Australia and New Zealand 2019

Once-in-a-lifetime

After nearly 2 years of research and planning, the time finally arrived and we were headed on our great adventure. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime trip because I don’t know if I could do the return flights again! West Coasters have it easy by comparison but I digress.

The majority of travelers met in Bakersfield and made our way down to Los Angeles. We were smart enough to get a day room before heading to the airport. This allowed us to relax, get some lunch and freshen up before our very long travel day continued.

The majority of us were not on the same flights and the second we got to LAX we disbursed. Becky and I were both flying Qantas so we stayed together and spent roughly four hours hanging out in the lounge!  I highly recommend airport lounges if you have long layovers or just a long travel day altogether. Becky is convinced that I am a brilliant traveler...If she only knew!

About an hour before our flights we separated and I met up with CeCe and Zian for our flight to Sydney.  We spent almost 16 hours flying to Sydney Australia in the upper deck of a Qantas Airbus and it was much better than being on the main deck. We had basic economy seats but paid extra for the legroom in the upper deck. It was well worth it because with my long legs, I need to stretch out.

Upon arrival in Sydney, some of us had lost luggage but fret not, we received our bags later that night. Our hotel was in Chinatown and we absolutely loved it! It wasn’t fancy but it had the best location. Three blocks from Central train station and one and a-half blocks from the light-rail. Not to mention the Sydney night market was a block away…directly behind the hotel.

The next few days was a whirlwind of trains, light-rail, buses & ferries. It was fabulous! Do yourself a favor and get an Opal Card, it’s the Sydney MetroCard and gives you access to all modes of transportation...minus taxis & Uber.

I definitely recommend the hop on-hop off in order to get an idea of layout and see the sights in one shot. The ferries are a great way to get around and you will need much more than two full days. I think a week at least and we didn’t have that, so I didn’t get to see everything I wanted but I’m still satisfied.

I won’t go into the details of everything we did; go to my Shutterfly and see everything.

The cruise was great but the only change I would make, I probably wouldn’t have done as many excursions. I did love everything I saw but I’m not sure if I would do it again. Then again, I wouldn’t have seen some of the things I did and what a waste that would’ve been.

The Fiordland National Park is absolutely stunning and I recommend it for everyone. New Zealand has got it going on.

The one thing nobody tells you about Auckland is that it’s very hilly. I would compare it to San Francisco. Be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing. The food is fantastic and the people were friendly. Our hotel was in a great location and made it very convenient. The day after we arrived everybody went and explored the area. On our final day, we went on the Piha Karekare Rainforest wine tour and wow. It was all day and definitely worth it.

The travel back home was very long. From the time I woke up, until the time I walked in my front door.... 37 hours. Did I mention I got sick in Auckland? Auckland to Sydney with a 3 hour layover. Sydney to Los Angeles with a 7 hour layover; 4 hrs were spent in a lounge. Los Angeles to Washington DC.

This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime trip, not just because of the long-haul flights but because of the cost. Australia and New Zealand are expensive but I find it comparable to Washington DC. That being said, I would not mind going back to Sydney and seeing more of Australia.