LA to Sydney, then Celebrity Cruise around New Zealand
Tom and Deby Comfort
March 2025
Tom served in the Navy and in 1978 his ship visited the South and Western Pacific. Always on his “bucket list” was a trip back to Australia and New Zealand. After almost 49 years of marriage Tom and Deby took the trip which they had planned for years. We applied online for the needed Visas for both countries and received them easily. They were needed and checked during the trip.
We flew from Seattle to LA and then boarded a Qantas evening flight to Sydney, Australia. The flight was over 15 hours, but the Premium Economy seats were roomy and comfortable. Each passenger had a sealed bag containing personal headphones, eye masks, a blanket, toiletries and a current menu. Shortly after takeoff there was a choice of 3 dinner entrees all with 4 courses and everyone was delicious! The menu also listed the 3 choices for the breakfast meal and all the snacks (including ice cream) that were available on request. There was a large display screen for watching movies and tracking our flight progress. There is a bulkhead storage compartment that could hold coats, the blankets, and personal items. The overhead bin was for one small carry-on item per person and this was monitored as you boarded the plane. We slept soundly until breakfast time.
Sydney airport was not air conditioned but was structured to move passengers quickly to baggage, through customs, and out. Because we had candy with us, it had to be “declared” as a food item, and we had to go through the dog sniffing line which took another 20-30 minutes.
Sydney is a bustling city, and we used a service called Viator to get us to/from airports, hotels, and cruise terminals when we had to take all our luggage. We traveled with 3 other friends so a group of 5 with 9 bags, including carry-on size, was difficult for local Uber vehicles.
Sydney has a remarkable ferry and train system that we could use. The ferries are walk-ons and go to stops all around the waterfront. Trains make stops that aid access to other parts of the city and nearby towns.
We arrived 4 days before the cruise and walked to Darling Harbor to take in the sights: Sea Life Sydney, Australian National Maritime Museum, Wild Life Sydney, Madame Tussauds Sydney, local shops and cafes. We spent two days going back to see the sights. We stayed at the Sydney Sheraton Hotel. Then before the cruise we took a half day city tour visiting Millers Point, King’s Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Watson Bay, Surrey Hills, and more.
Our cruise out of Sydney Harbor placed our ship directly across from the Sydney Opera House. From our balcony we just sat and watched the busy comings and goings of the ferry system and people going in and out of the Opera House. We cruised for 13 days and visited 6 ports around New Zealand. The weather was warm 75-85 degrees and sunny. The seas were calm, and the trip was what memories are made of.
We visited Dunedin, Christchurch, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands. Our stop in Wellington (known as “windy” Wellington) was cancelled, as weather in that one location was stormy and windy with rough seas. We found the people of New Zealand to be warm and welcoming in every city.
After departing Sydney we spent a few days at sea. On Day 4 we went through “The Sounds”. This is made up of Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Dusky Sound. These are fjords and mostly uninhabited. The locals refer to this area as “Fjordland”. We were fortunate enough to have a Naturalist aboard the ship to give us details about what we were seeing.
Our first port was Dunedin. If you like train rides and seeing beautiful landscapes and countryside, then Dunedin is the choice for you. On the train a nice box lunch was included and there were clean restrooms on board. We stopped at a small gathering of locals who were selling homemade goods and crafts.
Our 2nd port was Christchurch. We learned that there is a Facebook group for each cruise so we joined the Celebrity Edge March 12-25 and “met” people who would be on our ship. During this process there was a post from someone in the US who had booked a 9-passenger van that would provide a day long tour of Christchurch. There were 5 spots left, and we grabbed them. The cruise ship offered a tour of a sheep farm, but we ended up with their adult son driving us all over the area and giving us local tidbits of information. It was an amazing day and 80+degrees.
Our 3rd port was Napier. Napier is famous for its Art Deco buildings. They had a devastating earthquake back in 1931 that destroyed much of the town. There is a museum with pictures and information as well as buildings that were left standing which are now landmarks.
Our 4th port was Tauranga. This was one of our favorite tours as we moved around a kiwi orchard. We didn’t realize they grew under net coverings about 6 feet high. There were literally thousands of hanging ripe kiwi above our heads. The tour guide told us about how they bring in bees to pollinate the kiwi, the care, and picking. Then we went to their store where we got to taste red, green, and gold kiwi. I never knew there were red kiwi, but they are the best of the three!
Our 5th port was Auckland. This was more of your typical modern city, and we took a tour around the harbor and visited the local shops.
Our 6th port was Bay of Islands which was the only port requiring us to board a tender boat to go ashore. Our tour was of the historical treaty house and early pioneer settlement. We met an exceptional guide who was a former teacher, a local native, and a true ambassador for her culture. She made history come alive and we couldn’t get enough of her stories about the giant war canoe.
The cruise started and ended in Sydney. We learned something new called back-to-back cruising on this trip. Even though the ship had just been to New Zealand, the next cruise would be around Australia, and the following one would be around the islands south and west of Australia. So those ‘in the know” had booked all three cruises “back-to-back” and were staying in the same room for 40+ days. Now that we know about this, we have booked these 3 back-to-back cruises for 2027 for a total of 41 days cruising.
Before returning home we spent another 5 days in Sydney, but this time staying at the Sydney Intercontinental Hotel two blocks from Sydney Harbor with a view room overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Every night there were fireworks next to the Opera House when an open-air performing theater/stage finished their performance.
Our last tour was a 6:30 am “Behind the Scenes” walking tour of the Sydney Opera House. It was billed as a 250-stair tour and it lived up to its billing. There are 7 different performing venues, and we explored each one. We saw the dressing rooms, instrument storage, cafeteria, prop areas. One of the most fascinating things was the Concert Hall with hanging acoustic reflectors(baffles) and carved wood on the walls that direct/contain the sound. There are no microphones, just the sound of voices and instruments. Because of this the show plays every other day so the voices have a chance to rest. One of the venues we loved was one about the game Dungeons and Dragons. The seats and tables have QR codes for the audience to scan. Then the performers on stage use the props to act out a real time LIVE performance using audience mobile phone input, so every performance is audience driven and different every time.
We loved every moment of our trip and the places we visited. We plan to select a hotel by the Sydney Harbor for our next trip, but we will not do the “once in a lifetime” room at the Intercontinental. We like being in that part of town, a few blocks from the train and ferries. Again, we are looking forward to another “Bucket List” trip visiting islands and ports Tom saw while in the Navy.
Tom and Deby Comfort
March 2025
Tom served in the Navy and in 1978 his ship visited the South and Western Pacific. Always on his “bucket list” was a trip back to Australia and New Zealand. After almost 49 years of marriage Tom and Deby took the trip which they had planned for years. We applied online for the needed Visas for both countries and received them easily. They were needed and checked during the trip.
We flew from Seattle to LA and then boarded a Qantas evening flight to Sydney, Australia. The flight was over 15 hours, but the Premium Economy seats were roomy and comfortable. Each passenger had a sealed bag containing personal headphones, eye masks, a blanket, toiletries and a current menu. Shortly after takeoff there was a choice of 3 dinner entrees all with 4 courses and everyone was delicious! The menu also listed the 3 choices for the breakfast meal and all the snacks (including ice cream) that were available on request. There was a large display screen for watching movies and tracking our flight progress. There is a bulkhead storage compartment that could hold coats, the blankets, and personal items. The overhead bin was for one small carry-on item per person and this was monitored as you boarded the plane. We slept soundly until breakfast time.
Sydney airport was not air conditioned but was structured to move passengers quickly to baggage, through customs, and out. Because we had candy with us, it had to be “declared” as a food item, and we had to go through the dog sniffing line which took another 20-30 minutes.
Sydney is a bustling city, and we used a service called Viator to get us to/from airports, hotels, and cruise terminals when we had to take all our luggage. We traveled with 3 other friends so a group of 5 with 9 bags, including carry-on size, was difficult for local Uber vehicles.
Sydney has a remarkable ferry and train system that we could use. The ferries are walk-ons and go to stops all around the waterfront. Trains make stops that aid access to other parts of the city and nearby towns.
We arrived 4 days before the cruise and walked to Darling Harbor to take in the sights: Sea Life Sydney, Australian National Maritime Museum, Wild Life Sydney, Madame Tussauds Sydney, local shops and cafes. We spent two days going back to see the sights. We stayed at the Sydney Sheraton Hotel. Then before the cruise we took a half day city tour visiting Millers Point, King’s Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Watson Bay, Surrey Hills, and more.
Our cruise out of Sydney Harbor placed our ship directly across from the Sydney Opera House. From our balcony we just sat and watched the busy comings and goings of the ferry system and people going in and out of the Opera House. We cruised for 13 days and visited 6 ports around New Zealand. The weather was warm 75-85 degrees and sunny. The seas were calm, and the trip was what memories are made of.
We visited Dunedin, Christchurch, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands. Our stop in Wellington (known as “windy” Wellington) was cancelled, as weather in that one location was stormy and windy with rough seas. We found the people of New Zealand to be warm and welcoming in every city.
After departing Sydney we spent a few days at sea. On Day 4 we went through “The Sounds”. This is made up of Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Dusky Sound. These are fjords and mostly uninhabited. The locals refer to this area as “Fjordland”. We were fortunate enough to have a Naturalist aboard the ship to give us details about what we were seeing.
Our first port was Dunedin. If you like train rides and seeing beautiful landscapes and countryside, then Dunedin is the choice for you. On the train a nice box lunch was included and there were clean restrooms on board. We stopped at a small gathering of locals who were selling homemade goods and crafts.
Our 2nd port was Christchurch. We learned that there is a Facebook group for each cruise so we joined the Celebrity Edge March 12-25 and “met” people who would be on our ship. During this process there was a post from someone in the US who had booked a 9-passenger van that would provide a day long tour of Christchurch. There were 5 spots left, and we grabbed them. The cruise ship offered a tour of a sheep farm, but we ended up with their adult son driving us all over the area and giving us local tidbits of information. It was an amazing day and 80+degrees.
Our 3rd port was Napier. Napier is famous for its Art Deco buildings. They had a devastating earthquake back in 1931 that destroyed much of the town. There is a museum with pictures and information as well as buildings that were left standing which are now landmarks.
Our 4th port was Tauranga. This was one of our favorite tours as we moved around a kiwi orchard. We didn’t realize they grew under net coverings about 6 feet high. There were literally thousands of hanging ripe kiwi above our heads. The tour guide told us about how they bring in bees to pollinate the kiwi, the care, and picking. Then we went to their store where we got to taste red, green, and gold kiwi. I never knew there were red kiwi, but they are the best of the three!
Our 5th port was Auckland. This was more of your typical modern city, and we took a tour around the harbor and visited the local shops.
Our 6th port was Bay of Islands which was the only port requiring us to board a tender boat to go ashore. Our tour was of the historical treaty house and early pioneer settlement. We met an exceptional guide who was a former teacher, a local native, and a true ambassador for her culture. She made history come alive and we couldn’t get enough of her stories about the giant war canoe.
The cruise started and ended in Sydney. We learned something new called back-to-back cruising on this trip. Even though the ship had just been to New Zealand, the next cruise would be around Australia, and the following one would be around the islands south and west of Australia. So those ‘in the know” had booked all three cruises “back-to-back” and were staying in the same room for 40+ days. Now that we know about this, we have booked these 3 back-to-back cruises for 2027 for a total of 41 days cruising.
Before returning home we spent another 5 days in Sydney, but this time staying at the Sydney Intercontinental Hotel two blocks from Sydney Harbor with a view room overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Every night there were fireworks next to the Opera House when an open-air performing theater/stage finished their performance.
Our last tour was a 6:30 am “Behind the Scenes” walking tour of the Sydney Opera House. It was billed as a 250-stair tour and it lived up to its billing. There are 7 different performing venues, and we explored each one. We saw the dressing rooms, instrument storage, cafeteria, prop areas. One of the most fascinating things was the Concert Hall with hanging acoustic reflectors(baffles) and carved wood on the walls that direct/contain the sound. There are no microphones, just the sound of voices and instruments. Because of this the show plays every other day so the voices have a chance to rest. One of the venues we loved was one about the game Dungeons and Dragons. The seats and tables have QR codes for the audience to scan. Then the performers on stage use the props to act out a real time LIVE performance using audience mobile phone input, so every performance is audience driven and different every time.
We loved every moment of our trip and the places we visited. We plan to select a hotel by the Sydney Harbor for our next trip, but we will not do the “once in a lifetime” room at the Intercontinental. We like being in that part of town, a few blocks from the train and ferries. Again, we are looking forward to another “Bucket List” trip visiting islands and ports Tom saw while in the Navy.