Non-rev to Sydney
04-07-2013, 06:48 PM
#12
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Joined APC: Apr 2010
Position: 777 CAP
Posts: 768
Originally Posted by UnderOveur
Night out with the wife in Sydney?
Take a water taxi across the harbor to Catalina restaurant on Rose Bay. Make a reservation for a table over-looking the harbor, and enjoy some of their fabulous seafood. Pricey, but worth every penny on a vacation like your's. Dress is casual elegant. You'll want slacks, no jeans. Bring something warm for the wife to wear...it's fall down there right now. Your wife will think you are James Bond for setting it up.
No thanks necessary. You can silently toast me as you enjoy your successful evening out.
PS - There are some who know about this place and think it is over-priced and not worth it, but I wholeheartedly disagree with them and have loved every time I've been there. In fact, I once had the honor and pleasure of buying the Captain of a visiting US Destroyer a drink there on one occasion. He returned the generosity by hosting my wife and I aboard his ship two days later, giving us the Admiral's tour. Good times!
PPS - For the kids, take them to Bondi beach via the ferry, so they too can get a trip across the harbor and go to a very fun place. Good shopping and people watching too. A good day trip if you are staying anywhere near downtown.
Hope this proves useful to you. Cheers!
Take a water taxi across the harbor to Catalina restaurant on Rose Bay. Make a reservation for a table over-looking the harbor, and enjoy some of their fabulous seafood. Pricey, but worth every penny on a vacation like your's. Dress is casual elegant. You'll want slacks, no jeans. Bring something warm for the wife to wear...it's fall down there right now. Your wife will think you are James Bond for setting it up.
No thanks necessary. You can silently toast me as you enjoy your successful evening out.
PS - There are some who know about this place and think it is over-priced and not worth it, but I wholeheartedly disagree with them and have loved every time I've been there. In fact, I once had the honor and pleasure of buying the Captain of a visiting US Destroyer a drink there on one occasion. He returned the generosity by hosting my wife and I aboard his ship two days later, giving us the Admiral's tour. Good times!
PPS - For the kids, take them to Bondi beach via the ferry, so they too can get a trip across the harbor and go to a very fun place. Good shopping and people watching too. A good day trip if you are staying anywhere near downtown.
Hope this proves useful to you. Cheers!
(Definitely do this.)
Bondi is via the bus, cheaper but not as scenic a ride.
04-07-2013, 07:42 PM
#13
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Joined APC: Dec 2012
Position: Holding over Macho Grande
Posts: 602
Originally Posted by Monkeyfly
Its Manly Beach via the ferry from circular quay next to the Opera House.
(Definitely do this.)
Bondi is via the bus, cheaper but not as scenic a ride.
(Definitely do this.)
Bondi is via the bus, cheaper but not as scenic a ride.
Yes, that's it! I always get those two mixed up, which is stupid given their respective locations. Thanks for setting that right!
04-07-2013, 08:23 PM
#14
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Joined APC: Mar 2013
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by gtechpilot
Worse than that, we're leaving from ATL. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to get a full week off with three in high school so we're making the best with what we have! Thanks for the recommendations!
Now is the perfect time of year for Venice before it gets packed during the summer with tourists. Or there are a ton of other cities in Europe worth visiting.
04-07-2013, 08:49 PM
#15
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Joined APC: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,458
Originally Posted by Dragnet
Pardon me for suggesting you alter plans, but have you thought about Europe?
04-08-2013, 01:58 AM
#16
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Joined APC: Aug 2008
Posts: 326
Originally Posted by Dragnet
Pardon me for suggesting you alter plans, but have you thought about Europe? The family will probably be worn out for a couple of days after all of the flying necessary to get to Sydney. I'd save a trip like that for when I could spend a couple of weeks down there ... like summer break.
Now is the perfect time of year for Venice before it gets packed during the summer with tourists. Or there are a ton of other cities in Europe worth visiting.
Now is the perfect time of year for Venice before it gets packed during the summer with tourists. Or there are a ton of other cities in Europe worth visiting.
Between the difference in pricing and the wide open flight loads, BCN or Venice are looking a bit enticing though!
04-08-2013, 03:19 AM
#17
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Joined APC: Jun 2005
Position: Under the Frog
Posts: 1,125
It's going to take you three days just to get over the jet lag from the flight to the opposite side of the world.
Have you considered Argentina? Minimal jet lag, Buenos Aires is beautiful, almost like Paris, and best if all, stupid cheap.
As a bonus, you can catch a ferry across the river Plata and go spend a day in Uruguay, either Colonia or even Montevideo. Two passport stamps for the price of one!
Santiago comes to mind as well. Lovely city, bit more expensive but still pretty cheap.
Or how about Central America? Costa Rica, Belize, Panama...
Bottom line, you have a very limited amount of free time; recuperating from the flight alone will eat up most of it.
If you had two weeks on the other hand...
Have you considered Argentina? Minimal jet lag, Buenos Aires is beautiful, almost like Paris, and best if all, stupid cheap.
As a bonus, you can catch a ferry across the river Plata and go spend a day in Uruguay, either Colonia or even Montevideo. Two passport stamps for the price of one!
Santiago comes to mind as well. Lovely city, bit more expensive but still pretty cheap.
Or how about Central America? Costa Rica, Belize, Panama...
Bottom line, you have a very limited amount of free time; recuperating from the flight alone will eat up most of it.
If you had two weeks on the other hand...
04-08-2013, 04:10 AM
#18
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: Narrow/Left Wide/Right
Posts: 3,655
There's a museum at the start of the base of the harbor bridge that gets you a great view for a few $ instead of what they want to climb the bridge which is steep ( pun intended).
Also must walk through arboretum near opera house as there are millions of bats ( the size of dogs with wings) hanging around the trees during the day and then at dusk they start flying away.
Manly beach ferry is a great day trip as you get harbor tour via ferry and beach area can feel like Santa Monica on nice days. At end of manly beach is a man made ocean public swimming pool that is pretty neat to go to. Good walk along beach to get there.
Also although a bit of money but worth it is the jet boat rides from circular quay. The price for a ride is negotiable. In fact if its slow I've gotten two for one a few times especially if you tell them you are a repeat customer or a delta employee or us military. They basically look for excuse to cut price. If very busy though with lots of tourists then may not work as well. Great time especially with kids.
I have three kids and we've gone to Sydney three times in last 6 yrs but we live in hawaii so commute is much shorter for us ie 9 hrs.
Aloha luv
Also must walk through arboretum near opera house as there are millions of bats ( the size of dogs with wings) hanging around the trees during the day and then at dusk they start flying away.
Manly beach ferry is a great day trip as you get harbor tour via ferry and beach area can feel like Santa Monica on nice days. At end of manly beach is a man made ocean public swimming pool that is pretty neat to go to. Good walk along beach to get there.
Also although a bit of money but worth it is the jet boat rides from circular quay. The price for a ride is negotiable. In fact if its slow I've gotten two for one a few times especially if you tell them you are a repeat customer or a delta employee or us military. They basically look for excuse to cut price. If very busy though with lots of tourists then may not work as well. Great time especially with kids.
I have three kids and we've gone to Sydney three times in last 6 yrs but we live in hawaii so commute is much shorter for us ie 9 hrs.
Aloha luv
04-08-2013, 04:19 AM
#19
Runs with scissors
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: Going to hell in a bucket, but enjoying the ride .
Posts: 7,722
Originally Posted by gtechpilot
We've waffled a bit on this - difficulty is I haven't had anything resembling a few weeks off during the summer in years. Also, with three teenagers, each with their own camp and shortened summer breaks, it gets even more difficult!!
Between the difference in pricing and the wide open flight loads, BCN or Venice are looking a bit enticing though!
Between the difference in pricing and the wide open flight loads, BCN or Venice are looking a bit enticing though!
Remember, just because the pax loads to/from SYD look good, you still may not get on, depends on how much cargo is going. Cargo goes before non-revs.
There's always Sarasota, or for your kids, Cocoa Beach, rent some surfboards and let them go nuts. Or take them on a snorkel trip, or rent kayaks, or both, at Pennekamp park in Key Largo and drive on down to Key West.
http://www.pennekamppark.com/
Not as "Exotic" as Sydney, or S/A or Europe, but you won't waste 2 out of 3 days standing in line and sitting in coach either.
Oh, and everyone speaks English in Florida...well...almost everyone.
The last thing I want to do on my days off is...go to the airport and try to non-rev. I have 4 kids, a huge pita to non-rev with, so we finally moved to Florida so we wouldn't have to do that any more.
Last edited by Timbo; 04-08-2013 at 04:45 AM.
04-08-2013, 04:29 AM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 259
Must catch an Australia Rules 'Footy' game, or at least a rugby match. I've spent a lot of time in Oz and experienced a lot it has to offer, this is way up near the top. Manly/Bondi are both cool areas, second the ferry to Manly. Avoid Kings Cross - seedy/red light district. Unless the wife is into strip clubs and variety shows, I'd stick to Darling for a night out.
I second the S. America/Europe vacation. Oz is a hall, I've spent extended periods of time there and still felt pressed for time. Personally, I wouldn't even fathom three days. Although, business class can be a fun experience for the whole family.
I second the S. America/Europe vacation. Oz is a hall, I've spent extended periods of time there and still felt pressed for time. Personally, I wouldn't even fathom three days. Although, business class can be a fun experience for the whole family.
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