Validation Trip To Oz
 

RECCIE TRIP TO OZ
Need some advice everyone! We are planning on doing a validation trip early next year. Hopefully visas will be in around March time! Ack 10th October Skilled independant. Does this sound right to you? Now here's the tricky bit! Do we go beginning of April for nearly 3 weeks to Brisbane including flying time or wait until kids break up from school in July and spend about a month there? If we go in April it will be around £1200 cheaper and probably warmer but then again if we don't get our visa in time we will be buggered. Also kids are doing their SATS in May so school won't be happy at all if we take them out. If we go in summer hols we won't have to take kids out of school or take time off work but its going to be a lot more expensive. Can't believe the price of flights for summer hols, bloody rip off especially as its Australias winter time. We are getting quotes for about £4,500 at the moment for summer so if anyone can recommend any good sites for flights please let us know. Planning on doing the move late next year but feel we need to visit again first just to make sure we're doing the right thing! aagh this is so stressful!!
Opinions please - what would you do?
Jox

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

I would go when the weather is hottest,But would not spend 3 weeks in Brisbane unless allready decided to go there.When we first validated we visited BR,MELB,ADL, and Perth which is where we settled it depends i suppose on personal circumstances but i think see as much as poss. could you not go in march?

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

I'm off to Perth on the 22nd for my validation trip, I booked my flights via dialaflight.com ... they were alot cheaper than anyone else with better flight connections!

I'm flying singapore as they give you a 40kg baggage allowance on your first entry on a migration visa, even if it is a return ticket ... am taking a load of stuff out with me to leave at my folk's place :)

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

Out of interest how much did you get a return flight for?

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

£568 flying out on the 22nd November, back on the 27th December - got to come back to a wedding on the 29th!! :(

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

Who is that with mate?

Rich

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

Does it really matter what the school thinks, the kids won't be there for too much longer and their SATS scores wont matter a bit to their new schools in Oz. Go for what makes financial and fun sense and don't worry about things that won't be an issue once you are here :)

Lynn

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

singapore airlines booked via dial-a-flight!!

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

Cheers mate.

Rich

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

If you need any assistance when you arrive, we have rental accom on the Gold Coast & also we do a meet & greet service with limo at the airport for you!
www.goldcoastsmile.com

Claire
x

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

Thanks for that Lynn, you have hit the nail on the head!!! I just wish I didn't work in my son's school and then it would be a dam sight easier trying to blag a week off during term time. If we do go in April we will only have two full weeks in Oz and the rest spent flying and stopovers, do you think that is long enough???
Jox

Re: Validation Trip To Oz
 

hello
We are on our reccoe trip for the month of feb 2006 taking kids out of school- but their only 5 and 7 ( and !yr old) I discussed it with the school cos its 'unauthorised absence' but in the huge picture of things like eveyone says your'e going anyway, i just felt guilty!!
Booked our flights with Dial a flight Quantas air for
£2500 fo 2 adults / 2 children 1 infant they were really helpful.

Good luck
Caron