Matty Somewhere

REVIEW: Virgin Australia, Sydney to Hobart Economy Class

“Please do not fasten your seat belts as the aircraft is refueling” I’d actually never heard that announcement before, but it makes perfect sense for safety reasons. It had been almost a year and a half since I had flown Virgin Australia and while the main decision to fly them on this trip came down to…

The Freaky Heights of the Petronas Twin Towers – Kuala Lumpur

Question: Whats the smallest room in the world? Answer: A Mushroom! Ba doom ching! Man I”m funny! I’ll tell you what isn’t funny though, Acrophobia – the fear of heights, sometimes incorrectly referred to as vertigo. Vertigo, however, is actually when a person feels they are spinning, the room is spinning, or their head is…

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…

A QantasLink Dash-8 Q400 gets A FREAKY-TYRE or is that a Leaky-Tyre?

Don’t you hate getting a flat tyre? It always happens when you are in a hurry or out on the road in your Sunday best. Recently, while at Melbournes Tullamarine Airport, I watched this QantasLink Dash-8 Q400 undergoe a wheel change. The Sunstate Airlines arm of QantasLink, a subsidiary of Qantas Airways operates this particular…

Wandering through Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea

I can be a bit of a dreamer. I’m fascinated by Royal History and when I visit places like this, I like to dream and wonder what would it have been like to be in a palace in times gone by, a member of the royal family, a member of staff, or simply a visitor to…

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…

Where South Meets North. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 3 – Panmunjom & The Joint Security Area

“The visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action.” “Det är så roligt!” (That is so funny!) Laughed the blonde long-bearded-Swede. “Så mycket roligt!” (So very funny!) Giggled his blonde friend. The people I am talking about…

Best Australian Blogs 2014 – Peoples Choice Awards

I received an email the other day from a reader, thanking me for my stories on FreakyFlier and explaining how he has now made a decision to travel to a certain destination on a particular airline with thanks to my reviews. I always feel pretty chuffed when I receive an email of thanks from my…

Where South Meets North. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 2 – Seeing the North

OUCH! %&*# that hurt!… So, what I didn’t finish telling you in part one of my day tour to the DMZ, while I was at Imjingak Park at the lookout, I tripped and fell head over turkey and injured my foot. Hobbling back to the car park, I finally found my coach but I was…

Review: Qantas Airways Sydney to Melbourne Business Class

Many years ago, a few months after Jetstar took to the skies as the low cost carrier offshoot of Qantas Airways, I was travelling with a friend, Business Class, on a Qantas Flight between Melbourne a Sydney. After a few glasses of wine we were having a good old time, laughing at the fact we…

Where South Meets North.. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 1 – Imjingak

“Why would you want to go there? Stay in Seoul…..go shopping!” That was what my Korean born work colleague said to me, with a look of disgust on her face, when I mentioned that during my trip to South Korea I was taking a day tour to the DMZ and Panmunjom – the Demilitarised Zone and Joint…

Review: Tigerair Melbourne to Sydney

Younger siblings – little brothers or sisters, can be annoying, seemingly going about things the wrong way and sometime acting as if they have no idea at all! Then suddenly they grow up, aren’t nearly as embarrassing as usual and work alongside others 🙂 This is what I feel has happened with Tigerair, since Virgin…

The Worlds Largest & Most Extensive Subway System

Am I in New York? Am I about to board the Paris Metro? Perhaps I am in Metropolitan Tokyo waiting for a chikatetsu? – one thing I can say is that we’re not in Sydney!…I am in Seoul, South Korea home to the worlds largest subway system in terms of station and passengers. With 19 lines…

Review: Canberra to Sydney by QANTASLINK on a refurbished Boeing 717 – Business Class

I can hear you now – not another Qantas Review!!! – But stay with me, its small and short – this is actually the regional arm of the airline – QantasLink and I’m travelling on one of their the newly refurbished Boeing 717-200’s in Business Class, something new for the airline. These narrowbodied rear mounted…

Novotel Canberra

So I’ve got this friend right and whenever he stays in a hotel, one of international standard, the first thing he does is order a club sandwich from room service. “You can tell a lot about a place by a club sandwich pet!” he’d insist with a raised eyebrow while regaling me with his latest…

One Day In November – A FreakyFlier Day Trip

Let me take you on a day trip, its not your regular outing but for an aviation enthusiast its going to be a freaky good day! Late last year, when Jetstar received its first Boeing 787 Deamliner, they offered a few sectors domestically to ‘break-in’ the new aircraft and give the Australian travelling public a…

Review: Qantas Airways – Canberra to Melbourne, Economy Class

Isnt it wonderful when you are on a flight and a flight attendant does something out of the ordinary when its a special occasion? This happened to me recently on a flight from Canberra to Melbourne with Qantas Airways. The special occasion was that I was flying from Canberra to Melbourne to take the new Jetstar Boeing…

Review: China Southern Airlines 中国南方航空, Seoul Incheon to Guangzhou, Economy Class

After a wonderful week in Seoul it was time to head home on China Southern Airlines, an airline I had never flown before. After checking my bags in, I spent a few hours in the HUB Lounge and then made my to the departure gate for the first sector to Guangzhou, China, the airlines hub, where I…

Lounge Review: The Qantas Club – Melbourne Domestic Airport

As you know, I love airport lounges! – Almost, just almost – as much as I love flying. Recently I had a guest pass to visit any Domestic Qantas Club Lounge, so before I took off on my first Jetstar 787 flight to the Gold Coast, I visited the Melbourne lounge, What a great way to start this…

Review: QANTAS AIRWAYS – Gold Coast to Sydney, Business Class

“Why do you want to fly Business Class?” my friend Liz asked me the other day. “Huh? Did you seriously just ask me that?” I replied, stunned. Obviously Liz hasn’t flown Business Class very often. Even though this was a short 1 hour 25 minutes sector, one of the many benefits of flying Business Class is lounge access and with…

The Changing of the Guard, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea

When I mentioned to fellow Australians I was going to see the Changing of the Guard on my trip to South Korea, I could see the confusion in their faces as I’m sure they were picturing Beefeaters with large cylindrical black fur hats, gallantly dressed horses and all that pomp and pageantry that comes with…