Australia – My First Time in Oz

In 2001, I decided to take my biggest vacation ever… to Australia! I had been traveling for work for a few years at this point and had saved up enough points to help pay for such a big trip.

My trip started with a first-class flight from Seattle to San Francisco. I used 120,000 points for a first-class trans-Pacific flight from San Francisco to Sydney (that was such a deal relative to how many points it takes today!). As a 27-year-old, this was super exciting! I’d never flown first class on such a flight. Since it was a 14-hour flight, I was admittedly dressed like a slob wearing a t-shirt and a loose pair of comfy pants. What I hadn’t thought about was how everyone else in first class would be dressed. I was one of the first to board and started to take my seat (1A in the nose of the 747). A gate agent followed me to my seat and asked, “Are you supposed to be here?” and then asked for my boarding pass. I very happily showed her my boarding pass showing seat 1A. I looked around and noticed all of my fellow first-class passengers were wearing high-end clothes (suits, fur coats, etc.) and realized how much I stood out. But it didn’t matter. I was going to Australia and flying first class to get there!

The flight was uneventful, and yes, very comfortable! I’d never had lobster before but had it on the flight. It was excellent! I arrived in Australia tired but excited. I stayed at the Marriott (using points) right next to Circular Quay.

Bridge Climb

I did various things while in Sydney, but the standout activity was the Bridge Climb Sydney. If you ever plan to visit Sydney, this is my #1 recommendation. This is a 3+ hour experience. This starts at a warehouse near the base of the Harbour Bridge. After I checked in, I was provided with a special suit for the climb. The suit’s purpose is so that all the climbers blend into the environment so the drivers on the bridge aren’t distracted. During the day, the suits are grey and blue and during the evening climbs, the suits are black. Once outfitted, I spent about 45 minutes learning how to do the bridge climb, such as using the carabiners at every step along the way and having everything attached to your body so that nothing drops onto the roadway.

The bridge climb begins with a walk along an under-deck walkway before the arches go up.

There’s a gap between the brick pillion and the start of the arch. There are ladders to climb up from underneath the walkway to up onto the arch in that gap. The craziest moment is when I was climbing up and it felt like I was climbing up through the roadway itself. Cars are driving by so close that I felt like they’d run over my head.

Once on the arches, it was a gentle climb to the top. There were many opportunities to stop and look around as each group waited for the previous group to move forward.

At the top, we stopped for people to have their photos taken. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera with me because I didn’t secure strap. However, I did get my picture taken at the top of the bridge.

Overall, it was about 2 hours climbing around on the bridge. It was fun and provided some amazing views of the city.​

Blue Mountains

Another day, I took a tour out to the Blue Mountains. It was in a 4×4 vehicle so we drove on some interesting roads. We stopped at some great areas such as Pulpit Rock where our guide played his didgeridoo.​ ​We visited the Three Sisters rock formation but it was cloudy. And I remember having tea at a tiny little restaurant out in the middle of nowhere. I was confused about whether it was put there just for the tours that come through or if they ever have any regulars.

Aquarium, Gardens, Opera House

During the rest of my time in Sydney, I did all the other usual touristy things – toured the Opera House, went to the aquarium, and wandered through the botanical gardens. I have told many people since this trip that Sydney is my favorite world city. And, 17 years later, I still believe that.

Whitsundays

After spending time in Sydney, I spent the next part of my vacation in the Whitsunday Islands, specifically South Long Island. This involved a flight from Sydney up to Hamilton Island, a super touristy spot and access point for the Great Barrier Reef. After arriving, I had a bit of time to wander around before my flight to the Whitsunday Wilderness Lodge.

This is where it gets cool. To get to the Whitsunday Wilderness Lodge, I got to take a helicopter ride (my first ever!) with two other people who were also staying at the lodge.

Upon arrival, I found out that the three of us were the only people there for the next few days. There were 10 individual cabins and only 2 were being used. It was an incredible experience.

During the day, we went out on the sailboat to different beaches and various snorkel spots. We even did a little whale watching.

Each evening, we hung out in the main cabana, had dinner, and hung out under the stars. The generator power was shut off each night at 10 pm so nights were tranquil.

One night, we were hanging out on a platform used for stargazing. As we were lying there, a group of wallabies came hopping over the platform, and one even jumped right over my head! Startling to say the least!

Even a resident kangaroo called Myrtle hung out near the lodge and waded in the water.

On the last night at the lodge, a group of people (maybe another 8 people?) arrived and it completely changed the lodge. Even just 11 guests felt too much after having the place to just 3 of us for days.

The next day, I took the helicopter back to Hamilton Island.

Back to Sydney

​​Little did I know at the time that I was lucky to catch a flight back to Sydney. For some reason, I was rebooked from Ansett Australia Airlines over to Qantas to get back. Later, I found out that Ansett Airlines shut down all operations just a couple of days later. Thank goodness I made it back to Sydney!​I spent the last night in Sydney. I used my points to stay at one of the most luxurious properties in the city – the Park Hyatt, which is just under the Harbour Bridge and looks out to the Opera House. It was one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed. That night, I had dinner in an area known as The Rocks and went to see The Barber of Seville in the Opera House. It was a perfect ending to my vacation.