First sector: MEL-SYD QF J

This was a short mid-afternoon flight - assisted by strong tailwinds we were airborne for less than 45 minutes. But in that 45 mins, the experienced QF crew was able to offer and serve business class passengers a choice of hot soup (potato and leek), a hot beef pasty or a cheese plate, and their beverage of choice (hot or cold).

I chose the cheese plate and a gin and tonic. The cheese plate was great for mid-afternoon. There was cheddar, a soft white cheese (brie or camembert I guess) and blue cheese. +1 had the soup and said it was tasty. All delivered with a smile and in under an hour. Such a contrast to other places in the world (here's looking at North America in particular).

It was also an example of when QF is good, it is very very good. More on that below.

We spent the night at the Rydges Hotel at the SYD international terminal. The rooms there are clean, comfortable and practical. If we're flying out of Sydney, we always go up the day before. Same day connections are a high risk proposition IMO.