Wanna go to Oz or NZ? Qantas is having a massive fare sale - like $600 RT!!

[iheartscience]

This is really tempting-thanks for posting! Would October be a good time to go to Australia or New Zealand, weather-wise?

 

[Deelight]

October in Australia and NZ is spring - I know here it is lovely and I assume the same would be for NZ however I can''t say for certain because I have never been there

.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

PS GTG in NZ or OZ in October?

 

[Deelight]

Date: 3/20/2009 9:45:04 AM
Author: LaurenThePartier
PS GTG in NZ or OZ in October?

Do it in OZ

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 3/18/2009 6:47:04 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/18/2009 6:44:14 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 3/18/2009 6:41:44 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

Hmmm, have a wedding in Brisbane in June. Bad timing for the whole family, but....but.... Not the best season/weather? Travel time gives me pause.... whine whine

cheers--Sharon

I love Australia in the winter - detest it in the summer. Because of bugs, blech!

HI:

What kind of bugs?

I''ve been thru SE Asia--nothing phases me now....

I adore the heat, can never be hot enough for me.....

cheers--Sharon

Canuk-gal, it''s not big or scary bugs that get me...it''s the FLIES there. I''ve never seen flies so annoying . They dive for any open orifice and what you swat at them, they come diving right back without a second''s hesitation. They just don''t buzz around your head. They want to get INTO your head. It''s SO infuriating!

Glad folks could take advantage of this! Last day to book is today, so get movin, the rest of ya! Hee!

 

[icekid]

wow, those prices are incredibly tempting!! And I do believe I have vacation time scheduled for October. I may have to up the vacation budget and decrease the rock budget. blasphemy?!

A little research is definitely in order...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

V Australia is having a similar sale- $599rt from LAX to Sydney or Melbourne for travel now until October 24th.

The sale ends this Monday the 23rd.

V Australia

I''m sooo tempted. I''d LOVE to return to OZ!

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/20/2009 11:22:17 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 3/18/2009 6:47:04 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/18/2009 6:44:14 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 3/18/2009 6:41:44 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

Hmmm, have a wedding in Brisbane in June. Bad timing for the whole family, but....but.... Not the best season/weather? Travel time gives me pause.... whine whine

cheers--Sharon

I love Australia in the winter - detest it in the summer. Because of bugs, blech!

HI:

What kind of bugs?

I''ve been thru SE Asia--nothing phases me now....

I adore the heat, can never be hot enough for me.....

cheers--Sharon

Canuk-gal, it''s not big or scary bugs that get me...it''s the FLIES there. I''ve never seen flies so annoying . They dive for any open orifice and what you swat at them, they come diving right back without a second''s hesitation. They just don''t buzz around your head. They want to get INTO your head. It''s SO infuriating!

Glad folks could take advantage of this! Last day to book is today, so get movin, the rest of ya! Hee!

HI:

Ok, that would be annoying!

cheers--Sharon

 

[klewis]

Come to NZ!! We don''t have too many bugs. There is the giant weta though

 

[E B]

Date: 3/21/2009 6:10:14 PM
Author: klewis
Come to NZ!! We don''t have too many bugs. There is the giant weta though

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/21/2009 6:15:22 PM
Author: EBree

Date: 3/21/2009 6:10:14 PM
Author: klewis
Come to NZ!! We don''t have too many bugs. There is the giant weta though

HI:

Thanks for the invite! Is that someone''s pet?

cheers--Sharon

 

[klewis]

No, it''s not a pet. They''re harmless and very shy. Seriously, I hope you do come to NZ and visit where I live, the Bay of Plenty.

 

[iheartscience]

Whoa...that thing is SCARY, klewis! I guess it''s a good thing they''re shy!

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/21/2009 7:01:51 PM
Author: klewis
No, it''s not a pet. They''re harmless and very shy. Seriously, I hope you do come to NZ and visit where I live, the Bay of Plenty.

HI:

My GF just returned from a month in NZ--she emailed me that they loved loved loved it, and that the people made their trip. I''ll get the dish on Wed at lunch. My other pal rented an RV and drove about NZ last year and while she told me they''d never travel NZ by that mode again, it was oh so wonderful.

I''d love to see your country--and I extend the invitation for you to come and see our Rockies. I am in Calgary as are a few other PS''ers. You''d love the 10 cms. of snow got overnight--and it is still snowing today.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[klewis]

Date: 3/22/2009 12:00:37 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/21/2009 7:01:51 PM

Author: klewis

No, it''s not a pet. They''re harmless and very shy. Seriously, I hope you do come to NZ and visit where I live, the Bay of Plenty.

HI:


My GF just returned from a month in NZ--she emailed me that they loved loved loved it, and that the people made their trip. I''ll get the dish on Wed at lunch. My other pal rented an RV and drove about NZ last year and while she told me they''d never travel NZ by that mode again, it was oh so wonderful.


I''d love to see your country--and I extend the invitation for you to come and see our Rockies. I am in Calgary as are a few other PS''ers. You''d love the 10 cms. of snow got overnight--and it is still snowing today.....

cheers--Sharon

Thanks for the invitation. - I have never been to Canada but would love to visit.

I wonder about your friend and the RV. Was it the RV or the experience of driving in NZ? On the whole NZers are quite aggressive drivers I''m embarrassed to say.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/22/2009 5:38:22 PM
Author: klewis

Date: 3/22/2009 12:00:37 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/21/2009 7:01:51 PM

Author: klewis

No, it''s not a pet. They''re harmless and very shy. Seriously, I hope you do come to NZ and visit where I live, the Bay of Plenty.

HI:


My GF just returned from a month in NZ--she emailed me that they loved loved loved it, and that the people made their trip. I''ll get the dish on Wed at lunch. My other pal rented an RV and drove about NZ last year and while she told me they''d never travel NZ by that mode again, it was oh so wonderful.


I''d love to see your country--and I extend the invitation for you to come and see our Rockies. I am in Calgary as are a few other PS''ers. You''d love the 10 cms. of snow got overnight--and it is still snowing today.....

cheers--Sharon

Thanks for the invitation. - I have never been to Canada but would love to visit.

I wonder about your friend and the RV. Was it the RV or the experience of driving in NZ? On the whole NZers are quite aggressive drivers I''m embarrassed to say.

HI:

Actually a little of both. They were novices to the RV type of holiday--and had to deal with mechanical issues, etc. However, I think the biggest "stress" came fropm the fact the roads were very narrow in many places, and he was not used to negotaiting the big RV. My GF said many times she thought her heart would stop. But they had a wonderful time--such a perfect way to see the country and all the little bits along the way you would otherwise miss.

BTW, she did mention encountereing any "weta''s"--so I guess they are as shy as you say. Come to think of it, she is a spider phobe and didn''t mention seeing anything unusual in that regard either.

cheers--Sharon

 

[TravelingGal]

Sunkist, per your request, I am posting some Oz tips here....

I think a baby moon is a great idea. Sydney is a great town and I am sure other Sydneysiders will chime in. I''m in the midst of planning another trip there myself.

First of all, since you are preggo, you want to be comfy on the plane. As I mentioned, Qantas flies the A380 on Sundays, Weds and Fridays. That goes for both directions on those dates. So if you can book those dates for Qantas, it''s worth it to have the newer plane.

There are many online airplane seat tip websites (like seatguru, I think). Whatever airline you fly, check it out for the plane you are flying. Sitting in the front of the plane will get you a smoother ride. On the 747, the last 3 rows are 2 seats each by the window. Nice if you are couple. However I would advise against sitting in the LAST row as people loiter there and often have their arms resting on the top of your seat. I would take the 3rd to last row if you don''t mind more light in the area from the galley as well as a bumpier ride.

Otherwise, take the middle section (the planes are usually configured 3/4/3), aisle and middle. The reason is you and your DH will only have to worry about yourselves in terms of getting up to go to the toilet, etc. If you are in a side section, you''ll either have a middle and aisle, which means you have to get up for the window person, or you''ll have to ask the aisle person to get up if you want to get out.

As for booking separate vs package - if you are up for the hunt, you can almost always do better on your own. The fares are so cheap right now, I can''t imagine a package would be better.

If this is your first time to Sydney, I would recommend the tourist thing and staying in or near the Rocks.

Unfortunately you won''t be able to do the bridge climb (which is fun) but you can certainly walk the pedestrian part of the bridge. However, not sure if a preggo should be breathing in all those exhaust fumes.

Personally, if I were you and since you are going in June, I''d head up to Queensland for warmer weather. You can catch a flight from Sydney to Cairns and I recommend Port Douglas as a nice jumping off point. I know you''re only going for a week so that may not be a possibility. But snorkeling is perfectly fine to do while preggo...I was 4 months along when I went to Hawaii and was in the water for hours on end.

Let me know what else you are interested in...

 

[sunkist]

Cool!, great recommendations. (Thanks for posting over here. I didn't want to clog the Mom's thread with travel talk

) I'll talk with hubby tonight about heading up to Queensland. I was actually looking at the Bridge climb and it says you can do it up to 26 weeks, but when I'm preggo it's probably better to be safe than sorry. And you're right about the exhaust fumes. Probably not so good. Thanks for the start and I'll let you know if I have any more questions

 

[MishB]

Date: 3/21/2009 6:10:14 PM
Author: klewis
Come to NZ!! We don''t have too many bugs. There is the giant weta though

Are they edible? Looks kind of like a land-going lobster to me..