February 18, 2016
Emirates Airlines Singapore to Brisbane 315p – 1245a 777-300 First Class
With regard to jetlag, I could not have planned it any better. The sleep I got on the flight from New York to Hong Kong was more than enough to easily power me through to11:00pm when I called it a day at my hotel in Singapore’s Chinatown. This morning I awoke at 7:30 feeling great. Following a shower and an impressive cooked breakfast served off the hotel lobby, I headed off to Jurong Bird Park – easily accessed via the MRT train to Boon Lay and the 194 bus to the park.
But enough of Jurong! After all, travelogues covering Singapore and its varied attractions are a dime a dozen. Just google “Singapore Jurong Travelogue” and see for yourself. Much rarer are those reports that provide detail and insight into getting to Singapore and beyond while travelling in First Class aboard the world’s finest airlines.
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This was to be my tenth flight aboard Emirates – all of them in First Class - and in many ways I found myself just as excited as I was on my first flight aboard this - the world’s fourth largest airline. The anticipation heightened as I strode up to the First Class check-in counter where I was cordially welcomed, efficiently processed and issued a boarding pass and directions to the Emirates Lounge.
Once you’ve cleared Immigration, it’s just a short walk past dozens of brightly lit shops until you reach a bank of escalators leading upstairs to a small lounge pavilion. The Emirates Lounge is one of three up there, all of them sporting very attractive and inviting entrances.
With few exceptions, once you’ve been in one of these lounges you might as well have been in them all inasmuch as they all offer comfortable and attractive seating areas, well stocked self-service bars and a decent selection of foodstuffs.
Comfortable seating in Emirates’ Singapore Lounge
Feel free to fix yourself a drink
Close up of the offerings
This is particularly true of Emirates’ lounges which all appear to have been designed along the same plan, right down to identical furnishings and buffet areas. The lounge in Johannesburg doesn’t look much different from the one in Brisbane which is itself very similar to the one here in Singapore. Where Emirates’ lounges stand out is in the quality of their buffet areas. A refrigerated island serves as an excellent display for a variety of salads, appetizers, desserts and assorted cold plates.
Care for a fresh salad?
How about a decadent dessert?
A hot buffet area offers a nice variety of hot dishes that almost always includes one of my favorites – lamb chops.
There are plenty of options here at the buffet
The Lamb Chop and Satay Area
This lounge also included shower facilities which – after a long morning out and about in muggy Singapore – I quickly made my first priority. I must apologize here to all of you shower photo junkies for not having thought to take a photo of the shower. It really was quite impressive with seemingly more controls and options than even the fabulous Pharo-Hansrohe Hydrotherapy Showers I experienced in British Airways’ Concorde Room a few years ago.
Honestly, with its myriad of controls and settings this shower was like an airplane cockpit inside! I never did figure out how they all worked but then I was content simply to luxuriate under a refreshing deluge of cool water.
Later, I availed myself of a cold beer and a computer terminal where I booked myself a room for this evening in Brisbane. It was tempting to put together a plate of lamb chops but I’d already had lunch and, with seven hours of airborne bliss to look forward to aboard Emirates’ 777 flight to Brisbane, I was confident there’d be plenty of time to enjoy a good meal or two along the way.
Although boarding had not yet been announced, I left the lounge at 2:30pm – forty-five minutes in advance of the flight. The main reason for my early exit was because Changi handles security at each flight’s individual gate. Sometimes it goes relatively quickly, and sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully I didn’t have far to go as EK 432 was scheduled to depart from C-13, conveniently located just 100 yards down the concourse from the lounge escalator. As for the crowd at security, I was pleased to discover that Emirates offers a separate lane for its First and Business Class passengers. This has not been my experience in past trips through Singapore – none of which have been aboard Emirates. It was very much appreciated though, especially after my speedy transit through security.
I love glass walled jetways! They’re so much nicer than being cooped up in the narrow dark passageways that pass for jetways at most every airport in the U.S. It’s so much nicer to be able to see your airplane as you walk out to it as opposed to being introduced to it via a dark and cramped doorway.
Attending to the door today was a trio of well turned out Flight Attendants, all of them looking quite smart in their beige uniforms with white scarves and red caps. Upon inspection of my boarding card I was cordially greeted and escorted to my suite at 2K. I’d specifically chosen the right hand side of the cabin in hopes of enjoying a spectacular South Seas sunset. My suite presented me with three windows through which to do so and as always, it was a most welcoming sight.
Suite 2K aboard Emirates 777-300ER
Since they were first introduced aboard the A340-500 a few years ago, Emirates’ First Class suites have gone on to become the stuff of legend. Many other airlines now offer First Class suites, but Emirates was the first to introduce sliding doors, effectively turning your suite into a private compartment much as you’d find in a Pullman roomette aboard a railroad sleeper car. Emirates’ suite goes much farther than the roomettes of old however.
Also included is a 30” LCD screen through which to take advantage of the excellent ICE inflight entertainment program. A seat-side mini-bar is stocked with a variety of non-alcoholic beverages and a pop-up vanity complete with lighted mirror contains a variety of creams and lotions to keep your skin fresh and hydrated throughout the flight. A separate drawer contains a writing kit complete with pen, paper and envelopes. The seat side table is huge and lifts out and into position much more easily than many others I’ve experienced. There is ample storage space for a small carry-on bag up front and a couple of seat-side compartments for the storage of smaller items such as a camera or book.
First Class Ambience – The forward view from seat2K
A close up of the snack basket
The controls for the seat, lights, privacy doors and electronic window blinds are housed in a tablet that’s mounted to the left of the seat. For more convenient operation, this tablet can be removed from its housing and operated wirelessly from your seat. The seat also includes a massage with four different styles.
As to the seat itself, I found it comfortable enough but overall I’d say that for me at least, Cathay’s First Class seat feels nicer. The beige leather on Emirates seat certainly gets style points for appearance sake but compared to the plush fabric covered cushioning of Cathay’s First Class seats, it feels a tad stiff.
On a side note, when I think back to the most comfortable First Class seats I’ve ever sat in, I’d say it’s a toss-up between the First Class seats aboard United’s standard DC-8s circa 1980 and the lamb’s wool covered seats aboard Air New Zealand’s DC-10 which I had the good fortune to fly between Los Angeles and Papeete back in 1981. The Premiere De Luxe Class seats aboard UTA’s 747 also deserve mention.
Emily and Abdel were the two flight attendants working the forward cabin this afternoon. With only three of us booked to enjoy Emirates’ five star service, between them both there was plenty of time for an attentive yet relaxed service.
Emily assisted me with getting settled in - hanging my jacket, stowing my roll-a-bord in an adjoining suite and then offering to bring me a welcoming cocktail. A glass of Champagne perhaps?
By all means! What a great way to start off my Emirates adventure!
No sooner had Emily headed up to the galley than Abdel stopped by with an amenity kits, pajamas and slippers.
Tag team service. I like it!
Emily soon returned with a bottle of Dom Perignon 2006, a tray and a champagne flute. Wow! We’re already up to the 2006 vintage? Looking back, it seemed like the 2003 lasted forever – well, two or three years at least. I first noticed the 2004 in February of 2014, enjoyed a glass or three of the 2005 during my flights with Emirates last May, and now here we are drinking the 2006 vintage already.
Champagne & First Class ~ A time honored tradition
Following an on-time push back, we commenced a long taxi out to the runway during which I took notice of all the colorful jetliners representing the regional airlines of southern Asia. Plane spotting during taxi out is always an enjoyable activity for me and the large Asian airports such as Singapore and Hong Kong are amongst my favorites given the wide variety of airlines that serve them.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and as we climbed away from Changi and accelerated out over the Singapore Strait. As I took in the scene below, I suspected that a good portion of my inflight entertainment would come via the view out my windows more so than any programming available on Emirates’ excellent ICE inflight entertainment system.
Reclining my seat a bit, I considered that with its mid-afternoon departure and arrival in Brisbane later this evening, this feels like a short flight. Compared to my next two flights, both of which are approximately twice as long, it is. However, when you then consider that Singapore sits 3,820 miles to the west and north of Brisbane, about the same distance as New York to Frankfurt, it puts it in a different perspective. Regardless, I love flights timed like this where all or most of the flight is flown during times where I’m normally awake anyway. I’m looking forward to enjoying every minute of it.
Thirty minutes into the flight we had leveled off at 33000 feet, cruising sedately along a southeasterly track at 576 mph. At hand was a glass of Chivas Royal Salute along with a small plate of warmed mixed nuts. I should note here that while all airlines offer mixed nuts with your drink, Emirates offer a comparatively deluxe blend that includes almonds, pistachios, cashews and macadamia nuts. It’s really good! As for the Royal Salute, it was nice but I missed the delicious bite that the Woodford delivers. There’ll be plenty of time in the coming days to reacquaint myself with Woodford’s goodness.
Cocktail hour over the Java Sea
By the way, menus and wine lists had been presented shortly before pushback. I gave them a quick perusal then but now, with a little more than six hours still to go in this flight, let’s have a more concerted look:
BAR SERVICE
Aperitifs
Campari Bitter
Martini Vermouth – Dry/Sweet
Beers
A selection of international beers including Heineken, Budweiser and Amstel Light
Cocktails
Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Kir Royal, Manhattan (Dry/Sweet/Perfect), Classic Martini, Breakfast Martini, Mojito, Rob Roy, Rusty Nail
Mocktails
Orange Fizz, Apple Spritzer
Spirits
Premium Scotch Whisky - Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Single Malt Whisky - Glenfiddich 21 Years Old
Bourbon - Woodford Reserve
Cognac - Hennessy Privé
Vodka - Grey Goose
Gin - Bombay Sapphire
Rum - Bacardi Superior
Liqueurs
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Tia Maria
Drambuie
Cointreau
WINE LIST
Champagne
Cuvée Dom Pérignon 2006
White Wines
Condrieu L’Octroi Pierre Gaillard 2014, Northern Rhone, France
Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2014, Margaret River, Western Australia
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Marlborough, New Zealand
Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2013, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Red Wines
Ch teau Montrose 2003, Saint Estèphe, France
Jamsheed Seville Syrah 2013, Yarra Valley, Australia
Cloudy Bay Te Wahi Pinot Noir 2012, Central Otago, New Zealand
Ch teau Dassault 2007, Grand Cru Classé, St. Emilion, France
Kilikanoon Covenant Shiraz 2013, Clare Valley, South Australia
Dessert Wine
Ch teau Guiraud 2002 Sauternes, France
Port
Quinta do Portal40 Year Old Douro, Portugal
That’s a nice start on the beverages. How many airlines do you know of that offer 40 year old port? The cocktail list is notable inasmuch as it’s missing old standbys such as the Screwdriver or Buck’s Fizz that were included on the cocktail lists for my flights last spring between Africa and the U.S. Perhaps a
Breakfast Martini is Australian for Screwdriver.
Additionally, I can’t say I’m too excited about any of the three featured beers. Even so, I generally never order beer on board airplanes because it’s generally never served cold enough for me. As one whose tastes run towards pilsners, lagers and pale or amber ales, I like my beer as cold as if it had just been pulled from a cooler of ice water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been served airline beer that’s on the tepid side of cool. No thank you.
This all brings to mind the warmest beer I’ve ever been served… It was back in 1994 and I was riding the old overnight train between Santiago and Puerto Montt, Chile. The beer had been stored in the kitchen of the dining car and as such its temperature was about 90°F when it was presented to us. There were no refunds and ice was reserved for cocktails only. We quickly switched to Pisco Sours for the rest of the trip.
My reverie was interrupted when Emily stopped by to inquire as to my dinner preferences. Oh, right! Let’s turn the page on that menu and see what’s being offered on this afternoon’s flight…
A LA CARTE DINING
DINNER
Singapore to Brisbane
Canapés
A selection of hot and cold savories including tempura prawn, chicken tikka skewer, vegetable spring roll, herbed goat’s cheese and marinated olives
APPETIZERS
Caviar
Presented with a traditional selection of finely chopped onion, grated egg, sour cream and lemon, served with melba toast and blinis
Beef Consommé
Accented with mushrooms and parsley
Carrot and Orange Soup
Garnished with baked cheese straws
Traditional Arabic Mezze
A spread of local savory dishes including houmous, moutabel, muhammara, labneh, artichoke salad, Arabic salad and stuffed vine leaves, with warm lamb kibbeh, cheese sambousek and spinach fatayer complemented by local garnishes and breads
Smoked Chicken
Served with feta, roasted pear and citrus dressing
Smoked Tuna
Served with sour Asian-style salad and wasabi dressing
Seasonal Salad
Fresh salad leaves topped with cherry tomatoes, celery, olives and baby mozzarella
Served with your choice of dressing
MAIN COURSES
Singapore Chicken
Poached and served with steamed rice and brown onions, baby pak choi and oyster and chilli sauces
Angus Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary Jus
Served with potato gratin, green beans and courgettes
Seafood Pappardelle
Sea bass, scallop and prawns with fish velouté, braised peas, fennel and red pepper coulis
Pumpkin Tortellini
Tossed in Alfredo sauce and served with sautéed mushrooms and sugar snap peas, topped with parmesan
Poached Cod Fillet
Served with a light red pepper coulis, roasted potato with parsley and green peas à la Française
A La Carte Vegetable Selection
We also offer a variety of alternatives, including steamed broccoli, stir-fried vegetables, roasted potatoes with rosemary and saffron basmati rice
Bread Basket
A variety of freshly baked rolls, Arabic and garlic breads
DESSERT
Chocolate Brownie
Served warm with vanilla bean ice cream
Red Orange Mousse Cake
With raspberry coulis
Seasonal Fruit
An assortment of freshly cut fruits
Cheese Board
A carefully chosen assortment of the finest boutique cheeses from around the world,
served with crudités, crackers, dried fruits and nuts
Chocolates
Fine luxury chocolates
The menu also included a full page of “Light Bites” options…
LIGHT BITES
Sandwiches
Chicken roulade with asparagus, roasted vegetables, smoked salmon with cucumber and cream cheese with walnuts
Hot Meal Selection
Beef and Mushroom Pie
Beef and mushrooms encased in pastry
Assorted Dim Sum
Steamed chicken sui mai, prawn mousse on toast, steamed vegetable dumpling, char siu chicken with sesame and steamed red bean pau, served with chilli sauce
Mediterranean Penne
With sautéed vegetables and sundried tomato and olive sauce
Snacks
Instant Cup Noodles
Available at any time
Dessert
Selection of Pastries
Chocolate brownie, apricot financier and black cherry tartlet
HOT DRINKS
Tea
Chamomile, Ceylon, Earl Grey or Green
Coffee
Freshly brewed or Nespresso (espresso, cappuccino or decaffeinated)
As always with Emirates, the menu and wine list were presented in an attractive leather bound booklet. Although it’s a classy presentation, my personal favorite would be a menu with a bit of artwork on the menu cover. Back in the 1970s it was not at all uncommon to see beautifully presented menus encased in heavy paper stock with beautifully artistic renditions of everything from Clipper Ships (Pan Am) to Hot Air Balloons (Air France) to Historic Aircraft (TWA) to Cities of the World (Multiple Airlines). One of my personal favorites was from TAP’s (Portugal) Navigator Class First Class service between Lisbon and New York in 1973. The outer cover had a beautiful old style world map printed on material that felt downright leather like.
When it comes to wine list presentations, it’s no contest in my book. The hands down winner is LAN (Chile) who presents its wine lists in cork encased booklets.
But enough reminiscing! Emily is waiting patiently…
Given that the local time was only a little past 4:00pm, I opted to first trade in my Chivas for a glass of crisp Australian Chardonnay, accompanied by a selection of both hot and cold canapés.
Chardonnay and Canapés
I didn’t feel quite ready for a full dinner service just yet, so I decided to accompany my Chardonnay and canapés with a plate of the Dim Sum from the Light Bites menu. That should hold me over until perhaps a couple hours out at which time I’d then enjoy the full dinner service. Emily dutifully recorded my dinner choices right then and there. However, in the interest of proper literary flow, I’ll disclose those as dinner comes up.
For now, I sat back and enjoyed watching as Emily went through the ritual of laying the linens and then placing the silverware, glasses and plates in their proper positions with due consideration given to ensuring that the Emirates name and logo on the salt and pepper shakers faced me.
Dim Sum and Chardonnay
The bright sunlight that accompanied our departure from Singapore diminished quickly as we sped eastward. By the time I’d finished my dim sum there were some very pretty scenes starting to develop out my window. As I mentioned earlier, the heat and humidity endemic to the equatorial regions combine to create some impressive cloud formations. This is especially true over large bodies of warm water such as the Java Sea. The sunsets are almost always spectacular. Here are a few views from tonight’s flight:
As we sped on through ever darkening skies, I turned my attention to the 30” screen mounted on the wall facing my seat. An earlier perusal of the entertainment options revealed an impressive collection of movies and television shows including season four of the television series Longmire about a sheriff in present day rural Wyoming. The show ran for three years under A&E, but then was dropped. Netflix picked it up but as I’m not a Netflix subscriber I could only hope that Season 4 might be offered for sale in the stores. Now, here it was available for viewing aboard an Emirates 777 speeding over the far reaches of southeastern Indonesia. Ain’t modern technology great sometimes?!
Watching Longmire in Wyoming while flying over Indonesia
After knocking off the first three episodes, it was time for a bit of exercise meaning a brief walk to the rear of the plane and back. Unlike Cathay’s 777, there was no Premium Economy section aboard Emirates. Worse yet, the Economy Class seating was configured ten across as opposed to Cathay’s nine across. That said, it’s a testament to Emirates’ fine Economy Class service that so many still speak of it with glowing terms.
Be that as it may, from my perspective it’s not a very nice neighborhood back here and so once I reached the rear galley I touched the wall and – making like an Olympic swimmer – did a quick turn around and made my way back through the four darkened cabins that comprise Economy and Business Class to the comparatively light and airy confines of the First Class cabin. It was time for dinner and like any seasoned First Class passenger, I was ready for a bit of caviar.
Although I didn’t see Emily on the way back to my seat – I assume she was up in the forward galley – she either saw me or was warned of my return because no sooner had I sat down and set the entertainment system to the Sky Map (We were cruising high above northwestern Queensland) than she appeared to inquire if I was ready for dinner. And oh, by the way – might I care for a refill on my wine? Yes, please.
Ready for dinner
Like all world class airlines, Emirates sets a proper table in advance of its meals. This includes nice touches such as actually properly laying out your silverware as opposed to handing them to you wrapped up in a napkin. This costs nothing to the airline and yet amongst seasoned flyers is one of the little things that make flying in premium class aboard an airline of Emirates’ caliber worth the extra money or miles. Other small touches include salt and pepper grinders and bountiful bread baskets as opposed to offering only a single roll that may or may not be restocked in a timely manner.
The big three U.S. airlines have gone on record complaining about the subsidization of the big three Middle Eastern airlines but for the most part I doubt the flying public really gives a big hoo-hah. Occasional travelers who for the most part sit in Economy Class appreciate the price of the ticket. Seasoned business travelers who fly regularly – often in premium class - appreciate a quality service that often goes beyond mere seating comfort.
You can almost guarantee that you’re in for a sub-standard experience the moment that world weary Flight Attendant aboard your U.S. airline starts off by informing you that her primary purpose aboard today’s flight is your safety. That’s nice in theory but for guys like me who’ve safely logged over 5000 flights and five million miles in the air – or even those of you who’ve only logged a mere million miles or so - it all rings a bit hollow and insincere after a while.
Be it in the attitude and training of its flight attendants or the accoutrements intrinsic to their inflight products, all too often the U.S. airlines go about their inflight service with the casual insouciance of a C-average student. If United, Delta and American really want to start seeing more people pay for those expensive First and Business Class seats with money as opposed to miles, a good place to start would be in the quality of their inflight services.
Moving on to the dinner service, Emily had taken my order earlier in the flight and now presented it course by course. First came the caviar, presented with all the traditional trimmings and washed down admirable with another glass of that delicious Australian Chardonnay (Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2014, Margaret River, Western Australia).
Caviar over Queensland
I love Emirates’ appetizers! They’re like little epicurean jewels – large enough to provide a satisfying taste of whatever it is you’re eating while at the same time being creatively presented in a way that lends excitement and anticipation to the enjoyment of both the appetizer and the meal ahead. This evening’s smoked chicken offering scored well on all counts.
Smoked Chicken Appetizer
Served with feta, roasted pear and citrus dressing
Next up was the Carrot and Orange Soup, an interesting combination that on the surface didn’t sound all that appetizing given my middling appreciation of the humble carrot. What really sold me on it was the baked cheese straws but I’m happy to report that the soup tasted pretty good as well.
Carrot and Orange Soup
Garnished with baked cheese straws
Now well and truly appetized, I was ready for the main course. Tonight that would be the Singapore Chicken.
Singapore Chicken
Poached and served with steamed rice and brown onions, baby pak choi and oyster and chilli sauces
Singapore Chicken tableside
As nice as this dish looked and sounded, I actually found it fairly bland. As you can see from the above photo I had some chilli sauce delivered on the side to help spice it up. Even that wasn’t enough. What it really needed was an entire dollop of Cathay’s infamous Lee Kum Kee paste.
Still, these are my tastes and I tend to like food on the more flavorful and even spicy side. For someone else this dish may well have been just perfect. Regardless, I ate it all and so, by the time Emily returned to clear my plates and ask if I’d care for any cheese or dessert, I was already comfortably sated and so respectfully declined.
With only about an hour left in the flight, I took a couple minutes to fill out my Australian Immigration card and then fired up my laptop to put in a bit more work on the opening stanzas of this report. As I sit here now almost a month and 20000 words later, it occurs to me that I’ve just devoted a little over four days and 2600 words typing up a description of my experience on this flight – including transcribing the menu – when I could just as easily have photographed all of this – including the menu – in a fraction of the time. One of the comments I hear most often with my reports relates to the amount of time it takes to read them. Had I submitted this as a photo report, you all would have been able to enjoy a recounting of my travels about four weeks ago and in a lot less time.
Now I realize that a select few of you truly appreciate the descriptive benefits of the written word and of course I in turn appreciate that! Honestly though, after having written seventy-three of these reports, I sometimes feel as if I’m just writing the same thing all over again but with a different date. While for the most part I am still okay with that, I can’t help but wonder how many of you still are?
Consider how many people who used to comment on my reports years ago never do anymore. I can certainly commiserate – once you’ve read five or six wordy descriptions of a caviar service or patiently followed along through yet another paragraph or two reminiscing about days of old that for many of you have no more relevance to your personal flying experience than two year old cat food, well - I should imagine it all gets a bit old after a while.
It’s not 2001 anymore when all reports had to be written because there was no means of submitting photos. The world’s a busier and faster paced place these days and - be honest now - how many of you truly have the time, much less the patience, to slog your way through 30000 words or more of a written trip report?
Mind you, I’m not saying I’m gonna stop writing. If anything, this little aside was inspired more by way of apology for my increasingly laggardly ways when it comes to submitting these reports in a more timely fashion. For my part, I still enjoy writing them but the reality is I’m unlikely to change how I go about writing them in either style or punctuality. When it comes to literary ability, I’m a reliable old Chevy, not a sleek and sporty BMW. Years of good drugs and mediocre alcohol have taken their toll, so while I’m still functionally literate it’s unlikely I’ve got the horsepower to inspire anything new or appreciably different in style. That said, if you still want to read them, I’ll still write ‘em – when I manage to get around to it, that is.
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Following a nice landing at Brisbane International, we taxied into our gate at the International Terminal and parked next to an attractive Nauru Airlines 737-300. Just down the ramp a ways was an equally alluring Jetstar 787-8. Between the three of us we made quite the fetching triumvirate.
Abdel and Emily held back the masses from Business Class while the three of us in First Class disembarked. I took a moment to thank them both for a job well done. Flying First Class on Emirates is always a special treat and service such as they provided on this flight is a big reason why. Good job, A & E!
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Wow! Did they relocate customs over to the Domestic Terminal? The walk from the gate to Immigration seemed never ending! I later discovered – via my departing flight the next night – the reason why. Emirates occupies gate 75, the very last gate at the end of a very long concourse.
I’ve been to Australia about a dozen times over the years, most recently for a wedding a few years ago. That was a quickly arranged, seat of the pants trip flown in Economy Class because there was nothing else available. While it was great to be able to attend that wedding, flying Economy down to Australia and back is not something I care to do again. I do enjoy these quick trips, though! It’s nice to know I’ll be back in Alaska this weekend, just in time for a nice drive up to Chena Hot Springs.
The Immigrations agent and I had a good laugh over my routing here – 17,750 miles all in from Fairbanks. Thankfully I wasn’t selected for a more intensive interview or a psychiatric evaluation! Soon I was on a shuttle to my hotel for the night – the Kingsford Riverside Inn.
The next morning was enjoyed at a leisurely pace, especially since I didn’t even get to sleep until after 2:00am local time. After taking breakfast at the hotel, I arranged to store my luggage and then followed the owner’s advice by catching the City Cat ferry that runs along the Brisbane River into downtown Brisbane. From there I caught the local TransLink bus out to the Sherwood Arboretum.
I first visited the Sherwood Arboretum back in the 1980s. It remains as pretty now as it was then with hundreds of species of trees set amidst parkland and wetlands. Most notable are Queensland natives such as the Kauri along with a variety of fig trees and pines unlike any that we see back in North America. Well maintained pathways provide easy access around the park while a boardwalk runs along the Brisbane River. Across the river is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary – a popular place to visit given that it’s one of the world’s finest zoos with unparalleled viewing of Australian wildlife. Although it’s a lot busier than the arboretum, it’s a place I’d like to visit someday when I have more time.
But today I don’t. The plan is to get back to Brisbane International with time to enjoy a good bit of pre-flight lounging in the Emirates Lounge, which by all accounts is an excellent facility well worth the lounging effort. As such I only spent about an hour and a half at the arboretum before making my way back to the hotel. This was just as well for although the day wasn’t overly hot, Brisbane’s oppressive humidity was out in full force. As one who’s lived all of my life in places that are high, dry or both, I felt ready to head back to the hotel almost as soon as I’d walked a couple of blocks in downtown Brisbane. Thankfully I didn’t lug my heavy daypack along, instead bringing only my wallet and a bag containing a couple bottles of water, a sandwich and a washcloth, the latter well appreciated when it came to mopping my brow, which I did seemingly every three minutes or so.
I should note that my original plan was to ride the train from Brisbane down to Nerang and Broadbeach, then catch a ride on the new Gold Coast Tramway. Alas, that trip would require a bit more time than I had available to me today, but it would have been a lot more comfortable sitting as I would have been in air-conditioned ecstasy aboard those train cars. That said, I highly recommend a visit to the Arboretum for Brisbane bound visitors, and for railfans Brisbane has got an impressive network of trains serving the city and the region as a whole.