Damp Muswellbrook to cold Melbourne to the warm South Pacific in a day

Virgin Plane

What a day. Car, train, bus, plane, limousine, tram travel to experience the warm hospitality of the South Pacific.

It all started when I caught the 10.09 train from Muswellbrook to Newcastle. The train arrived late (yet again....) so I missed the connecting bus to the airport. After a 55 minute wait at the bus stop the bus came along and a half hour later I arrived at Newcastle Airport. This is a bit chaotic at the moment as they are in the process of renovating and expanding, but it will be great when it is finished. The 2.25pm Virgin plane departed only a few minutes late and I sat back and enjoyed the flight to Melbourne. Take off was smooth and I had a great overhead view of the Stockton Beach sand dunes. Made a mental note to revisit the dunes for more fun 4-wheel driving. It was then flying above the clouds 38,000 feet above sea level at a speed of 800klms per hour. (Sure does beat driving). The Boeing 737 800 plane, which has a capacity of 176 guests, was not completely full, so I had the bonus of a spare seat next to me. Time went quickly, helped along by the serving of refreshments of egg and lettuce sandwiches, orange juice and coffee. 

Hughes Chauffeured Limousines

After landing at Melbourne Airport I collected my bag and was greeted by a lovely driver from Hughes Chauffeured Limousines. I felt rather special being the only person taken to my hotel in the back seat of the limo. He was a great driver, dealing with the heavy traffic in an expert way, with very smooth lane changes.

We arrived at my hotel for the next few days, The Sebel Melbourne Docklands, and after a welcoming check-in, I went to my room for a quick change of clothes. Wow, what a room! It is a one bedroom suite on the 4th floor. All very modern and swish. Unfortunately I had little time to explore my new home for the next few days as I had a hectic program.

The hotel staff informed me of the tram I should catch to go to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, where my first function was being held. It is good to know that the trams in the CBD and Docklands area are now free to use, so I did not have to worry about using a Myki card.

South Pacific Tourism Exchange

The South Pacific Tourism Exchange, which is being staged today and tomorrow, was kicked of with a Media Cocktail Reception. This was a time of getting a sneak preview of the various exhibition booths, meeting some of the exhibitors, being entertained with South Pacific music and dance, and eating and drinking. The food showcased some of the delights of the South Pacific and included 

* Cold canapés 

- Freshly shucked pacific oysters with lime, black vinegar and soy dressing and wasabi tobiko

- Spanner crab, corn, yoghurt and yuzu pork

- Soft rice paper rolls with prawn and pork

- Tamarind silken tofu, peanut salad, betel leaves

* Hot canapés

- Scallops, black pudding, triple-cream mash

- Beef brisket slider, sauerkraut and secret sauce on brioche

- Fish and wedges with house-made tartare sauce

- Mushroom steamed buns with ginger and soy

*Dessert

- Banana and coconut macaron

South Pacific Tourism Exchange

Today is an introduction day to Melbourne and ATE15, with 

- Melbourne Insights in the morning, 

- a "Behind the Curtain" tour in the afternoon, and 

- the ATE15 Welcome Function in the evening. 

Keep reading for updates about ATE15.