Matty Somewhere

Spice Temple by Neil Perry – Melbourne

While this post is about a restaurant and its food, its also about one of my now favourite Melbourne restaurants which has a link to Qantas and therefore it is about travel and planes….Right? Recently on a quick trip to Melbourne, my friend Bert and I visited Spice Temple , one of Neil Perry and The Rockpool…

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….

The Sea Princess Diaries Part Two. Brisbane to Sydney – Day Two and Arrival Home

Dear Diary, Good morning! We boarded yesterday and now been cruising for one night and this is going to be our only full day on board. I woke up at first light and after a quick shower headed out to explore more of the ship during the quiet time. I headed out on deck where no one was around…

The Qantas Club, Brisbane Domestic Airport

Is there a better way for a FreakyFlier to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon in an airport? Yes, at the Qantas Club of course. On my recent trip to Brisbane with my friend Bert, we were heading back to Sydney on a flight at around 5:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon. After we checked out…

The Sea Princess Diaries – Brisbane to Sydney – Day One

Dear Diary, I’m in Brisbane with my brother Aaron. We arrived late last night on a Jetstar flight which was quite good and stayed in Spring Hill. The hotel was a little dreary but close to a pub where we went for a quick drink. After checking out of the hotel and having a fast…

Inspecting An Etihad A380 With The Residence

I’ve only ever been on one other aircraft with a bedroom and that was John Travolta’s private Boeing 707. True story! In 2004 when he became the Qantas ‘Ambassador at large’ he did a series of dinners around the country called ‘Sharing the Spirit’. I won a competition to attend one of these black tie…

Air Bagan, Heho (Lake Inle) to Yangon, Myanmar. ATR72-500

“Should we stop and get something to eat before the flight?” I asked my travel companion Bert. It had been a long journey from the Novotel Myat Min in Lake Inle to Heho Airport in Myanmar for our flight to Yangon. We did enjoy a delicious a-la-carte breakfast rather early at the hotel, eggs, bacon,…

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…

Thai Air Asia – Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Mandalay, Myanmar

“When we arrive in Mandalay, will we just get a cab to the hotel as well?” Bert asked me as our cab pulled up in front of Bangkoks old International Airport, Don Mueang. “No, we’ll get the free Air Asia shuttle bus into the city” I responded. “Ha! yeah, ok” he scoffed. “Seriously, will we get a…

Qantas Airways – Perth to Sydney Business Class

‘Well at least there’ll be no delays with the way they serve the nuts’ I thought to myself referring to nutgate. I was travelling back from Perth after experiencing the new Qantas Business Suite and was a little disappointed that my return flight had the older recliner style seat in Business Class. Thats ok, the flight…

Flying Air KBZ – Mandalay to Nyaung U in The Republic of the Union of Myanmar

“You may sit wherever you like on the plane sir” “Wherever?” “Yes sir, no seating assignments on the flight” After a long hot day seeing some of the amazing sights of Mandalay, the 2nd largest city in Myanmar, our driver took my friend Bert and I to the airport at 3:00 pm for our 4:45 pm flight…

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…

Jet Flight Simulator – Sydney – Boeing 737-800

“This is your Co-pilot FreakyFlier speaking, welcome on board. Todays flight from London Heathrow to London City Airport will take approximately 24 minutes. In the mean time, please sit back and relax and enjoy the superior service and wonderful views of London on this short flight”. “Was that ok Captain?” “That was fine Freaky….

Jetstar Airways – Sydney to Brisbane

“I only fly Qantas so I can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points and Status Credits” Said the Gold Frequent Flyer (GFF) over lunch one day. “But you can earn points when flying Jetstar as well” I remarked, “You just need to add the plus bundle, its a couple of dollars more than the lead in fare,…

Wellington to Sydney, QANTAS AIRWAYS Economy Class

Using points, I’d requested an upgrade from Economy to Business Class which unfortunately was declined probably as this route is heavily used by politicians travelling from New Zealands capital, Wellington. That was ok, the flight was under 4 hours so I was content with trying the Economy Class product on this sector. There is a…

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…

FreakyFlier Takes To The Sea. Picton To Wellington On The Interislander. M.V. Kaitaki

This is my 100th post, and as a little celebration, I take you not to the air but to the sea…. I sometimes get motion sickness, though never on a plane! But usually in a car or most commonly on a ship. Seasickness creates awful nausea for myself. The word nausea stems from Greek with the word…

The QantasClub, Wellington International Airport.

I like to think I am quite civilised. While most people hate hanging around airports and there are some who like to get there early for the shopping, I get to airports early to make sure I have checked in on time and can clear immigration and customs without any stress or rushing – OK,…

A Short Hop On A Soundsair Cessna 208 Caravan – Wellington to Picton, New Zealand

“Captain Dave is bringing the plane in from Picton and should land in the next few minutes. It’s a bit windy up there so it will be up to Dave whether the winds over the sounds are OK to land in Picton or maybe Blenheim… I cant really say, he’s the one in charge of the…

That Little Place You Find…House Of Dumplings, Wellington, New Zealand

When you’re not looking, sometimes you find something you didn’t know you were looking for. It often happens when travelling, isn’t that why most of us go out and explore the world? Food can be a major delight while travelling and sometimes the smallest delight can be the surprise. At the end of my recent visit to…

China Airlines Sydney to Auckland Business Class – Airbus A330-300

Question: China Airlines comes from what country? Answer: Taiwan (Republic of China) Bloody Mary. People often think China Airlines is from mainland China (The Peoples Republic of China) but its not, it’s Taiwan’s (Republic of China) national carrier and largest airline based the country’s capital Taipei. Now I’m not going to go into the how, why and…