Rotorua – Sydney. Soooo Easy!

I’ve just gotten home from a trip to Sydney.  My desk is stacked high with meeting papers for this week’s Council commitments, but the travel experience was so good that I want to report on it before getting started on the reading.

Some people have said that Sydney flights from Rotorua are expensive, but I booked my travel on the internet and the one-way price I found was as good as it gets at $150.  By the time taxes got added, the return trip cost around $400.  No more expensive than flying from Auckland or Hamilton and once you factor in the time and expense of getting to a different airport, it’s hard to beat.

The departure experience from Rotorua Airport was easy.  I just had to fill in the departure card, step up to the immigration counter, get a coffee and take a seat to await the boarding call.  The Airbus arrived and the incoming passengers disembarked. It felt like we were boarding in no time.
 

The Air New Zealand Airbus 320 carries just over 140 passengers.  Even my relatively full flight boarded quickly and we were soon on our way.  The Airbus is a comfortable and quiet plane and the in-flight entertainment and meal made the three and a half hour flight seem quite short.
 
I have to say that it took me a while to notice what was “special” about the aircraft safety briefing.  I‘ve taken a few flights over the years and most times I have to confess that I don’t always pay as much attention as I should.  Then I noticed what the staff in the video were (or weren’t) wearing!

I’m proud that our airline has had the courage to run with a good idea and been prepared to stand out from the others; a bit like Rotorua’s decision to “go international.”  Take a close look at the Air New Zealand ad, filmed in similar style, which has certainly raised a few eyebrows ….
 


Sydney was great.  Once I had gotten over the shock of just getting there so quickly, followed by the shock of the heat – 28 degrees at 6pm, it was great to get into all that the city has to offer.  This time it included fine dining, shopping, a movie and a play as well as a fantastically informative bicycle tour of the city centre.

The flight home was even shorter than the trip out and it was great to be welcomed back to Aotearoa in song, sung live in the arrival hall.  I was in my car within minutes and heading home around the lake, thrilled with my trip, but as always happy to be home.

When are you going to book your flight from Rotorua to Sydney?