A short report.

Freddie Jr accompanied us (Sue Oz and myself) from MEL-SYD on QF462. I'm not sure if Freddie Jr was intimidated by the old ex BA 767 or was just really tired after his J run with the boys earlier in the day but he insisted in staying in his case above 23 J/K for the journey.

That night he chaperoned us in Rm 626 at the SYD airport HI. In the morning Freddie Jr slept in so we missed breakfast at the hotel but had some at the QF J lounge at SYD. From there it was off to AKL on LA800 sitting in 3D/H. We arrived on time and caught the bus to the Hotel Grand Chancellor AKL airport. Freddie Jr agreed with us that the hotel (Rm 220) was just adequate but comfortable. We didn't risk eating there so went down the road to a really great Chinese/Indian restaurant and had a really good & cheap feed.

In the morning we all skipped the meal at the hotel and headed for the Qantas domestic lounge for a safe though not too spectacular breakfast. From there we boarded QF2791 from AKL-ZQN. Though it was still summer there was plenty of snow on the mountains and had a pleasant and on time journey.
A hire car at Queenstown took is to Wanaka (home of the famous Warbirds Airshow) http://www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/ and then to Lake Hawea http://www.lakehawea.co.nz/ for a few days much needed rest. Freddie Jr, Sue Oz and I all enjoyed doing not much for a few days before we reversed the trip. ie car to ZQN, QF2792 to AKL, LA801 to SYD and then QF429 to MEL.

Freddie and I then drove home for one night at our new house and then headed off again via QF608 to BNE for the handover to serfty.

Freddie Jr was weighed at AKL airport and got a frown from the immigration lady so we quickly scurried off to the QF lounge and left her to pick on some other poor soul.

Freddie Jr seemed to enjoy the trip as much as we did so all in all very successful. The only part of the trip that was not much fun was when we took Freddie Jr to visit our daughter who has just been through the Gippsland Fires. http://www.gippslandfires.com/