764toHI

LAX-MEL on UA J as a viable option against QF F/J considering price? With Pre-check and new Polaris lounge (but dated B/E Diamond J seats on the 789 for ~18-24 more months), it doesn't seem to be a quantum step down anymore vs. your recent QF experience.

UAL250

The Qantas lounges in your latest parts of the TR look absolutely dire. Absolutely disgusting stuff, crap all over the place :O

Looking forward to the rest, as always!

lhrpete

I've only been to Hobart in winter - June or July when a southerly gale is blowing, usually loaded with ice chips! These pics (and the report) are excellent - I must find a reason to get there in the summer before too long.

nequine

Great start to your latest TR. Wow at your hotel in Hobart, it looks very unique!

757

Wow, SFO777, I'm reading more of your newest installments of your trip. Photos from your helicopter look amazing - and what an experience. I can't believe though your experience flying with Qantas. How downhill it seems like they have gone, from an airline that I used to always think/hear was always one of the best. Food looks poor, 3 lunch meals on a lunch flight loaded out of 12 seats, and some crazy photos of the dirty lounge at SYD. What's going on?!

Looking forward to seeing your time on Hamilton Island.

1P

Great and absolutely unique TR so far, with more delights to come, I'm sure. Loved the simulator sequences!

<pedant on>The TBIT lounge menu couldn't spell "strozzapretti" correctly! <pedant off>

wakesetter93

Another fantastic trip report! Your pictures are making me think I should have headed south for the winter instead of to cold, rainy Europe.

m0hamed

You realise QF offer an escort for F pax? You could have been met kerbside at LAX, escorted to check in by a F host and Porter and then escorted to the lounge. They will also generally reserve one of the two private suites in the LAX lounge before escorting you for preboarding to the aircraft. They would also meet you on arrival in SYD.

SandA4Eva

This is the escalator that gets you down to the boarding gates.

Guvner067

and SIN

SFO777

This morning, we're off on our rescheduled helicopter tour of the Tasman Peninsula including the Port Arthur Historical Site, the spectacular coastline of the Three Capes, followed by oysters, wine and lunch. Checking in at Par Avion.





Our Robinson R44.



Mrs. SFO777 and Rory, our wonderful pilot and guide for the day.







And we're off...









Flying over Hobart (International) Airport.







Beautiful scenery and amazing water colours along the way.























Approaching the Port Arthur Historical Site, where British repeat offenders were imprisoned in the middle of the 19th century.











And touching down for our hour visit.



















































Yep, still there.

SFO777

From the Port Arthur Historical Site, we headed south taking in the incredible vistas of the remote southern coast of Tasmania.







The beautiful and rugged coastline past the three capes, home to the tallest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere.























Spectacular Tasman Island.































Then back north towards Bangor.













Approaching Bangor.

SFO777

In Bangor, we're heading for wine tasting and oysters at Bangor Winery













We started with some lovely sparkling.



... and then a tasting of Bangor's excellent wines.



And locally farmed oysters...







Then off again to our next stop.



Over the oyster farms.













To lunch at Frogmore Creek Winery.







Wow, talk about busy.















Service was excellent as was our cheese course.



Although the mains looked nice, they were pretty disappointing. Think touristy more interested in quantity than quality.





But the wines were good and the setting and our table hard to beat.







Waiting for our shuttle ride back to the hotel.

SFO777

Thanks so much ffl. We got very lucky with the 2 F seats. I think I just started looking at the right time. Indeed, Global Entry lets us use SmartGate whatever that is. I may try it in March when I'm back but the day we arrived, the Priority Access lane has no one in line ahead of us.

Thank you Guvner067. Wow, what a small world. I hope that I behaved myself.

Too late. We'd already passed thru BNE. Plus with the ridiculous layout of Brisbane airport and the international terminal seemingly in a different time zone from the domestic terminal, we didn't much extra time.

Thanks krazykanuck. The 789 was quite nice but it's still Business Class with no Wifi and no PreCheck, so after my mileage running return in March, I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to fly QF again anytime soon. Business Class in the A380 is terribly dated and not even close to the hard product on VA, DL, AA or even UA.


Thank you paulkaz. Would love to try Virgin Australia but 70K Alaska miles for QF First is hard to beat,

Thanks 764toHI. If I was comparing J to J, I'd agree. But 70K for First Class (all the way to Hobart) is hard to beat considering UA wants 80K for Business and I'd have to buy a separate ticket to Hobart.

Thanks very much UAL250. Yeah, all the QF domestic lounge are pretty pathetic. Even your average United Club is cleaner and more comfortable.

SFO777

Thank very much lhrpete. Hobart and Tasmania really exceeded our expectations.

The Islington is a wonderful boutique hotel. Thank you nequine.

Thank you 757. Yeah, pretty disappointing show from QF.

Thanks so much 1P. The simulator was a real treat.

Thank you wakesetter. Summer in Tassie has the perfect weather. Not too hot and not much humidity.

I did not. Thanks for the heads up m0hamed. We really didn't need the meet and greet since we just had carry-ons. Strange that on one check-in offered that service. Even stranger that the First Class Lounge dragon didn't either.

You mean the escalator in the middle on the terminal with no apparent signs as to where it led??