Hello everyone
#31
Re: Hello everyone
I will have been here four years next February and it feels just like.......four years.
I've travelled NZ top to bottom on holiday in 1997. Went camping on the South Island. Queenstown was ok. We had a picnic overlooking Lake Wakatipu. I found Queenstown hellishly touristy and geared to Asian tourists and outward bound adventure enthusiasts.
In the four years I've been here we've visited Auckland, quite often. (Attempted to settle there on arrival 2011, that's a whole other story.)
We've been to Christchurch for a ski holiday back in August. Must be NZ ! We lived there in in 2011 too. We got around a bit that year.
We've had some nice days out here in NZ. For instance yesterday we visited Mount Bruce nature reserve an hour and a half's drive away from Wanganui. We've seen the Bridge to Nowhere. We've driven the Forgotten World Highway.
We were in Martinborough for our holiday this year. We will be visiting another part of the North Island for our holiday next year.
I'd still like to go whale watching in Kaikoura.
However, I'm aware that there's not much left to do that could be done on a holiday or day trip basis.
I'm not one for bungee jumping or white water rafting. So there's not much left in NZ that would interest me really.
I've travelled NZ top to bottom on holiday in 1997. Went camping on the South Island. Queenstown was ok. We had a picnic overlooking Lake Wakatipu. I found Queenstown hellishly touristy and geared to Asian tourists and outward bound adventure enthusiasts.
In the four years I've been here we've visited Auckland, quite often. (Attempted to settle there on arrival 2011, that's a whole other story.)
We've been to Christchurch for a ski holiday back in August. Must be NZ ! We lived there in in 2011 too. We got around a bit that year.
We've had some nice days out here in NZ. For instance yesterday we visited Mount Bruce nature reserve an hour and a half's drive away from Wanganui. We've seen the Bridge to Nowhere. We've driven the Forgotten World Highway.
We were in Martinborough for our holiday this year. We will be visiting another part of the North Island for our holiday next year.
I'd still like to go whale watching in Kaikoura.
However, I'm aware that there's not much left to do that could be done on a holiday or day trip basis.
I'm not one for bungee jumping or white water rafting. So there's not much left in NZ that would interest me really.
I would be inclined to agree with you about Queenstown. I guess it all depends what you want. Whilst Queenstown is beautiful I personally prefer the surrounding areas - Arrowtown, Cromwell, Wanaka, Alexandra. I too find it overly touristy and a bit too busy.
Am I right in thinking the Tongariro Crossing is near(ish) you Snap Shot? Have you had any experiences with it? I'm planning to do it when I head up to the North Island in March
#32
Re: Hello everyone
Yes, I think you make a good point at the end there Snap Shot. It does all depend on personal interests.
I would be inclined to agree with you about Queenstown. I guess it all depends what you want. Whilst Queenstown is beautiful I personally prefer the surrounding areas - Arrowtown, Cromwell, Wanaka, Alexandra. I too find it overly touristy and a bit too busy.
Am I right in thinking the Tongariro Crossing is near(ish) you Snap Shot? Have you had any experiences with it? I'm planning to do it when I head up to the North Island in March
#33
Re: Hello everyone
I thought Id pop back on and see how everyone is. It's so weird reading my old posts even though it wasn't that long ago. The bad news is my grandad died, it was so weird reading my replies about him. He wasn't even very Sick at that point, it all went downhill quickly and he was in hospital for 5 weeks before he died.
The good news is that's me booked up for my travels. I leave scotland at the start of November and head to singapore for a few days. Then I arrive in sydney on the 6th of November. I wouldn't say I was excited yet... Just stressed at the moment haha!
The good news is that's me booked up for my travels. I leave scotland at the start of November and head to singapore for a few days. Then I arrive in sydney on the 6th of November. I wouldn't say I was excited yet... Just stressed at the moment haha!
#34
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2014
Location: North Canterbury
Posts: 487
Re: Hello everyone
I thought Id pop back on and see how everyone is. It's so weird reading my old posts even though it wasn't that long ago. The bad news is my grandad died, it was so weird reading my replies about him. He wasn't even very Sick at that point, it all went downhill quickly and he was in hospital for 5 weeks before he died.
The good news is that's me booked up for my travels. I leave scotland at the start of November and head to singapore for a few days. Then I arrive in sydney on the 6th of November. I wouldn't say I was excited yet... Just stressed at the moment haha!
The good news is that's me booked up for my travels. I leave scotland at the start of November and head to singapore for a few days. Then I arrive in sydney on the 6th of November. I wouldn't say I was excited yet... Just stressed at the moment haha!
You arrive on Vino Paradiso day Hope you are not too jet lagged to get yourself down the harbour for the international wine and food festival. It's brilliant
Are you just touring Australia and if so how long for??? I remember you mentioned a year, may be two?
If you have the money, book yourself for one night at the Marina Bay Sounds hotel in Singapore. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!
Sorry to hear about your Grandad by the way
Last edited by Tom H; Aug 10th 2015 at 11:18 pm.
#35
Re: Hello everyone
You arrive on Vino Paradiso day Hope you are not too jet lagged to get yourself down the harbour for the international wine and food festival. It's brilliant
Are you just touring Australia and if so how long for???
If you have the money, book yourself for one night at the Marina Bay Sounds hotel in Singapore. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!
Sorry to hear about your Grandad by the way
Are you just touring Australia and if so how long for???
If you have the money, book yourself for one night at the Marina Bay Sounds hotel in Singapore. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!
Sorry to hear about your Grandad by the way
I've got a years visa for australia, going to try and stay the full year and then move onto New Zealand for a minimum of a month but this all depends on money. I could end up without a job and come back with my tail between my legs!
I really wish i could afford a lovely hotel but im booked into a hostel already. I think I should have went to thailand instead so I could get a nice hotel for cheaper haha.
Thanks, it was very sad seeing him waste away for 5 weeks. Cruel. He's not suffering anymore now though which I guess is what we have to remember. My mum and gran are still struggling though. Im dreading christmas for them, I feel really guilty for leaving before then too
#36
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2014
Location: North Canterbury
Posts: 487
Re: Hello everyone
You'll easily stay the full year
Does your passport have a little rectangle with a circle in the middle at the bottom? If so, congratulations!!! You can avoid queuing for immigration clearance. I bypassed queuing for immigration at Melbourne when I went recently. Thank goodness, especially since I arrived the same time flights from Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai - you can imagine how busy it was at the airport that day
Remember to fill your passenger arrival card out correctly. Please include ticking for any food etc. I don't want to see you on Border Security being fined...
You've chosen wisely to do Australia for a year. Have a great time there! Make sure you visit Alice Springs whilst there. Trust me, its such a unique place - well worth visiting. Better to do it during the winter months unless you are prepared to put up with severe temperatures.
Does your passport have a little rectangle with a circle in the middle at the bottom? If so, congratulations!!! You can avoid queuing for immigration clearance. I bypassed queuing for immigration at Melbourne when I went recently. Thank goodness, especially since I arrived the same time flights from Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai - you can imagine how busy it was at the airport that day
Remember to fill your passenger arrival card out correctly. Please include ticking for any food etc. I don't want to see you on Border Security being fined...
You've chosen wisely to do Australia for a year. Have a great time there! Make sure you visit Alice Springs whilst there. Trust me, its such a unique place - well worth visiting. Better to do it during the winter months unless you are prepared to put up with severe temperatures.
#37
Re: Hello everyone
I'll have to check it once I get home, I think we tried to do that last time we went on holiday but it didn't work. The immigration people in America were scary, I would rather avoid the australian ones as much as I can! I watch those border security programs quite often!
Yeah the year should be good. Hoping to find work and stay in sydney till around March or something like that and then not sure what my plan is after that. Once it's cooled down im going to do the east coast. I want to see WA too. Then once I've been there I want to come to New Zealand. I think I might try and do a week in Bali too but all of this depends on money!! I really hope it all works out though, I've waited such a loooooong time to travel
Yeah the year should be good. Hoping to find work and stay in sydney till around March or something like that and then not sure what my plan is after that. Once it's cooled down im going to do the east coast. I want to see WA too. Then once I've been there I want to come to New Zealand. I think I might try and do a week in Bali too but all of this depends on money!! I really hope it all works out though, I've waited such a loooooong time to travel
#38
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: Hello everyone
sorry to hear about your Granddad Stacey and I am sure that your mum and Grandma would not want you to miss out on this opportunity and they will still have each other. Just see if you can arrange that you are able skype them regularly with all your news. that may mean helping them to work it before you go or they may tech savvy (?)
Really excited for you, to be honest since we have moved I feel that most younger people should take the possibility of getting out and seeing some of the world before they settle down as feel it would be amazing for them. Trying to get my son to try it but he's not budging at the moment, his precious motorbike is all that matters
anyway you must keep us up to date with all you are doing x
Really excited for you, to be honest since we have moved I feel that most younger people should take the possibility of getting out and seeing some of the world before they settle down as feel it would be amazing for them. Trying to get my son to try it but he's not budging at the moment, his precious motorbike is all that matters
anyway you must keep us up to date with all you are doing x
#39
Re: Hello everyone
sorry to hear about your Granddad Stacey and I am sure that your mum and Grandma would not want you to miss out on this opportunity and they will still have each other. Just see if you can arrange that you are able skype them regularly with all your news. that may mean helping them to work it before you go or they may tech savvy (?)
Really excited for you, to be honest since we have moved I feel that most younger people should take the possibility of getting out and seeing some of the world before they settle down as feel it would be amazing for them. Trying to get my son to try it but he's not budging at the moment, his precious motorbike is all that matters
anyway you must keep us up to date with all you are doing x
Really excited for you, to be honest since we have moved I feel that most younger people should take the possibility of getting out and seeing some of the world before they settle down as feel it would be amazing for them. Trying to get my son to try it but he's not budging at the moment, his precious motorbike is all that matters
anyway you must keep us up to date with all you are doing x
Yeah I done everything in the wrong order lol settled down, got the house etc too early instead of travelling and now I'm in some sort of quarter life crisis haha! Least im going now though. Never been proper travelling, not even interrailing. Just the standard holidays and a last minute random 5 days in london last year alone in a hostel which seemed to make the travelling urge worse. So least that's me giving it a shot now.
Oh does he not want to go, I guess not everybody does. My best friend got married recently and she would never do this kind of travelling. Neither would most of my friends, I only have one friend who would and she's going to asia for a month but nothing long term so far. Maybe he'll decide to go somewhere one day. Men do like their bikes and cars though lol.
I will! I would have loved to come over to new zealand to escape some of the australian summer but im going to have to try and stay in one area to save up first x
#40
Re: Hello everyone
My partner and I saved hard, quit our jobs and bought the cheapest one way ticket on Sky Scanner. One year later we touched back down in the UK! Has the time of our lives and would do it all again in a heart beat
You'll have a blast Stacey. Sorry to hear about your granddad, I hope he is at peace now x
You'll have a blast Stacey. Sorry to hear about your granddad, I hope he is at peace now x
#41
Re: Hello everyone
Hello! Yeah your adventure sounded amazing! I got a really good deal - £510 for a one way with a stopover in Singapore. i'm spending two nights there. I'm hoping Qatar airways are ok x
#42
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2014
Location: North Canterbury
Posts: 487
Re: Hello everyone
I presume you'll be flying via Doha airport? I hope you have an early morning flight from the UK and not an evening one. The only negative about night time flights to the middle east is that you rarely get anytime for sleep.
Qatar were voted the worlds number 1 airline in 2011 and 2012 I think, so you shouldn't have any issues with them. It's a shame you couldn't get a direct flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Even if it was an extra 100 quid or so, it would be well worth it
Qatar were voted the worlds number 1 airline in 2011 and 2012 I think, so you shouldn't have any issues with them. It's a shame you couldn't get a direct flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Even if it was an extra 100 quid or so, it would be well worth it
#43
Re: Hello everyone
I presume you'll be flying via Doha airport? I hope you have an early morning flight from the UK and not an evening one. The only negative about night time flights to the middle east is that you rarely get anytime for sleep.
Qatar were voted the worlds number 1 airline in 2011 and 2012 I think, so you shouldn't have any issues with them. It's a shame you couldn't get a direct flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Even if it was an extra 100 quid or so, it would be well worth it
Qatar were voted the worlds number 1 airline in 2011 and 2012 I think, so you shouldn't have any issues with them. It's a shame you couldn't get a direct flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Even if it was an extra 100 quid or so, it would be well worth it
I actually was originally going to go straight there with singapore but I wanted a stopover. Which im slightly regretting but the singapore airlines was awkward. They were not going me something like 60 or 80 mins up get through everything at Heathrow. Didn't feel like I needed that stress.
I've read some bad reviews - mostly about leg room. Im 5ft 3 so I shouldn't struggle
#44
Re: Hello everyone
Hi everyone.
I've been in Australia for roughly 5 weeks now I think! How's everyone doing?
I've been in Australia for roughly 5 weeks now I think! How's everyone doing?
#45
Re: Hello everyone
I'm ok, thanks. Are you enjoying yourself ? I bet you didn't think December could ever be this hot !