New South Wales: Mission possible

Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa features 40 chalets - each with a private pool. Photo / Supplied

The mission was travel to New South Wales on a five-star luxury trip. But can travelling to Australia really be a first-class experience? I was prepared to find out.

My trip began at the Emirates business class check-in desk. I sauntered up with a sense of purpose, as if it was a regular occurrence, but the truth is I've only ever been upgraded from cattle class a couple of times.

My inner snob felt right at home strutting towards the Emirates lounge at Auckland Airport before boarding the flight. Jonah Lomu was there sampling the smorgasbord. He was off to Paris, he said. I learned later he had signed to third division rugby team Marseille Vitrolles.

From the plush surrounds of the lounge it was soon all-aboard the Emirates A380 and - while Lomu may be used to flying first and business class - I, as I have explained - am not and I was determined to absorb the full experience.

Like a little kid I played with all the seat gadgets - extending it out to its full flat bed length of 2m and back again.

The spacious airline bathroom featured a full-length mirror and even a window, through which natural light pours. It makes you wonder why aeroplane lavatories have never had windows before. It's not like anyone can look in.

Three-and-a-half hours later, I tore myself away from the A380 to embrace the many luxuries of the sumptuous Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Smack in the heart of Sydney's business and shopping district, the hotel has accommodated some of the world's elite from the Queen, Prince Charles, Lady Di, the Sultan of Brunei, Sophia Loren ... and me.

The next morning, bright and early, I embarked on a three-hour drive into the Blue Mountains for a sneak preview of the exclusive Wolgan Valley resort and spa eco-lodge - which officially opens in October.

The world-class resort is owned by the Emirates Group, which also owns the Bedouin-style, five-star Al Maha Desert Resort in the Dubai Desert, and the Cap Ternay resort in the Seychelles. All three are conservation retreats, and at Wolgan, thousands of indigenous trees have been planted.

The lodge and the 40 chalets, each with their own deck and swimming pool, have a stunning backdrop of towering sandstone cliffs.

The resort boasts a spa, gym and tennis courts plus, for the more active, Aboriginal tours, horse riding treks and nature walks. Wombats, wallaroos and small black cats resembling miniature panthers can be found in the neighbouring bush.

The sheets may be 1200 thread-count Egyptian cotton, the chardonnay chilled to perfection, but outside you're definitely in wild Australia.

Later, out of the wild and back in the urban luxury of the Sofitel, enjoying a lavish five-course dinner ahead of the return A380 flight, I was forced to admit that New South Wales can drum up the five-star experiences very easily. It may require further investigation.