lonman: Not a clue. I called CO and asked for seats on QF. They got back to me 7 days later with the seats. I think they had just added a flight shortly before I called. My original (Feb) itinerary was really a mess. It was SFO-PHX-LAX-AKL-BNE-SYD-MEL-LAX-PHX-SFO.

That's what happens sometimes when you fly out of a non-hub.

We decided not to go during Mardi Gras because we thought it would be too much of a hassle getting hotels, getting into restuarants, etc. It will be the first time in Australia for all of us and we want to see the country.