and went inside:
In addition I stopped briefly (to escape the rain) in at the New South Wales Art Museum, and enjoyed a few galleries before continuing on my run:
Unfortunately it was raining on and off all morning but that didn't stop me from enjoying the run and stopping to take multiple pictures (and you can see in the pictures it switching between sunny, blue skies, and gray clouds and rain).
Sydney Day 3 – Part 2
While the morning and early afternoon provided some excellent views of the city (not to mention a nice run), the real highlight of the day was moving to the Park Hyatt Sydney. The Park Hyatt Sydney is the only hotel that contains unobstructed views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House. It's located in The Rocks area of Sydney and is just below the Harbour Bridge. Every single room in the hotel faces out towards the Harbour / City Skyline, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, or some combination of all three. Nights in a standard room can retail for as much as~850-1000 AUD/night so to get three nights for free was going to be an amazing treat.
In addition, as a Hyatt Diamond member I would also receive free breakfast each morning, a potentially upgraded room (from the standard Harbour Room), and a welcome amenity of my choice (either a bottle of wine or 1000 Hyatt points).
Well - I packed up at the SOP, grabbed a cab, and headed over to the Park Hyatt. From the second I arrived it was clear that service at the Park Hyatt was on a different stratosphere from your normal hotel. I was greeted warmly by the porters, who took my bags and promised to bring them to my room as soon as I finished checking in. I walked in and handed my passport to the gentleman at the front desk and he instantly recognized my name and told me the Assistant Front Desk Manager was specifically waiting to welcome me and bring me to my room.
The Assistant Front Desk Manager introduced himself and took me up to the third floor where he gave me a tour of the room, told me about my benefits, inquired about what paper I'd like at breakfast each morning, and asked whether I preferred the wine or the Hyatt points (I went with the wine). I also took the time to inform him that someone would be dropping off a bottle of wine later in the day at the front desk (long story short - one of the wineries accidentally gave me the wrong bottle of wine so they were sending the correct one with Boutique Tours to drop off at my hotel that evening).
First impressions - wow. The room was nicely laid out and certainly was a good size and included a large bathroom (with both a tub and a shower) as well as a separate toilet that had optional bidet buttons that could be used. But the real gem of the room was the view both from my bed and more importantly from the balcony attached to my room. The view of the city was unobstructed and unbelievable and the Opera House, while slightly obstructed, could be seen easily when standing up. Overall the balcony proved to be one of my favorite things on the vacation, I spent each afternoon on the balcony enjoying the sunset (and a couple days the departure of a cruise ship) before heading to dinner:
The view from my bed (if only that ugly monstrosity of a cruise ship would move!):
[IMG]http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a553/flyerdude88/flyerdude88
002/IMG_9820_zpsf81582d2.jpg[/IMG]
There were a couple minor issues with the room, first the WiFi wouldn't work and second because of the rain earlier in the day the chairs on my balcony were soaking wet. However, when my wine was brought up a short time after checking into the room, I told the woman who brought them up of both issues. She immediately left and returned with a WiFi router exclusively for my room and had a housekeeper bring up a new chair for my balcony. These actions epitomized the incredible service I received throughout my stay at the Park Hyatt.
A couple of views from the roof / pool:
After enjoying the rest of the afternoon watching the sunset - I went to a nearby Italian restaurant and had a classic American dish, spaghetti and meatballs:
Sydney Day 4
Sydney Day 4 was all about continuing to explore and enjoy the sights and sounds of Sydney. The morning started with a run across the Harbour Bridge to the other side and back. While you can pay $250 AUD to climb the bridge stairs and have an unobstructed view of the Harbour, you can't actually bring a camera and well it costs $250 AUD. However running across the bridge is free and you can bring your camera / iPhone. So while there are big metal bars and fences to keep people from jumping off the bridge, there is enough of a gap to take unobstructed pictures of the Opera House and Harbour:
You can really tell how incredible the Park Hyatt’s location when on the bridge, it’s the beige circular building in the foreground:
View from the other side of the bridge:
After going for the run there was the crucial business of eating breakfast. As a Hyatt Diamond breakfast was included in my stay for free. Since they don't have a Hyatt Club the breakfast amenity allows Diamonds to order anything off the menu and take whatever they like from the buffet. My go to as always was an egg-white omelet accompanied by some fresh bread (mini baguettes!), cheese, and fruit (blueberries!!):
The afternoon consisted of a return to Manly Beach this time with the sun out and with a bathing suit and towel in tow. More importantly the date was April 8th also known as Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day. As I found while walking around Manly Beach during my first visit on Saturday night, there is a Ben and Jerry's right across from the beach. So ~9990 miles from Burlington Vermont, I enjoyed a free Ben and Jerry's Cookies and Cream ice cream cone!
Upon returning from the beach the staff at the Park Hyatt once again went above and beyond anything I could've expected. Sitting in my room was a bottle of Australian Shiraz (that upon Googling appeared to be a ~$35 bottle of wine) and a note from the assistant front desk manager. In the note he mentioned that the staff had picked up on my love for wine and they wanted me to try an Australian Shiraz, compliments of the hotel (this in addition to the bottle they had provided as a welcome gift on the first night):
They also sent up a tray of eight mini cookies compliments of the chef to enjoy with my wine during afternoon "tea" before dinner. It's that kind of service (and ability to pick up on those little likes and dislikes of your guests) that make a Park Hyatt's in general and specifically the Park Hyatt Sydney such an impressive property:
For dinner that night I was originally slated to go to Rockpool Grill. Unfortunately it was closed due to a terrible fire in the kitchen so I had to make other arrangements. Fortunately the awesome concierge at the Park Hyatt had a few suggestions and we settled on Prime, located in the same building as the Westin. I went against my better instincts and went for the Scotch Filet. While it was a delicious piece of meat, I realized while eating it how much I prefer Filet Mignon and in retrospect, given how much the meal cost, wish I had gone with the Filet instead, but nonetheless it was a delicious meal:
Ahhhh I finally got to Sydney!!! I know I know it's on me for taking a really long time to get to Sydney and it's not like I've been slumming it along the way; So far I've gotten to eat sushi in Tokyo, see incredible sights in Bangkok, see some of the most stunning landscape in the world in Auckland, and experienced Melbourne's top notch culture. That all being said, Sydney has always been the crown jewel of this trip and I’m excited to finally be here.
This being a domestic flight, no customs or immigration after deplaning and after a short 16-minute train ride I arrived at my first hotel, the Sheraton on the Park (hereafter SOP). The SOP is named so because it is literally directly across from Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Sydney. The park itself isn't particularly big - but it is quite nice. Shaped like a rectangle, the SOP is in the middle of one of the long sides (the side bordering Elizabeth Street for any familiar with Sydney). On the opposite side sits St. Mary's Cathedral with the WWI and WWII memorial on the short side to the right of the SOP. The other short side is actually rounded and contains a fountain and some additional trees and green space.
First up though was the hotel. Since I am only SPG Gold, I knew in all likelihood I wouldn’t be getting an upgraded room but I could expect to get a decently high floor and a decent size room in addition to free WiFi. All three of these things held true though I did not get a room facing the park and instead had a view of a few office buildings. The room was quite big with a sitting area (including both a desk and a couch), a Queen bed (that was actually a proper Queen - not two twins held together), and a large bathroom complete with marble and a full bathtub. In addition the view from the gym was absolutely stunning:
On the other side of the SOP is Pitt Street and the Westfield Mall which together form the busiest (and most high-end) shopping area in Sydney. After unpacking I was starving so I walked over to Pitt Street and grabbed a delicious baguette from Taste Baguette and walked around the area:
Finally I knew it was time to trek down to Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the harbour on Sydney Cove, the cove that is home to among other things the Opera House and the Park Hyatt Sydney where I'd be staying for the last three (3) nights of my time in Sydney:
Seeing the Opera House first hand was the very top things I had on my list for Sydney and I can say without an exaggeration that it was absolutely worth the 18.5k mile journey I took to get to Sydney. You'll notice a couple interesting things in the photos. First there is a rhino. If you've ever been to Burlington Vermont (or I'm sure numerous other cities that do this), you'll notice that in Burlington there are cows all over the downtown pedestrian area. In Sydney apparently rhinos is the thing to put up everywhere. Oh hey there Park Hyatt, I’ll see you Monday afternoon:
We also have the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) right here in Circular Quay, though it’s almost closing time so I’ll look to stop back her later in the week:
After walking around for a bit I decided to hop on a ferry out to Manly Beach - one of the most popular beaches in the Sydney area. The ferry ride is ~30 minutes long and since the sun was starting to set the views it provided were unbelievable (you can tell those pictures from the lighting). At Manly Beach I ate some proper fish and chips (grilled not fried) at Monger's before returning back to Circular Quay (and taking more pictures of the Opera House and bridge):
Sydney Day 2
The second day at Sydney was all about wine. Located roughly two (2) hours outside of Sydney, the Hunter Valley Wine region is one of the most well renowned wine regions in the world. It features some phenomenal wines as well as wineries big and small. I specifically chose a wine tour run by the company Boutique Tours that only goes to small wineries. I wanted to be able to try and experience wines that could only be purchased at the cellar door right there in the Hunter Valley and nowhere else. As for featured specialties - most of you know Australia is known for their Shiraz but the Hunter Valley also has another specialty, the Semillon grape.
The day started at 7:30am and we went to three wineries, a cheese shop, and a chocolate shop. Our first stop was Iron Gate Estate where we had a great tasting and saw the wine production process up close. Iron Gate was by far my favorite winery of the day (though that’s not to take anything away from the other two which were also quite good) with both the wine and the people working there top notch. They accidentally sent me home with the wrong bottle of wine and I didn’t notice until the next day when I went to pack up and move from the Sheraton to the Park Hyatt. I called Iron Gate as soon as I noticed and they offered to send the correct bottle back to Sydney with the Boutique Tour driver and told me to just keep the bottle they’d given me incorrectly:
After Iron Gate we proceeded to Savannah Estate, which had some interesting wines including a really good cleanskin for $10 AUD, which I bought as a table wine to drink during the rest of my time in Sydney:
Our final stop (after lunch) was at Ernest Hill Wines, which was another great boutique winery with some really interesting wines. The gentleman leading our wine tasting noted that in a year Ernest Hill produces ~70,000 bottles compared to Jacob Creek which makes ~70,000 bottles of Chardonnay an hour. Gives you an ideal of the difference in scale and it helped drive home that the day was truly a unique experience:
All in all it was a pretty amazing day and the wines were delicious. Now that I'm back in the US, I can report I successfully brought back all eight (8) bottles of wine I purchased on my trip (3 in New Zealand, 5 in Australia) using "The Wine Diaper" - which you can buy on amazon.com for ~$10 for 2. I would highly endorse them for anyone traveling to a wine region in the world with a desire to bring back some of that wine.
Before we headed back home we came across a few kangaroo just hanging out in someone’s front yard. Since we were a mini-bus full of tourists, the driver stopped so we could take lots of pictures:
We got back to Sydney around 5:30pm and I ended up going over to Ippudo Sydney in the Westfield mall to have ramen for dinner which was the perfect meal to cap off a great day of wine tasting.
Sydney Day 3 – Part 1
Day 3 in Sydney was moving day. After two nights at the Sheraton on the Park it was time to move to the crown jewel of the trip, the Park Hyatt Sydney, for the remaining three nights of my trip.
However before I moved hotels, I wanted to take advantage of the SOP's location and go running through Hyde Park and the connected Royal Botanical Gardens, which are spectacular. On one side they run up to the Opera House and on the other side they go up to a point that has sweeping views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The Gardens also contain the Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General of New South Wales (the Queen's representative). Unfortunately since it was a Monday there were no tours of Government House going on, but the grounds were still open to walk onto and see the House up close. I also stopped by the St. Mary’s Cathedral and went inside:
In addition I stopped briefly (to escape the rain) in at the New South Wales Art Museum, and enjoyed a few galleries before continuing on my run:
Unfortunately it was raining on and off all morning but that didn't stop me from enjoying the run and stopping to take multiple pictures (and you can see in the pictures it switching between sunny, blue skies, and gray clouds and rain).
Sydney Day 3 – Part 2
While the morning and early afternoon provided some excellent views of the city (not to mention a nice run), the real highlight of the day was moving to the Park Hyatt Sydney. The Park Hyatt Sydney is the only hotel that contains unobstructed views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House. It's located in The Rocks area of Sydney and is just below the Harbour Bridge. Every single room in the hotel faces out towards the Harbour / City Skyline, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, or some combination of all three. Nights in a standard room can retail for as much as~850-1000 AUD/night so to get three nights for free was going to be an amazing treat.
In addition, as a Hyatt Diamond member I would also receive free breakfast each morning, a potentially upgraded room (from the standard Harbour Room), and a welcome amenity of my choice (either a bottle of wine or 1000 Hyatt points).
Well - I packed up at the SOP, grabbed a cab, and headed over to the Park Hyatt. From the second I arrived it was clear that service at the Park Hyatt was on a different stratosphere from your normal hotel. I was greeted warmly by the porters, who took my bags and promised to bring them to my room as soon as I finished checking in. I walked in and handed my passport to the gentleman at the front desk and he instantly recognized my name and told me the Assistant Front Desk Manager was specifically waiting to welcome me and bring me to my room.
The Assistant Front Desk Manager introduced himself and took me up to the third floor where he gave me a tour of the room, told me about my benefits, inquired about what paper I'd like at breakfast each morning, and asked whether I preferred the wine or the Hyatt points (I went with the wine). I also took the time to inform him that someone would be dropping off a bottle of wine later in the day at the front desk (long story short - one of the wineries accidentally gave me the wrong bottle of wine so they were sending the correct one with Boutique Tours to drop off at my hotel that evening).
First impressions - wow. The room was nicely laid out and certainly was a good size and included a large bathroom (with both a tub and a shower) as well as a separate toilet that had optional bidet buttons that could be used. But the real gem of the room was the view both from my bed and more importantly from the balcony attached to my room. The view of the city was unobstructed and unbelievable and the Opera House, while slightly obstructed, could be seen easily when standing up. Overall the balcony proved to be one of my favorite things on the vacation, I spent each afternoon on the balcony enjoying the sunset (and a couple days the departure of a cruise ship) before heading to dinner:
The view from my bed (if only that ugly monstrosity of a cruise ship would move!):
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There were a couple minor issues with the room, first the WiFi wouldn't work and second because of the rain earlier in the day the chairs on my balcony were soaking wet. However, when my wine was brought up a short time after checking into the room, I told the woman who brought them up of both issues. She immediately left and returned with a WiFi router exclusively for my room and had a housekeeper bring up a new chair for my balcony. These actions epitomized the incredible service I received throughout my stay at the Park Hyatt.
A couple of views from the roof / pool:
After enjoying the rest of the afternoon watching the sunset - I went to a nearby Italian restaurant and had a classic American dish, spaghetti and meatballs:
Sydney Day 4
Sydney Day 4 was all about continuing to explore and enjoy the sights and sounds of Sydney. The morning started with a run across the Harbour Bridge to the other side and back. While you can pay $250 AUD to climb the bridge stairs and have an unobstructed view of the Harbour, you can't actually bring a camera and well it costs $250 AUD. However running across the bridge is free and you can bring your camera / iPhone. So while there are big metal bars and fences to keep people from jumping off the bridge, there is enough of a gap to take unobstructed pictures of the Opera House and Harbour:
You can really tell how incredible the Park Hyatt’s location when on the bridge, it’s the beige circular building in the foreground:
View from the other side of the bridge:
After going for the run there was the crucial business of eating breakfast. As a Hyatt Diamond breakfast was included in my stay for free. Since they don't have a Hyatt Club the breakfast amenity allows Diamonds to order anything off the menu and take whatever they like from the buffet. My go to as always was an egg-white omelet accompanied by some fresh bread (mini baguettes!), cheese, and fruit (blueberries!!):
The afternoon consisted of a return to Manly Beach this time with the sun out and with a bathing suit and towel in tow. More importantly the date was April 8th also known as Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day. As I found while walking around Manly Beach during my first visit on Saturday night, there is a Ben and Jerry's right across from the beach. So ~9990 miles from Burlington Vermont, I enjoyed a free Ben and Jerry's Cookies and Cream ice cream cone!
Upon returning from the beach the staff at the Park Hyatt once again went above and beyond anything I could've expected. Sitting in my room was a bottle of Australian Shiraz (that upon Googling appeared to be a ~$35 bottle of wine) and a note from the assistant front desk manager. In the note he mentioned that the staff had picked up on my love for wine and they wanted me to try an Australian Shiraz, compliments of the hotel (this in addition to the bottle they had provided as a welcome gift on the first night):
They also sent up a tray of eight mini cookies compliments of the chef to enjoy with my wine during afternoon "tea" before dinner. It's that kind of service (and ability to pick up on those little likes and dislikes of your guests) that make a Park Hyatt's in general and specifically the Park Hyatt Sydney such an impressive property:
For dinner that night I was originally slated to go to Rockpool Grill. Unfortunately it was closed due to a terrible fire in the kitchen so I had to make other arrangements. Fortunately the awesome concierge at the Park Hyatt had a few suggestions and we settled on Prime, located in the same building as the Westin. I went against my better instincts and went for the Scotch Filet. While it was a delicious piece of meat, I realized while eating it how much I prefer Filet Mignon and in retrospect, given how much the meal cost, wish I had gone with the Filet instead, but nonetheless it was a delicious meal:
May 2, 2014, 12:40 pm
#75
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Sydney Day 5
My last full day in Sydney was all about going to the beach though like the previous days it started with another quality omelette breakfast in the Hyatt's dining room.
After breakfast I decided to head over to Coogee and Bondi Beach - two the most iconic beaches in the area. The two are connected by roughly 6 KM of coastline allowing one to walk from Coogee to Bondi while witnessing some unbelievable views of the Australian coastline at its very best. Even better doing so was free and a good workout!
You can do the walk in either direction so I choose to start at Coogee (which is further away) and work my way back to Bondi.
Coogee Beach:
Selected pictures from the walk:
Of course at both places I made sure to actually spend some time lying down on the sand and just enjoying the ocean, especially at Bondi (pictured below) where I went completely into the Australian waters for the first time.
After the walk I headed back to the Park Hyatt and spent another "tea time" drinking some wine and enjoying the sunset from my balcony, oh and a Tim Tam slam of course too!
After tea time, it was time to a nearby restaurant where I fulfilled one of the last things on my checklist, a kangaroo burger, and had a mini-DO thanks to Penegal who put together a thread on the Australian Frequent Flyer website:
Sydney Day 6
My very last day in Sydney started much the same as the others with one exception; I opted to go for a run before breakfast instead of after. Following my last run around Circular Quay, I once again headed down to the Park Hyatt's Dining Room for breakfast but instead of my usual healthy egg white omelette, I opted for a celebratory waffle since it was my last day after all:
Upon finishing my breakfast I had two main objectives for the day before I was to head to the airport. First, I wanted to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and walk around the free exhibits. The MCA is located right in the Circular Quay area so it was a quick walk from my hotel and was a nice enjoyable experience with a couple of particularly cool pieces of art:
After the MCA was the real highlight of the day and one of the highlights of the trip, going to the Opera House for an actual performance.
During the planning phase of the trip, I had discovered that Lynn Harrell, a noted cellist, would be performing at the Opera House starting on my last afternoon (Thursday) with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Normally taking a tour of the Opera House would cost $35 AUD while the actual concert cost $58 AUD. So for just $23 AUD I could see and hear a performance at the Opera House:
Well, I can say it was definitely worth it and one of the coolest things I've done in my life, really a once in a lifetime opportunity. I haven't been to many other classical concerts (actually I haven't been to any other classical concerts), so I can't really compare the sound and acoustics to any other venue, but I can say unsurprisingly the sound and acoustics in the Opera House were phenomenal and a great way to cap my time in Sydney.
Next up – two Air China flights, Sushi Yoshitake, and the world-renowned ANA F on NH 2!!
My last full day in Sydney was all about going to the beach though like the previous days it started with another quality omelette breakfast in the Hyatt's dining room.
After breakfast I decided to head over to Coogee and Bondi Beach - two the most iconic beaches in the area. The two are connected by roughly 6 KM of coastline allowing one to walk from Coogee to Bondi while witnessing some unbelievable views of the Australian coastline at its very best. Even better doing so was free and a good workout!
You can do the walk in either direction so I choose to start at Coogee (which is further away) and work my way back to Bondi.
Coogee Beach:
Selected pictures from the walk:
Of course at both places I made sure to actually spend some time lying down on the sand and just enjoying the ocean, especially at Bondi (pictured below) where I went completely into the Australian waters for the first time.
After the walk I headed back to the Park Hyatt and spent another "tea time" drinking some wine and enjoying the sunset from my balcony, oh and a Tim Tam slam of course too!
After tea time, it was time to a nearby restaurant where I fulfilled one of the last things on my checklist, a kangaroo burger, and had a mini-DO thanks to Penegal who put together a thread on the Australian Frequent Flyer website:
Sydney Day 6
My very last day in Sydney started much the same as the others with one exception; I opted to go for a run before breakfast instead of after. Following my last run around Circular Quay, I once again headed down to the Park Hyatt's Dining Room for breakfast but instead of my usual healthy egg white omelette, I opted for a celebratory waffle since it was my last day after all:
Upon finishing my breakfast I had two main objectives for the day before I was to head to the airport. First, I wanted to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and walk around the free exhibits. The MCA is located right in the Circular Quay area so it was a quick walk from my hotel and was a nice enjoyable experience with a couple of particularly cool pieces of art:
After the MCA was the real highlight of the day and one of the highlights of the trip, going to the Opera House for an actual performance.
During the planning phase of the trip, I had discovered that Lynn Harrell, a noted cellist, would be performing at the Opera House starting on my last afternoon (Thursday) with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Normally taking a tour of the Opera House would cost $35 AUD while the actual concert cost $58 AUD. So for just $23 AUD I could see and hear a performance at the Opera House:
Well, I can say it was definitely worth it and one of the coolest things I've done in my life, really a once in a lifetime opportunity. I haven't been to many other classical concerts (actually I haven't been to any other classical concerts), so I can't really compare the sound and acoustics to any other venue, but I can say unsurprisingly the sound and acoustics in the Opera House were phenomenal and a great way to cap my time in Sydney.
Next up – two Air China flights, Sushi Yoshitake, and the world-renowned ANA F on NH 2!!