Round the World on Honeymoon
Dec 19, 2000 | 12:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Lowly BA Blue. One of the original easyJet Flight Club members and still am.
Posts: 4,319
Round the World on Honeymoon
After almost a year of planning my wife and I commenced our five week honeymoon on 8th December. To get to all the destinations we wanted we booked a Star Alliance Business Class ticket.
Things did not get off to the best start when our flight from Edinburgh to LHR was delayed for 1.5 hours due to bad weather and knock-on effects of earlier ATC delays. British Midland made this worse by parking the aircraft at a remote stand and bussing us to the terminal. We only had 35 minutes to get from Terminal One to Terminal Three and very unthoughfully BD did not provide any assistance. We were not the only people in this situation.
We finally made it to the gate at 22:05 for the 22:15 SQ flight to Singapore. Our annoyance was increased when we found that BD had not notified the gate about the late connection desite the fact that BD are the agents for SQ at LHR! We equired whether our backs were likely to make the connection and were told that it was unlikely but they would confirm prior to departure.
At this point we were relieved to have caught and settled down in SQ's new Ultimo seat. Taking advice from the SQ pages on FlyerTalk I had pre-booked 11A and 11C. Upstairs emergency exit row. Just before the doors were closed the gate agent informed us the bags had not made it and we should file a report on arrival at Singapore.
This was our first experience of SQ Raffles Class and we were very impressed. The food, wine, Champagne and service were excellent. My pre-ordered "Book the Cook" meal of corn-fed Chicken was delicious.
The cabin crew were excellent - attentive without being obtrusive. The in-flight entertainment was good although our aircraft did not have the new Wiseman feature.
We arrived into Singapore at 19:00 and filed a report with SQ Baggage Services. They told us our bags were on the 10:00 LHR - SIN flight and would be with us the following morning. As we only had the clothes we were standing in they allowed us 300 Singapore Dollars to buy clothes.
As soon as we arrived at our hotel - Traders - we checked in and immediately went shopping in the adjacent mall. Our room at Traders was a Club room. Very nice but a bit small. After a shower and change into our new clothes we went down to Boat Quay for something to eat. It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed a snack and a couple of drinks at the waterside. The jet-lag wasn't too bad and afetr getting back to the hotel at around midnight we went to bed.
We woke up around 8:00 and were contemplating getting up when the phone rang at around 8:30. It was SQ saying our bags had arrived and they were sending then straight over. At 8:55 the porter was knocking on our door to deliver the bags! We were very impressed with SQ's efficiency!
After three days shopping we were ready to leave Singapore and our next destiation of Bali. The Raffles lounge at Chiangi was a very pleasant place. As we had left our hotel at 7:00 am we had not eaten breakfast but there was more than enough food available in the lounge to remove the hunger pangs.
SQ's A340's are not equipped with the Ultimo seat but the 'old' seat is still very comfortable. Once again the service and food was excellent.
On arrival in Bali we were met by the Oberoi's shuttle bus driver and taken to the hotel. As we drove through Kuta I was beginning to wonder if we had made the correct decision in coming to Bali. It is very brash, chaotic and not very pleasing to the eye. As we drove further north towards Seminyak the brashness disappeared although it was still chaotic.
When we arrived at the Oberoi our doubts were soon dispelled. It was absolutely stunning!! We were greeted off the bus by staff placing garlands of Frangipani flowers around our necks. The architecture of the whole complex was beautiful. All single story thatched roof buildings set amongst Koi pools and tropical vegitation. As we had utilised Amex Reward points for our 5 night stay we had been allocated the 'standard' room - a luxury Lanai. The room had every conceiveable extra - robes, slippers, 'flip-flops' and umbrellas (it was rainy season!). The architecture internally was as stunning as the external with marble bathrooms and sunken baths!
The Oberoi is described in the Lonley Planet guide to Bali as 'Hedonistic'. I could not think of a more adt description.
The staff were very pleasant and the food excellent. The only critisism I would raise would be the price. While costing not much more than a similar meal in the UK this cost is way, way, way out of line with the rest of Bali. Beer and Wine were equally expensive. A bottle of Cloudy Bay worked out at around GBP60 while in the UK this would be around GBP8. A small beer was 37,000 Rupiah although the cafe opposite the hotel charged 6,000!
On our second night we returned from dinner to find that the bed had been turned down and a "heart" had been created on our bed using rose pettles. There was also a chocolate cake with 'Congratulations' on it! We were very touched.
More to follow......
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 12-20-2000).]
Things did not get off to the best start when our flight from Edinburgh to LHR was delayed for 1.5 hours due to bad weather and knock-on effects of earlier ATC delays. British Midland made this worse by parking the aircraft at a remote stand and bussing us to the terminal. We only had 35 minutes to get from Terminal One to Terminal Three and very unthoughfully BD did not provide any assistance. We were not the only people in this situation.
We finally made it to the gate at 22:05 for the 22:15 SQ flight to Singapore. Our annoyance was increased when we found that BD had not notified the gate about the late connection desite the fact that BD are the agents for SQ at LHR! We equired whether our backs were likely to make the connection and were told that it was unlikely but they would confirm prior to departure.
At this point we were relieved to have caught and settled down in SQ's new Ultimo seat. Taking advice from the SQ pages on FlyerTalk I had pre-booked 11A and 11C. Upstairs emergency exit row. Just before the doors were closed the gate agent informed us the bags had not made it and we should file a report on arrival at Singapore.
This was our first experience of SQ Raffles Class and we were very impressed. The food, wine, Champagne and service were excellent. My pre-ordered "Book the Cook" meal of corn-fed Chicken was delicious.
The cabin crew were excellent - attentive without being obtrusive. The in-flight entertainment was good although our aircraft did not have the new Wiseman feature.
We arrived into Singapore at 19:00 and filed a report with SQ Baggage Services. They told us our bags were on the 10:00 LHR - SIN flight and would be with us the following morning. As we only had the clothes we were standing in they allowed us 300 Singapore Dollars to buy clothes.
As soon as we arrived at our hotel - Traders - we checked in and immediately went shopping in the adjacent mall. Our room at Traders was a Club room. Very nice but a bit small. After a shower and change into our new clothes we went down to Boat Quay for something to eat. It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed a snack and a couple of drinks at the waterside. The jet-lag wasn't too bad and afetr getting back to the hotel at around midnight we went to bed.
We woke up around 8:00 and were contemplating getting up when the phone rang at around 8:30. It was SQ saying our bags had arrived and they were sending then straight over. At 8:55 the porter was knocking on our door to deliver the bags! We were very impressed with SQ's efficiency!
After three days shopping we were ready to leave Singapore and our next destiation of Bali. The Raffles lounge at Chiangi was a very pleasant place. As we had left our hotel at 7:00 am we had not eaten breakfast but there was more than enough food available in the lounge to remove the hunger pangs.
SQ's A340's are not equipped with the Ultimo seat but the 'old' seat is still very comfortable. Once again the service and food was excellent.
On arrival in Bali we were met by the Oberoi's shuttle bus driver and taken to the hotel. As we drove through Kuta I was beginning to wonder if we had made the correct decision in coming to Bali. It is very brash, chaotic and not very pleasing to the eye. As we drove further north towards Seminyak the brashness disappeared although it was still chaotic.
When we arrived at the Oberoi our doubts were soon dispelled. It was absolutely stunning!! We were greeted off the bus by staff placing garlands of Frangipani flowers around our necks. The architecture of the whole complex was beautiful. All single story thatched roof buildings set amongst Koi pools and tropical vegitation. As we had utilised Amex Reward points for our 5 night stay we had been allocated the 'standard' room - a luxury Lanai. The room had every conceiveable extra - robes, slippers, 'flip-flops' and umbrellas (it was rainy season!). The architecture internally was as stunning as the external with marble bathrooms and sunken baths!
The Oberoi is described in the Lonley Planet guide to Bali as 'Hedonistic'. I could not think of a more adt description.
The staff were very pleasant and the food excellent. The only critisism I would raise would be the price. While costing not much more than a similar meal in the UK this cost is way, way, way out of line with the rest of Bali. Beer and Wine were equally expensive. A bottle of Cloudy Bay worked out at around GBP60 while in the UK this would be around GBP8. A small beer was 37,000 Rupiah although the cafe opposite the hotel charged 6,000!
On our second night we returned from dinner to find that the bed had been turned down and a "heart" had been created on our bed using rose pettles. There was also a chocolate cake with 'Congratulations' on it! We were very touched.
More to follow......
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 12-20-2000).]
Jan 1, 2001 | 6:34 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Lowly BA Blue. One of the original easyJet Flight Club members and still am.
Posts: 4,319
The journey continues...
After five wonderful nights at the Oberoi it was time to move to Ubud for two nights at The Chedi. The Chedi is built in to the side of the Ayung river gorge and offers stunning views. The deluxe rooms are not exactly huge but they are nicely fitted-out. The best part for us was the outside shower! The Chedi is 20 minutes outside Ubud but the hotel provide s a shuttle bus eight times per day.
Ubud is known as the 'cultural' centre of Bali as it is the home of many artists and designers. We wanted to bring so much back with us but in the end we could not be bothered trying to arrange shipping.
After 7 delightful nights of total R & R it was time to leave Bali for Australia. We took Ansett from Denpasar to Melbourne's and were very disappointed with their Business Class. The food was poor, there were no personal video screens and the seat pitch and recline were no better than most airlines inter-European services. I was amazed to read in their magazine that their Business Class product had been voted the best in an Independent survey. I can only assume this applied to their 747-400 services.
We arrived in to Melbourne tired and hungry on time at 05:20. As both my wife and I are only Star Silver, and Business Class does not entitle us to Ansett lounge access, we thought we would have to put up with the general departure area. Not a pleasant prospect. As we dropped our bags for the next flight to Brisbane we asked the agent if we could get access to the lounge. She telephone someone who told her that as we had connected from an International flight and were travelling onwards in BC then we could use the lounge. This certainly cheered us up! The Ansett lounge was very pleasant and had plenty of breakfast foods.
Our next flight to Brisbane departed at 07:05. Ansett's BC product on domestic is very comfortable. The A320 is configured 2-2 and the seats had the same pitch and recline as those on the 767-200 we were on from DPS to BNE. As both my wife and I are regular travelers on early morning flights from EDI to LHR we well versed in airline breakfasts. After the disappointment of the night before we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the breakfast.
We spent the next two days in Brisbane with friends who were able to take us to the best restaurants. Brisbane is not the most happening place in Australia. According to our friends it suffers from an inferiority complex. It is Australia's third largest city and constantly feels it has to compete with Sydney and Melbourne. The two nights we spent there were just about right.
Our next Ansett flight was from BNE to Cairns on a 737. Again this was 2-2 in BC and used the same serats as those on the 767-300. This made for a very comfortable two hour flight.
As we are both keen divers we felt we could not go to Australia and not dive the barrier reef. The best way to do this is from a "liveaboard" dive boat. We booked a 5 day trip with Taka Dive
http://www.taka.com.au/default2.htm
Taka are one of the few operators who venture beyond the inner reef to Osprey Reef. This is located in the Coral Sea and is largely unaffected by pollution. The visibility is 40 meters +. This is one of the best places we have ever dived. It was a real privilege. Taka II (the boat) is not the most luxurious liveaboard vessel operating on the Great Barrier but as it has seen life as both a deep-sea trawler and an Antarctic survey vessel it is well equipped to handle rough seas. The first two nights on board were, in our opinion, very rough, but the crew said that on a scale of 0 to 10 it ranked as !!
This was the most unusual way I have ever spent Christmas - sun and 85 deg! I would certainly like to do it again!!
After arriving back in to Cairns we spent one night in the Holiday Inn as we had to leave 24 hours before we could fly. The following day we flew with Flight West (an Ansett partner) to Alice Springs. When we made the booking this route was operated by Ansett with a Business Class service but Flight West are a single class airline and we had to settle for Economy. The 2:30 flight passed quite quickly. As we stepped off the plane at ASP the first thing we noticed was the heat. It was 38 C but the humidity was very low. The wind was quite strong and it felt like someone was blasting us with a giant hair dryer! As we planned to drive to Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock via dirt roads, we hired a Toyota Landcruiser from Avis. In the Northern Territory there are many dirt roads and you must have 4 wheel drive. If you drive an ordinary rental car on them your insurance is invalid.
The Northern Territory has suffered from unseasonally wet weather recently and the dirt roads are in very poor condition. In many places the floodways have been washed away so you have to take it very easy even in a 4x4! After looking at the map we decided to take the 4x4 only road to a place called Gnoss Bluff. We made our way down a very rutted track until we reached a not so dried up creek. We could see other tracks and carefully followed them. We were beginning to question if we had made the correct decision when we noticed the tracks had gone left and we were heading for a wet patch. The next moment we came to a complete halt as the Landcruiser sank up to its axles in very wet sand. Using my 4x4 training I tried to get it out but it was stuck fast. It had effectively beached on the wet sand and the entire body was settled on the sand. We attempted to dig it out with our hands but it was a lost cause. We then made the decision to walk back to the main road to get assistance. Thankfully my wife had bought 4 bottles of water and we had our walking boats with us so we set back out along the creek to get to the main road. We estimated that we had driven about 3 or 4 miles. After about 35 minutes of walking in 38C we reached the main road. When we had driven along it earlier there was very little traffic so we accepted that we may have a long wait. After 45 minutes we heard a car and flagged then down. It was driven by a young Germa couple who were a bit unsure of us at first (we were very happy and talking quickly) but once we explained what had happened they happily agreed to take us back to the Glen Helen Resort to get assistance.
We arrived at Glen Helen and hour later and explained to the owners what had happened "Ah" they said' "you went down the old Creek road!". It was a regular occurrence and they had pulled four cars our of their in the last two months. Knowing that we had little option they charged us A$400 for the recovery service. We telephoned Avis to check what their price would be and it was even higher - A$650 - as they had to send someone from Alice Springs. For the third time that day we went down the same stretch of road. It was getting dark by the time we arrived but our rescuers were confident they would get us out and on our way. They connected the "snatch" rope and tried to pull us out. The snatch rope snapped!! After replacing the broken section with a chain they tried again. The snatch rope snapped again. It was not looking good. After a few more attempts they decided to give up for the evening and return the next day with more equipment. We all got back into their Landcruiser and headed back to Glen Helen where we would spend the night.
Next installment later!!
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]
After five wonderful nights at the Oberoi it was time to move to Ubud for two nights at The Chedi. The Chedi is built in to the side of the Ayung river gorge and offers stunning views. The deluxe rooms are not exactly huge but they are nicely fitted-out. The best part for us was the outside shower! The Chedi is 20 minutes outside Ubud but the hotel provide s a shuttle bus eight times per day.
Ubud is known as the 'cultural' centre of Bali as it is the home of many artists and designers. We wanted to bring so much back with us but in the end we could not be bothered trying to arrange shipping.
After 7 delightful nights of total R & R it was time to leave Bali for Australia. We took Ansett from Denpasar to Melbourne's and were very disappointed with their Business Class. The food was poor, there were no personal video screens and the seat pitch and recline were no better than most airlines inter-European services. I was amazed to read in their magazine that their Business Class product had been voted the best in an Independent survey. I can only assume this applied to their 747-400 services.
We arrived in to Melbourne tired and hungry on time at 05:20. As both my wife and I are only Star Silver, and Business Class does not entitle us to Ansett lounge access, we thought we would have to put up with the general departure area. Not a pleasant prospect. As we dropped our bags for the next flight to Brisbane we asked the agent if we could get access to the lounge. She telephone someone who told her that as we had connected from an International flight and were travelling onwards in BC then we could use the lounge. This certainly cheered us up! The Ansett lounge was very pleasant and had plenty of breakfast foods.
Our next flight to Brisbane departed at 07:05. Ansett's BC product on domestic is very comfortable. The A320 is configured 2-2 and the seats had the same pitch and recline as those on the 767-200 we were on from DPS to BNE. As both my wife and I are regular travelers on early morning flights from EDI to LHR we well versed in airline breakfasts. After the disappointment of the night before we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the breakfast.
We spent the next two days in Brisbane with friends who were able to take us to the best restaurants. Brisbane is not the most happening place in Australia. According to our friends it suffers from an inferiority complex. It is Australia's third largest city and constantly feels it has to compete with Sydney and Melbourne. The two nights we spent there were just about right.
Our next Ansett flight was from BNE to Cairns on a 737. Again this was 2-2 in BC and used the same serats as those on the 767-300. This made for a very comfortable two hour flight.
As we are both keen divers we felt we could not go to Australia and not dive the barrier reef. The best way to do this is from a "liveaboard" dive boat. We booked a 5 day trip with Taka Dive
http://www.taka.com.au/default2.htm
Taka are one of the few operators who venture beyond the inner reef to Osprey Reef. This is located in the Coral Sea and is largely unaffected by pollution. The visibility is 40 meters +. This is one of the best places we have ever dived. It was a real privilege. Taka II (the boat) is not the most luxurious liveaboard vessel operating on the Great Barrier but as it has seen life as both a deep-sea trawler and an Antarctic survey vessel it is well equipped to handle rough seas. The first two nights on board were, in our opinion, very rough, but the crew said that on a scale of 0 to 10 it ranked as !!
This was the most unusual way I have ever spent Christmas - sun and 85 deg! I would certainly like to do it again!!
After arriving back in to Cairns we spent one night in the Holiday Inn as we had to leave 24 hours before we could fly. The following day we flew with Flight West (an Ansett partner) to Alice Springs. When we made the booking this route was operated by Ansett with a Business Class service but Flight West are a single class airline and we had to settle for Economy. The 2:30 flight passed quite quickly. As we stepped off the plane at ASP the first thing we noticed was the heat. It was 38 C but the humidity was very low. The wind was quite strong and it felt like someone was blasting us with a giant hair dryer! As we planned to drive to Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock via dirt roads, we hired a Toyota Landcruiser from Avis. In the Northern Territory there are many dirt roads and you must have 4 wheel drive. If you drive an ordinary rental car on them your insurance is invalid.
The Northern Territory has suffered from unseasonally wet weather recently and the dirt roads are in very poor condition. In many places the floodways have been washed away so you have to take it very easy even in a 4x4! After looking at the map we decided to take the 4x4 only road to a place called Gnoss Bluff. We made our way down a very rutted track until we reached a not so dried up creek. We could see other tracks and carefully followed them. We were beginning to question if we had made the correct decision when we noticed the tracks had gone left and we were heading for a wet patch. The next moment we came to a complete halt as the Landcruiser sank up to its axles in very wet sand. Using my 4x4 training I tried to get it out but it was stuck fast. It had effectively beached on the wet sand and the entire body was settled on the sand. We attempted to dig it out with our hands but it was a lost cause. We then made the decision to walk back to the main road to get assistance. Thankfully my wife had bought 4 bottles of water and we had our walking boats with us so we set back out along the creek to get to the main road. We estimated that we had driven about 3 or 4 miles. After about 35 minutes of walking in 38C we reached the main road. When we had driven along it earlier there was very little traffic so we accepted that we may have a long wait. After 45 minutes we heard a car and flagged then down. It was driven by a young Germa couple who were a bit unsure of us at first (we were very happy and talking quickly) but once we explained what had happened they happily agreed to take us back to the Glen Helen Resort to get assistance.
We arrived at Glen Helen and hour later and explained to the owners what had happened "Ah" they said' "you went down the old Creek road!". It was a regular occurrence and they had pulled four cars our of their in the last two months. Knowing that we had little option they charged us A$400 for the recovery service. We telephoned Avis to check what their price would be and it was even higher - A$650 - as they had to send someone from Alice Springs. For the third time that day we went down the same stretch of road. It was getting dark by the time we arrived but our rescuers were confident they would get us out and on our way. They connected the "snatch" rope and tried to pull us out. The snatch rope snapped!! After replacing the broken section with a chain they tried again. The snatch rope snapped again. It was not looking good. After a few more attempts they decided to give up for the evening and return the next day with more equipment. We all got back into their Landcruiser and headed back to Glen Helen where we would spend the night.
Next installment later!!
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]
Jan 15, 2001 | 9:47 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Lowly BA Blue. One of the original easyJet Flight Club members and still am.
Posts: 4,319
The story continues
The following morning we all got back into our rescuers Landcrusier and headed 50kms back to the location of our stricken Landcruiser. This time Dave (our rescuer) had borrowed extra kit from the National Park rangers to help free us. As we made our way down we were praying that this would be the 5th and final time we would see that particular stretch of road! We arrived at the scene and were happy to see that the car had not sunk further during the night and set about trying to free it. Firstly we dug out around the wheels and then under the chassis as the engine block and spare wheel had sunk into the sand. Using a high lift jack we then managed to put a couple of wooden boards under the rear wheels to help with grip. Dave then connected the new snatch rope to both vehicles and announced he was ready to give it a go. I jumped into the drivers seat and crossing everything that could be crossed wait for the signal from Dave. I looked in the mirror and saw Daves car begin to move. From our experience the previous night I expected to hear the snatch rope snap but to my immense relief I felt the car moving backwards. The next few seconds were a blur as the car was freed from its sandy grave! Once back on solid ground I jumped out and gave Dave a huge hug! After transferring our luggage from Daves car back to ours we recommenced our journey; this time via the main roads! It had been a costly experience but one that we can laugh at now!
That evening we were booked in to the Emu Walk Apartments in Ayers Rock so were faced with a 550km drive to get there. We passed through our intended stop the previous evening, Kings Canyon Resort, but decided not to visit the Canyon as we still had considerable distance to cover. On leaving Kings Canyon the road changes from dirt to sealed tarmac so driving becomes easier. 7.5 hours after leaving Glen Helen we arrived at Ayers Rock Resort.
Ayers Rock Resort (http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au) is a self-contained village called Yulara approximately 15km from the rock itself. It has different levels of accommodation to suit all budgets. We stayed at the mid-priced Emu Walk apartments and were delighted with our choice. They had a fully equipped kitchen, sitting and dining area and separate bedroom. They also had full laundry and drying facilities in the bathroom. You can walk to all the resort facilities although for the less energetic there is a shuttle bus operating a circular route every ten minutes throughout the day.
For those who do not have transport there are numerous tour companies operating in the resort. As we had our own transport we were able to do as we pleased. This was preferable to the very regimented nature of the tours. The following day we went to Uluru, as the local Pitjanjatjara Aborigines call it. There we went on a walk organised by the National Park Rangers. This is free and is highly informative. They explain about the significance of certain parts of the rock and also on the relationship between the Pitjanjatjara Aborigines and the National Parks service. It last around 1.5 hours. After a few hours at the rock we headed for the Olgas. These are located about 40 kms from Uluru and are also very significant in Aborigine legend. By the time we arrived it was getting very hot 38c so we did not stay in the open for long. We then headed back for the resort for a cooling dip in the pool! We spent the next couple of days doing the usual tourist things at Uluru watching the sunset and sunrise and they were every bit as spectacular as people say.
After dropping the car off at the airport we took our Ansett flight to Sydney. Again the Business Class product was good with good seating, reasonable food, very good wine and in-flight movie. Our bags had been labelled Priority and were off quickly. We took a taxi to the Hilton on Pitt Street as this would be our base for the next 5 nights. I had booked this as a HHonors reward and had faxed the hotel directly informing them I was a Gold Honors member and was also on Honeymoon. On checking-in I asked if I had been upgraded and was informed that as it was New Year all suites were booked. I asked about an Executive Floor room but was told the Executive Club was closed for renovations during Christmas and New Year. They offered us vouchers for breakfast and drinks at the bar. Our room on the 28th floor was pleasant but I was still slightly annoyed about not getting an upgrade. I telephoned the Duty Manager who informed me that the Executive rooms were very similar and there was little benefit in moving as the Executive Club was closed. Reluctantly I agreed to accept this but once again it made me wonder if being Gold with Hilton is really worth it as I have never seem to get an upgrade.
This was my first visit to Sydney and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a wonderful city with many attractions. Jo and I did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. It was a great experience. It is very well run and safety is top priority. The views over Sydney are great. We were also lucky enough to dine at The Wharf restaurant on New Years Eve. Friends who live locally had booked this a few months ago as they thought we would like to see the fireworks. The restaurant is in a converted warehouse about 200 m from the bridge and one of the barges setting off the fireworks is moored directly outside. It was a superb location.
The next part of our trip was to the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Our Avis Rental Car was equipped with SatNav that proved to be very accurate. We had booked two nights at Lilianfels (http://www.lilianfels.com.au/) in Katoomba, the main town in the Blue Mountains area. Our room was very nice and had spectacular views. Lilianfels is the only 5 Star hotel in the Blue Mountains but it tries too hard to live up to that. There is a fine line between attentive and intrusive service and both Jo and I felt that it was bordering on the intrusive.
The Blue Mountains are a walkers delight. There is everything from lookout points to 3 day bush treks available. Jo and I decided to do the 7km loop around the Three Sisters. This involves walking down the Grand Stairway all 900 steps, and then following the track through the forest. It is very hot and humid in the forest so plenty of water is a must. At the other end you have the choice of another stairway about 700 steps, or the cable railway. We opted for the cable railway! At the top there is a path leading back to the starting point. We got some funny looks as we walked back in to Lilianfels as were both very hot and sweaty!
After leaving Lilianfels we headed for the Hunter Valley. This is one of Australias main wine producing areas. This time the SatNav let us down, as the roads we wanted to take were not in its database. This was not a problem as Jo is a good navigator! We stayed at the Hunter Resort (http://www.hunterresort.com.au/) in a Spa Suite. It was very pleasant and we enjoyed touring the winery and then taking part in the wine school. All the local vineyards have cellar door outlets so we visited a few to sample their produce! Unfortunately I was driving and could not sample as much as I would have liked!
Leaving the Hunter Valley we headed back to Sydney for our flight to Auckland.
More to follow
The following morning we all got back into our rescuers Landcrusier and headed 50kms back to the location of our stricken Landcruiser. This time Dave (our rescuer) had borrowed extra kit from the National Park rangers to help free us. As we made our way down we were praying that this would be the 5th and final time we would see that particular stretch of road! We arrived at the scene and were happy to see that the car had not sunk further during the night and set about trying to free it. Firstly we dug out around the wheels and then under the chassis as the engine block and spare wheel had sunk into the sand. Using a high lift jack we then managed to put a couple of wooden boards under the rear wheels to help with grip. Dave then connected the new snatch rope to both vehicles and announced he was ready to give it a go. I jumped into the drivers seat and crossing everything that could be crossed wait for the signal from Dave. I looked in the mirror and saw Daves car begin to move. From our experience the previous night I expected to hear the snatch rope snap but to my immense relief I felt the car moving backwards. The next few seconds were a blur as the car was freed from its sandy grave! Once back on solid ground I jumped out and gave Dave a huge hug! After transferring our luggage from Daves car back to ours we recommenced our journey; this time via the main roads! It had been a costly experience but one that we can laugh at now!
That evening we were booked in to the Emu Walk Apartments in Ayers Rock so were faced with a 550km drive to get there. We passed through our intended stop the previous evening, Kings Canyon Resort, but decided not to visit the Canyon as we still had considerable distance to cover. On leaving Kings Canyon the road changes from dirt to sealed tarmac so driving becomes easier. 7.5 hours after leaving Glen Helen we arrived at Ayers Rock Resort.
Ayers Rock Resort (http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au) is a self-contained village called Yulara approximately 15km from the rock itself. It has different levels of accommodation to suit all budgets. We stayed at the mid-priced Emu Walk apartments and were delighted with our choice. They had a fully equipped kitchen, sitting and dining area and separate bedroom. They also had full laundry and drying facilities in the bathroom. You can walk to all the resort facilities although for the less energetic there is a shuttle bus operating a circular route every ten minutes throughout the day.
For those who do not have transport there are numerous tour companies operating in the resort. As we had our own transport we were able to do as we pleased. This was preferable to the very regimented nature of the tours. The following day we went to Uluru, as the local Pitjanjatjara Aborigines call it. There we went on a walk organised by the National Park Rangers. This is free and is highly informative. They explain about the significance of certain parts of the rock and also on the relationship between the Pitjanjatjara Aborigines and the National Parks service. It last around 1.5 hours. After a few hours at the rock we headed for the Olgas. These are located about 40 kms from Uluru and are also very significant in Aborigine legend. By the time we arrived it was getting very hot 38c so we did not stay in the open for long. We then headed back for the resort for a cooling dip in the pool! We spent the next couple of days doing the usual tourist things at Uluru watching the sunset and sunrise and they were every bit as spectacular as people say.
After dropping the car off at the airport we took our Ansett flight to Sydney. Again the Business Class product was good with good seating, reasonable food, very good wine and in-flight movie. Our bags had been labelled Priority and were off quickly. We took a taxi to the Hilton on Pitt Street as this would be our base for the next 5 nights. I had booked this as a HHonors reward and had faxed the hotel directly informing them I was a Gold Honors member and was also on Honeymoon. On checking-in I asked if I had been upgraded and was informed that as it was New Year all suites were booked. I asked about an Executive Floor room but was told the Executive Club was closed for renovations during Christmas and New Year. They offered us vouchers for breakfast and drinks at the bar. Our room on the 28th floor was pleasant but I was still slightly annoyed about not getting an upgrade. I telephoned the Duty Manager who informed me that the Executive rooms were very similar and there was little benefit in moving as the Executive Club was closed. Reluctantly I agreed to accept this but once again it made me wonder if being Gold with Hilton is really worth it as I have never seem to get an upgrade.
This was my first visit to Sydney and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a wonderful city with many attractions. Jo and I did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. It was a great experience. It is very well run and safety is top priority. The views over Sydney are great. We were also lucky enough to dine at The Wharf restaurant on New Years Eve. Friends who live locally had booked this a few months ago as they thought we would like to see the fireworks. The restaurant is in a converted warehouse about 200 m from the bridge and one of the barges setting off the fireworks is moored directly outside. It was a superb location.
The next part of our trip was to the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Our Avis Rental Car was equipped with SatNav that proved to be very accurate. We had booked two nights at Lilianfels (http://www.lilianfels.com.au/) in Katoomba, the main town in the Blue Mountains area. Our room was very nice and had spectacular views. Lilianfels is the only 5 Star hotel in the Blue Mountains but it tries too hard to live up to that. There is a fine line between attentive and intrusive service and both Jo and I felt that it was bordering on the intrusive.
The Blue Mountains are a walkers delight. There is everything from lookout points to 3 day bush treks available. Jo and I decided to do the 7km loop around the Three Sisters. This involves walking down the Grand Stairway all 900 steps, and then following the track through the forest. It is very hot and humid in the forest so plenty of water is a must. At the other end you have the choice of another stairway about 700 steps, or the cable railway. We opted for the cable railway! At the top there is a path leading back to the starting point. We got some funny looks as we walked back in to Lilianfels as were both very hot and sweaty!
After leaving Lilianfels we headed for the Hunter Valley. This is one of Australias main wine producing areas. This time the SatNav let us down, as the roads we wanted to take were not in its database. This was not a problem as Jo is a good navigator! We stayed at the Hunter Resort (http://www.hunterresort.com.au/) in a Spa Suite. It was very pleasant and we enjoyed touring the winery and then taking part in the wine school. All the local vineyards have cellar door outlets so we visited a few to sample their produce! Unfortunately I was driving and could not sample as much as I would have liked!
Leaving the Hunter Valley we headed back to Sydney for our flight to Auckland.
More to follow
Jan 26, 2001 | 4:26 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Lowly BA Blue. One of the original easyJet Flight Club members and still am.
Posts: 4,319
The Final Installment...
Rather than face a 5:00 a.m. rise for our 07:25 flight to Auckland we decided to cancel our hotel in Sydney and fly to Auckland on the Monday evening instead. On telephoning the Tourist Information desk at Auckland Airport they assured us there would be no problem finding a room. We arrived into Auckland at 23:00 and after we collected our luggage we went to the Tourist Information office. They managed to fix us up with an excellent deal (NZ$120 inc breakfat!!) at the Sheraton in Auckland City Centre. As we had both enjoyed a few glasses of the excellent Corbans Special Reserve Chardonnay on our Air New Zealandflight from Sydney, we were in no state to drive, so we arranged with Avis to collect our car from the City office in the morning. We then took a Taxi for the 20 minute journey to the hotel. The following morning was fine and sunny so we took as stroll through the City to the Avis office to collect our car. After returning to the hotel to collect our luggage we headed North over the Harbour Bridge to Tutukaka. We had arranged to stay at the Pacific Rendezvous - http://www.oceanresort.co.nz- - for two nights as we were Diving the Poor Knights Islands. Jacque Cousteau rated them as one of the top 10 dive locations in the World so who are we to argue??
After a very pleasant journey via the scenic route we arrived in Tutukaka. We had seen photographs of the views on the Pacific Rendezvous web site but they were even better in real life! We had a one-bedroom chalet type cottage overlooking an inlet. It was still warm and sunny so it wasnt long before we had our feet up and a glass of beer (Gary) and wine (Jo) in our hands. As the evening went on it started to get very cool and we were forced to switch on the heating! This was not what we expected but they do same the climate is very changeable in New Zealand.
The following morning we awoke to rain and very dark skies. As we were diving we would be getting wet anyway so the weather did not bother us. After checking-in with Dive! Tutukaka - http://www.aquaaction.com- - we collected our 7mm thick wetsuits. Normally we use 2-3mm short wetsuits so the thicker suits would take some getting used too! The trip from the harbour to the Poor Knights takes around 50 minutes and involves heading out to open sea. Once we were outside the confines of the harbour things started to get rough. We were both fine but there were some very green looking people around us! The first dive site we visited wasnt very good. Visibility was around 15m and during the dive a strong current built up. Diving with a thick wetsuit means that you have to carry more weight as the Neoprene makes you very buoyant. We normally use around 2-3kgs with our shorties but with the thicker suits this increased to 14kgs! We were both struggling to control our buoyancy and as a consequence were using more air than normal, and after 35 minutes we were getting low.
After lunch we moved to another dive site that ran along the base of an Island. This site was far better then the first. Our faith in Monsieur Coustaeu was restored. We were both able to control our buoyancy better so used less air. We decided to follow the Divemaster as the locals normally know where the best marine life is. We were not disappointed. In addition to the normal plethora of marine life we saw four different species of Moray Eel, Starfish, a Stingray and some amazing Nudibranch (colourful slug like creatures). We returned to the boat after about 55 minutes very satisfied with our dive.
While we had been diving the weather had deteriorated and it is was raining hard and getting very windy. The journey back to harbour was very rough with a few of our fellow passengers feeding the fish their lunches: after they had already eaten them!!
As the evening went on the storm got worse. Given our cliff top location we were fully exposed to the wind and rain lashing in off the sea. We attempted to sleep but the noise outside was making it difficult. At around 3:00 a.m. we decided to get-up and pack our luggage. We felt that if the storm caused any damage to the cottage we wanted to be in a position to get out as quickly as possible and with as much of our luggage as possible! At around 4:30 a.m. we went back to bed and attempted to get at least a couple of hours sleep. As morning broke the winds abated slightly but the rain was just as heavy. When we checked out the owner of the resort told us the tail-end of a tropical cyclone had come through overnight. She said they were not common in New Zealand during summer but not unknown. The continuing heavy rain and radio reports about blocked and flooded roads made us change our plans to head to the Bay of Islands, so we decided to return to the Auckland area.
The drive back was quite tricky. There were a number of landslides that were almost blocking the road as well as many rivers having burst their banks. Progress was slow but once we reached the main highway conditions improved. For our final night we were booked in to The Peace & Plenty Inn - http://www.peaceandplenty.co.nz- -, an upmarket guesthouse in Devonport. Friends had stayed there before and highly recommended it. Devonport is located across the river for Auckland and a regular ferry service, taking ten minutes, runs between the two. When we arrived at The Peace & Plenty Inn Graham, the owner, showed us to the Victoria Room. There are only five rooms and each is different. After lunch Jo took a stroll around the art and craft shops while I decided to catch up on some sleep! Finally at around 8:00 p.m. the rain stopped for long enough to allow us to stroll around Devonport before going for something to eat.
The following morning we awoke to more rain so we started planning indoor activities! We visited the transport museum where they have a beautifully restored flying boat that used to ply the route between Auckland and Fiji. By lunchtime the rain had stopped and the sky cleared so we decided to spend our last few hours strolling through downtown Auckland. After collecting our luggage from The Peace and Plenty we headed for the Airport to check-in for our marathon return flight. We had opted not to stopover in Los Angeles, but this meant we were faced with a 12 hour flight from Auckland to LA, 1 hours on the ground at LA, followed by a 10 hour flight to Heathrow! In the end it was not as bad as we thought. Air New Zealands Business Class was very comfortable so we were able to get some good sleep. On the AKL-LAX leg the flight was completely full yet the two male in the upper section handled it with great ease. So impressed were we by one of the crew that my wife has written to Air NZ signing his praises. Nothing was too much bother for him and he had an excellent, easy-going manner. We finally arrived back in Edinburgh 28 hours after we left Auckland. Unfortunately the same could not be said for our luggage. Our trip ended as it started with delayed bags! We were late in leaving LA and did not make up much time during the journey and once we arrived at LHR ATC were up to their useual tricks and kept us holding for about 40 minutes!! Once on the ground we had to rush to catch our connection to Edinburgh. Unfortunately our bags were not quite so quick. We were finally reunited with all of them at 9:00 a.m. the next day!
We had an excellent trip and are already planning the next "biggie"! There is no doubt we will return to New Zealand to spend much longer than the 4 days we did this time. Our appetite was whetted for a longer trip that would include the South Island.
Further details and photographs of our trip can be found at our wedding web site - www.gettinghitched.freeserve.co.uk
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]
Rather than face a 5:00 a.m. rise for our 07:25 flight to Auckland we decided to cancel our hotel in Sydney and fly to Auckland on the Monday evening instead. On telephoning the Tourist Information desk at Auckland Airport they assured us there would be no problem finding a room. We arrived into Auckland at 23:00 and after we collected our luggage we went to the Tourist Information office. They managed to fix us up with an excellent deal (NZ$120 inc breakfat!!) at the Sheraton in Auckland City Centre. As we had both enjoyed a few glasses of the excellent Corbans Special Reserve Chardonnay on our Air New Zealandflight from Sydney, we were in no state to drive, so we arranged with Avis to collect our car from the City office in the morning. We then took a Taxi for the 20 minute journey to the hotel. The following morning was fine and sunny so we took as stroll through the City to the Avis office to collect our car. After returning to the hotel to collect our luggage we headed North over the Harbour Bridge to Tutukaka. We had arranged to stay at the Pacific Rendezvous - http://www.oceanresort.co.nz- - for two nights as we were Diving the Poor Knights Islands. Jacque Cousteau rated them as one of the top 10 dive locations in the World so who are we to argue??
After a very pleasant journey via the scenic route we arrived in Tutukaka. We had seen photographs of the views on the Pacific Rendezvous web site but they were even better in real life! We had a one-bedroom chalet type cottage overlooking an inlet. It was still warm and sunny so it wasnt long before we had our feet up and a glass of beer (Gary) and wine (Jo) in our hands. As the evening went on it started to get very cool and we were forced to switch on the heating! This was not what we expected but they do same the climate is very changeable in New Zealand.
The following morning we awoke to rain and very dark skies. As we were diving we would be getting wet anyway so the weather did not bother us. After checking-in with Dive! Tutukaka - http://www.aquaaction.com- - we collected our 7mm thick wetsuits. Normally we use 2-3mm short wetsuits so the thicker suits would take some getting used too! The trip from the harbour to the Poor Knights takes around 50 minutes and involves heading out to open sea. Once we were outside the confines of the harbour things started to get rough. We were both fine but there were some very green looking people around us! The first dive site we visited wasnt very good. Visibility was around 15m and during the dive a strong current built up. Diving with a thick wetsuit means that you have to carry more weight as the Neoprene makes you very buoyant. We normally use around 2-3kgs with our shorties but with the thicker suits this increased to 14kgs! We were both struggling to control our buoyancy and as a consequence were using more air than normal, and after 35 minutes we were getting low.
After lunch we moved to another dive site that ran along the base of an Island. This site was far better then the first. Our faith in Monsieur Coustaeu was restored. We were both able to control our buoyancy better so used less air. We decided to follow the Divemaster as the locals normally know where the best marine life is. We were not disappointed. In addition to the normal plethora of marine life we saw four different species of Moray Eel, Starfish, a Stingray and some amazing Nudibranch (colourful slug like creatures). We returned to the boat after about 55 minutes very satisfied with our dive.
While we had been diving the weather had deteriorated and it is was raining hard and getting very windy. The journey back to harbour was very rough with a few of our fellow passengers feeding the fish their lunches: after they had already eaten them!!
As the evening went on the storm got worse. Given our cliff top location we were fully exposed to the wind and rain lashing in off the sea. We attempted to sleep but the noise outside was making it difficult. At around 3:00 a.m. we decided to get-up and pack our luggage. We felt that if the storm caused any damage to the cottage we wanted to be in a position to get out as quickly as possible and with as much of our luggage as possible! At around 4:30 a.m. we went back to bed and attempted to get at least a couple of hours sleep. As morning broke the winds abated slightly but the rain was just as heavy. When we checked out the owner of the resort told us the tail-end of a tropical cyclone had come through overnight. She said they were not common in New Zealand during summer but not unknown. The continuing heavy rain and radio reports about blocked and flooded roads made us change our plans to head to the Bay of Islands, so we decided to return to the Auckland area.
The drive back was quite tricky. There were a number of landslides that were almost blocking the road as well as many rivers having burst their banks. Progress was slow but once we reached the main highway conditions improved. For our final night we were booked in to The Peace & Plenty Inn - http://www.peaceandplenty.co.nz- -, an upmarket guesthouse in Devonport. Friends had stayed there before and highly recommended it. Devonport is located across the river for Auckland and a regular ferry service, taking ten minutes, runs between the two. When we arrived at The Peace & Plenty Inn Graham, the owner, showed us to the Victoria Room. There are only five rooms and each is different. After lunch Jo took a stroll around the art and craft shops while I decided to catch up on some sleep! Finally at around 8:00 p.m. the rain stopped for long enough to allow us to stroll around Devonport before going for something to eat.
The following morning we awoke to more rain so we started planning indoor activities! We visited the transport museum where they have a beautifully restored flying boat that used to ply the route between Auckland and Fiji. By lunchtime the rain had stopped and the sky cleared so we decided to spend our last few hours strolling through downtown Auckland. After collecting our luggage from The Peace and Plenty we headed for the Airport to check-in for our marathon return flight. We had opted not to stopover in Los Angeles, but this meant we were faced with a 12 hour flight from Auckland to LA, 1 hours on the ground at LA, followed by a 10 hour flight to Heathrow! In the end it was not as bad as we thought. Air New Zealands Business Class was very comfortable so we were able to get some good sleep. On the AKL-LAX leg the flight was completely full yet the two male in the upper section handled it with great ease. So impressed were we by one of the crew that my wife has written to Air NZ signing his praises. Nothing was too much bother for him and he had an excellent, easy-going manner. We finally arrived back in Edinburgh 28 hours after we left Auckland. Unfortunately the same could not be said for our luggage. Our trip ended as it started with delayed bags! We were late in leaving LA and did not make up much time during the journey and once we arrived at LHR ATC were up to their useual tricks and kept us holding for about 40 minutes!! Once on the ground we had to rush to catch our connection to Edinburgh. Unfortunately our bags were not quite so quick. We were finally reunited with all of them at 9:00 a.m. the next day!
We had an excellent trip and are already planning the next "biggie"! There is no doubt we will return to New Zealand to spend much longer than the 4 days we did this time. Our appetite was whetted for a longer trip that would include the South Island.
Further details and photographs of our trip can be found at our wedding web site - www.gettinghitched.freeserve.co.uk
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Gaza (edited 01-26-2001).]