Dylan Schiemann

On April 19, it was time to bid farewell to the kiwi nation and fly to Australia. Upon arrival at the Auckland airport, I discovered that there was an entirely separate checkin and passport control section for first class, business class, and star alliance gold members, a nice touch. After being returned to the customs counter to purchase an Australian visa for 30 New Zealand Dollars, I was then quickly dropped to the front of the security line which was convenient.

After finding a few postcard stamps, I made my way to the Koru lounge which was, not surprisingly, much nicer than the other Air New Zealand lounges. Also, the flight was a direct contrast to the Tokyo to Auckland flight, as this flight was on an Air New Zealand 777:

Their 777 which has their best lie-flat business class configuration. It’s somewhat silly because their 10 hour flights have their oldest business class configuration, while their short 3 hour flights between Auckland and Sydney have their best seats. I was told that because of reduced flight traffic, this allowed them to keep their non-stop flight from Tokyo to Auckland with a smaller plane (767 instead of 777), and then use the 777 to run a few less flights a day, with a larger plane, between Auckland and Sydney.

The view over Sydney was breathtaking, and when I landed, I caught a glimpse of the Singapore Airlines A380 which will be my next flight in a week.

Both Australia and New Zealand are very tight at customs with regards to not wanting anything allowed into the country that can destroy their island ecosystem. That said, passing through customs was a breeze. I was met by Eric Moore who drove me to Lilianfels resort in Katoomba so I could see the 3 sisters at the Blue Mountains, a sort of shorter but large and green version of the grand canyon just west of Sydney.

Unfortunately, as you can see from above, just beyond the pool is a massive set of fog, so I was not able to see anything today.

Eric was an extremely informative guide about Sydney and the Blue Mountains region, and provided me with a wealth of information about the region.

Because of the weather, I called for a massage at the hotel, but they were sold out for my entire stay. Note to future self: whenever staying at a hotel with the word “spa” in its description, book your massage in advance or they will not have any appointments available. This afforded me time to catch up on some work, and use the gym. I was told that the gym used to be a honeymoon suite, with the last couple to stay their being Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. I think it serves a better purpose as a gym.

Lilianfels resort is a very nice place for couples and families, but I felt a bit out of place being there alone, more so that anywhere else I have stayed so far on this trip. I ordered room service, which was delivered by a lady that is best described as a clone of Natalie Portman.