AFF Gathering #4, Brisbane, October 22-24, 2010

[anat0l]

"Penne with Pesto sauce and oven roasted vegetables"!! (Penne with a green looking gravy with carrots and a few other bits of vegeis - IMHO tasteless!

Sounds awfully familiar to me - reminds me of the pasta with ragu (sic) dish of some distant time ago. Wasn't a hit on me either, also fairly tasteless and watery.

Aside from being airline food; If I want a vegetarian "meal" I would have requested one. (Apologies to all those vegans out there)

The aforementioned dish I said above had some meat, but it didn't make a difference.

I wonder if they still give the moussaka as the VGML.

 

[anat0l]

Thanks everyone for coming

Thanks everyone for coming to sunny Brisbane for this Do (well, it was sunny whilst you were here).

I hope you all had a great time, and continuing the run of these AFF Dos. It'll be a slight tussle to work out where the next of these Gathers should be.

I'd like to thank the academy very much for their kind token of thanks I was offered on Saturday night, however as I also mentioned many times, it would be wrong of me to assume all the credit. Special thanks go out to all the Brisbane Drinks regulars - Bundy Bear, samh004, JohnK, Mal, whereishome and trippin_the_rift - for tossing in several ideas into the painfully large melting pot. It took some considerable headstrong to distill these down to a few candidates, but it all starts with ideas. Thanks to MAX_1 for organising the golf (along with JohnK). From myself personally, thanks very much to Lindsay Wilson for chauffeuring services

Congratulations to ozbeachhunk for winning the 2nd AFF Golf Challenge.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Eventually home after arriving at Jetport Parking to discover right rear tyre flat as a tack. :evil: - and trouble at every turn changing it, but got there in the end.

cough end to what was a most enjoyable weekend catching up with friends old and new.

I think you were getting bad vibes from you car; as you were worried about the car not starting, but it turns into a flat tire. :shock:

Now, where's the next one going to be held?

Good point, how about Canberra. :idea:

 

[penegal]

Re: Thanks everyone for coming

It'll be a slight tussle to work out where the next of these Gathers should be.

The main options I heard mentioned were:

• Canberra
• Hobart
• Queenstown
• Other NZ

Darwin was also suggested, but given that OzFest is happening in May, another venue may be better.

 

[samh004]

The main options I heard mentioned were

And so it begins

 

[penegal]

Re: Thanks everyone for coming

Congratulations to ozbeachhunk for winning the 2nd AFF Golf Challenge.

I thought we were calling him ozbeachbandit.

Either way congratulations to Rob for playing an excellent round. Has he signed up to AFF yet?

 

[serfty]

I thought we were calling him ozbeachbandit.

Either way congratulations to Rob for playing an excellent round. Has he signed up to AFF yet?

IIRC, OzBeachBabe labelled Rob OzBeachhunk in posts for the FT CNS OZfest.

The 'bandit' is a humorous dig.

 

[proskyneo]

Re: Thanks everyone for coming

The main options I heard mentioned were:

• Canberra
• Hobart
• Queenstown
• Other NZ

Darwin was also suggested, but given that OzFest is happening in May, another venue may be better.

Ooooh Hobart!

 

[Keith009]

Canberra or Queenstown for me. Canberra would be the cheaper and more convenient option, but Queenstown means we'd be going international for our first time.

I don't mind Hobart either - v much enjoyed my 1 night there.

Tossing another one into the ring - Wellington. Lots of fab places to eat and drink at.

 

[Bundy Bear]

One thing Canberra has going for it is a J lounge. :idea: and centrally located between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin.

 

[bossreggie]

Tossing another one into the ring - Wellington. Lots of fab places to eat and drink at.

Main issue with me for WLG is that QF only flies those coughpy 734's on that route. That means I'd have to do MEL - AKL with QF or EK then a DOM Deathstar AKL - WLG. I'd prefer ZQN to WLG as at least I could get a direct flight on a 738 out of MEL. Is there any type of lounge at ZQN??

I would also be down for EITHER CBR or HBA.

 

[Keith009]

Main issue with me for WLG is that QF only flies those coughpy 734's on that route. That means I'd have to do MEL - AKL with QF or EK then a DOM Deathstar AKL - WLG. I'd prefer ZQN to WLG as at least I could get a direct flight on a 738 out of MEL. Is there any type of lounge at ZQN??

The 734s have now been fitted with the Millenium seats in J and in whY the product should be similar, unless it's the aircraft type itself you're unhappy with?

ZQN flights are seasonal ex-MEL though... but I'm not v sure what the schedules are like. I'd probably be burning up BD miles and using NZ either way.

 

[notzac]

I had a really good time -- was lovely to catch up with everyone.

Am definitely in favour of making #5 an International gathering ... however as wonderful as WLG and ZQN look to be, I'd have to say that AKL would make for generally cheaper hotels and more varied flight options by comparison.

Plus there might be a bar or two that I quite like in AKL

If we keep the gatherings domestic, I like the idea of HBA..

 

[markis10]

One thing Canberra has going for it is a J lounge. :idea: and centrally located between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin.

How about ASP, its about as central as you are going to get And it does have a QP, not sure what its like though, I will check it out mid Nov.

 

[anat0l]

The 734s have now been fitted with the Millenium seats in J and in whY the product should be similar, unless it's the aircraft type itself you're unhappy with?

All Jetconnect 734s have always had Millennium J fitted. People still don't like the old aircraft; peeling is showing.

I'd probably be burning up BD miles and using NZ either way.

I'd be the same on some Trans-Tasman as well, if only that the taxes on the Trans-Tasman suck royally (and that's the nicest way of describing it). Basically unless you had no other options, you're better off bending over and paying the fare fully in cash.

How about ASP, its about as central as you are going to get And it does have a QP, not sure what its like though, I will check it out mid Nov.

QP is alright - small room with full length windows, light snacks. If you check out my trip report of a couple of years ago (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....dacious-australian-asian-adventure-18744.html), you'll see some pics of ASP and the QP.

 

[Ewing]

One thing Canberra has going for it is a J lounge. :idea: and centrally located between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin.

It'll also be the newest J lounge shortly when the new terminal finally opens (which was supposed to be back in September, so it must be soon).

But holding it here means that I don't get to fly anywhere

 

[markis10]

QP is alright - small room with full length windows, light snacks. If you check out my trip report of a couple of years ago (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....dacious-australian-asian-adventure-18744.html), you'll see some pics of ASP and the QP.

Thanks - I was looking forward to a MKY type lounge, that way I cannot be disappointed!

 

[drron]

I have only ever seen you hit drives into the middles of trees, middle of the water, middle of the bunkers but never on the fairway. .

Fair comment based on last years effort.

Oh, drron hit several fairways, sometime even the ones were were playing at the time.

Not so fair.It was my second,third and subsequent shots that found other fairways or water(on too many occasions).
Maybe I should mention the 3 occasions when my playing partners used their woods but my 3 iron was further down the fairway!:shock:
John I am not embarrassed-a worthy Don Bradman effort of 126 from me.I wont embarrass the others any further other than saying I was just 33 strokes from second place.

 

[bossreggie]

Don't worry about your golf scores... If I was playing I'd still be out there.

 

[samh004]

Canberra or Queenstown for me. Canberra would be the cheaper and more convenient option, but Queenstown means we'd be going international for our first time.

I don't mind Hobart either - v much enjoyed my 1 night there.

Tossing another one into the ring - Wellington. Lots of fab places to eat and drink at.

I know no one wants to hear this, but JetStar are starting direct flights between MEL/SYD/OOL and ZQN next year and they’re a heck of a lot cheaper.

Is there any type of lounge at ZQN??

Yes bit it’s Air NZ (and J pax on QF only) I believe. It’s also land side, so you can’t stumble out of the lounge and onto the plane.

John I am not embarrassed-a worthy Don Bradman effort of 126 from me.I wont embarrass the others any further other than saying I was just 33 strokes from second place.

If I’d attempted, I’d be about 33 behind you

Don't worry about your golf scores... If I was playing I'd still be out there.

Gosh it was hot out there.

I got the rest of my photos up today, same link as before.

MobileMe Gallery

Now to work on 3 days of blog entries… ugh!