World Traveller 73 
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Activity: Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
Since our catamaran boat trip around the Whitsundays’ had been cancelled, we couldn’t come all this way without getting out to Whitehaven Beach. We were supposed to visit on our boat cruise but since that was no longer, we had to make other arrangements to get out there to see one of the best attractions this part of the world has to offer.
We booked with the main operator, tour Whitsundays through the Qualia hotel. Qualia was able to handle the booking without any issue and with no additional 2% credit card fee that seems to be prevalent in this part of the world. The end routing was Hamilton Island Harbour – Whitehaven Beach – Hill Inlet – Hamilton Island Harbour.
After a Qualia Breakfast, we self-drove ourselves by golf cart down towards the harbor in our supplied golf cart. We met at the Cruise Whitsundays dock down at the Hamilton Island Harbor for 7:50 AM.
We boarded up the boat. The tour operators split us up into separate groups for a briefing as there were some others that were participating in only the half day tour. We were given instructions for our pre-assigned tour time to Hill Inlet, which was included the price of only the full day tour.
We headed out on the 30 minute journey to Whitehaven Beach. It was a bit windy today and the seas where quite rough. There were several people getting sick on the journey and I was really happy to have enjoyed taking Gravol before setting off. Despite this, it was much shorter than our trip to Hardy’s pontoon.
Landing onto one of the world’s finest beaches:
On arrival to Whitehaven, we immediately entered into calmer protected waters. The staff set up a tent on the beach and we all disembarked via the front stairs. The beach was at high tide and as a result the boat had enough clearance in order to land.
Our assigned time was 10:45 AM for our tour to Hill Inlet. As a result, we set up on the beach for some sunning for about 60 minutes prior to us having to present ourselves to the tender to take us to the other side of the island. There were some aggressive birds on the shore after food. They certainly made their mark.
“The white silica sand at Whitehaven Beach is among the finest sand in the world”
Whitehaven Beach is an absolute stunner with miles of white silica sand that is among the finest sand in the world.
Happy to have made it, despite original travel plans gone awry.
It had been over 23 years since I had last been through there. The Australian Government has spruced up the place in that time with signage and other features of a modern eco-park.
Climbing up Hill Inlet:
At 10:45 AM, we took a small boat over about 15 minutes over to Hill Inlet. Hill Inlet is located at the opposite end of the beach. There isn’t any way to get there other than by boat, and it seems to be a common stop in the boat charter or tour package. We passed along the length of Whitehaven Beach which was mostly deserted aside from the occasional private helicopter charter.
We landed on the beach and had a look around. There were some trees that had been deposited on the beach as a result of Cyclone Debbie that had passed through the area about 2 years ago. The trees made for a picturesque photograph.
We started the hill climb of about 15 minutes in order to get up to the 3 viewing platforms. There were a few spiders and snakes spotted on the climb but nothing overt that would freak out MrsWT73 all too much.
“The view point from Hill Inlet showcases the unique blue and green colours of the waters of the reef as it mixes with the sand and is not to be missed”
Once we were up to the viewing platforms, we were treated to absolutely gorgeous shapes of blue, green and turquoise. The greens were apparently water from run off mixing with the salt water in the water.
It’s hard to beat a view like this. It’s hard to believe that it’s winter in Australia; perhaps with the exception of the light jacket that I was wearing.
After the viewing platforms, we got on to the boats back to Whitehaven Beach where they had set up a beach bbq for us for lunch.
We spent the rest of the day lazing in the fine sand in this pristine part of the world.
We had to line to tender back to the boat since the tides had gone out. It took about 20 minutes to get us all back on board, which was the only low point of the day. It was less than an hour to get back to Hamilton Island.
Our Last Sunset at One Tree Hill:
When we got back to Hamilton Island, we scampered up to One Tree Hill for our final sunset of our stay. Call us creatures of habit, but I’ll make time in the day anytime for sunsets like this.
All of which brought close to another spectacular day in this island paradise.
Transferring from Qualia Hamilton Island to Airlie Beach:
It came all too soon to depart Qualia for the last day. Our 4 day stay here was truly terrific and among one of my top stays worldwide in terms of hotel management and overall service experience. We really enjoyed the room and private facilities; just the thing that we both needed as busy executive types in our real-world life. Time away together just relaxing without interruptions is all you can ask for in a great relaxing holiday. We took in a few last moments in the hotel lobby while we waited for our van. In a nice touch, the hotel even offered coffees or teas with wait staff while we waited.
As we had surrendered the golf cart, we were transferred down to the Harbor in a Qualia van. The hotel came and collected the bags from our villa without any issue. We boarded a smaller Cruise Whitsundays boat destined for Airlie Beach via Hamilton Island Airport, DayDream Island and eventually Port of Airlie.
It was a scenic morning cruise back with not many people on the boat. We took the opportunity to sit on the upper deck and get in some sun in preparation for sitting in the tube later (airplane) today. The coast line was terrific and eventually the islands got to be more spaced out as we cruised out of the Whitsunday Islands group.
A quick stop at Daydream Island…
Before eventually arriving back to the mainland at Airlie Beach… A town which has grown up quite substantially in the last 23 years.
Our Hamilton Island stay was absolutely a spectacular experience. I couldn’t say enough nice things about Qualia; they were accommodating and our time there was very special. We would easily return in the spring or summer months.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Hamilton Island Air, Heli-Flight, Hardy’s Reef – Hamilton Island Airport, Whitsunday’s Island, Australia
“A ride in a helicopter over the Great Barrier Reef is a once in a lifetime experience that is not to be missed”
At 1:05 PM, we were collected for our heli-transfer back to Hamilton Island. Our group of about 20 people flying back were to be split across 4 helicopters. Aside from us, all other passengers in the group appeared to be from mainland China. None appeared to speak any form of English. We were given a safety briefing which none of the Chinese appeared to understand or pay attention to.
We were led out to a transfer boat to tender us to the two helicopter pontoons out on Hardy’s Reef. We ended up being on the second one. Thankfully, no Robinson helicopter today.
We had a life jacket assignment and had to wear them for our trip back. The seating configuration inside our Airbus (Eurocopter) H130 was 1(pilot) – 1 -1 in the front and 1-1-1-1 in the back. We were short one passenger, so for balance, it was a full load in the front and a load of 3 (out of 4 seats) in the back. I was able through assignment on the spot (not negotiated) to get the seat immediately behind the pilot. It was great as I had a window, but I wasn’t able to see any of the instruments or call sign of the aircraft from my position.
Amazing Great Barrier Reef Views on Lift Off:
After we were belted in, we had a pretty immediate lift off in convoy with the other 4 helicopters on the reef. The views on take off were absolutely amazing and I spent a lot of time taking photographs- probably more than actually watching since I wanted to remember it all for the future. The blues and turquoises were absolutely spectacular and like nothing on earth.
Over flying Heart Reef:
We had a circular overfly of Heart Reef, the location of many tourist and Instagram shots.
For some reason, I was expecting the outer reef to stretch more towards the inner reefs put after about 10 minutes of flying, we got to the edge of the reef where there was a starting contrast of blues as the shallow reef ended and the actual ocean began.
Flying over Whitehaven Beach:
After the ocean crossing, we then had an overfly of Whitehaven Beach from both sides of the aircraft. The pilots did their best to manage the views so that each side had an even perspective and amount of camera time.
This was followed by an overfly of Catseye Beach by the reef hotel, followed by Qualia.
Setting down at the Hamilton Island Airport and helipad.
Wow. What a spectacular experience. A Hamilton Island Air flight is an experience not to be missed.
Sunsets at One Tree Hill:
After we landed at the Hamilton Airport, the Hamilton Island Air provided us with a complimentary van shuttle back over to the harbor to collect our golf cart. From there, it was back to One Tree Hill for another amazing sunset with self catered sundowner cocktails. We opted for a lower spot down today. It was a bit more private but the views were still just as spectacular.
My Thoughts on Hamilton Island Air and heli – flights over the Great Barrier Reef:
“A helicopter ride in this part of the world is one of the more expensive excursions but one that is worth almost every penny”
Ultimately, the helicopter ride was a lovely once in a lifetime experience with incredible views and amazing photographs for the office. A helicopter ride with Hamilton Air is a memorable experience and, thanks to the luck of great weather, a wonderful and very memorable experience. Add a wonderful bottle of Coldstream Hills at the end of the day along with a beautiful sunset and you’ve got a very special experience to treasure for quite some time.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Activity: Great Barrier Reef Cruise Whitsundays, Hamilton Island – Hardy’s Reef, Whitsunday’s Island, Australia
On day three at Hamilton Island, we were up very early for our Great Barrier Reef tour, hitting breakfast at 6:45 AM. We self drove ourselves in the golf cart down to the Cruise Whitsundays dock.
We took the Cruise Whitsunday’s boat out where we opted to sit outside for the first part of the trip. It was bright and sunny and being on the top deck, there was a little bit of wind. There was lots of great hardware in the port as we headed out for the day.
I caught this plane on approach to HTI as it passed over the vessel.
The ride was mostly sheltered from the passage through the Whitsunday Islands. There is some spectacular scenery along the way within the Whitsunday Islands.
We also passed by Hayman Resort. We had initially considered staying at Hayman, but were put off by the $600+/- USD transfer fee. This made doing activities harder so we just opted for Qualia and being close to the action on Hamilton Island instead.
When we got out into the open sea, the ride got considerably rougher. I was very glad that I had taken some Gravol Ginger as many people around me were in the process of getting sick. The Cruise Whitsundays staff did a great job of passing out bags and making sure people were given ice cube chips in order to calm the motion sickness. Truth be told, I was very happy not to have to ride the boat back with the knowledge that we were returning by helicopter. We were able to get some peek a boo view of whales
Spending the Day at Cruise Whitsunday’s Hardy’s Reef Pontoon:
We arrived to the Great Barrier Reef location of the day “Hardy’s Reef”. It was my first trip to the Outer Reef and Cruise Whitsunday had a large scale operation set up with a permanent structure on the edge of the reef. The pontoon had day beds, underwater viewing platforms, walled changing areas out of the wind, stringer suit rinsing stations and all.
Since it was included in the day experience, we went on the underwater submarine tour. This was a boat with underwater windows that travelled the length of the reef. We had a turtle sighting and a few colorful fishes. It wasn’t anything to write home about and nothing like what we’d seen in the Maldives or some other locations.
Snorkelling on Hardy’s Reef:
We then set out for a snorkel from the pontoon. In one of the most supervised and structured snorkeling experiences ever, there were staff out in boats lifeguarding (and maybe shark watching?), roped off areas and marked zones for snorkeling. The area immediately under the pontoon was a drop off and there was plenty of ability and opportunity to dive downwards up to 15 meters below the surface.
There weren’t many fish on the reef where we were. However, the major highlight of our snorkel was a Cruise Whitsunday’s diver who had located a large Napoleon Wrasse who seemed to be intent on hanging out and getting kisses from the diver. It was a terrific experience and really neat to be up close to one of these gorgeous fish. Photos courtesy of our Go Pro…
After a longish 30 minute snorkel, we got dry and headed back on to the boat for lunch. In the rush in the morning, we forgot to pack towels but we dried off pretty quickly despite it only being 21 degrees. Lunch was “prepare your own” ham sandwiches along with a whole assortment of self serve salads (potato salad, coleslaw, Caesar salad) along with giant tiger shrimps which the Chinese families were stacking up on like they were going out of style.
Our Day with Cruise Whitsunday’s Great Barrier Reef Tour:
Overall, it was a neat adventure out to the pontoon that was complimented by the beautiful Napoleon Wrasse. Cruise Whitsunday’s took care of every anticipated need consistent with a reliable medium scale tour operator. We’d easily book with them again.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia
“The Pebble Beach Pool area at Qualia is exceptionally private and should satisfy most discerning guests”
On our arrival day, we wandered down to Pebble Beach to relax for the rest of the afternoon. We also spend our second day down here thanks to another mix up with the booked tours. The site is protected from wind with a northern (sunny) exposure. It was pretty much deserted down here throughout the stay, making for a very private experience.
Yep, this will work…
Checking out Qualia’s Pebble Beach:
The pool area is in a cove called Pebble Beach. The beach itself was quite rocky and impossible to walk on without sandals or shoes as it was very stony.
There were lots of interesting things to see on the beach. I don’t often get to see brain coral washed up on shore.
We had sunset at One Tree Hill. Instead of opting for drinks from the One Tree Hill bar, we self catered with the leftover wine which appeared to be the thing to do. I don’t know if this was against the local liquor laws (probably), but it was a fact of everyone doing in and setting up a picnic with a bottle of wine. We certainly weren’t the only ones and all the attendees were very respectful in collecting their trash and taking it home with them.
We headed down to the Hamilton Island IGA, where there was a massive parking lot of golf carts. Having the included Qualia golf car was a super handy way of getting around and it added a lot of fun to the holiday. Liquor is sold on the island and the mark ups’ weren’t all too bad for regular bottles of wine. If you wanted champagne however, that was another story and you’d definitely be poorer for not bringing some from home.
Sunset at One Tree Hill:
“Sunsets at One Tree Hill on Hamilton Island, with wallabies grazing around you, is one of the most special memories of our stay”
After IGA, it was back up to One Tree Hill. There is a small bar here, but everyone appears to bring their own sundowner drinks. There are even picnic tables set up outside for this.
It was bizarre having sundowners with Wallabies (baby kangaroos) starting to graze around you; watching cautiously as they maneuvered closer and closer while grazing. This was one of my most unique and special memories of Hamilton Island, and certainly one of the more stranger creatures around during a sundowner cocktail for us Canadian’s.
The sunsets up here were nothing short of beautiful.
An absolutely gorgeous corner of the world…
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia
“Qualia is a world class luxury resort with service levels and attention to detail that is unparralelled”
The original plan for our trip was for a three day stay on Hamilton Island, followed by a three day, two night tour around the Whitsunday Islands on a small group sailing catamaran. We had booked the group trip through Sailing Whitsundays, an online travel agency for many boats operating out of Airlie Beach. I had picked them after a little research on Trip Advisor and generally favourable travel reviews.
On arrival in Hamilton Island, I received an email indicating that our tour on Whitsunday Blue, which was to start in 3 days, had been cancelled. There was a request to contact the agent. I didn’t know if similar to airlines, we were going to be automatically re-booked on a different boat or what the contingency arrangements were.
We contacted the agent and we were told that the trip had been cancelled thanks to low occupancy. It turns out we were the only ones booked on the trip and the departure was “not guaranteed”. Of course, this was not advertised on the website and fact this was silently absent. Since there were no other boats departing that day, we were asked to move to a day earlier, or later. We were in pre-paid accommodation at Qualia so we were unable to move dates without giving up expensive accomodation. The best that Sailing Whitsunday’s could do would re-contact boat operator and would get back to us by the next business day.
Ultimately, the whole thing ended up cancelled “with our apologies” and a full refund. As a result, we then had to find last minute accommodation for the two nights that we were supposed to be on the boat. As luck would have it, Hamilton Island accommodation was completely full thanks to school holidays break. After some careful deliberation, we ended up one additional night at Qualia at regular price, and we moved our departing flight with Virgin Australia up one day and departed one day earlier to take in additional time on the Gold Coast. The only funny part to this whole thing was that we now had 4 bottles of wine with us initially intended for the boat, that now needed to be enjoyed.
Ultimately, it was a major headache for this part of the trip as it took several hours to research alternate arrangements while we were at Qualia. Sailing Whitsundays’ was very polite to deal with, but like any online travel agency, they conveniently get to blame the boat operator while they walk away from the whole thing. Unfortunately, there was no option to book direct with the boat operator. If you plan on booking a boat tour through them, I would recommend having a back up plan as a safety measure.
Booking Qualia Luxury Resort:
I had booked our accommodations at Qualia direct through their website. Although they are a member of the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program, I could not find any availability through their program or Amex booking website. I doubt that this was because they were full, as the hotel featured several extended stay discounts (25%) and various promotions. We had considered staying at the newly re-furbished Hayman Island which was now operating under the InterContinental Flag, but were ultimately put off by the extended transfer fee $600 USD+ per person, and the difficulties of getting off the island for local area excursions.
After we landed, we were met at the Hamilton Airport by representatives with cold towels and water. As was custom, I provided the Qantas luggage claim slip to the staff and they took care of collecting the bags on our behalf.
We were immediately led to an awaiting van and escorted the 5 minutes up the road to qualia with a brief description of the resort on the way. The driver kept in touch with the main team using a secret service wireless earpiece almost the whole way. We passed by the Hamilton Island Reef view hotel which was probably a good idea in the nineteen eighties but looks pretty out of place given the natural beauty of this place.
Arriving to Qualia Luxury Resort:
On arrival at the main building entitled “the long pavilion” we were met with waiting glasses of Charles Heindseick champagne or fruit juice. MrsWT73, the champagne lover, opted for the champagne while we completed a seated check in on the lobby couches. In an impressive move, the resort offered top ups’ on the champagne while we were processing the check in. It was early and our room wasn’t quite ready so MrsWT73 had 3; which left her quite impressed. How could you not be impressed with open air views like this on arrival…
The Room: A Leeward Pavillion Villa
“The room was exceptionally spacious and well equipped, including free flow premium mineral water”
After presentation of our driver’s licence’s (for both of us) were assigned our golf buggy (#44) and given a brief demonstration on how to drive it. We drove to our assigned Villa #46 (following a host). We were given an introduction to the villa, and explained that there would be turn down service between 6-9 PM.
There hasn’t been much written about the Leeward Pavilion (base room) villas but they are very comfortable. They have a large living room with a couch and two loungers. The color palette isn’t my style but it certainly fit with the look.
Being that it was MrsWT73’s birthday week, the hotel was kind enough to provide a bottle of champagne for the room (arranged in advance). This was in addition to a welcome bottle of wine and an appetizer tray, which appears to be the custom.
The washroom were absolutely humungous and featured a separate stand up shower in addition to an oversized bathtub. The toiletries were Aesop branded and replenished daily.
The room had a substantial mini bar. Our accommodation plan had free unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, meaning that everything that didn’t have alcohol in the minibar was free. This included the super tasty Cape Grimm “rainwater from Tazmania” bottled water that would be served at breakfast. I couldn’t get enough of this stuff and it was gone by the end of every night we stayed. The room also featured a proper icemaker for self catered beverages. This was especially handy except for the fact we had those 4 bottles of wine (laughing).
There was a small desk in the corner which didn’t have a view. It was mostly a drop point for charging of devices and laptops.
My first impression of the view from the room wasn’t all to spectacular. It turns out it was against a slope that had suffered cyclone damage and was undergoing re-growth. The inlet we were overlooking was also muddy thanks to being at low tide. It filled up in the early morning and made things much more scenic and picturesque to look at. There is a robust deck and two loungers along with a table and chairs.
The room views of the inlet at low tide and the cyclone damaged slope.
Every night at turndown service, the hotel set up a beaker of heated aromatherapy scented liquid. Upon seeing it for the first time, like the true C-Suite executive she is, MrsWT73 commented “What waste of resources”. However, I really enjoyed the smell and it wasn’t something I would have spent time setting up at home in our otherwise busy lives.
Food and Beverage at Qualia Luxury Resort:
“A highlight of the day was the breakfast served in the The Long Pavilion where you could spot cockatoo’s over ocean views and breezes”
Breakfast was served every day was in the Long Pavilion. The breakfast was served with mixed fruits and an eye opener smoothie. The breakfast was made to order with smaller items available from the buffet. The buffet items consisted of cold cut and cured meats, artisan cheeses, shaved coconut, raisins dates, and apricot chunks. There was an emphasis on organic and all the food was exceptionally fresh. The main items were incredibly varied ranging from the Australian breakfast consisting of eggs, roasted tomatoes, field mushrooms, sourdough toast and sautéed spinach (absolutely massive). Other dates I had smoked salmon eggs benedict, heirloom tomato avocado smash with feta cheese, mint and balsamic. The food was of excellent quality.
“Eggs benedict with smoked salmon”
“Croque monsieur”
“The Australian”
My Thoughts on Qualia Luxury Resort:
In summary, a four day stay was a most excellent and relaxing vacation. I have been fortunate enough to stay at many hotels around the world and this one was clearly in the top 3 stays of my lifetime. The only negatives aren’t related to the hotel, but rather that there is no immediately accessible sandy beach from the hotel property.
We were able to get outsized value out of an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award by adding a domestic stopover on our ticket from Los Angeles. We redeemed for Qantas First Class on Los Angeles – Melbourne, following up with a continuing flight in Qantas Business Class Melbourne – Hamilton Island. The flight up to Hamilton Island in Business Class was comfortable, stylish and a great way to kick of a week of beaches and islands.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Qantas Business Class, Boeing 737-800, Melbourne – Hamilton Island
We were fortunate enough to get award space on this flight. Hamilton Island was previously downgraded from Qantas to JetStar and other LCC carriers until Qantas announced a return to the route in 2014. The flight only travels 3 times a week with a business class cabin of only 3 rows of business; making available inventory even more scarce. Nevertheless, when I checked for reward availability, there it was. We were able to build this flight into our trip free of charge courtesy of Alaska Airline’s free domestic stopover on international awards.
Qantas Airlines
QF 870 – Business Class (U)
MEL-HTI (Melbourne International Terminal – Hamilton Island )
July 7, 2019
8:25 AM – 11:25 AM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
When we arrived to the gate at T-30, five minutes in advance of the posted boarding time, boarding had already started and the gate area was completely empty. We walked on board without lining up.
On Board Qantas Short Haul Business Class:
Qantas Business offered a 2-2 configuration across 3 rows of business. The load was a full 12/12 occupied today. Some unoccupied seats across the aisle, along with our seats on the left side of the aircraft.
A pre departure beverage of sparking or still water was offered. There was also the same thinned down version of the in flight seatback entertainment system from our A380 experience that was a bit clunky to navigate.
We headed out on time, along with the usual great airplane spotting opportunities in Australia.
We had some green views of Melbourne’s suburbs on the climb out.
The Meal Service: A Breakfast Brunch
“Qantas never leaves you feeling hungry, even on it’s domestic flights”
Once airborne, a breakfast brunch was offered. Today’s offering was an egg white omelet with bacon and tomatoes with spinach or a breakfast quiche with spinach and tomatoes. I had this the quiche with sparkling wine and a coffee which came around afterwards.
After the breakfast service, we didn’t have much happening on the flight. The crew came around with macarons afterwards, which we paired with more sparkling wine.
We had a very pretty descent into the Hamilton Island airport. The islands and coast line were really picturesque and was a beautiful setting to start and otherwise peaceful holiday.
And the final approach shot with Qualia resort in the background on the right hand side.
We arrived at Hamilton Island and had a non gate position. There don’t appear to be any gates here. I was able to snap a MrsWT73 “bored millionaire shot” and a few others before getting spoken sternly to by the ramp agents.
Qantas Business Class Short Haul Summarized:
All in all, Qantas Business is probably the most comfortable way to get to and from Hamilton Island. The service is great, if not predictable. The in light entertainment is just okay, and you’d likely run out of things to look at if you were traveling all the way across Australia on a regular basis. The terrific Qantas lounges along the way add to the experience.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Qantas Business Lounge Domestic, Melbourne, Australia
“Qantas Airlines serves up a great space, a reasonable breakfast and comfortable surroundings even in a simple domestic lounge in Melbourne”
We were up at 4:45 AM for our flight to Hamilton Island. I rung up the hotel valet to get the car (allow twenty minutes please they say). It was early but I’ve given up on rushing to airports in strange places and freaking out about having things go wrong, which is always worse in a foreign country.
We self drove ourselves, avoiding tolls, to the Melbourne airport. A Hertz roving agent accepted the return on our car and closed out our contract.
We walked in through the cold nine degree weather into the dedicated Qantas Terminal (Terminal One). We checked our bags. Strangely enough, liquids are permitted through the passenger Australian airport security check points so I just carried on my Coldstream Estates Merlot 750 ml bottle of red wine saving potential disaster from smashed red wine bottles in checked luggage.
Accessing the Qantas Business Lounge:
We wandered to the large Qantas Lounge “Precinct” and eventually up to the Qantas Business Lounge, which was immediately behind security. Qantas has tiered lounges, offering a “Qantas Club” for credit card holders and club members, and a Qantas Business Lounge for those in paid business class. We visited the Qantas Business Lounge; which seemed to have the better placement of the two with bright windows and views of the apron.
There was also a chart, featuring all the aboriginal groups across Australia. We found these displayed prominently in most of the Qantas lounges across Australia.
Inside the Qantas Business Lounge:
It was dark outside and inside when we arrived at about 7 AM. The lounge was empty but filled up quite considerably by the time we departed. The lounge had lots of space, along with nice window views over the apron.
Qantas Business Lounge Food and Beverage:
“Qantas always offers terrific food and beverage inside their lounges at any time of day. I’ve always done better eating in the lounge than finding something on the concourse”
As always, Qantas offers great food and beverage in their lounges. A full breakfast was on offer, including scrambled eggs, panini’s salads, yoghurts. Rounding out the experience, as is the norm in the Trans Tasman lounges are freshly made barista made coffee.
I also picked up a Business Traveler, a Pacific Islander Magazine and a Australian Weekend newspaper.
I still think this is entertaining: “Thanks for your patience”. LOL.
We settled into some loungers by the window as the day broke and we had an hour before our flight to get fed. There was enough food in here to replace a meal and we didn’t feel the need to get any more food from the concourse prior to our flight, despite not having been able to take breakfast at the hotel before we left for the airport. We were able to catch a glance of the retro livery Qantas plane at the domestic gates just outside.
We headed down at T-35 minutes to Gate 6, which was a short 5 minute walk away from the lounge. Not many people do rolling suitcases in Australia and we ended up having to take an elevator down a flight instead of shelpping our bags down a flight of stairs (in lieu of an escalator set up) to the Qantas departures concourse.
My Thoughts on the Qantas Business Lounge Melbourne:
All in all, the Qantas Business Lounge is a solid domestic lounge offering. Qantas remains among my favourite lounges in the world for their pleasant environment, substantial food and wine bars after 12 PM. I’d always make time in my day for a pass through a Qantas Lounge before any flight.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Region Visit: The Great Ocean Road. Anglesea to the Twelve Apostles, Victoria Australia
We had 4 days in Melbourne getting used to the time zone change after arriving from North America. With efforts to try and get the most out of our time in Melbourne, we aimed to visit the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road. It’s located quite a ways from the Melbourne CBD at about four and a half hours drive from Melbourne.
We were up at 7:30 AM to get ready to drive the Great Ocean Road. We enjoyed the last of our included breakfasts at the hotel before setting off on our journey at about 10 AM.
Setting out on the Great Ocean Road:
It was a 250 km drive (one way) from Melbourne down the coast through Anglesea, past many points of interest ending at the Twelve Apostles. We would have incredibly variable weather for the day’s drive; somewhere between bright sunshine and thundershowers with gale force winds. Thankfully, the systems would change every 15 minutes or so making for an interesting experience throughout the day.
It was about 90 minutes before we actually got to the coast and started getting some beautiful scenery. Anglesea had many vacation homes from Melbourian’s it seemed, most with a great view of the water.
The highway got quite a bit windy through this stretch with many spots to pull over and take photographs with narrow stops that clung closely to the cliffs below.
Some photographs from Devil’s Elbow…
We continued on towards Big Hill; another terrific viewpoint area.
And around towards more beautiful views in Cumberland River.
Being winter, we only had about 7 hours of day light on this trip so we stopped for lunch in Apollo Bay at a locally famous bakery offering meat pies.
Visiting Great Otaway National Park:
After lunch, we eventually entered the Great Otaway National Park. We took a turn off the main road and headed down towards Cape Orsey. Cape Orsey was the sight of one of the most southern lighthouses in Australia. The Great Otaway National Park is known for its wildlife and boasts one of the best opportunities to see koalas in the wild.
The entry to the park was an area where it was expected to be on the lookout for wild animals. Indeed, similar to an African Safari, several cars were pulled over looking at things in the gump trees. Thanks to another car’s help, we were able to see a koala bear in the wild sleeping in one of the trees. Even with a 300 mm lens, it was hard to get a solid shot.
The further south we got, the vegetation changed.
Viewing the Cape Orsey Lighthouse:
We made it to the Cape Orsey lighthouse. The light house had a $20 AUD admission fee. MrsWT73 wasn’t to keen on it but I made her go since we’d come all this way. After all, it’s only money (laughing). It ended up being a very spectacular spot to spend an hour in.
It was exceptionally windy at the light house; I would guess the winds were approximately 70-80 km/h.
There were more spectacular views from the lighthouse. We were able to climb up to the top. We were even able to see the inter functioning of the lamp which was still spinning but not light since it was daytime.
Feeling the Wind at the Twelve Apostles:
From there, it was a short drive up to the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles were the star of the drive today. They are concealed from the roadway and you wouldn’t typically see them from the road if you didn’t know that they were there. It was starting to fall to dusk at the time of our visit, which made the time there all that more special.
While we were at the Twelve Apostles, it was incredibly windy with gusts probably over 90 – 100 km/h. The gusts were so strong, I had trouble taking photographs with the iPhone and nearly lost it blown away to the wind a few times.
The Twelve Apostles are suffering from erosion. There are only 7 of them actually left but it seems that many more are being carved out from the continued waves crashing against the shore.
We headed around the rocky promenade to take in the spectacular rocky coast walls as the sun set over this wonderful landscape.
After the Twelve Apostles, we hopped back in to the XTrail and headed back up to Melbourne. It was about a 3 hour drive back through several small towns. The visitor center at the Twelve Apostles noted that the scenic coastal road route we had arrived on was about a 5 hr and 15 minute drive back to Melbourne. Thankfully, the in land road was much straighter and slightly quicker.
We arrived back in Melbourne at about 8:30 PM after gassing up the car at a highway rest stop. It was 56 litres of gas for $76 AUD for the day’s driving. Unfortunately, I managed to get a photo radar ticket on the drive back by doing 106 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. I didn’t get the notice in the mail until about 60 days later after they tracked me down in Canada. I paid the $200 AUD ticket with the knowledge that if I ever rent a car in Australia again, I will make sure the cruise is set exactly at the speed limit. Despite that, after all efforts, I managed to avoid the Hertz $38 AUD toll fee.
Finishing the day at the Rooftop Bar at the Cumberland House:
Once we were back in Melbourne, we dropped the car at the hotel and headed out into the CBD to the Melbourne Emporium mall to collect a Katmandu puffy down jacket for MrsWT73 since it was on a 50% off sale. I also ended up picking up $249 rain jacket for $99 AUD; a great deal.
We hadn’t eaten dinner but we headed to the Rooftop Bar at the Cumberland House for a final rooftop blood red gin and tonic along with all the kids since it was Friday night. We were lucky enough to get a seat.
We had another slice of pizza at Rossili on the way home to pack for our trip up to the Great Barrier Reef. Overall we had a very nice time in Melbourne. It’s the kind of place that would be great to be on “expense” pay for by a generous employer. There are lots of restaurants, bars and great shopping to experience when you’re down here. MrsWT73 described Melbourne as a cross between Dallas Forth Worth for the freeways, Signapore for the shopping and New York City for grit. In sum, a pleasant visit and a nice place to get over some jet lag while in comfortable surroundings…
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Region Visit: The Yarra Valley Wine Region, Victoria, Australia
I woke up at about 7:30 AM today while MrsWT73 slept in a little bit. The plan was to get out of the city for a day trip to the Yarra Valley. After breakfast, I walked over to the Hertz on Flinders Street to pick up a rental. I booked a Nissan Qashqai but Hertz Five Star status had me upgraded me into a larger Nissan X-Trail (Nissan Rogue for North American markets). The car was shiny and clean with less than 5,000 km on it. There was a caution that toll use would result in a $38 AUD charge after the administrative fees; which was valuable information to have in route planning. There are tolls seemingly everywhere in Melbourne.
Starting off at Coldstream Hills:
After downloading our destinations into offline Google Maps, we set out via the back roads to the Yarra Valley. It was only about 1 hour’s drive from Melbourne through some interesting back roads. We were in the quiet Yarra Valley before we knew it. It’s always welcoming to having winery directions along with the typical Australian yellow diamond Kangaroo sign.
We arrived via Coldstream Road at the bottom end of the Valley. Our first stop was at Coldstream Hills. Coldstream Hills was one of the boutique brands owned by SouthCorp wines. The visit was at a small cellar door which was both intimate and personal.
We ended up walking away with several bottles for our Whitsunday sailing trip, including their Pinot Gris, Sauvingon Blanc, Merlot and a sparkling.
Next Stop: Exquisite Yarra Yering
From there, it was a few minutes up the road to Yarra Yering.
Yarra Yering was the highest “price point” winery that we visited on today’s tasting route. The tasting on offer today was $15 AUD and afforded the opportunity to taste 8 wines. The wines were all of excellent quality; both delicate on the palette and with subtle strength in their structure. Most surprisingly, thanks to the winter season, we were the first tasting room visitors of the day at 1 PM. We had fresh bottles opened for us for each varietal tasting opportunity.
There were pleasant wintery views from the tasting room at Yarra Yering…
Lunch at Domaine de Chandon:
We made our third stop at the large estate like Domaine de Chandon. Chandon is now owned by the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey) group and it shows with the amount of moneyed infrastructure compared many of the other smaller operators.
MrsWT73 enjoyed a sparkling tasting and I enjoyed late lunch at the restaurant at Chandon. Lunch was Pan Roasted Ocean Trout, with Pancetta Vinaigrette, Du Puy Lentils, and Braised Fennel paired with the recommended Chandon Vintage Brut Rose 2015. Like with many other portion sizes in Australia, the portions were generous and plentiful. MrsWT73 enjoyed a mixed salad and pommes frites with rosemary salt and aioli. Overall it was super tasty.
Last Call: Yering Station
Our last stop of the day had us through Yering Station. MrsWT73 enjoyed the last tasting of the day on her own since I was driving. The tasting room was in an antiqued barn with some interesting and eclectic taxi-dermy art on the sides. MrsWT73 enjoyed the Shiraz and the Viognier.
We had a nice leisurely drive back to Melbourne with a simple slice of pizza for dinner. I garaged the car at the hotel for $60 AUD valet only. It was explained that I could park overnight in one of the garages locally but the car would have to by out by 6 AM. I didn’t think MrsWT73 would be up for that occasion so valet it was. Otherwise a nice quiet day through the peaceful Yarra Valley.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
We woke up and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The full buffet breakfast was valued at $40 AUD courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum. The breakfast included an egg station, a gluten free area and a small but adequate selection of fruits, vegetables and salads. The customers were mostly a work crowd similar to at home stocking up on food before their work day.
We Visited the Melbourne Cat Cafe:
We then headed off to the Melbourne Cat Café, which was an idea conceived by MrsWT73. It was my first visit to a Cat Café so I wasn’t really sure on what to expect. It’s pretty much a slower environment. We had made an online booking the day before. Surprisingly, most of the slots of 60 minutes were completely sold out the day before, so we opted for a 10 AM spot.
Once we completed the cat registration, we headed into the two cat zones. The cats were interesting but not all to interactive. Either way, MrsWT73 got her fill of cat attention.
After the Melbourne Cat Café, MrsWT73 and I parted ways while she went shopping in the uptown area of Melbourne’s CBD. I headed over to meet one of my old friends from my Whistler ski instructor days in the early nineteen nineties. We hadn’t seen each other in 27 years and had a good time catching up about where life has taken us. He’s now working as counsel for a large Melbourne law firm. He took me up to his offices where I was able to get in a few great photographs of the Melbourne skyline.
He then was able to spare enough hours in his days where he then went on a walking tour around town including some restaurant recommendations for our week’s stay. After about 90 minutes, I bid my colleague goodbye with hopes that it wouldn’t be another 20 years before we met up.
A drink at a container bar:
I then met up with MrsWT73 and we wandered over to Section 8; a container bar that is situated off of one of Chinatown’s many alleys. We stopped by for a mid afternoon drink amid many of the hipsters.
Checking Out Melbourne’s Graffitied Alleys:
After dropping the shopping bags off at the hotel, we wandered down through the laneways to the popular Rossiter Lane. Another grafitti’ed spot that was full of photographers.
Looking at Art in the National Gallery of Victoria:
With the rain starting to come down, we headed over to the nearby National Gallery of Victoria for a little indoor modern art. Entry was free and it had enough modern art to keep MrsWT73 entertained.
After the rain had led up, we wandered through the graffiti’ed AC/DC lane. Most of the art herewas related to music, as would be expected from the AC/DC name.
Along with the discovery of art in the lanes, there were many hidden bars and drinking establishments along the way. It seems you could spend a lifetime exploring them all.
Enjoying a Spectacular Dinner at Neil Perry’s Rockpool:
I made a booking for Rockpool for dinner. Rockpool is one of the flagship restaurants in Neil Perry’s Pacific restaurant empire; Neil Perry has cooked for Qantas Airways First Class for over twenty years. We walked over to the restaurant which was about 20 minutes walk from the hotel in the Crown casino complex with a bunch of other celebrity restaurants such as Nobu.
The décor was gentlemanly dark with wood paneling and dark upholstered chairs and an open kitchen concept. The wait staff looked like they belonged in an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue; trimmed jackets and elegant wear.
Dinner tonight was a Cape Grim aged 36 months old grass fed filet 250g and a side of Bearnaise, with a Raddicio, cos and endive salad with palm sugar vinaigrette and a Potato and cabbage gratin.
The food was absolutely spectacular with a steak that was perfectly cooked at medium rare. It was easily among the top 5 steak meals of my life.
Dinner was paired with a Mac Forbes Gruyere Shiraz 2014 ; delicate and easy drinking. Mac Forbes is a local Victoria vineyard near Yarra Junction just out of town.
We passed on desert. There were many wonderful cheeses on offer, although we were totally stuffed having placed a large dent in the offerings. We’d easily return again for a wonderful meal here. I really enjoyed the Rockpool experience and will keep that memory for quite some time.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
City Visit: Melbourne – Part I
After arriving on our first day, we set out from the hotel to funky Desgraves Street. It was a very short walk from the hotel; less than 5 minutes.
Hanging out on Desgraves Street:
We plunked ourselves down for a coffee and Avocado Smash with a poached egg, lime, feta and mint over a toasted bagel. We had this outside al fresco under winter patio heaters. Before long, there wasn’t a seat to be had on the deck as it filled up with coffee and breakfast lovers.
Exploring the Melbourne Central Business District:
After breakfast snacks, we wandered up to the Centreway Lane, a charming pedestrian area with a light urban grit to it. It was somewhat reminiscent of Hong Kong, without the searing humidity or the Asian and British population
And over to the Block Arcade where there were some intriguing spice shops and tea parlours that were just getting going for the day.
While MrsWT73 looked into clothing stores, I looked in to the graffiti’ed Union Lane, one of the many graffiti artist scenes around Melbourne. Checking out the graffiti’ed lanes would form part of the entertainment during our stay in Melbourne.
After the brief shopping inspection, the sun started to come out for the day. We ended up wandering down through the urban landscapes of Melbourne to the Yarra River. The Yarra River is just south of downtown, and walking the south bank, where there were a lot of cafes and restaurants that were just getting going for the day.
Walking through the South Side of Downtown:
On the south side of the river, the view of downtown makes for a nice skyline. The south side was a newer part of Melbourne with a more contemporary feel to it.
We ended up stopping at the Pony Fish Island, a wine bar immediately under the bridge for a small glass. Melbourne still has enough of a contemporary feel to it that it isn’t sewn up boring. Thankfully there were heaters on the patio as the sun had disappeared and the clouds were pretty menacing.
It was back to the hotel then a well earned sleep for day number one.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne with The Great Ocean Road, exploring The Yarra Valley and the beaches of The Gold Coast via Qantas First Class. This trip was booked using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read More From This Trip
- Introduction: Melbourne & Whitsunday Islands, Australia via Qantas First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Seattle – Los Angeles
- Marriott LAX, Los Angeles, USA
- To Malibu for Lunch, California, USA
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Tom Bradley International Terminal Los Angeles, USA
- Qantas First Class: Los Angeles – Melbourne
- Westin Melbourne, Australia
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part I
- City Visit: Melbourne, Australia – Part II
- The Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia
- Qantas Business Lounge: Melbourne
- Qantas Business: Melbourne – Hamilton Island
- Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Pebble Beach at Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island, Australia
- Cruise to The Great Barrier Reef, Hardy’s Reef, Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef via Hamilton Island Air Helicopter
- Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, Australia
- Virgin Australia: Prosperine – Brisbane
- Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa (Gold Coast), Australia
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part I
- Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia – Part II
- Qantas Business Lounge: Brisbane
- Qantas Business Class: Brisbane – Sydney
- Pier One Sydney by Autograph Collection, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class Lounge: Sydney Kingford Smith, Sydney, Australia
- Qantas First Class: Sydney – Dallas
- American Express Centurion Lounge: Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Dallas – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge: North Satellite – Sea Tac, Seattle, USA
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: The Westin Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
“Overall, this is an excellent property using Marriott Bonvoy Points that is well located and well situated in the Central Business District of Melbourne.”
We met the Blacklane driver who transferred us to the Westin Melbourne, which is located in the middle of the Central Business District (downtown) of Melbourne. We could have taken the public train from the airport, but it would have resulted in a 15 minute walk at the other end; the last thing we were interested in doing after coming off a long international flight from the Americas. As a result, Blacklane it was and we were there in about 35 minutes.
Arriving to the Westin Melbourne:
It was a great first impression on arrival to the Westin Melbourne with a beautiful new lobby with high ceilings. Entry to the hotel is through a small dark porte cochere off the main street. The door staff took care of the bags and we headed in to check in.
How we booked:
We were on 3 separate reservations here over 4 nights; two reservations were under 3 credit card certificates (in MrsWT73’s and my names) courtesy of the Canadian American Express Card, and the last night was on a paid discounted rate that I couldn’t get the webpage to accept in combination with the points rates. We had debated staying at the Sheraton Melbourne but ended up picking this place as the average daily rate here was much higher; representing a better value on points. The rates were over $400 AUD at the time of booking and had increased to almost $573 AUD during our stay, making this property a great use of points as a Category 5 or 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy Rewards a night. We applied Suite Night Awards for the larger “Deluxe Spa Studio” but they had failed to clear. If our floor was any indication, there did not appear to be many suites available for upgrades, let alone paid occupancy for purchase
Since we had arrived to the property at 8:45 AM, our room was not yet available. The kind front desk agent was able to align the room so that we could keep the room for the 4 days and just asked us to visit for key re-coding during our visit. We had attempted to apply suite night awards to the room and they failed to clear. The host apologized about the lack of upgrade, but did offer us access to the gym downstairs so that we could freshen up. He also offered us a complimentary coupon for a drink, wine or coffee at the bar. I went down to the gym and took a shower and there were a few other travelers down there doing the same thing.
We went out sightseeing for the first day and came back to the property at around 2:30 PM.
The Room: A City View 38 sqm – Guest Room
After stopping at the front desk, we led ourselves up to #530, which was a “Westin Standard (38 sq m), Guest room”.
The room was well equipped and a nice size that was easily able to accommodate two people.
It was facing the back of the property, which had absolutely no view. This was okay however as the city appeared to be digging the foundations for a major subway station immediately out side the front view side of the building, making it a bit of a noisy experience during the daytime hours. You can see the impressive view out the room windows.
The room featured a comfortable desk, which was handy for setting down the laptop and other devices that needed charging.
The bathroom was super spacious, which was appreciated while travelling with your wife.
There was also a full mini bar and proper glassware right in the room. I always appreciate this since it seems it’s always a struggle to wait for glassware when it’s not automatically provided.
I am a bit surprised that they didn’t label the hotel a Westin Grand as it had many more amenities that some of the Westin’s that I’d stayed at through the Americas’.
The hotel participates in Make a Green Choice Marriott version, which means 500 Bonvoy Points for forgoing housekeeping. Its no longer the great earning opportunity it once was, but more points are better than no points.
Food and Beverage, including a Platinum Breakfast:
“The breakfast room was among the highlights of the stay. It shone brightly with full daylight windows that offered great historic city views and was a focal point for starting our day”
We had an included Platinum Breakfast almost every day of our stay. Thanks to the upright footprint of the hotel, the breakfast is located on the second floor in the Allegro Restaurant. We were treated to the full buffet breakfast, valued at 40 AUD per person. The breakfast room is in a large L shaped space with large windows that overlook the Melbourne Town Hall across the street.
The breakfast offered an egg station and all the usual hotel breakfast goodies including cereals, fresh fruit and salad.
On our last night, we had message left for us indicating that the front desk had noted that we had applied suite night awards that had failed to clear, but that a suite had come open. The hotel offered us the ability to move, should we be interested in the upgrade. We were heading out to the great open road and were planning on being out of the hotel for almost 18 hours of the day so we passed on the opportunity. Having said that, I really appreciated the effort that the hotel made based on the availability as we hadn’t pressed for it or otherwise asked. As a Platinum member at the time of the stay, I really felt taken care of when they were likely quite busy.
My thoughts on The Westin Melbourne:
We had a terrific stay at the Westin Melbourne. It was a great value on points and the location was as good as it could get for sightseeing around Melbourne. We would easily look forward to another stay at this property.
World Traveller 73 
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