Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[FlyingScotSailors]

We flew Air New Zealand nonstop AKL-JFK on November 25.  Scheduled for just under 16 hours but was actually 14.5 hours with a nice tailwind.  We were fine in steerage, and paid about $800pp.

 

Under 24 hours door to door: drive by friends to AKL, flight, global entry, air tram, LIRR, Amtrak, Uber.

[DavyWavey70]

Well I got a great sleep a few hours in, hung around the bar a bit then snuck in another hour or so. Nearly time for breakfast now, landing in a couple of hours, 5/6 hours hanging around Melbourne then onto Ayers Rock. Emirates business on the A380-800 cannot be faulted. Breakfast just arrived but awaiting my Champagne. 

Edited January 3 by DavyWavey70
Grrr

[Lirio]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Qantas.  Seems odd that Qantas flies JFK-AKL non-stop and AirNewZealand doesn't!

Air New Zealand has a direct flight. I didnt know about Qantas. I will check for next trips to AKL.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, Lirio said:

Air New Zealand has a direct flight. I didnt know about Qantas. I will check for next trips to AKL.

Forgot about that one.  But we're coming home from SYD, so I couldn't put together a good route with them.  Even Qantas is odd:  our flight goes JFK-AKL-SYD, and coming home would have reversed that exact route.  We preferred to go non-stop SYD-LAX and then switch to American for the last leg.  It was also considerably cheaper than taking AirNewZealand.

[Lois R]

7 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Well I got a great sleep a few hours in, hung around the bar a bit then snuck in another hour or so. Nearly time for breakfast now, landing in a couple of hours, 5/6 hours hanging around Melbourne then onto Ayers Rock. Emirates business on the A380-800 cannot be faulted. Breakfast just arrived but awaiting my Champagne. 

Hi Davey, these photos of the food/plane look so awesome........I have never flown Emirates and chances are I never will.....really looks awesome.

[drron29]

Flying from Australia you get used to long flights. Apart from New Zealand and some Pacific islands our shortest international flight is 8 hours to Singapore from Brisbane.

14 hours to LA. About the same for Singapore to London or Tokyo to New York.

You can fly directly to London from Perth in 18 hours.

Hence why we travel a lot to Asia.

For the last 17 years that we flew to the USA we flew via Tokyo. JAL was far better than Qantas and half the price in business class. Plus we enjoyed our stop overs in Japan.

[DavyWavey70]

Arrived at Sails in the Desert mid afternoon after a long couple of days capped off with a sprint from the far end of Melbourne T4 to the far end of T1 and back to identify my luggage. Jetstar! Long story.  Lovely resort. Managed to arrange a sunset helicopter ride of Kata Tjuta and Uluru. Utterly breathtaking but still hated making turns in the bloody thing. I Overheard the best 2 questions in the Restaurant ever earlier, I Won’t name the nationality of the culprit but in what must surely be one of the furthest places on earth from the Ocean he wanted to know if the swordfish was fresh or frozen. After learning it was frozen he decided against it and then asked the waitress what was the main difference between the beef burger and the barramundi burger. I Silently choked.  Pics only for now (of the tour, not of me choking) Vids will follow when I’m somewhere less dusty. 

Edited January 4 by DavyWavey70

[lincslady]

Loving living this with you, Davey - not quite as good as being there, of course, but cheaper!  You and Mysty are between you giving us stay at homes a few thrills to help us through the British winter.

 

Lola

[DavyWavey70]

20 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Loving living this with you, Davey - not quite as good as being there, of course, but cheaper!  You and Mysty are between you giving us stay at homes a few thrills to help us through the British winter.

 

Lola

Thanks Lola.It’s unbearably hot though, I’m scurrying around the edges of everything to stay in the shade. I’ve a strawberry blonde brother so have to be careful of these things. 

[DavyWavey70]

10 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Davey, these photos of the food/plane look so awesome........I have never flown Emirates and chances are I never will.....really looks awesome.

Hopefully you will one day Lois. I Only got the upgrade offer the day before and I’m so glad I did it. Xxx

[drron29]

[lincslady]

Davey you reminded me of December 1999 when we flew into Darwin to board a small cruise ship - the heat was almost unbearable, and sadly though we were looking forward to cool air and cold drinks, the ship's aircon had failed on the way down from Singapore and they had just managed to get it working again.  We had a pretty small cabin, and when I tried to put a bit of makeup on it just slid off my face.

 

A  lovely trip though, in the Pacific, and with the new century greeted with Roederer Crystal.

 

Looking forward to more about  of what sounds like a fabulous hotel and setting.

Lola

[Reef Knot]

6 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Arrived at Sails in the Desert mid afternoon after a long couple of days capped off with a sprint from the far end of Melbourne T4 to the far end of T1 and back to identify my luggage. Jetstar! Long story.  Lovely resort. Managed to arrange a sunset helicopter ride of Kata Tjuta and Uluru. Utterly breathtaking but still hated making turns in the bloody thing. I Overheard the best 2 questions in the Restaurant ever earlier, I Won’t name the nationality of the culprit but in what must surely be one of the furthest places on earth from the Ocean he wanted to know if the swordfish was fresh or frozen. After learning it was frozen he decided against it and then asked the waitress what was the main difference between the beef burger and the barramundi burger. I Silently choked.  Pics only for now (of the tour, not of me choking) Vids will follow when I’m somewhere less dusty. 

Can you still climb Uluru?

I think I remember reading some years ago that they closed it  to tourists trecking up and down.

[DavyWavey70]

1 hour ago, Reef Knot said:

Can you still climb Uluru?

I think I remember reading some years ago that they closed it  to tourists trecking up and down.

You can only walk around, not on or up. Only a first class village idiot would want too though in these temps. The resort is apparently quieter than normal because we are at the very peak of the summer. Will get some more pics today. VThey had really heavy thunderstorms here Weds night and I hadn’t realised. Almost all evening excursions had been cancelled. I’m not doing too bad adjusting time wise. Fell asleep around 11 and had about 5 hours very broken sleep. Wide awake at 4.30 so I’m going to have a walk to the viewpoint for sunrise. Will try a siesta later and see if that levels me off a bit.

[Dolcevita Diva]

Edited January 4 by Dolcevita Diva

[DavyWavey70]

I’ve managed to upload a couple of pics and videos, not edited or to music though. That will all come later

 

Sunrise over Uluru this morning.

 

5 January 2024

 

Sunset helicopter flight over Kata Tjuṯa 4th January 2024

 

Sunset behind Kata Tjuta from the helicopter

 

Edited January 4 by DavyWavey70
Grrr

[QueSeraSera]

Loved them all Davey but the sunrise over Uluru beckons...

[drron29]

[Grand Duchess]

Mine gave up on me...

 

[drron29]

[DavyWavey70]

11 Hours in Perth. Arrived late evening after flight no 5 in as many days. Uber to the Hotel and went for a little wander. There seem to be 2 main groups of people about in the city on a Saturday night, those wandering around aimlessly looking for a non existent bar and those passed out on the street in a puddle of their own making. The City’s culinary scene was a little elusive. It might be a good place to write a book entitled 100 ways to cook a burger. There isn’t really anything else on offer. The Hotel Restaurants had chairs on tables 15 minutes before closing so Hungry Jacks it was.  Lovely view from my room of His Majesty’s Theatre. I’m slowly adjusting to the time difference. I Forced myself to stay awake past midnight by very appropriately watching Misery on one of the few hotel TV channels so slept till 4. Out for a potter around the city at 5. Breakfast doesn’t start at the hotel until 9 so the only option was a muffin in a place with a Scottish name. It was filthy. Even the bag was out of date.  At least the Maccies in Delhi gets mopped occasionally. Onwards and upwards! Joining the Indian Pacific in a bit for the the next 2,700 miles of my journey. Can’t wait!

Disclaimer to the citizens of Perth. I’m no lover of City’s in general and had I had longer here I’m sure I’d have found something positive to say.

[Port Power]

17 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

11 Hours in Perth. Arrived late evening after flight no 5 in as many days. Uber to the Hotel and went for a little wander. There seem to be 2 main groups of people about in the city on a Saturday night, those wandering around aimlessly looking for a non existent bar and those passed out on the street in a puddle of their own making. The City’s culinary scene was a little elusive. It might be a good place to write a book entitled 100 ways to cook a burger. There isn’t really anything else on offer. The Hotel Restaurants had chairs on tables 15 minutes before closing so Hungry Jacks it was.  Lovely view from my room of His Majesty’s Theatre. I’m slowly adjusting to the time difference. I Forced myself to stay awake past midnight by very appropriately watching Misery on one of the few hotel TV channels so slept till 4. Out for a potter around the city at 5. Breakfast doesn’t start at the hotel until 9 so the only option was a muffin in a place with a Scottish name. It was filthy. Even the bag was out of date.  At least the Maccies in Delhi gets mopped occasionally. Onwards and upwards! Joining the Indian Pacific in a bit for the the next 2,700 miles of my journey. Can’t wait!

Disclaimer to the citizens of Perth. I’m no lover of City’s in general and had I had longer here I’m sure I’d have found something positive to say.

 

 

 

Perth CBD has a very long history of being dead at night.  And I mean at least forty years!  But yes, there are very good places to go when you know where to find them.  For an overnight stay, there are better places around the edges of the city or across the river.  However, as you say, it is only one night between transportation methods.
 

I do hope you enjoy the train experience.

[jpalbny]

We will be in Perth for two full days this June, after the Kimberley cruise. We'll start planning for that later, after we finalize our Azores itinerary. 

[lincslady]

My recollection of Perth is that of a cruise stop, in Fremantle, which we really enjoyed.  A train ride into Perth - terribly hot and yes a big modern city without the charms of Sydney, but then  a lovely trip by boat down the Swan back to Freo, after having lovely crisp fish and chips by the river.  Fremantle is a lovely little town, and with a two day stop we were left with a good feeling.  I  don't enjoy big modern cities either Davey.  Next time, be on a Silversea ship, as we were!

 

The  train ride should be a real experience, looking forward to getting your take on that. 

[DavyWavey70]

55 minutes ago, lincslady said:

My recollection of Perth is that of a cruise stop, in Fremantle, which we really enjoyed.  A train ride into Perth - terribly hot and yes a big modern city without the charms of Sydney, but then  a lovely trip by boat down the Swan back to Freo, after having lovely crisp fish and chips by the river.  Fremantle is a lovely little town, and with a two day stop we were left with a good feeling.  I  don't enjoy big modern cities either Davey.  Next time, be on a Silversea ship, as we were!

 

The  train ride should be a real experience, looking forward to getting your take on that. 

Well I must say considering I’m usually in Chapel on a Sunday morning🤞I’m having the best time. Cocktails from 9.30, great company, new friends, fabulous lunch, I’ve no idea what a jewfish is but they taste delicious. Just taken a nightcap back to my cabin? Room? What do you call it on a train? It’s just like the Orient express but nobodies been murdered yet. Siesta time before dinner and a late evening visit to Kalgoorlie to learn about the gold rush. Utterly fabulous day and it’s only 1.30!