Weirdstone

Matt....as I've been down the GOR a few times now...I've found some very special, off the main tourist route places.... Let me know if your OH wants some info

Vim Fuego

Ta very much, any recommendations welcome, I'll start a new thread closer to the time

Weirdstone

I'll look out for it

NickyC

In many years of living here (most with kids) we've had some great holidays - some close and some not so close.

From Sydney we've driven all over NSW - Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, South Coast, ACT and many skiing trips to the snow. We've also driven to the Gold Coast many times, Sunshine Coast and once as far as Rockhampton (for Great Keppel Island).

We've also had holidays to Cairns and Port Douglas, Whitsundays, Melbourne, Tasmania and NZ South Island.

Overseas we've done the west coast of the US, SEA and had half a dozen trips to the UK.

In a couple of weeks we're off for the first time to Broken Hill and the Flinders Ranges, returning via the GOR. Although I did the GOR many years ago, the OH has never been there.

I still have dozens of places on my Australian list of places to visit and re-visit. The diversity here is amazing and the best thing is - you never again have to suffer Gatwick/Heathrow Airport to get to any of them.

mr mover

A lot of STH Aussies [my generation,b/boomers] have {shacks] Holiday homes, on the River Murray or Yorke peninsular, my brother has just bought a block on "yorkies"at Port Julia, for 60k, He will put a "kit home" for 150k, the idea is you toss every thing in the 4wd on Friday night , 1hr30 mins later you are opening a beer and "kicking back".
Get the "tinny"out saturday morning chuck in the crab pots , rods and an esky full of Coopers pales, sit in the middle of the Bay untill you get bored "s**tless" or a boat full of King George Whiting , .........Who needs Airports and all the crap ,my Passport lapsed 10 years ago...........mm

geordie downunder

Try booking direct flights,Thai have $860 out of Perth,their web site is usually cheaper than flight centre etc.

Try Phuket Gazzette on line for hotel, room prices.Should work out a lot cheaper than 7K.

nessyp

We spent well over a year travelling round oz and nz. Granted it was camping and staying in caravans but for me its one of the main reasons for our move to oz we loved it!!!!! There are so many places to see and if you cant afford to go abroad just stick a fridge in the back of a ute with a tent and head off for a few days camping classic!!!

papilon

Bali is simply one of the most beautifull destinations in the world, voted best island destination by Conde Naste 6 years on the trot.

Fantastic culture, the balinese are hindus. Some of the accomadation is stunning, We stayed in a villa last year with our own pool, cooks and servants.
great restaurants, great shopping there is even a marks and spencer if your missing it. One of the reasons for us moving to Oz is having a short flight to bali.

micnic

What is the flight to Bali? and what sort of price.

we will be on the gold coast from october and are keen to learn of good holiday destinations

Evelin

that kills me too. Travelling from Perth, any direction, gets you to nowhere really. How often can I holiday down south? Another winery? I got waves in front of my house, so the beach thing I can do with a towel over from shoulder from home.

cedar cottage

Hi, I know there are plenty over there, but the best have seen is Villa De daun next to Matahari on the main street Jalan Legian.. We stayed there in 2004 absolutely brilliant, the chef came in and cooked our breakfast next to our private pool every morning..Suzette

jce

When we were in the UK we did the same weekend trips. I also used to (at least) once a month go to Dublin for lunch - UKP25 return taxes and all - BUT how many times can you see Dublin or Barca or Paris or any of the rest? Its nice but is it any better than the lifestyle you have in Oz just staying at home? From where i live on the Sunshine Coast, the beach is 5 mins one way and rainforest 5 mins the other way. Brisbane an hour by road and Sydney an hour by plane

If you miss that closeness and cheapness then stay there for a few more years yet. It will happen here but not for a few years. Tiger Airways will help bring down prices and there are other bargains to be had. There will also be more cheap airlines appearing just as they did in Europe - but that bubble is close to bursting. A few low cost European airlines will be collapsing soon and then there will be some consolodation (Ryanair recemtly tried to buy Aer Lingus) and prices will rise.

I've just booked some Air New Zealand flights from Brisbane to Christchurch for $200 return taxes and all. Also booked on the first Tiger flight from Sunshine Coast to Melbourne - $60 each way complete fare. There are cheap flights - just takes more research here.

Oz is far from anywhere but its closer to the myriad of asian countries than the UK as is all of the Pacific Islands.

One of the reasons we moved here was cause we'd seen Europe and the US and wanted easier access to Asia.

Dee & Steve

Once you move here it is a natural thought to miss the closeness of Paris, Dublin, Rome and London, it doesn't mean you've been to all of them, you just wish they were still within close proximity in case you do want to go there one day. But what I told myself is, I am swapping europe for asia, there are some amazing countries and cities on this side of the world to explore. Yes I agree they are more expensive, sadly there are no ten pound flights here, but, ..... we dont live in england so things are different. Dont get me wrong, I would kill for a ryanair type airline here too, but rememeber, it takes 50minutes to fly from Ireland ( I'm Irish) to Heathrow, which is a different country, but it takes 4 hrs (I think) to fly to sydney, same country!!!! Plus, when you visit asia, acommadation, food, shopping, massage etc, is so, so much cheaper than europe. I had 2 diferent clients in this week, one from Norway, the other from Sweden, they went home for a trip and could not afford to get their brazillian wax done there as it was equivalliant to $100, I, and most other salons charge $45. So there are pro's and cons for everything. Yet when I was in K.L., I had facial, massage, scrub done for next to nothing compared to aussie and european prices. So there are many things to weigh up, but I truly feel that you wont be missing out, different yes, missing out, no.... Dee

Bobcat

Excellent Spot