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me and my girlfriend are going to australia next year for a month and we have sorted out our flights. as its the first time we have booked a trip to australia can anyone help advise us on what we need to do before we go. i.e visa's, best debit card to use over there, and any other useful information?
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414Visas you can do online now. Debit cards - dunno - never had any problems with any cards, debit or credit.
Useful info - tell us where you are going and I may have some suggestions!
A three or 4 day canoe trip on the Katherine could be one of the highlights of your life: http://www.geckocanoeing.com.au/ nb there are NO mosquitos and you don't have to have had any canoeing experience or be very fit.
If you want to see platypus in the wild, Eungella national park is a must - great cabins to stay in and the Forest Flying nearby is brilliant: http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/mackay/things-to-see-and-do/forest-flying-9001277/index.cfm
Keppel Island http://www.greatkeppel.com.au/ is an amazing place to stay. The "tents" have proper beds and are a fabulous and cheap option.
manzanilla
Posted on 25 September 2009 |
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879Get a Santander Zero Credit Card, or one from the Post Office. They are the only cards without transaction charges for use outside Europe. Then set up a Direct Debit for the full balance from your current account. That is better than using a Debit Card because it defers payment.
If you are only away for a month then you will probably be back before payment is needed but the Direct Debit will take care of it if you aren't!
Visas are needed but not a problem normally. Contact Australia House.
Have a great time.
Mike
Posted on 25 September 2009 | Love 1 love
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83If you're planning on trying to get a Santander card don't leave it to the last minute. They possibley will take over a month to respond to your application to say nothing of actually getting a card to you.
Having said that if you plan it right they are currently offering a great 0% incentive where there is no interest on purchases for the first 3 months which is a great way to give you time to pay for all those holiday excesses. Whether they will have the same deal next year is anyone's guess.
Posted on 26 September 2009 | Love 0 loves
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0 414im going to brisbane, sydney, melbourne and probably going to go to adelaide.
um, they sound like the boring bits of Oz to me, but each to his own. Kakadu, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Alice, Perth, Tasmania are more interesting to me...
i've been looking at internal flights in australia but im not sure whether to buy them before we go or to do it over there?
I got a great deal through Quantas - 2 internal flights for free if you booked the long halu through them. We didnt use them, but Virgin Blue were also quite a it cheaper if you booked them in advance. Well worth checking out.
manzanilla
Posted on 28 September 2009 | Love 0 loves
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17
Hi Lewis1
Australia is fantastic and you'll be sure to have a great time where ever you go.
If you haven't already booked and paid for your flights I would recommend seeing if you can package it all up and the best deal will be with Qantas / BA. If you have already bought them and are flying with either Qantas or BA it might be worth checking if you can make ammendments to your existing flight. (BA have paired up with Qantas so even if your ticket is with BA you'll most likely be on a Qantas plane).
If that doesn't work then the best airlines to look at for cheap deals are Jetstar (Qantas's cheap internal airline) and Virgin Blue. As with most airlines the further out you can book the better the deal you are likely to get.
Some general tips...
Eating out - Australia loves clubs and has loads of them; RSLs, Surf Life Saving Clubs, Lawn Bowls Clubs, Working Men's Clubs, they are everywhere. What makes them so great is that often they are in the most amazing locations (right on the beach, on a cliff overlooking the sea) and as they are subsidized the food and booze is much cheaper than at normal restaurants. And you'll get to meet the locals. If you live locally you need to be a member but if you are visiting they will often let you in, just make sure you have your passport on you.
Sydney is loads of fun and probably the best city for beaches. Bondi, Bronte, Coogee, Tamarama in the eastern suburbs are great and you can do a wonderful walk along the cliffs to all of them. The North Bondi RSL and Ice Bergs are great for good food in a fabulous location. Likewise head down to Rushcutters Bay and have lunch at the CYC yacht club.
Going out in Sydney is easy and the best bars are easy to find. Melbourne however is a bit trickier as the best places to go out are often hidden away and you need someone in the know to take you there. If you know someone who lives in Melbourne then great but if not it's worth seeing if one of your friends know someone who wouldn't mind meeting up and showing you around. Melbourners love their city and are proud to show it off so it shouldn't be a problem. Melbourne is also renowned for its Italian Restaurants so make sure you dine out Italian at least once.
Brisbane is a nice city but if I am being completely honest you'd be best off staying one night and then heading to the coast. Avoid the Gold Coast as it is over built and touristy and instead head to the Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba and Maroochydore in particular) which is to die for. Again the Surf Clubs are brilliant and be sure to head to the fish markets where you can buy seafood direct from the fisheries. It comes in fresh daily and they often have restaurants or cafes on premise.
Have a great trip!
Posted on 02 October 2009 | Love 0 loves
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