Australia and cruise around New Zealand (January-February 2018): Saturday 3 February: Land at last

Friday 2 February 2018

Saturday 3 February: Land at last - and our first glimpse of New Zealand

We made sure we were up in time to see land approach and we were soon heading for Milford Sound.

We have company!

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Track our flights

Thursday 25 January

Manchester to Abu Dhabi (0810-1925 [3.25pm UK time])

Etihad flight EY0016

Terminal 1/Gate 31. Seats: G is 22K and E is 22J. Boarding from 0710

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Thursday 25 January

Abu Dhabi to Perth (2205 Thursday [6.05pm UK time] to 1245 Friday [4.45am UK time)

Etihad flight EY0846

Terminal 1/Gate 3. Seats: G is 19A and E is 19B. Boarding from 2105 local time [5.05pm UK time]

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Tuesday 30 January

Perth to Sydney

Virgin Australia flight VA556 (1035 [2.35am UK time] to 1745 [6.45am UK time])

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Tuesday 13 February

Sydney to Adelaide

Virgin Australia flight VA436 (1815 [7.15am UK time] to 1955 [9.25am UK time])

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Saturday 17 February

Adelaide to Perth

Etihad flight (operated by Virgin Australia as flight VA719) Virgin Australia flight EY6977 (1410 [3.40am UK time] to 1505 [7.05am UK time])

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Saturday 17 February

Perth to Abu Dhabi

Etihad flight EY0487 (1715 Saturday [9.15am UK time] to 0015 Sunday [8.15pm Saturday UK time])

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Sunday 18 February

Abu Dhabi to Manchester

Etihad flight EY0015 (0230 [10.30pm Saturday UK time] to 0640)

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Our itinerary

Thursday 25 January

Fly from Manchester to Abu Dhabi

Fly from Abu Dhabi to Perth

Friday 26 January (Australia Day)

Arrive Perth 12.45pm local time. Check in to the Pensione Hotel Perth from 3pm. Watch the Perth Australia Day Skyworks in the evening, the largest celebration of Australia Day. Gets light by 5.15am and is dark by 7.45pm

Saturday 27 January

Day in Perth

Sunday 28 January

England v Australia ODI at the new Optus Stadium, Perth. Gates open 0930

Monday 29 January

Day in Perth

Tuesday 30 January

10.35am flight from Perth to Sydney (4 hours 10 minutes). Arrive Sydney at 5.45pm. Overnight at the Travelodge Hotel Sydney Wynyard. Gets light by 6am and is dark by 8.20pm

Wednesday 31 January

Tour of Sydney Opera House then board Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas for 13-night cruise around New Zealand. Blue moon in the early hours of Thursday should be visible in Australia and New Zealand

Thursday 1 February

Sea day

Friday 2 February

Sea day

Saturday 3 February

Fjord cruising on New Zealand's South Island: Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound

Sunday 4 February

Dunedin. Tour with Sheryl and Jim whom we met on a previous cruise and who live there. Gets light by 6.15am and is dark by 9.30pm

Monday 5 February

Akaroa (for Christchurch). Gets light by 6.15am and is dark by 9.15pm

Tuesday 6 February

Wellington. Waitangi Day (New Zealand's National Day) with events on the shore front. Gets light by 6am and is dark by 9pm

Wednesday 7 February

At sea

Thursday 8 February

Tauranga. Gets light by 6.10am and is dark by 8.45pm

Friday 9 February

At sea

Saturday 10 February

Bay of Islands

Sunday 11 February

At sea

Monday 12 February

At sea

Tuesday 13 February

Disembark in Sydney. Ship's tour to the Blue Mountains plus airport drop off then 6.15pm flight from Sydney Airport to Adelaide (1 hour 40 minutes). Arrive Adelaide at 7.55pm. Four nights in the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, Adelaide

Wednesday 14 February

Day in Adelaide. Gets light by 6.25am and is dark by 8.30pm

Thursday 15 February

Day in Adelaide

Friday 16 February

Day in Adelaide

Saturday 17 February

Check out by 11am. 1330 flight to Perth (3 hours 25 minutes). Arrive in Perth at 1430 then depart for Abu Dhabi (11 hour flight) at 1715.

Sunday 18 February

Arrive Abu Dhabi at 0015 local time. 0230 flight from Abu Dhabi to Manchester, arriving at 0640 (8 hours 10 minutes)

When to contact us

We have Internet access at each hotel where we're staying, We've also paid for Internet access on the ship. All overseas international airports we'll be passing through offer free Internet access too. Only at Manchester Airport are users in any way restricted - but they proudly proclaim that they've just doubled the free time allowance to 60 minutes!

Have a look at the times where we'll be to find out if it might be a good time to try to contact us. We'll be looking at emails etc as often as we can.