What We Saw In Christchurch

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

We really didn't have a plan for Christchurch except that D knew she wanted to do some hiking and we had a vague idea of things that were close to us.  It was raining the day we arrived and while we got settled into our hotel room.  Fortunately it dried up that evening and we walked down the street to Sun Dog Diner for dinner.  Our American waiter gave us lots of suggestions and even recommended a hike, which was something D really wanted to do.  We kept his list of recommendations and ended up seeing a number of items on it.  We were fortunate that we had absolutely fantastic weather for the rest of our stay.

Hiking from Godley Head to Taylors Mistake

Christchurch is about two-thirds of the way up the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island.  Godley Park is a bit of a peninsula that marks the entrance into Lyttleton Harbour.  This hike takes you along the coastline and has beautiful views.  We took an Uber to reach the trailhead.  While the trail can be hiked in either direction, I'm glad we started here as there seemed to be a bit more downhill terrain than uphill.

New Zealand's South Island
(from Google Maps)

Greater Christchurch Area - park is the little green area at bottom right
(from Google Maps)

Godley Head to Taylors Mistake Hike
(from Google Maps)

The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

When we do these trips we usually try to find points-friendly lodging to help us save money.  However, trying to find any room with three beds is always a challenge.  As I searched Christchurch for a place to stay, all the places where we could use points for a suite and a rollaway bed only offered a king bed instead of two twins or queens.  Using Trip Advisor as a starting point I narrowed down a list of places that would seem to suit us.  D (the birthday girl) ended up selecting The Pavilions.  It's not super-fancy but is a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence winner.  We reserved a two-bedroom unit which was basically a small apartment and included a kitchen and living room.

Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch, NZ
(photo credit: pavilionshotel.co.nz)

Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

During our trip planning we'd initially planned to start our time in New Zealand in Auckland so we booked that city as the destination for our flights from the US.  As our plans changed over time and we decided to start in Christchurch we decided to spend a night in Auckland rather than jumping right on a domestic flight as we had no idea whether or not our flights would all be on time (they were) or if our luggage would make it with us (it did).  That meant we needed to find an airport-area hotel to spend one night.

I looked high and low to try to find a single room with three beds and had no luck at all.  My IHG credit card comes with a free night for hotels up to 40K points per night.  We booked one room using that certificate and a second using points.  When my card renewed in July and I got another certificate, we canceled the points reservation and used that second certificate for rooms at the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport.

Holiday Inn Auckland Airport Main Entrance

Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

In some ways this is almost like a domestic flight since it was blocked at 3h 7m - about the same as the Memphis - Los Angeles non-stop - but this was a flight between countries and the aircraft was an internationally configured A330 so I'll give a brief review.

Qantas 145 SYD-AKL
Airbus A330-300
Seat: 4E (Business Class, Aisle, Center Section)
Scheduled Departure: 1135 (Actual: 1150)
Scheduled Arrival: 1640 (Actual: 1647)
Flight time: 3h 7m (Actual: 2h 57m)

We boarded through door 2L and C and I turned left into the business cabin while D turned right back to economy.  C and I had seats across the aisle from each other.  We were offered our choice of pre-departure beverages and had our choice of champagne and still or sparkling water.  Compared to the older aircraft we'd flown to Sydney, this plane felt much more modern, as it should, since it was newer.

Qantas A330 Business Class Cabin

Qantas International Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

C and I arrived in Sydney and were among only a very few folks who were not entering Australia.  That meant the transit security line was nice and short and we were through in no time flat.  The transit security station is down in the bowels of the airport so from there we took an escalator up to the main floor of the international terminal where there are all kinds of shops and restaurants.

From there we took another escalator up one more level and walked past the Qantas First Class Lounge into their Business Class Lounge.  We weren't the very first folks there that morning but we were among the first.  The lounge is very large, spreading out in both directions from the entry with large windows all along the back wall.  It was nice to see the sun after being enclosed on the plane all night and I loved having all the open space after being cooped up with people for so long!

In such a large space there were a number of different seating types: some in groups of comfortable chairs, some arranged around a table, some looking out the window, etc.  I was surprised not all seats had power outlets but hopefully next time there's an update to the lounge that will get corrected.

Qantas International Business Class Lounge, Sydney

Qantas International Business Class Lounge, Sydney

It was now after 7 AM and the breakfast spread was all set up.  Having just eaten on the plane I wasn't particularly hungry but I did have a look to see what was available. C and I each had at least one cup of tea and a little something to nibble on.

Qantas International Business Class Lounge Buffet

Qantas International Business Class Lounge Buffet

Qantas International Business Class Lounge Buffet

Qantas International Business Class Lounge Buffet

Qantas International Business Class Lounge Buffet

Qantas International Business Class Lounge
Hot Buffet Choices

Before eating I was thrilled to be able to take a shower in one of the private bathrooms.  It felt so good after such a long time traveling.  After eating I used some of the provided toiletries to brush my teeth which also felt great.

As you'd expect, the lounge began to fill up as the morning progressed and by 8:30 AM we left to go down to the concourse where we'd meet D, whose plane had just landed.

Final Thoughts

The lounge is rather large though I would imagine it could get quite busy at certain times of day.  I loved all the natural light and appreciated the number of different seating configurations.  I didn't really sample the food and the spread wasn't humongous but it was a step above adequate.  I really loved being able to shower and brush my teeth after traveling halfway around the world, which was the best part of all.

Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

I was looking forward to this flight not just because of the destination but because it may very well be the last time I get to fly the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747.  As I mentioned in the intro post I paid 80K American Airlines miles + $28.20 in taxes but this included four flight segments: Memphis to Phoenix to San Francisco to Sydney to Auckland.  That's over 10,600 flight miles for one low price.  If you value those AA miles at 1.4 cents each that equates to almost $1150.  Considering AA wants over $4800 for a similar ticket for next October I'd say that's a bargain!

While my initial ticket had me arriving in San Francisco about 3 hours before the Qantas flight departed, that made me a little nervous cutting it so close as I knew there are often delays at SFO.  I kept hoping AA would open up award flights in domestic first class through either Dallas/Fort Worth or Chicago so that I wouldn't have to fly a regional jet to Phoenix, but they never did, so I ended up choosing to leave Memphis at 7:30 AM knowing I'd have a super-long layover.  Fortunately, as long as your award flight has the same origin and destination cities, American will allow you to change dates or routing at no charge.  When my flight from Phoenix to San Francisco was delayed due to fog at SFO, I was glad I'd made the switch.

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 9:25 PM and both C and I had arrived before 1:30 PM so we had a lot of time to kill.  We'd discussed going to a nearby mall for a movie but there wasn't anything playing that we wanted to see.  In the end we just explored the airport awhile before making our way to the international terminal.  We were disappointed that there was no way to get over there in the secured area, which meant we had to go through the security checkpoint again when we got there.  The good news was that our checked bags transferred automatically so we didn't have to wait for the Qantas counter to open.  That meant the security line was much shorter than it would have been once folks originating in SFO got to the airport.

Qantas B747-400
(photo courtesy qantas.com)

A Trip Down Under 2019

A Trip Down Under 2019
Qantas 747 Business Class San Francisco - Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge, Sydney Airport
Qantas A330 Business Class Sydney - Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport - Review
The Pavilions Hotel, Christchurch - Review
What We Saw In Christchurch
Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa - Review
What We Saw In Queenstown including Doubtful Sound Tour
Avani Metropolis Hotel, Auckland - Review
What We Saw In Auckland
Oceans Mooloolaba - Review
What We Saw On The Sunshine Coast
Brisbane Marriott - Review
Qantas 787 Business Class Brisbane - Los Angeles

My big trip for 2019 was two weeks Down Under and once again pals D and C were with me.  D had a milestone birthday in 2019 so she selected the destination. We spent most of our time in New Zealand but ended up on the Sunshine Coast of Australia for a little beach time at the end.
Getting to Australia and New Zealand in premium cabins are some of the most difficult flights to find, so we made sure we were flexible with our dates.  In mid-January I found three business class award tickets from Brisbane to Los Angeles on Qantas.  Brisbane is the closest airport with flights to the US from our beach destination so that was perfect.  We snagged those seats before we even had tickets to get us there!  These flights were on Wednesday, October 30th.  Cost: 80K American Airlines miles and $81.83 per ticket.

About two weeks later, I saw two business class award seats open up from San Francisco to Sydney.  C (who lives in Chicago) and I grabbed those.  D (who's in Los Angeles) would book her economy flight on AA through the Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) shopping portal, allowing her to use her UR points for 1.25 cents apiece.  We could all meet up in Sydney and catch the same flight over to Auckland together.  Cost: 80K AA miles and $28.20 per ticket for the business class seats.

Our longhaul flights: Green = outbound flights, Blue = return flights

At this point we didn't really have a plan as to what we were doing in New Zealand and we actually went quite a few months without locking in hotels.  But as spring turned to summer we knew we needed to start working on that.  We knew we wanted to visit Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown and figured we'd work our way down the country, visiting the cities in that order.  However, when we started looking at flights from NZ to the Sunshine Coast of Australia it seemed that from Christchurch and Queenstown there was typically only one non-stop per day so that if something went wrong and that flight got cancelled, we'd get into the Sunshine Coast much later than originally planned.  In the end we decided to start our trip for real in Christchurch, go down to Queenstown and then back up to Auckland and from there fly to Australia.  But by this point we'd already booked our flights into Auckland from the US and didn't want to pay to change our tickets.

Short haul flights: each color represents a separate ticket

While our intra-NZ flights were all pretty short, we decided to do this instead of renting a car for a couple of reasons.  First, none of us were keen to drive on the other side of the road, even though we'd done that before.  Second, the flights were cheap - all under $110 USD - and were faster than driving.  For example, in Queenstown we mentioned to a waiter that we'd just arrived from Christchurch and she asked if we'd driven the six hours.  Nope, the flight was only an hour.  New Zealand highways are often just two lanes and wind through the countryside so away from the cities you don't find the super-highways that exist in the US.  Many of the flights between cities are single-cabin planes on full-size jets like Airbus A320s so there are a lot of folks choosing flying over driving in the country.

Final Thoughts

This trip included over 23,000 miles of flying and 12 flight segments on five airlines which is more than either my 2015 trip to Australia and Fiji or my 2017 trip to China and Tokyo.  Perhaps the most amazing statistic? My checked bag didn't get lost and was never even late!