This past August saw my long awaited trip to Australia and New Zealand! It was an experience that i am so proud and happy to have embarked on and will always remember . We started out on the long leg from LAX to Sydney which took about 14 hours, and was made even more special because we used our American Airlines miles to enjoy our virgin first class journey. We delighted in choosing from a menu for meals, pajamas for sleep time and the most wonderful attentive cabin crew ever. The food was great, our seats converted to almost a conventional bed and the attention of the staff made us feel like royalty. We arrived in Sydney and spent a couple hours there in the first class lounge before flying onto Brisbane.
Brisbane was delightful and made even more so by connecting with friends from long ago. Our main stay for the first week was in the “Gold Coast “ with friends who took us to most of the area to experience life there . Some attractions included Bondi Beach , Byron Bay ,Wolloongabba at the Hyundai Center for an Australian Rules football game.. The game was spectacular with St. Kilda V Brisbane in a much heated matchup , we had box seats as well which lent to the excitement ! We visited Tamborine National Park as well as The Australian Zoo which was such a treat. My first time with the Kangaroos and the Koalas was elating to say the least..The Outback spectacular which is an indoor Rhodeo should not be missed either on a visit to The Gold Coast.
Our Next Stop was Sydney connecting via Brisbane from Gold Coast. Sydney with it’s Beautiful Harbour tall sky scrapers , historical museums, Opera house ,famed bridge and world renown seafood was amazing ! We had a back tour of the Sydney Opera House by day and went to see Wynton Marsalis “Jazz at the Lincoln Center” performance by night. The Opera House is an iconic part of Sydney’s history and if you visit don’t miss the opportunity to see a performance there. Day trips to the Blue Mountain and boat tours to other parts of this beautiful Island rounded out our visit to Australia.
The flight from Sydney to Auckland was approximately three and a half hours long , a decent flight it was with Quanta’s. Auckland was very special to me as the people there were very friendly and inviting and showed so much interest in us as foreigners . As you arrived at the airport they had Native music and artwork depicting the pride they had in their heritage. Our welcome started as soon as we entered our Uber , the driver was very resourceful and advised us on how to navigate the city and the ins and out of traveling the area. We stayed at the Auckland Hilton which continued the wonderful welcoming experience with a lovely room with a view to die for! From Auckland Harbour we visited Weiheke Island via boat trip for a wine tasting tour. Our visit took us to three wineries to experience the taste of the region. The “All Black experience “ was a huge hit, this is the national Rugby team that plays internationally. We were afforded a visit to the replica of the team locker rooms and we challenged ourselves performing some of the rotations they use to get fit and ready for play. The food here in Auckland was also fabulous ,we enjoyed every bite. We Traveled home via American Airlines on Premium Economy class which was very good ..
I hope you will add a visit to this continent on your upcoming itineraries , please enjoy some of my experiences in pictures below. Please email with questions and for assistance with building your itineraries for any of my trips on this site or for building a new one even if it’s not here already. Happy Travels!