Melbourne anyone??

sep03

New Member
Hi...

me planning a short holiday F&E to sydney and melbourne...abt 8 days 6 nights...does anyone has any idea how much i should budget for?...Tks!
 


jas03

New Member
Hi Sue Hi Cody.. me no go melbourne anymore.
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Hubby at NATAS fair, last min decided to go NZ instead.

All my homework wasted. The 7 bks i borrowed on Aust from the library oso no use... later book drop back.

But appreciate all yr assistance.
Cody, i will keep yr info for my ref. I try 'ketok' him a melb trip 2nd qtr next yr.. hee hee!! Will still like to go there some day.
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sue

New Member
Hi Jas03, You're most welcome. NZ is equally nice as well. Yes, u can 'ketok' to go for 2nd honeymoon in Melbourne. Enjoy yr holidays!
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cody

New Member
Hi Jas03

No worries!

NZ is also v nice, but i dun have info as detailed as i have for Aust. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself as much as if you had gone to Melbourne!

Happy holidays!
 

enid

New Member
Hi Cody,

I've booked my domestic tickets via the internet. Do i need to pay for any taxes at the airport ?

I've booked Virgin Blue and Qantas separately, cos the timing for round trip is not good. Thks.
 

cody

New Member
No, no additional payments. Just present your passport at the check-in counter and they'll print the boarding passes for you.

One more thing to note on domestic flights (esp short ones), you have to pay for your own drinks , refreshments and headphones. Of course, its optional; they won't force you to buy it.

Yah, agree Virgin doesn't operate as mang flights as Qantas.

FYI: If you have the frequent flyer card from Qantas, you can present your card at check-in to accumulate frequent flyer points as well.

Happy holidays!
 

wondering

New Member
hi all

I'm also planning to go melbourne in Dec. but I've friends who told me that Dec not a good time cos weather there will be too hot.

can anyone advise. Is it as hot as singapore..
 

jazz

New Member
Hi Wondering,

Dun worry, it's alright for you to go in Dec. It's beginning of Summer and the weather is just nice. Melbourne is slightly colder than Sydney and Gold Coast.

Regarding hotness, basically, the weather in Melbourne is dryer whereas in Singapore, it's humid, thus the weather will not be too bad even though it's abt 30 degrees, but that's normally towards end of Dec to Jan. Temp shld be abt 20 to 28 degrees... and you'll need to bring a sweater just in case the weather turns cold. Sometimes, you can just have four seasons in one day.
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Hope that this information helps!
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jazz

New Member
Hopeless... hmm... this is abit tough, are you looking for free n easy or just air tickets? You want to try e-ticketing to see your luck? Of 'cos, the tickets might be more exp.
 

jazz

New Member
Hi Sep03,

Heard that there may be a travel fair in March (cross my fingers and no guarantee) next year. Most probably, you can start to book for you tickets then. Think at least abt 2 mths in advance and you shld be save.
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jas03

New Member
Cody/ Sue, me back in this thread... cos my NZ tickets cannot be confirmed.. so me will be going to Melbourne instead.

Me half happy.. but hubby screaming mad at me, cos i play priceline, then kena tickets to Melbourne at $400 by Emirates.. so he has to cancel the NZ tickets order..

Do u tink the tickets are ex?

Anyway, me back here... going to Melbourne in Nov!!
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jas03

New Member
Hmm i thought so too.
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So tonite i will drop by the national library to borrow back the books on Aussie again. Hiyah!
 

cody

New Member
Jas03, maybe your husband won't be half as fed up if he learns of the great bargain on your air tickets? it's alot of money u saved there, esp for the ever so popular school holiday cum summer season!
 

sep03

New Member
hi gals,

if u play priceline...anyhow whack and kena...u gotta take it issit?... ;-D

Jas: how late did u book to get the tics so cheap?...any conditions or flight restrictions?...can choose which airline to "whack"?

thanks!
 

jas03

New Member
Er.. i logged in abt 1am last nite..

U dun get to choose the time (except they assure u it will be b/w 6am to 11pm i think) , and the airline. Wat they do is just search and see if any intl airline co will accept yr bid.

Must decide carefully b4 u hit go huh!
And if they say that your chance is veri low, based on their experience, dun care, try. Cos tats wat they told me, but i still got it.
 

sep03

New Member
hi jas03,

did they notify you immediately?....hhmm...me hand itchy also....nearly hamtam sydney one $380.....but me going in may next year oni leh....issit too far away to book?....aeh, i meant when u are going and when u book.... (maybe got lesser time, cheaper tics?)

aiyo..at least u get emirates...wait i got china / kuwait airlines, i faint....so scared...coz can't choose airlines leh....
 

jas03

New Member
Hi Sep03, i am not sure if u book earlier will the tickets be cheaper or more ex.. but i heard a fren mention b4 that sometimes u bid an amount now and it failed... u can try again and again.. even closer to the date, may even get it.

As long as is intl airline, they will give us.. we got no control over it...

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sue

New Member
Hi Jas03, you are so lucky! $400 to Melbourne is cheap. I also tot of playing priceline for tickets to US so that I can visit my FH. But I can't specify period that I want to travel right? Then kena the time that I dun want how? Can't take last minute leave? & what happen like Sep03 said kena China or Kuwait airlines, jia lat!!
 

jas03

New Member
Hi Sue, u can actually specify the date of departure u want, but not the time. Like i know i will be on leave for that wk, i specify i wan to depart from the start date, and leave frm melbourne at few days b4 my leave ends.

Kena kuwait airline or china airline.. ermm, that one bobian oredi.
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My in laws freak out when i told them we going on Emirates - they say crab airline.. sure we want to go??? sigh...
 

cody

New Member
Jas, i've flown Emirates.

On the contrary, I think they're quite good!
So far I've taken MH, BA, QF and SQ. Emirates is on par with SQ, esp for inflight entertainment!
Honestly MH is also not bad, except for the shuttle flight to-fro SIN-KL and the extra time taken.

Dun worry, Emirates is gooooooood.
 

cody

New Member
hi sep03,

hahaha ... no lah, those comments u hears is only partially true.

they give u a choice of halal food (middle eastern cusine i guess) or local (from the Singapore airline kitchen) or international cuisine (eg pasta).

The emirates flight from SIN-MEL started off from London actually, so the cabin has quite a fair amt of singaporeans and ang mohs.

No worries lah, definitely no smell either!
oh yah, their air stewardess are v attractive too ... look like those Northern Indian beauty queens (much better than SQ i personally think!)!

Just relax and enjoy the flight!
 

cody

New Member
oh yah, to answer your question.
i think taste wise, to each his own.
i thot the food was alright, v much like what u get on other airlines lor ....
 

sue

New Member
Hi Jas, not to worry. My friend just travelled by Emirates to Melbourne 2 weeks ago. She's back already & said that Emirates is fine. She has no complaints.
 

jas03

New Member
Hi Sue, Hi Cody... thanks for the assurance. Relieved that Emirates isnt so bad after all..
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Do u all think it is a gd idea to book my accomodation only when i get there? like at port fairy or at Warrnambool.. or isit safer to prebook in SIN first?
 

cody

New Member
Hi Jas

Book there. It's cheaper.
You have afew options:

(A)Drive around free and easy on your own. Look for accomodation only 1 hour before sunset. At least you get to look at the room before deciding.
This is my preferred method.

(B) Book with the tourist info counters in Melb. They will help you call and book according to your preference, budget and requirements. Small fee of $2.50 per booking i think. The star-rating of that hotel / motel will also more or less tell u the standard of that place. RACV ratings of 3-star and above is V good enough already (clean, decent, affordable). 4-star is quite luxurious. FLAG also has some ratings there (the tourist info counter staff will help u).

(C) If you're travelling in summer, accomodation may pose a prob. What i did was to bring along the Lonely Planet guide book. When i set off in the morning, i call up to place a reservation in the town that i THINK i should reach by sunset. By afternoon, call again to confirm / withdraw the booking.

(Then again, there are PLENTY of B&Bs and motels along the Great Ocean Road. The less fussy u are abt the accomodation, the easier it is to find one.)

I think i stayed in Port Fairy also ... v few accomodation avail there. If you want to secure a room there while you're still physically here in S'pore is either to call them (IDD charges) or internet bookings (some of them dun have website i'm sure!)


When are you going?
(Sorry if i had asked u before, i'm v forgetful ...)
 

sue

New Member
Hi Jas03,
I just spoke to my friend today abt her Emirates flight. Her flight is a transit flight so it's from somewhere (can't remember where) -> SIN -> Mel. So when she flew there, it was quite empty. She said on the way back from Mel -> Sin was very good because the plane was quite empty & she got a row of seats to herself. Food wise, she said it's nice but this depends on individual taste.

I stayed @ Warrnambool and we booked the mortel only when we reached there. My FH & me can't decide where we want to stop so we din book in advance. Like what Cody said, there's plenty of B&B so dun have to be worried abt no place to stay. I really miss the beautiful Great Ocean Rd.
 

jas03

New Member
Hi Cody, duno how to thank you for all the info u been assisting me with.. thanks thanks. Most prob we will only book accomodation for Melbourne city for the first day we reach there. The Emirates flight touches down in Melb at 1am!!! Subsequent days we will book just b4 we set off for each location.

Yes, i agree! Lonely Planet guide is very useful!

I leaving on early nov.

Hi Sue, thanks.. so Emirates is not too bad after all. Whew! My fren's fren mentioned that Emirates stewardess are pretty too.
 

karenkong

New Member
Hi,

just a recommendation, if you are visiting Great Ocean Rd, along the way, stop by Apollo Bay. there's a resort called Claerwen Retreat. It's right up in the mountains. abt 15mins drive from the foot of mt. Spectacular view, not to be missed
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cody

New Member
Hi Jas, its my pleasure!
Dun worry, Nov is not the super high peak season (late Dec to Feb). Enjoy your hols!
 

jas03

New Member
Hi, does anyone know where to book domestic flights in AUS cheap? from melb to sydney. I went to qantas website and it is abt $185 per person return trip. Is the price reasonable?

Me got my itineary almost set: Melb City - sydney(2 days) - back to Melb City - Phillip Island - Ballarat - Grampians Region - drive thr Dunkeld - Warrnambool or Port Fairy - Apollo Bay - back to Melb City.

All in 8 days.
 

blurblur

New Member
Hi Jas03,

I think $185 is reasonable.

Only 2 days in Sydney, after flying all the way there? And why fly from Mel to Syd and back?
 

cody

New Member
Jas03, the price is quite standard. Just get the tickets over their website. Charge to credit card. Price sounds reasonable. Perhaps u want to check out Virgin airlines as well? It's ALOT MORE expensive asking a travel agent in s'pore to book the domestic flights for you.

Your itinerary sounds ok. Just dun tire yourself out with the driving.

Happy holidays!
 


jas03

New Member
Blurblur, hiya i oso din want to, but need to meet a fren in Sydney.. very rush rite? I tink so too. I wld love to just stay in Melb in the 8 days, instead of flying over to Syd.
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Any accomodation recommendation in Melb City?
 

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