Anne decided no to come this time. She is teaching at Brookdale, and would have to renege on some of her commitments. Joe Jr and family want to visit in the summer, and we will most likely tag along, that means she will have to make two trips to Australia this year. At least one too many.
Therefore I will be by myself this trip. I decide to stay in Brisbane and Sydney for a few days each, the trip still ends up being 11-day 10-nights; 4 nights each in Brisbane and Sydney, and two nights flying from Newark to Brisbane (one "loses" a day crossing the international date line).
1/27 Friday. Anne dropped me off at the airport at around 4:30 pm. It took six minutes to get from the curb to getting through security, utilizing CLEAR and TSA pre-check lanes.
UA1209 to San Francisco was to depart from Gate 123, right next to the new United Club. The facility is quite large, and offers what I would call "real food" in addition to the usual sandwiches and cookies. It was still quite crowded. As I was eating the food I picked up, someone called my name. It was a former colleague who I had last seen about 20 years ago. He was on his way to Europe. We chatted for about 30 minutes before I had to catch my flight. The 777-300ER was quite empty, my row (middle) had only me in it, but someone sat down. Since I had no intention of lying down, that wasn't a problem at all. Overall it was a pleasant experience. T-mobile offers 4 free wifi sessions on select airlines each year, I decided to pay the $8 (which in the past was discounted even more when the MP credit card was used). Poor bandwidth, and being a late Friday flight wasn't absolutely necessary. But it gave me some semblance of being connected to the world.
Arrival at SFO was around 9:15 pm, a few minutes ahead of schedule. With Priority Pass I get $28 credit at select restaurants at SFO. In this I ate a light meal at Yankee Pier. A bowl of clam chowder and an order of fish and chips exceeded the credit, though.
Newark United Lounge. It's quite busy.
Long stretch of sandwiches and sweets.
Simple meal consists of small slice of sandwich, chicken and pumpkin.
By the time I got to G13 (of SFO International Terminal G) pre-boarding had already completed. I still boarded early enough that I had plenty of room to stow my carryon. UA96 was going to be full, so I kept my backpack under the seat in front. The support of the seats were quite well-aligned, so I could push my backpack all the way in, sideways. Which gave me enough legroom.
Sitting for 14 hours in a fully packed coach seat could be brutal. It turned out to be bearable for several reasons: (1) the forementioned space under the seat meant I could stretch out without having to step on the bag; (2) the two women (mother and daughter) sitting in the window and middle seats could step over me to get to the aisle without causing too much disturbance; (3) I managed to catch some sleep, even though it may have been poor quality). I didn't watch any TV on either flight, though.
Just before landing.
1/29 Sunday. The plane landed on time, at around 7:30 am. This was first time arriving Brisbane internationally, so I wasn't sure what to expect. There were a limited number of kiosks with signs saying stop by one of them first. Each had a line of ten or more people. I decided to follow the instructions and had my passport first scanned, getting a "receipt" in return. That was the right decision as there were only two officers handling those who didn't do the kiosks, and I simply kept walking, had another photo taken to confirm my identity. I was bringing in a loaf of fiber bread and some Kirkland mixed nuts, so I was sent to the "biosecurity" line. The agent just asked to make sure, and I was cleared. All that, I was out by 8:05 am. So the process is quite efficient. Two suggestions: more kiosks, and clearer directions as people navigate the different options.
Alfred was waiting for me already. We first stopped by the Coffee Club in the Indooroopilly Shopping Center. I had an omelet, which was quite substantial in size. After changing in clothes more appropriate for hiking, Alfred led me on a hike along the Brisbane River, and then walked to Rachel's school. It was a warm day (highest I saw on my watch was 91F), and very sunny. We still managed about 2 1/2 miles. At around 2 pm Alfred dropped me off to check in at Jephson. They still have my credit card on file from our last visit, which is both convenient, and worrisome. I tried to get some sleep, but could not.
At a little after 5 pm I left to go to Yum Cha Restaurant back in Indooroopilly. Andrew Prince saw me (he was inside his blue Toyota), and we tried to talk. That nearly got me run over by a turning car as I didn't take into account drivers keep to the left in this part of the world. Taking a bus to the restaurant wasn't that difficult. Dinner for the five of us (me, Alfred & Rachel, Ling and Wally) wasn't that expensive - and we ordered a lot of food. Alfred dropped me back at the hotel after dinner.
Accommodation: Jephson Hotel, Toowong, QLD (1 night).
1/30 Monday. Andrew P and I met up for breakfast at 7:45 am before we headed off to the day's meeting at BST. There were a few new faces in the group, and everyone got along fine. The whole day meeting ended at 4 pm. I walked down to the dinner place with another member of the Board of Reference (Tan) who worked in China as a tentmaker for many years. Dinner was at Grilld, and the five of us had a good time of sharing.
This "Queenslander" at Grilld cost A$16.50.
Andrew took me back to the college, and Wally drove me back to Bellbowrie. Ling and I talked for a long time, we had not seen each other for a few months.
Accommodation: Bellbowrie house, QLD (3 nights).
1/31 Tuesday. Ling and I took the bus (about 50 minutes, no change required) to visit Queensland Museum. After not having visited the museum for several years, I found the displays interesting. We had pies for lunch at the Museum cafe. We took the bus back to Toowong, and Wally picked us up to return to Bellbowrie.
Ling cooked a "BBQ Pork" dish with an air fryer.
2/1 Wednesday. Took bus (again) to Indooroopilly to have lunch with Alfred. After finishing at Starbucks, we stopped at PigNWhistle and ordered a grilled steak and an order of fish and chips. Chatted for over two hours. Then it was bus back to Bellbowrie.
Steak and Fish & Chips at PigNWhistle at the Indooroopilly Shopping Center. Didn't realize that rump is a tough cut of beef. The fish was nice, but for A$30 one gets only one piece. We managed to finish most of the food.
As a thanks to Wally and Ling, we went out to Deer Duck Bistro in Auchenflower for dinner. They offer different tasting menus, and we went for the nine course one. Without alcohol the price wasn't exorbitant. One "fun" thing to do was to comment on the look and taste of each of the courses, and they were generally okay (considering the price), with the except of the braised short ribs, which looked like something you can get at an "everyday" restaurant. Ling and Wally had been there a couple of times before, and thought the standard had slipped a bit. (To help prove the point, Ling also showed me the photos she took the last time she was there.)
We opted for the "long course" of nine items. Without wine pairing the cost was a more manageable A$145 per person.
This is the seared scampi (second item). I didn't know scampi refers to a specific kind of shrimp in Australia. In general with these tasting menus, it takes less time to eat the food than it takes for the server to describe it.
This salmon sashimi was very good. (It probably replaced the "wild boar" on the menu.)
Four Cheese Pasta (Item 5).
The second dessert was a hazelnut ganache.
2/2 Thursday. Wally dropped me off at the BNE domestic airport at around 9:45 am. I had already checked in on line for my Jetstar flight, and getting a tag for the luggage and dropping my bag off was a straightforward process. I had breakfast at Merlo Cafe, courtesy of Priority Pass. JQ815 was full, but left and landed on time, a smooth flight except for a very bumpy section before landing. The ticket I paid for allowed one checked bag and a free snack - turned out to be a A$10 credit which was good for a can of soda and a small package of cheese and crackers.
A selfie before Wally took me to the airport.
Full breakfast at Merlo Cafe at BNE domestic airport.
Prepaid snack on Jetstar entitled me to A$10 worth of food. This is about it.
It was also quite straightforward to take the train to Chatswood (with one change at Wynyard), where I met up with Ruth and Stephen.
Since the end of last year they have been living in this "granny flat" behind their daughter's house, and I will be staying in the "studio" apartment for the next two days. Pretty good arrangement, actually.
Building codes in this area allow for the construction of a granny flat (on the left, 60 sq meters) and a studio (30 sq meters). With a total of three bedrooms and three baths, and an additional kitchen, the two units add a lot of living space to the house.
The self-contained studio at Susanna's place.
Dinner was at Dynasty in Chatswood. The Ngo family joined us.
Accommodation: Duke Street, Forestville, NSW (2 nights).
2/3 Friday. Before the day got too hot, I walked for about three miles in the area. Susanna warned me about the tick problems they have, so I took only regular roads and avoided an otherwise nice looking trail.
Lunch was with Susanna and Chris at the Echo Restaurant, located in the Roseville Bridge Marina. Roseville looks like a high-rent area, with some huge houses about. The Marina is not all large yachts, so that was good. To help with the steep hill, they provide a "home made funicular" for customers that need it.
At the Echo Restaurant.
Two pieces of fish are in this dish. One piece was shared, and was cut up before I thought of taking this photo.
There are many different kinds of birds in this area. This cockatoo flew onto a neighbor's roof.
Dinner was at this "roasted meat" restaurant 好上好 in Chatswood.
2/4 Saturday. Morning was spent packing, which didn't involve much. At about 11 am Ruth, Stephen, and I left for lunch at East Phoenix Restaurant in Zetland. This was followed by a visit to the memorial park where my parents are buried. Then I got dropped off at Adina Hotel Mascot at about 3 pm.
It was about 3:30 pm when I left the hotel. Train T8 took me to Circular Quay, where I strolled for a while, and then I caught train T9 to go to Jeans Chili Chicken in Eastwood, about 40 minutes away. Tonight Stephen's kids took him out to celebrate his 92nd birthday (actual birthday on the 8th). The Korean food scene here is quite different from what we have in NJ. I enjoyed it, perhaps a bit too much. That was followed by a cake at a dessert cafe.
Returning to Adina was straightforward. We stayed in the area last time, so I walked around a little. The area didn't feel as "prosperous" or as "busy" as it did last time. Perhaps being 9:30 pm was the reason.
New flowers (plastic) for the graves.
Inside of my room at Adina Hotel Mascot.
Always a lot of boat traffic at Circular Quay.
At Jeans Chili Chicken you are given kits to make rice balls. Basic ingredients are rice, seaweed, salmon, and a little oil.
Some of the dishes we ordered: rice cakes, a dish with different kinds of Korean fried chicken, ranging from mild to hot, steak (we had three pieces total), calamari, and salad.
Dessert and cake to celebrate Stephen's birthday. He looks happy.
Meanwhile, United sent me a message saying I got upgraded to Business Class for UA870, SYD-SFO (using Plus Points). Which is great.
Accommodations: Adina Hotel Mascot, 2 nights.
2/5 Sunday. I told Ying Y that I would be visiting his church in Milson's Point today. Normally one would take a train to town and then change to the T1 line which serves north Sydney. For this weekend the tracks across the Harbor were being renovated, so I had to change to a bus at Wynyard station. Simple enough, and I even got there early enough to take a short walk in the park (Bradfield Park).
A selfie in front of the Chinese Christian Church in Milson's Point.
Today they had a dedication service for Sunday School teachers and youth workers.
The 10:45 am service lasted until about 12:15 pm, and Ying and I had a chat over coffee afterwards.
Alfred got in touch with me yesterday, and we arranged to meet up for lunch around that area. It is a good thing that we did, as I would have to go by bus if we were to meet up at Hornsby - it seems the entire line was shut down for the day. Naomi and Toby were along. We talked for perhaps 3 hours before we said goodbye to one another. Both Alfred and Wilson are into cycling. Imagine doing that for 8 hours, burning over 7,000 calories, and gaining about 3000 meters in elevation.
When in doubt, I order fish and chips. This was my third one on this trip. I would end up doing another one for dinner. Perhaps it's time to track all the fish and chips I have eaten.
I had already started on the Fish & Chips before I remembered to this picture. Lunch with Alfred and family at the Morgan in Kirribilli.
I took the ferry from Milson's Point to Circular Quay, and then to Manly. I walked around quite a bit before catching the 7 pm ferry back to CQ. I remember it took about 30 minutes to travel between CQ and Manly, today's trips were 20 minutes long. A smaller boat was used, though.
Before I left Manly I got my fourth fish (only) from Manly Ocean Foods, a place we had bought from on prior occasions. When I got back to Mascot, I decided to buy a half chicken from Camy's. It wasn't as good as I remembered it.
Cabbage Tree Bay is right next to the ferry pier in Manly. The sand is not as fine as that on Manly Beach, but the water is a lot calmer. It attracts quite a few visitors.
Came across this koi pond on Ashburner Street.
Manly Beach is about 2 miles long. It was windy, and a lot cooler. More for the surfing crowd.
You can buy fish only at Manly Ocean Foods. Fish & Chips A$16, Fish only $12. I didn't take it out of the bag completely as there were quite a few seagulls lurking around. The fish was just okay.
View of the opera house as the ferry pulled up at around 7:20 pm. The concert hall has been renovated, and Sydney Symphony has a new director. Season opening is after I return to NJ, unfortunately.
I decided to walk to the opera house anyway.
Anyway, the trip is drawing to a close.
2/6 Monday. Checked out of the hotel at around 11 am, and it's two stops on T8 to get to SYD International. I had already checked in on line, but decided to walk over to the United counters (Area J) to see if I needed to do anything. Nothing, it turns out. So I walked back to the priority customs line next to area C. There were not that many people waiting in line in both the priority and regular line. The process was a breeze.
The Priority Pass situation was a bit confusing. Mach 2 is listed as a restaurant on their website, which also says it's closed temporarily. It was open, but no longer accepts Priority Pass. Peroni Bar is a restaurant airside, but the PP APP says it closes Mondays and Tuesdays. So I opted for "The House," a lounge that recently got on the PP program. All I can say is that it was a lousy lounge. First, people had trouble scanning in, so there was quite a line at the counter. Second, there was not much food - not even diet sodas - and the small plates they provide are a testament to that. After eating a small plate, I decided to head over to the good-old Singapore Airlines lounge.
I got upgraded to Business Class, but managed only about one hour of sleep. Watched a couple of movies, a comedy "Ticket to Paradise" (Julia Roberts and George Clooney) which was reasonably good, and "Dark Adam" (starring Dwayne Johnson) which was incoherent.
The House is new to Priority Pass (and I had never noticed it before this trip). Everyone seemed to have some problems with the check-in process. The digital card I had was accepted quite readily, though.
This plate is barely larger than a saucer for a coffee cup. Probably appropriate size for the limited food and drink selection The House offers.
Not too many people at this lounge, probably because it charges A$77 for a visit. I was there for perhaps 15 minutes.
A more respectable offering of food (chicken and fish) at the Krisflyer Lounge of Singapore Airlines.
Seat 9A is right behind the lavatory. Even with a full flight it wasn't bothersome. I didn't sleep much on this flight, a combination of my general lack of ability to do so, and that this is a "day flight."
The engine of a 777 is huge. The plane (N2140U) for UA870 is less than six years old. The 777 (N788UA) used for the SFO-EWR flight was close to 26 years old.
An SQ A380 parked nearby.
With iPhone's geotag, and help of Google Map's Satellite view, this is the Barnwell Park Golf Club located in the town of Five Dock, NSW.
Menu for UA870.
This is the Moroccan Style Lamb. The salad could use a few more leaves of spinach.
Coming into SFO one gets a clear view of the San Andreas fault (I think?).
Readings close to plane landing at SFO.
Getting through US Customs was a breeze with Mobile Passport at SFO, a refreshing experience compared to EWR. From plane to through took about six minutes. I have over two hours on my hands, so decided to stop by the Polaris Lounge. (It also helps that the flight to Newark departs from Terminal G.) For the full experience, I got an omelet at their sit-down restaurant. (Decided not to try their showers.)
I tried out the restaurant at United's SFO Polaris Lounge. Omelet made with one egg?
Lunch on UA2617 was quite decent.
(It's now 10:25 am, time to go to the gate as boarding starts at 10:30 am.) The plane was quite full, but the Premium Economy seat was okay. I saw Episode 2 of Luther Season 5, having seen E1 on the prior flight. Episodes 3 and 4 were not available, making this a rather frustrating experience.
Anne picked me up at the airport. I am glad to be home.
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