brian.w

Going to oz in jan 2004- 4 weeks time and going on a working holiday visa for 12 months probably stay with relatives first until i sort myself out.

i was packing there and wow the clothes and stuff i want to take with me is unreal but im not going on a 3-4 week holiday i am going for 12 months.

i wondered whats the score with quantas on over weight bags would they charge me, let me off, or refuse me?

I have been with them before and never said a thing and then i was overweight with baggage is it how the feel on that day or what?

i thought with me taking a little more it would save me buying new stuff when i get there which im sure would work out more than if the airline charged me for overweight baggage.

can anyone give advise or tell me what i should do i dont want to take anything less than i want to take.

i know i might be backpacking a little bit but most of my gear will be left in relatives home while traveling

Pollyana

As a general rule they will charge you for the excess. Don't know the Qantas price but Cathay quoted £30 per kg. You might get away with it depending how overweight the bags are.
If travelling fro Heathrow or Gatwick you can send the excess oevr with Excess Baggage, they have offices at the airport which will accept the stuff, and its cheaper than teking it on the plane as overweight.

leejo

Brian.W

If I was doing the backpacker thing again. I would pack as if I was going for a week!!

All you need is some surf shorts and Billabong T-shirts. Trouser will only be needed for job interviews. No other backpacker gets dressed up for going out.

Chill out, go with the flow and enjoy!!!!

Lee

brian.w

I would only take little clothes if i was only going a week but i like to have the choice of clothes and not have same stuff on all the time and to be smart at times.

I am not going as such as backpacking i have relatives over there in which i wil stay with at first then probably move on so really i have a base to leave things behind and collect after and not worry i dont have enough stuff or not have stuff go missing.

i know a lot of people go backpacking and take very little with them maybe thats because they have no relatives there so maybe thats why i have this option of staying with them in a choice of 3 houses so its not a problem storeing stuff.

i would maybe rather pay the extra if asked by airline for overweight baggage than to not take enough with me and buy stuff over there as im sure if would be less expensive than buying over there.

would i best take one heavy big bag or two bags not so heavy i know it goes by weight but i wondered if an extra bag was added there would be more chance of charges.

as i said i have flown to usa once before and australia and never a problem with overweight baggage maybe my luck is running out or maybe i was just lucky.

i still have 4 weeks until i go and can leave stuff behind but i would rather not and would like to take what i have or want as its not a holiday i am going on for say 4 weeks its a year i am away.

i think with people on whv visa they should be allowed more weight.

can anyone recommend anything i know and have been told by some i should take less but when you really look at what i am taking away for a year its not that much.

i will hope to have large xxl rucksack another bag maybe just a little big for taking on plane and a rucksack for my laptop and other gadgets which will go on plane with me.

last year i am sure i went away with a case of stuff that was overweight with no questions or problems and the same going back but with an xxxxxlllll bag and thats no joke it was big with holiday gifts in it and again still no problems is it all depends on who you get or what?

maybe i will have to bite my teeth and leave stuff behind but there is not that much i believe for being away for a year.

brian.w

can anyone tell me as i have a working holiday visa in which i applied online and have to visit the place when i get there to have visa stamped do i need anything else before i go or while i am on my way.

i dont think i need a eta if i have a working holiday visa as such i dont have it now just a email print out saying i have been granted one in which i have to get when over there.

can anyone tell me what i should highly recommend doing before i go, what i should not forget to take and what i should do just before i am there or when i get there.

i have most info i need but there might just be something i have missed.

also i will be buying a car when i get there can anyone tell me what insurance company with insure me with me not having had insurance before and requireing no claims and that would also be cheap i have drove since i was old enough to drive and regular drove a car but not mine but was insured for me to drive i just wondered if any company over there did insure cheap with no worrys about claims just maybe how long i have had a licence.

as it will be bad enough for me to buy a car never mind pay through the nose for insurance so any help i can get here will greatly help.

im sure i have more to ask but will ask later.

CHnJ

Your "rego" for any car you drive includes 3rd party injury insurance as part of the road tax. You only have to worry about insurance costs if you take out extra 3rd party damage or comprehensive cover.

Happy Chrismtas by the way.

brian.w

so i would only need rego?

does this cover for other people and there cars as last thing i would want is to damage there car or themselves and not be covered.

please explain.

CHnJ

Every (road legal!) car has a rego sticker in place of a tax disk. It includes enough insurance to allow any driver to drive the car legally. We found that this meant everyone was happy to lend their friends bangers to each other. Bear in mind this doesn't include damage cover ... you have to buy that seperately, but it wasn't too expensive and we didn't take no claims evidence with us.

Gotta go play and eat

Have a good trip.

CHnJ

I just reread that, and it's not a hillbilly style double negative : )

brian.w

When you mean damage cover is this for your own car or someone else's car as i would not worry about my car as it would be a cheap one anyway but if i damaged another car thats a different story.

bondipom

For the WHV you can get the sticker at Sydney airport or your local DIMIA office. All details are on http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/visit.htm. After you get that sticker you can apply for a TFN at www.ato.gov.au or local local ATO office. Your visa is marked on their computer system.

I do not think every state's rego includes Compulsory Third Party insurance (NSW does). BTW you still have to purchase CTP when you renew the rego in NSW.

I have always got away with 25kg on a 20kg limit. Sometimes they comment but if you smile and are nice to them you will be OK. Quantas were fussy about my 10kg of hand luggage but I argued my way through that one.

CHnJ

You are only covered for injury to other people as standard. Anything else you have to buy. If you land in NSW or QLD and buy a car there you are definitely covered for at least this much. You should then be able to drive it in other states.