Well, I couldn't find a detailed map of Canada, so I might be way off on my estimate of distance; I was looking at fragmented maps and trying to guesstimate. Of course, my concept of a long way and somebody else's could be poles apart, too.

Is that train journey part of the American Orient Express itineraries? I couldn't find anything "Gold Leaf" except in reference to it, so I don't know how to go look for a price.

Anchorage-Memphis was an overnight in 2001, and it was a killer. We'd go for a different airline and pay for a daytime flight if we had to (that was on FF miles). I can't even imagine Anchorage-Sydney.

My last experience with the Vancouver airport was in the middle of the night after a drastic delay in Chicago (after another flight was cancelled), so I might be negative about it due to that. The Anchorage airport was a dump, but it was so much smaller (at that time) and less intimidating than Vancouver. Of course, we weren't in the main Anchorage terminal, but in a strange one off to one side.