This was published 8 years ago
Traveller letters: Can anyone name a worse First-World airport than Sydney?
TERMINAL DECLINE
When you get to Sydney International Airport you remember how bad it is. On a Sunday the traffic queue was back past Link Road - about the same length as the line-up for Immigration and Security. Inside I was denied a drink at a bar because they didn't have any clean glasses left.
Toilets were putrid. Duty-free displays in the corridors form traffic choke points, daring you to kick one over. Three big departures were occurring from the same lounge so there was 70 minutes of no seating and no order. Everywhere there was evidence of construction. Signs promised they are building a better airport but they didn't say where. I don't think they meant Mascot.
Eventually you have to come home. Sydney duty-free prices are almost twice that of Singapore or Dubai. To pay for the mythical better airport? It's still the same old Immigration and luggage Hall, 70s-tired, slow, inadequate and chaotic. At least 160 tired passengers wait for one of 500 waiting taxis but it still takes 23 minutes to get inside one.
Can anyone name a worse First-World airport?
Ian Robertson
LETTER OF THE WEEK
Having just returned from a fabulous 14 days in Japan on a cherry blossom tour with Janesco Travel, I'd like to share my experience. Arriving on the second day at the castle in Kanazawa I reached for my phone to take a couple of photos only to realise that the phone was not there and to further realise that was still in the back pocket of the seat on the Bullet Train from Fukuoka.
Janesco Travel swung into action with a call to Japan Rail and had it delivered back to Kanazawa station in time for us to pick it up before our return trip. Bravo to Hiro, our tour guide, and Janesco for such a wonderful time.
Greg Taylor
ON THE WILD SIDE I
What a splendid article by Lance Richardson (Traveller, April 25-26) promoting the benefits of our National Parks. Confronted by wilderness, you take on the challenge; the adventure of the unknown in the hope, expectation that once traversed you will bathe in the achievement of your success.
Not for the faint-hearted, trekking the unknown, but without these splendid wilderness areas preserved to tantalisingly test us, what would be left to challenge us, to allow us to walk in the footsteps of those early pioneers who conquered the bush outback.
I have trekked many areas, Point Lookout to the coast in the New England National Park, and much of the Mount Kaputar National Park including Mt Lindsay, Gwydir Falls on the Horton River, Mt Waa and Waa Gorge.
I recently revisited Mount Kaputar National Park. Construction of the road to the summit had only just begun when I was last there. What a glorious camping and walking area it is now, the vistas from numerous lookout points breathtaking. Not so well known, this underrated little gem is a real credit to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Michael Webb
ON THE WILD SIDE II
I believe it is important to get our facts right concerning the history of national parks. Australia did not "pilfer" the idea from the US as claimed by Lance Richardson. The name National Park was given to Yellowstone Public Park in May 1872 to indicate that it was under federal jurisdiction. It could not be otherwise because there were no States in the area to grant it to. When in April 1879 National Park (Royal National Park since 1955) was established in New South Wales it was reserved for the 'purpose of a national park' - a new form of land use – the first in the world. Let us be proud of our invention.
Geoff Mosley
MOUNTAIN HIGH
What a shame Peter Ayres didn't enjoy his experience at the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains (Traveller letters, April 24-25). We spent a night there last week and had a drink in every available venue as well as dinner in the Wintergarden restaurant. The service was excellent (they have a training school on site), as was the quality of the food and drink.
Both the food and wine lists were reasonably priced. We will certainly go back and believe the renovated Hydro Majestic will provide a boost for the Blue Mountains economy.
Amanda McDougall
BAZAAR OVERSIGHT
Your article "Split the difference" left out one global city of over 15 million where even today, the two vastly different parts have separate names. I refer of course to Delhi/New Delhi. "Old" Delhi is a captivating mix of historic Muslim and Mogul monuments, with the Red Fort alone worthy of exploration for a whole day.
Its backstreets and bazaars are fascinating to just wander and watch people. In complete contrast, New Delhi was created (with a layout not unlike that of Canberra) as the British colonial capital.
Extending south from Connaught place, with its fine hotels, shops, banks and restaurants, it is an easy walk via Janpath to the impressive India Gate war memorial, with the equally imposing array of the parliament and other government buildings to the west. And this is only scratching the surface of one of the world's great cities.
Mike Cuming
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