A few years ago, I worked in a backpacker travel agency with a girl who was on an overseas working holiday/gap year from Ireland. Chiara (pronounced ‘Kee-ra’ – I always got it wrong) had a slightly warped sense of humour… we got on well 🙂 Whenever students, backpackers or visitors to Sydney would come in…
Category: freakyflier.com
Tamun Ayun Temple (Mengwi Temple) Bali, Indonesia
If like me, sometimes when travelling in Asia, you may have a moment where you feel ‘templed out’, in other words, after looking at temple after temple, often in repressive heat, they start looking all the same, you have seen enough and can’t bare to see anymore! When I was in Bali, this didn’t actually happen…
Palaces, Queens, Dikes and Bikes, (Part II) Het Loo Palace & Gardens, The Netherlands
If you have read part one of my royal journey in The Netherlands, you’ll know I just missed out on meeting Queen Beatrix at Noordiende Palace in Den Haag ;)…..and, so, my dear friend Brett and I headed to the north of the country to visit Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, once home to sovereigns,…
A Tale Of Two Lighthouses, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
I grew up in Wollongong and during the school holidays or on a long weekend, my dad would sometimes take my brother and I fishing, much to our delight, and I think my mum’s as she had a few hours respite from her noisy and sometimes over-energetic boys! The very first time, when we were…
The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China
What: Temple of Heaven Where: Beijing, PR China When: 15th – 20th Century One Christmas, when I was about seven or eight years of age, Santa Claus left my brother and I a board game called Chinese Checkers under the Christmas Tree. I don’t think my brother and I ever learnt how to correctly play…
Palaces, Queens, Dikes and Bikes – The Netherlands (Part 1)
What: Noordeinde Palace & Het Loo Palace and gardens Where: The Hague & Appledoorn, The Netherlands Other than my passion for commercial aviation and travelling (oh and cheese) I have a sincere interest in the Kings and Queens of Europe, the royal households and their history. I do, in fact, have a portrait of my…
Tanah Lot and the Balinese Festival of Buda Wage, Bali, Indonesia
What: Tanah Lot, A picturesque Hindu Temple built on a coastal rock formation Where: Bali, Indonesia, about 45 minutes drive from the tourist centre of Kuta When: 15th century, restored in the 1980’s I’m not one that enjoys large crowds, I avoid the hoards of people around Sydney Harbour on New Years Eve and the thought of shopping…
Virgin Blue (DJ) E-Jet in AFL Livery
New uniforms, new aircraft for regional routes and new branding and livery expected soon, in the meantime, the newest aircraft to join the Virgin Blue fleet (this Embraer 190 and a Boeing 737) have been painted in this quite plain AFL (Australian Football League) livery, with an all white tail. Virgin Blue recently won the AFL contract….
New Chinese airline arrived in Sydney this morning
Today marked the start of another Chinese carrier serving Australia. Hainan airlines (HU) will fly an Airbus A330-200 three times a week between Shenzhen and Hangzhou and Sydney. Shenzhen, located on mainland China near Hong Kong and Hangzhou, also on the mainland near Shanghai are both important financial, trade and industrial cities and with populations…
Retro: Sydney Airport circa 1992
Picture taken mid1992. Notice the old liveries. On the the left, Boeing 747-100, Continental Airlines. Nex to that, the ‘Tulip’ liv ery of a new Boeing 747-400. In the foreground, is an Air Pacific (known locally as ‘The Flying Fruit Tingle’) Boeing 747-200, which has the same ‘fruit tingle’ livery but with a different tail (now…
Baggage Fees
I travelled in the US recently and travelled with US Airways and Continental Airlines for my internal domestic flights. Both are full service airlines and I enjoyed flying with them, they were great. These days, most of the domestic ‘full service’ airlines charge for checked baggage. They charge US$20-25 for the first bag and up from…
Review: US Airways Club Lounge LAX
Arriving at Los Angeles airport 3 hours before my flight to Las Vegas, I decided to seek out US Airways Club Lounge at terminal 1. US Airways have a day pass which can be purchased online when you book your ticket (if you are booking online) for USD40 or your can purchase it on the day…
