If you know me personally, I can be a bit of a monkey, all over the place but I also like things in order, symmetrical, a crooked picture will annoy me. Matty: “Could you give me directions to the closest supermarket please?” Hotel Concierge: “Sure, at the end of the street, it’s just a diagonal…
Category: Australia
Stunning Cradle Mountain, Tasmania – “For the People, For All Time”.
Having visited the Rocky Mountains in Canada several times – I have dear family there – I was not overly excited to visit Cradle Mountain in Tasmania – I thought it’d be just a hill compared to the Rockies – It wasn’t. And there is also a wonderful little side story to the mountain the…
Central West NSW – Mudgee.
We’re off on a road trip around the Central West of NSW. First stop, Mudgee, a winery town. It’s a great place for wine lovers – or a New South Welshmen tired of constant state border closures at the hint of a sniffle. The first stop on this trip was Moothi Estate Winery just outside…
Lunch On Board The Emerald Princess
“We’ve booked an inside cabin, but with a non-obstructed view” I overheard at the check in area, Um OK, you’re going to be disappointed, I thought to myself. My love of travel extends to all forms transport and I was recently invited to take a look around the Emerald Princess, the largest of the Princess fleet…
Trip Notes: Melbourne to Sydney on QANTAS Airways QF480 and the special meals.
After a wonderful weekend in Melbourne, it was time to head back to Sydney on Qantas flight QF480, a dinner flight operated by an Airbus A330-200. Upon boarding I noticed there was a rather large contingent of school kids who had been in Melbourne competing in a Jewish Inter-Schools sports competition. After settling into my…
Would You Jump From A Plane?
A glass of wine, some food and a good movie is for me, what I like to do when on a plane. For others it might be different. My Friends Jessie and Manita recently went skydiving and here is what Jessie had to say: A couple of days ago, I conquered one of my biggest fears and went skydiving…
HARS (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) and the Famous QANTAS 747-438, VH-OJA – Oh and Connie, VH-EAG
HARS – Historical Aircraft Restoration Society – is located at The Illawarra Regional Airport in Wollongong and just over a year ago it gained another major attraction with a retired Qantas Boeing 747-400 arriving at the museum. Back in March of 2015, I was invited with several media and bloggers to visit Qantas Headquarters in…
Golden Princess – The Food, Oh The Food.
“How come you got a Gold Cruise Card? Mine’s blue?” Said my friend Nova as we checked in for the Golden Princess. “Yeah mines blue too” Bert pipped in looking slightly confused. “‘Cause I’m a Gold member!” I replied. After my previous short cruise on the Sea Princess I was hooked. I was hooked like a…
QantasLink, Sydney to Maroochydore (Sunshine Coast), Boeing 717, Economy Class
“What time will you arrive? I’ll pick you up” My old mate Daz texted me. “I’ll be landing at 10:35” I texted back. “Ok, see you at 10:30” was the reply. “No, its 10:35!” I responded. “Yeah, 10:30!” “No, 10:35!”….. The banter went on for weeks, “10:30?” “No, 10:35!” we laughingly texted each other. The 1 hour and…
Emirates, Auckland to Sydney Business Class
“Welcome on board this Emirates flight to Brisbane” Brisbane? Am I on the right plane? “Ladies and Gentlemen, please disregard the menu stating Auckland to Melbourne, we are in fact off to Sydney” Melbourne now? “Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Dubai” Either Dubai now has a harbour with replica bridge and Opera House or I’m…
Melbourne to Sydney, Qantas Airways Business Class
Have you been watching that new show ‘Ready for Takeoff’? It’s a fly on the wall documentary about Qantas and the inner workings of the airline. I loved the second episode with Qantas mega Frequent Flyer John Martin, who hails from my hometown the City of Wollongong who during the episode took his 1000th Qantas flight….
QANTAS Airways, Sydney to Brisbane Business Class
“Tonight we have the traditional lasagne with steamed greens or the seared beef on glass noodles.” the cabin crew member discretely repeated to each passenger as he made his way down the centre aisle of the secluded Business Class cabin. The food, it is the thing I get most excited about when taking a short flight in Business…
Melbourne to Perth – QANTAS Airways Business Suite.
Mints and mince, although sound similar are two very different things – especially to a vegetarian! I was at a party once, enjoying a delightful array of finger foods while chatting to a vegetarian over the loud pumping music. The lights were low and she was relying on me to let her know what each of the…
QANTASLINK Sydney to Dubbo Bombadier Dash 8 – Q400
It was to be a sequin and glitter free weekend when my friend Bert and I decided to get out of Sydney over the Mardi Gras weekend. Yes, we were heading to Dubbo in Regional New South Wales and we flew on one of the Qantas group of companies smallest aircraft a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, operated…
Wandering Through Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney Australia
“Dog must not steal from dog” – Convict saying. Recently, I decided to become a tourist in my own city of Sydney and visit one of Australia’s oldest European buildings, The Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Listed on the New South Wales and Australian National Heritage registers and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site…
Moorilla Estate Cellar Door, Hobart
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W.C Fields. I often cook with wine. After a short flight on Virgin Australia from Sydney to Hobart, my friend Bert and I were amazed that the hire cars GPS knowingly directed us to Moorilla Estate Cellar Door located in the northern suburbs of Hobart….
Barilla Bay Pacific Oysters, Hobart Tasmania
“FreakyFlier, the world is your Oyster!” Where does that saying come from and what does it mean? O.K, forget the FreakyFlier bit (although some have said it 😉 It was first penned by Shakespeare in his play The Merry Wives of Windsor: Pistol: “Why then the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.” Modern times may have changed…
A Little Taste / Piece of GERMANY in WOLLONGONG at the A.G.A GERMANIA Club
Pork Knuckles, Schnitzels and Sauerkraut, Wheat beer and Riesling wine. Like my Dad, I love German, Japanese, and Seafood, my Mum and brother love Indian, Mexican and Italian so when it comes to family birthdays or get togethers at restaurants, it’s usually the person celebrating that makes the decision of where to go and we are…
An Aircraft fit for a Duke, a Duchess & a Baby Prince
“This is it! This is them! WAVE!!!” A couple of work colleagues and I went to the best viewing point of the airport, the 8th level of the International Airport Car Park, to witness today’s arrival of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, and baby Prince George to Sydney. Us three loyal subjects…
Review: Air Asia X – Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur – Economy Class
The Frugal Flyer – How little can I spend to get from Australia to Asia without going hungry? To celebrate low cost carrier Air Asia X announcing new services between Adelaide and Kuala Lumpur, they released a limited number of introductory fares between the two cities from AUD$99. I managed to purchase one of these…
Introducing Australia’s First Dreamliner – Jetstar’s Boeing 787-8
I was excited when I saw the first 787 Dreamliner on the ground at the Boeing factory in 2009 and equally delighted when I saw an Air India Dreamliner take off as the first commercial 787 in Australia, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get up close, really close, and tour Australia’s newest aircraft before it…
Matty Somewhere 