The first night in Hong Kong didn't quite go to plan.

A three-strong travel pack from Sydney was feeling fresh and raring to go after nine and a half hours of impeccable Cathay Pacific service.

I had expertly put my next door neighbours to sleep with my deadpan demeanour, thus freeing me up for an uninterrupted Breaking Bad rewatch binge.

It wasn't easy to leave the luxurious clutches of The Langham hotel in Kowloon , who amongst myriad classy touches had embroidered our initials into our pillowcases.

It softened the hardened hearts of three seasoned rugby journos. But with time of the essence, and armed with our high roller Octopus cards, we were back out the door on a whirlwind night mission to get up the top of Victoria Peak.

Catching the city's iconic tram is a must do and the elder statesman in our troika - let's call him Julio - insisted that nighttime was the right time to cast our gaze towards the sparkling skyscrapers.

The steep 396-metre climb is a beauty, taking less than eight minutes, and we congratulated ourselves for beating the crowds by avoiding the early morning tour buses.

But that's when things broke bad, as it quickly became apparent that conditions were a little different up in the clouds.

This was one of my better snaps from night one, after which we quickly rallied in true Australasian style and headed for the pub instead.

We opted for Ned Kelly's Last Stand in trendy Tsim Sha Tsui, which claims to be Hong Kong's oldest and most famous watering hole.

It was the perfect choice as we stumbled into the resident house band - Colin Aitchison and the China Coast Jazzmen - in full flight.

The next three days were hard graft as we lovingly documented every try (well, some of them) while 82,000 litres of beer was downed at the Hong Kong Sevens.

It is an extraordinary party where results don't really matter, well summed up by an Irishman dressed up as Raygun.

"This sevens has been a brilliant lark. No-one really gives a f--- about who's playing on Saturday but come Sunday night, they're like no, I'm like, I'm quite interested."

As the city nursed an almighty collective hangover, I was eager to get back amongst the mayhem of this tightly packed metropolis.

I was also very hungry.

The food at the brand spanking new, $6 billion Kai Tak St adium wasn't bad by any means - nor was some late night 'stinky tofu' - but it was time to let the taste buds roam.

Hong Kong Foodie offer six different tours around the city and I opted for the Central and Sheung Wan experience.

Our knowledgeable and nimble guide Ed offered just the right mix of humour and local insight as a party of five chomped and sipped our way through six different establishments over three and a half hours.

First up was prawn wonton noodle soup at a brother and sister operation, warming us up nicely on a chilly April Fool's Day.

We then tackled some dangerously tasty BBQ roast pork as the duck, chicken and goose remained hanging and intact - for now.

Roast goose in particular is a favourite for locals.

It's not dissimilar to duck but has darkier, fattier meat and a fuller flavour.

We washed that down with some refreshing sugarcane juice - diabetes be damned - then deftly unwrapped an array of traditional Chinese preserved fruits.

A preserved olive was an unexpected surprise and I saved the rest of the packet for stuffing in my pocket and munching throughout the evening.

Before finishing the tour with a delicious dim sum selection, herbal tea and the famous egg tarts, Ed explained how the complexion of the CBD was changing.

Sadly, market forces and huge rents mean many of the inner city food stalls and markets are either being pushed out, or into the ubiquitous skyscrapers.

We met Mrs Lao, who is well into retirement age but still spends most days at her vegetable stall so she can chat to her best mate across the street.

The tour also wound through historic Hollywood Road, still laden with antiques, and the Taoist Man Mo Temple, packed with worshipers offering incense to the gods.

After working off a few of my calories along the waterfront, it was time to get out into Victoria Harbour for myself.

Aqualuna's fleet of iconic red sail Chinese junk boats offer all sorts of experiences, with pirate and mermaid cruises for the little ones and dim sum and dinner options for those who like to dine in style.

I was on the Symphony of Lights cruise, a 45-minute jolly centred around the nightly 8pm lights, laser and music show that is genuinely stunning.

One of my fellow seafarers was a young American English teacher who was trying to convince her friends that she had called in sick to work that day because of a genuine illness - and not the fact she had just attended three days at the sevens.

She eventually gave up the fight and bravely necked a glass of the complimentary red.

No alcohol was needed, how ever, to enhance the immersive and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The final day of a whirlwind trip had arrived and it was time to return to the scene of the initial travel crime.

The gun concierge staff at The Langham had explained the rule simply: if you can see the top of 552m Victoria Peak from the bottom then the view from on high will also be good.

Duh.

The view, and the fun and historic 1.27km tram ride, is the main attraction at The Peak - but certainly not the only one.

You could easily spend a whole day there, with two shopping malls - Peak Galleria and The Peak Tower - housing countless food and beverage options.

Once suitably fuelled, you can keep on snapping away for the 'Gram while tackling the 3.5km Peak Circle Walk or the 20 minute uphill stroll to the delightful Victoria Peak Garden.

The writer travelled thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Cathay Pacific and The Langham