Nathan's Insights

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


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About | Countries | Tours | Trips | Bucket List – Done | Bucket List – To Do | Airport Lounges | Flight History

Travel Categories:
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 2024-25: Day 4 – Los Angeles to Maimi, USA

    Speedboat tour – Miami, USA

    Monday 02 December 2024
    Highlights: Speedboat Sighting around Maimi’s Coastline

    After a long and enjoyable Day 3 of the trip we moved onto the difficult task of getting to Maimi in overnight flights.

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  • Flight Review – AA2371 Orlando to Miami

    American Airlines
    Date: 02 December 2024
    Flight Number: AA2371
    Gate: 56 
    Seat: 10A & 10B (Economy)
    Plane: Boeing 737 Max-8
    Boarded: 07:35 
    Pushback: 08:06 (Scheduled 08:00)
    Take off: 08:23
    Arrived: 09:03 (Scheduled 09:14)
    Scheduled Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes
    Actual Duration: 57 minutes
    Distance: 309 km

    This flight was from Orlando International Airport (MCO – Orlando, USA) to Miami International Airport (MIA – Miami, USA).

    This was the second of two flights, see here for the Los Angeles to Orlando flight review.

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  • Flight Review – AA2091 Los Angeles to Orlando

    American Airlines
    Date: 01-02 December 2024
    Flight Number: AA2091
    Gate: 48A (Terminal 4)
    Seat: 13D & 13E (Economy)
    Plane: Airbus A321neo
    Boarded: 22:24 
    Pushback: 23:08 (Scheduled 22:59)
    Take off: 23:26
    Arrived: 06:24 (Scheduled 06:45)
    Schedule Duration: 4 hours 46 minutes
    Actual Duration: 4 hours 16 minutes
    Distance: 3,569 km

    This flight was from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX – Los Angeles, USA) to Orlando International Airport (MCO – Orlando, USA).

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  • World Trip 2024-25: Day 3 – Los Angeles, USA

    Universal Studios Hollywood – Los Angeles, USA

    Sunday 01 December 2024
    Highlights: Universal Studios in particular Backlot Tours and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.

    A big day at Universal Studios was ahead followed up being a trip to the airport for an overnight flights to get to Maimi.

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  • World Trip 2024-25: Day 2 – Los Angeles, USA

    Central Perk (Friends) Warner Bros. Studios – Los Angeles, USA

    Saturday 30 November 2024.
    Highlights: Warner Studios Bros. Tour, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles Skyline at night

    A big day awaited us today but first, we had to adjust to our new time zone. I woke up several times during the night and finally got up at 9 am, which was 4 am in Melbourne roughly the time I lock the cats out of my room, so nothing new. I let Erin sleep in a little longer.

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  • World Trip 2024-25: Day 1 – Melbourne to Los Angeles, USA

    Friday 29 November 2024.
    Highlights: Business class flights, The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

    The start of my 2024-25 world trip commences with an extended day travelling over the international date line from Australia to the USA via Fiji.

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  • Flight Review – FJ810 Nadi to Los Angeles

    Fiji Airways
    Date: 29 November 2024
    Flight Number: FJ810
    Gate: 7
    Seat: 15K & 16K (Business Class Seat)
    Plane: Airbus A350-900
    Boarded: 21:07
    Pushback: 22:13 (Scheduled 21:40)
    Lift off: 22:32
    Arrived: 12:14 (Scheduled 11:50)
    Duration: 10 hours 1 minute
    Distance: 8,881 km

    This flight was from Nadi International Airport (Nadi, Fiji) to Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, USA).

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  • Flight Review  – FJ934 Melbourne to Nadi

    Fiji Airways
    Date: 29 November 2024
    Flight Number: FJ934
    Gate: 7
    Seat: 1A & 2A (Business Class Seat)
    Plane: Airbus A330-200
    Boarded: 13:00
    Pushback: 14:14 (Scheduled 13:35)
    Lift off: 14:30
    Arrived: 19:59 (Scheduled 19:15)
    Duration: 4 hour 40 minutes
    Distance: 3,867 kms

    This flight was from Tullamarine International Airport (Melbourne, Australia) to  Nadi International Airport (Nadi, Fiji).

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  • World Trip 2024-25: Day 0 – Farewelling Everyone

    28 November 2024

    The day before a big trip can get very hectic as you mix excitment with worry about whether you are prepared and you attempt to finalised everything.

    For this trip I had organised for apartment sitters to look after both the apartment and more importantly my cats. Working in the morning I had my last meeting finish at noon and I packed my bags and prepared the apartment. The cats sensed something was up but as long as I didn’t get the cat carriers out they were content to just watch me.

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  • Destination: Australia

    Official Name: Commonwealth of Australia
    Established: 01 January 1901 (Federation), 26 January 1788 (United Kingdom established colony)
    Population: 27,361,50 (2024 estimate)
    Country Size: 7,688,287 square kms
    Religion: 43.9% Christianity, 38.9% no religion, 3.2% Islam, 2.7% Hinduism, 2.4% Buddhism
    Language: English
    Currency: Australian Dollar
    Capital: Canberra
    Visited States/Territories: Victoria (VIC), Tasmania (TAS), New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Western Australia (WA), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Northern Territory (NT)
    Selected Highlights: Wine and Chocolate tastings Margaret River (WA), Attending first night Test Match Adelaide Oval (SA), cycling on the Great Ocean Road for a week (VIC), Visiting the Federal Parliament House and the Prime Minister’s office (ACT), Diving and swimming around the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns (QLD), Exploring Historic Rocks Area Sydney (NSW), Visiting Sydney Opera House (NSW), exploring the outback (NT), watching the sunset at Cable Beach, Broome (WA), visiting the underground town of Coober Pedy (SA), hiking in Alpine National Park – Gippsland (VIC), 15+ years visiting country town of Myrtleford for Easter Tennis Tournament (VIC), hiking the stunning Cradle Mountain (TAS), hiking Freycinet National Park to reach majestic and remote Wineglass Bay (TAS), exploring Port Arthur historical site of penal colony from 1830 (TAS), enjoying the sun on Gold Coast beaches (QLD), Enjoying natural around the ground at the Tahune Forest air walk (TAS), taking the 2979 kilometres 3 day rail trip on the Ghan through Central Australia from Darwin to Adelaide (NT & SA), visited and explored Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park including watching the sun rise and set over Ayers Rock (NT), Epic helicopter experience over Katherine Gorge (NT), sunrise flight over Lake Argyle and Bungle Bungle (WA)

    First Written 23 August 2024

    Note: This entry is to help me recall the first country I ever explore, my own country. For the most part I didn’t keep journals of my travels around Australia but I wish I did and I will from now on.

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