Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas

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Flight Reviews | Lounge Reviews | Destinations | Short Breaks | World Trip 1986 | World Trip 1998 | World Trip 1999-2000 | World Trip 2006 | World Trip 2009 | World Trip 2009-10 | World Trip 2010 | World Trip 2011 | World Trip 2012-13 | World Trip 2015 | World Trip 2016 | World Trip 2017 | World Trip 2017-18 | World Trip 2018 | World Trip 2019 | Australia 2022 | World Trip 2023 | World Trip 2024 | World Trip 2024-25 | World Trip 2026-27

  • World Trip 2007 – Day 3: Auckland to Melbourne, Australia

    Monday 30 July 2007 – Photos
    Highlights: Flight Home and onwards to Brisbane

    So the short trip to New Zealand was over today and all I needed to do was get back to Melbourne in time to catch a work trip to Brisbane for work.

    As my plane was leaving Auckland Airport I received a call from ANZ reporting unusual activity on my credit card.  It turns out someone had gotten hold of my credit card details.  We went though transaction by transaction stopping the fraudulent ones, allowing the legitimate ones to go forward, and cancelling my credit card.  Who would have thought with all my world travel it would be New Zealand that somehow my details were stolen?

  • World Trip 2007 – Day 2: Matamata, New Zealand

    Sunday 29 July 2007 – Photos
    Highlights: Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings)

    I had a brilliant time today.   First I got a call at 7 am local time (5 am as far as my body was concerned!) asking if I wanted to change trip as I was the only one booked, after advising no I couldn’t change this tour date I was told no problems we will go ahead with just two people.

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  • World Trip 2007 – Day 1: Melbourne to Auckland, New Zealand

    Saturday 28 July 2007  – Photos
    Highlights: Qantas Melbourne International First Class lounge, Upgraded to Business Class after taking my economy seat 🙂

    The trip is about two things, helping re-qualifying status for my next world trip and seeing Lord of the Rings sets.

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  • New Zealand pre-trip preparation

    Tomorrow I’m off to Auckland, New Zealand for a very short 3 day visit (really only 1 full day).   As with all travel you need to prepare.   As I want to check out the new QANTAS first class lounge I’m staying at my mum’s the night before (as she is only a few minutes from the airport).   That means coming to work ready to travel.

    I’m in NZ for 3 days, and then going to Brisbane (via Melbourne) for work for 2 days.   That means from Friday morning to late Wednesday night I’m away from home.   I’m only taking carry-on baggage, god I’m so used to travelling now I can get it down to the basics (helps that work is casual dress in Brisbane).

    The trip is about visiting the Hobbiton set from one of my favourite films, the Lord of the Rings, and secondary to prepare for my big world trip in 2 years (by testing out pre-allocation of seats and getting status that will make it easier for lounge access and flights).   For a $350 outlay it seems a cheap flight.   Hopefully I’ll remember everything!

  • A big presentation & stress

    Tomorrow I get to make a presentation about the project I’m heading up at work. It’s probably the most important work meeting I’ve been involved in and could, if all goes well, help my career, if it goes badly it definitely will hurt any future promotions in the near term. It’s interesting that stress is really self imposed. Others can try to impose stress on yourself but really it is up to you whether you allow it or not. I write this to remind myself, I’ve allowed myself to get stressed over something which while important in a work context does really matter a great deal. Besides I’ve done my best, I’ve got a good team and we have worked very hard. If others judge us to be off the tracks that’s there call, I know some of my best and most creative work as gone into creating a new SMSF Annual Return and the associated changes to the Tax Office.

    The travel side of the project will help me with lounge access on my next big world trip, which is the important thing. I’m rewarding myself with a quick holiday to Auckland this weekend. Seems I still have the travelling bug!!!