Fifteen Days in Australia – Introduction
Fifteen Days in Australia
A Trip to Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne, and Diving the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
- Introduction
- Planning
- United Global First Class Lounges – Washington-Dulles and Los Angeles
- United Global First Class Los Angeles to Sydney
- Sydney: Days One and Two (Arrival, Walking Tour, Manly Beach, and Darling Harbour)
- Sydney: Days Three and Four (Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, The Rocks, Bondi Beach, Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, Woolloomooloo, and the Sydney Fish Market)
- New Year’s Eve at Sydney Harbour
- Virgin Australia Economy Class Sydney to Brisbane to Cairns
- An Evening in Cairns and a Flight to Lizard Island, AU
- Spirit of Freedom Live-aboard Dive Trip (4-night Coral Sea and GBR)
- Qantas Economy and Business Class Cairns to Sydney to Melbourne
- Two Days in Melbourne and the Park Hyatt Melbourne
- United Global First Class Sydney to San Francisco
Introduction
It started in March of 2013 when I friend and I were speculatively looking for availability to Australia in first class on United’s website. Then, lo and behold, we found copious amounts of Global First Class award space on Christmas Day to Sydney. Though there were no seats on the return flights, those were just unnecessary details…. I just wanted to get to Australia. And I wanted to be in Sydney over New Years.
Mission accomplished.
After a series of changes, substitutions, and intense planning, this trip of a lifetime was finally fully booked by the end of October. My trip for one had morphed into a trip for two, but I couldn’t have been any more happy to spend my miles on this travel companion — I mean, when would I have another chance to take my dad to Australia?
That’s right — I was taking my dad to Australia for a trip of a lifetime — a trip that I never thought he’d agree to take. It’s funny how first class tickets change one’s opinion of taking a fifteen hour flight.
During the next few weeks, this series of posts will detail the fifteen memorable days that we spent together down under, including:
- United Global First Class from Los Angeles to Sydney
- Five days in Sydney
- New Years’ Eve on Sydney Harbor
- Virgin Australia Sydney to Brisbane to Cairns
- A day in Cairns
- Four days diving the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea on the Spirit of Freedom live-aboard dive boat
- Qantas Business Class Cairns to Sydney to Melbourne
- Three days in Melbourne
- The Park Hyatt, Melbourne
- United Global First Class from Sydney to San Francisco
Enjoy this sneak peak…
