spilldig   177 #37 Posted January 13, 2013 Sound advice. Imagine if you have a stroke next year and you are lying in a hospital wing thinking of all the things you've done in your life.  Going to Australia on your own, traveling around, having adventures and meeting people could possibly be the best experience of your life. Do it. Do it now!!!!  Before it's too late!! Exactly,and remember it's better to regret something you have done than regret not doing it. If you don't go you'll always wonder. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
johncocker   10 #38 Posted January 13, 2013 I would really like to visit Australia however I don't have anyone who will go with me. Does anyone have any recommendations for group travel? Making new friends is not really a priority; however if I were by myself I might miss the good stuff or simply get lost. Any thoughts? the best thing i'v found upto now is going to the ashes in November till Jan at the end year  by going though this website Howzat Travel which will see me go to 6 places in 49 days & for all 5 test matches but its going to cost £8,200 & another £3,275 if i go on my own which is very costly & to be honest as much as i like Cricket i dont really want to be tied down to 5 test matches but it looks like a great deal after looking at others where it's going to cost 5 grand but for only 25 days give or take a few days  10,000$ sounds like a con for what your getting, I wouldn't even contemplate that ,just get a cheap return london to sydney with a couple of stop overs in asia to split the flight up a bit,, you can get some great deals with domestic fares in oz at the moment ( I flew sydney to melbourne 35$ couple of months ago . if you've got 10 grand to spare you could go to some amazing off the beaten track sort of places instead of wasting your money on package tours. btw bring your shorts we've just had the hottest day on record here in sydney (45c ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
samshe   10 #39 Posted January 13, 2013 How old are you if you don't mind me asking.  If you are fairly young then just go youth hostelling around Aus, you will meet loads of people. I am considering doing it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
johncocker   10 #40 Posted January 13, 2013 That's the real Australia or have you been nipping at the cooking sherry ?   probably not that far from the truth harleyman ,just in sydneys southwest area ,which includes bankstown ,there was over 130 shootings last year. and you think you've got problems in the states:D  ---------- Post added 13-01-2013 at 14:32 ----------  How old are you if you don't mind me asking. If you are fairly young then just go youth hostelling around Aus, you will meet loads of people. I am considering doing it.  funny you should say that but you'll find these days its useually older people staying at youth hostels in oz:hihi: the grey nomads are finding caravan and camping spots full and to expensive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Harleyman   12 #41 Posted January 13, 2013 CNN ran a half hour tour guide of Melbourne yesterday. Whoever put it together did a pretty rotten job of it but aside from that Melbourne looks like a city anyone would want to visit and if you're a cricket fan that's definitely the place to be.  I would go like a shot if I wasnt too lazy and unwilling to endure 18 hours on a plane Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Johny Cutler   10 #42 Posted January 14, 2013 How old are you if you don't mind me asking. If you are fairly young then just go youth hostelling around Aus, you will meet loads of people. I am considering doing it.  i'm 30 in April  ---------- Post added 14-01-2013 at 07:33 ----------  10,000$ sounds like a con for what your getting, I wouldn't even contemplate that ,just get a cheap return london to sydney with a couple of stop overs in asia to split the flight up a bit,, you can get some great deals with domestic fares in oz at the moment ( I flew sydney to melbourne 35$ couple of months ago . if you've got 10 grand to spare you could go to some amazing off the beaten track sort of places instead of wasting your money on package tours. btw bring your shorts we've just had the hottest day on record here in sydney (45c )  its £8.200 + £3,275 if i don't want to share my hotel room (not Dollars) but that's with match tickets all the flights between city's hotels & transfers  so i'm guessing return flight from Australia is about £800 49 nights in hotels must be about £40 a night on average so thats 1,960ish then transfers between Hotels & Airports must be about £20 each so thats £160 got 6 domestic flights you say you can get them for as cheap as 35$ so thats £20 so thats £120 but will more then likely be about £250 then 25 days of match tickets say their are £50 each so thats £1,250ish then a welcome & leaving dinner so call them £50 each so thats £100 then christmas day dinner another £50ish & new years even in Sydney witch are still to say whats happening  so with the numbers i'v put together tho is about £4,570 but i might be way out anyway i'm going to ring the Barmy Army up later to see what their are offering  ---------- Post added 14-01-2013 at 07:37 ----------  CNN ran a half hour tour guide of Melbourne yesterday. Whoever put it together did a pretty rotten job of it but aside from that Melbourne looks like a city anyone would want to visit and if you're a cricket fan that's definitely the place to be. I would go like a shot if I wasnt too lazy and unwilling to endure 18 hours on a plane  24 hours on the plane but i'v been told you get to drink what ever you want on the plane for nothing as i'v never been on a long flight b4 the longest i'd been on a plane B4 that was 4 & 1/2 hours when i went to Greece Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
spilldig   177 #43 Posted January 14, 2013 CNN ran a half hour tour guide of Melbourne yesterday. Whoever put it together did a pretty rotten job of it but aside from that Melbourne looks like a city anyone would want to visit and if you're a cricket fan that's definitely the place to be. I would go like a shot if I wasnt too lazy and unwilling to endure 18 hours on a plane  You don't do 18 hours on a plane, break it up with a day or two at Singapore,China,or Malaysia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
johncocker   10 #44 Posted January 15, 2013 24 hours on the plane but i'v been told you get to drink what ever you want on the plane for nothing as i'v never been on a long flight b4 the longest i'd been on a plane B4 that was 4 & 1/2 hours when i went to Greece    the last time I did it ,it took 27 hr "nightmare' every time I managed to drop off to sleep somebody woke me up asking me if I wanted something to eat:huh: the eating drinking is what seems to stuff you up but its such a boring flight you really start to look foward to it .  I did a 10 hr flight with air asia once (the foods crap on air asia and you have to pay for it so I just drank water and herbal tea}felt great when I landed no jet lag but starving hungry.  stop off on some of the islands in thailand for a week a you'll love it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Harleyman   12 #45 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) My first flight was on a chartered Britsh United Airrways Brittania from Stansted, Essex to Singapore with a short stop off for refueling in Istanbul then another in Bombay. It was night when we left Bombay and from then on until we landed in Singapore the air turbulance was the worst I ever experienced. I wanted to be sent to Singapore by troopship, flying just didnt appeal to me. I put in a request at Artillery depot Woolswich for a change of itinerary. It never got past the Battery Sergeant Major's desk. I was told in short order to F off and be sharp about it The next very long flight a few years later was on a giant, noisy USAF cargo plane to Bien Hoa airbase. Not the best or most comfortable mode of transport but the booze was free and plentiful and service first class and earlier that day the base had come under a mortar attack  I've flown many times since then either on domestic routes or to Europe, London mostly. The recent most longest was from Los Angeles to Beijing in 2008. My wife's a sleeper and I'm a fidget when having to sit Couldnt see a bloody thing as it was dark the whole time but the route took us over Siberia.  These days the furthest I'd want to go is to London. I wouldnt mind a first class berth on one of those Airbus 380s if I was going to Australia as they have sleeping berths in first class I've heard but that's out of our budget.  Too bad. Maybe in another life Edited January 15, 2013 by Harleyman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Johny Cutler   10 #46 Posted January 15, 2013 24 hours on the plane but i'v been told you get to drink what ever you want on the plane for nothing as i'v never been on a long flight b4 the longest i'd been on a plane B4 that was 4 & 1/2 hours when i went to Greece    the last time I did it ,it took 27 hr "nightmare' every time I managed to drop off to sleep somebody woke me up asking me if I wanted something to eat:huh: the eating drinking is what seems to stuff you up but its such a boring flight you really start to look foward to it .  I did a 10 hr flight with air asia once (the foods crap on air asia and you have to pay for it so I just drank water and herbal tea}felt great when I landed no jet lag but starving hungry.  stop off on some of the islands in thailand for a week a you'll love it i'd love to do it but i think if i did something like that i'd need a traveling buddy as id not have a clue what to do as i'm not very clued up on how to book a flight t the pick of a hat or just jump on a train to see where it goes to Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Mac_Plas   10 #47 Posted January 15, 2013 not quite australia jonny but i we went to new zealand for 2 months last feb - april  booked flight seperate, which cost £1700 for 2, economy with emirates. dubia - brisbane - auckland through dial a flight. at the price you have quoted is that a package?  would be cheaper to just go and sort accomadation when your there. we will be stopping in aus for a few weeks when we go again, looked great but we were in transfer so couldnt get out.  as for plane journey, i hate flying, took us 35 + getting there, due to problems in dubia. worth it though mate.  pm me if you want the kids number who sorted us out, niall his name is i think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Johny Cutler   10 #48 Posted January 15, 2013 not quite australia jonny but i we went to new zealand for 2 months last feb - april booked flight seperate, which cost £1700 for 2, economy with emirates. dubia - brisbane - auckland through dial a flight. at the price you have quoted is that a package?  would be cheaper to just go and sort accomadation when your there. we will be stopping in aus for a few weeks when we go again, looked great but we were in transfer so couldnt get out.  as for plane journey, i hate flying, took us 35 + getting there, due to problems in dubia. worth it though mate.  pm me if you want the kids number who sorted us out, niall his name is i think.  i only Guessed the prize mate & yes i'll have his number is cant hurt i'v booked my holidays in at work just in case i do end up going & i'v got 8 weeks off work as from 13th of November & i rang up the Barmy Army yesterday but their never answered the phone or even rang me back with the number i give them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...