Olibeneli

Folks,

I want to plan a validation trip next year - so what are the must do things when researching a school or area to live ?.

Also, who can help me on this - we'd like to go for 3 weeks spending time in Sydney and Brisbane. We have 3 boys and want to have a part fact finding trip and part holiday.....anyone any ideas on how to make this affordable yet fun? (I have no bottomless pockets). Castle Hill area of Sydney looks a nice one to recce out.....

I thought hire a camper van for the 3 weeks may be cheaper than motels and hotels....that way we go where and when we like and can get round the schools and do some house inspections.

Hope this thread becomes a font for lots of useful information on how to make the best of a validation trip/fact finding mission.

This forum is has got better and better recently - seems the days when welshboywilly was around on here and the general slagging each other off for their views has calmed down. Everyone has different views, so respect!

darkless

I found that reasearching schools on the internet and narrowing down a selection whom I then arranged appointements with helped a lot. All the schools (bar a couple of private schools - ironically) were happy to show us around.

I would try and live like you will when you move out there - try and find a surburban rental so you get the idea of what it is like when you move out permanently. A campervan may be a cheaper alternative, but it may not best prepare you for a real move (i am not saying that 3 weeks in suberbia does either, but it gives you a flavour).

Dave

wombat42

It has also become alot more boring without the fights, if l see anyone else sending in posts about the price of iceberg lettuces l will never log onto this forum again.

renth

We hire a campervan every year for 10 days and last year it cost about $2,800

Don't forget to get yourself a PO Box to get your mail redirected to.

darkless

A Camervan may therefore not prove to be any cheaper than a suberbian holiday rental - i know they are available in Perth, but not sure about the East coast.
We rented a 4x2 5 mins from the beach, 15 mins from city for $500 per week - expensive when compared to OZ long term rental prices, but nowt when using the pound and only staying for a couple of weeks.

If you could get a week in Brisie and a week in Sydney you could campervan your way between the two - just a thought

Dave

scoobydoo

Renth...we were thinking of doing this as a holiday this year. What are the restrictions on parking up over here? Do you have to be in a designated campsite or can you park anywhere?!

Also do you recommend a particular firm for the hire of a campervan?

Thanks

mlbonner

I've did the Sydney to Brisbane drive about 18months ago. I took about 6 days to get up here. A friend of mine came out to see me last month and was short on time and did the drive in two days. I think to appreciate the area and take in whats on offer you should allow 3 days minimum.

You can see where I stopped here; http://www.smellephant.com/michelle/...permine&cat=13 also I stopped at Kingsliff and Surfers Paradise.

A campavan maybe a good option, but a cabin by the sea with kitchen/bathroom to sleep four will only cost you about $60 a night. I think our car rental was about $600 for the week. We bought a load of food in Sydney and cooked in the cabins we stopped at each night, had cereal for breaky and made sandwiches for lunch. Guess it depends whats best for you and your family.

You could also try http://www.travellers-autobarn.com.au/ who I haven't personally used, but are meant to be very competitive.

I never took a validation trip (here on a defacto visa) but I can only echo what others have said. Have a look at where you're planning on living. The city and the beach are nice, but if they're an hour away, do you think you'll be going every day? Better to see how near the train/bus/supermarket/school is. Check out train/bus times too. We have four trains and two buses an hour from where I live to the city, but at peak times they run about 8 times an hour each - useful if you're doing the daily commute.

Have a good trip!

renth

We use Brits/Maui - they are the same company but have two fleets of separately branded vehicles. We prefer the Maui ones to the Brits ones (for the size of vehicle we hire) as they are slightly newer and are Mercedes.

I've seen people camping up in unusual spots, in the car park at Kalbarri or at Mulalloo beach for example but most prefer either a powered site at a campsite with facilities or a designated camping site somewhere like a national park, which will have either no facilities, or just a bush dunny (you still might have to pay a ranger $10 or so).

Get there early to pick up your vehicle as it takes at least 45 minutes to hand over a vehicle to you and if there are groups before you in the queue (usually Germans) you will have a long wait.

mlbonner

I can relate to this. We hired a Maui vehicle in NZ when we went skiing there... because of all the paperwork, explanations and snowchain demonstrations, it took an hour till we were seen and another 30mins to go through everything

scoobydoo

Thank you!

Pollyana

Someone here paid $1.60 last week...... Bye bye Wombat!

wombat42

You can't get rid of me that easily, you can take our iceberg lettuces and shove them up your X#@%.

mlbonner

They should have gone to Coles... on special there this week

Pollyana

That sort of thing isn't allowed where I work...!!!

aussie73

They would'nt taste very nice after being shoved up someones X#@%, That
would be sure to reduce the price of the iceberg lettuce to less then 5c.