[quote]I was thinking around 2000 each for 7 months is this enough.[/quote] I believe it was stated that a monthly budget will count as much as 2000. Since I can't advice anything on this, maybe tricia could review her answer. Correct me if I'm wrong..

[quote:370aed1fb1="chaitsunthai"]Hi guys, I have booked for a holiday in Sydney next week (14/10-20/10) only to find out later that weather forecast predicts a wet week. FYI the bookings were done in September, and so it wasn't possible to have the forecast for my days of visit then. Are that any outdoor activies, birdwatching, walks, etc that I can still do during my stay in Sydney? Does it mean that I have to get around with an umbrella/raincoat? I dread the idea of getting stranded in a hostel room for 7 days for my Sydney holidays. :( Chai[/quote:370aed1fb1] hihi :( if i have got money, i will go to Sydney in this times. hih, but t have to visit more street and because i know sydney is a cosmopolitan world city surrounded by the iconic beaches, World Heritage areas, lush hinterland and acclaimed wine regions of the State of New South Wales.

Well, both are good but Australia is one of the best and favorite countries of tourist. It is a natural wonderland of attractive beaches, crystal blue waters, amazing antique rock formations and perfect rainforests. Below are the best places of Australia where you can enjoy your vacation: Fraser Islan Daintree Rain Forest and Cape Tribulation Kakadu National Park Uluru Tasmania Sydney Id definitely recommend travelers to take a tour towards this place..

I'm off on my gap year soon, and plan to get to Australia in January. I want to stay in Aus for around 2-3months. What options do I have for jobs? I've worked in bars when I was a student, is it possible to get a bar job? I was thinking about Sydney, I've heard it's expensive, but I'm lucky enough to have money to support me and the job would be to supplement that..

Actually, as far as I know, Australia has one of the highest incidents of shark attacks in the world today, though it is actually far from common. However, there are precautionary measures being done in the beaches to prevent this from becoming big..

Not sure what Darling Harbour has to do with snorkelling...you wouldn't want to get in the water there for fear of being hit by a boat. Plus, I'm sure it would not be allowed to snorkel in the middle of the city harbour! Manly is definitely good, but if you can make it out of Sydney, I do recommend Jervis Bay. It is about 3 hours south of Sydney and boasts some of the best diving spots on the south east coast. I was down there recently and spotted a large pod of dolphins...it was really cool to see them so close..

There are SOOOOOO Many backpackers touring around Australia. It is not hard to get casual work that will fund your travels around the country. As far as accommodation is concerned, whilst many backpackers do use hostels, there are certainly not any shortages of people getting together and renting a flat or apartments. this can be quite economical if you get enough people to go in with you. Failing that, if you don't want to flat with other travellers but rather mix with the locals, there is a plethera of shared accommodation ads in local newspapers and even on stuck on community notice boards and electricity poles. My advice to backpackers is to not tress too much about it before you come here. Once you arrive and start mixing with other travellers and locals, you will find there is plenty of choices for accommodation and causal work! Just make sure you head to the areas with others travellers hang out, like Bondi and Manly and you can't go wrong!.

Go to Maroubra Beach, they love their surfing there and there are many pro surfers who live in that area plus plenty of amateurs. Also - the Gold Coast and in particular - Coolangatta, has a very large surfing community..

Melbourne is a stunning city with many exotic destinations. It hosts number of antique buildings like St. Pauls, St. Patricks Church and The Royal Exhibition. Its also considered a paradise for sports fanatics, animal lovers and shoppers. Well, Id like to recommend visiting places like the Yarra River, Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary and the Queen Victoria Market..

OK - here's my list... - Mission Beach, Far North Queensland (tropical paradise) - Hyams Beach - South Coast NSW (white sands) - Balmoral Beach (almost mediterranean - a harbour beach of Sydney) - Bondi Beach (which is also famous for the diverse social scene around it).

After living in the Gold Coast for 6 years, my advice if you're planning to live in South East Queensland is to give Brisbane a miss and live on the Gold Coast. The beauty of the Gold Coast is that you get the best of both worlds - accessability to city life whist also being able to enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle of a (large) beachside town. If you choose to live up the north end of the Gold Coast, it's only about 40 minutes drive to Brisbane CBD. But by living on the Gold Coast, you will also have access to the stunning beaches, a multitude of theme parks, the hinterland which is dotted with vineyards/winerys (and even a distillery and brewery), and of course, it's no where near as hectic as living in a capital city..

Hi, thanks for sharing your view with us. Here is a great offer for photography lovers. You can create your own photo album online and get 20 free Photo cards AND 20 Free Photo Prints immediately. You may go through my signature:.

Hi, thanks for sharing your view with us. Here is a great offer for photography lovers. You can create your own photo album online and get 20 free Photo cards AND 20 Free Photo Prints immediately. You may go through my signature: :).

One of the best spots that you can go to in Adelaide is the Barossa Valley. This is where they make some of the country's best wines. If you are lucky enough, you can easily get a sample of them here or buy one for a low price..

The new development is actually a very good one. It will give people a new vantage point for looking at Uluru. However, the best point is still the one where you get up close to the rock..

[quote]you have to apply from your home country. but you shouldn't have trouble finding work without visa if you need to.[/quote] Nope, as the others have said, you will need to be in your home country in order to apply for a holiday visa. This one will actually be very quick though, so you need not to worry. You do need to have the necessary funds though, in order to convince the embassy that you have enough money for the trip..

Magnetic Island is definitely a good choice for your vacation, as the island really is an interesting place to visit. As for accommodations, the island itself has several hostels that you can stay in. also, you can check in the several places in nearby Townsville..

So im heading to Queensland soon and i need to know a few things if anyone can help. I'm going to look for work to save up a bit of money and travel around. I'm flying to Brisbane in a few days and i've been looking at the Working Hostels around Queensland, looking at the reviews tells me that most of them are just looking to get your money and do not care about your well-being. People have commented about Bundabergs (the place where i was planning to go) hostels saying that they will look for any reason to kick you out of the hostel and they hardly have any work available. I must have read over 100 reviews all saying roughly the same thing and now i'm kind of worried about what to do. Which are the best places agaisnt the southern coast of Queensland to find fruit picking work? Any good recommendations for working hostels that treat you with respect? Does Brisbane have fruit picking work? Also would it be better to get a job on the farm myself instead of going through a working hostel? Also if anyone has had any previous experiences fruit picking in Queensland could you please tell me how it went and what you did Many thanks.

Hi Gre_funky , Usually they only do spot checks at the airport but lately I know the checks are becoming more and more frequent with the amount of WHV holders going to OZ. I f you cant get the fund s need you could always chance it. Here are some tips Dress up well and look smart Hide any tattoos that may show unless you have the rock star look :) If you have facial hair trim it and make it look neat Act normal and dont stress out Answer any questions politely Travel light as in only bring what you need Hope it all works out for you Cheers Neiler.

Hi, Are you planning an Holiday Health Retreat Vacation, then Please check it here. www[dot]campeden[dot]com[dot]au is a best choice..

[quote:352d6caf12="malibu19x"]Me and my boyfriend are hoping to do a round the world trip next year. We just cant decide whether to go to Fiji or Hawaii on the way home...any suggestions?? Thanks :P[/quote:352d6caf12] Hawaii is beautiful. You will have good moments. Share your photos to us offline.

As long as tourists stay away from the Southern part like places in Jolo, Basilan, and Zamboanga, tourists are very safe in the Philippines. Lots of my foreign friends have decided to live in the Philippines for good because according to them Philippines is the paradise. In Makati city for example, you can see lots of foreigners just walk on the streets night and day without any fear. You can see expats mixes with Filipinos in many places here, just visit Greenbelt Park in Makati and you can see tourists are very happy and contented. Thinking that the entire Philippines is dangerous is quite exaggerated..

[quote]NZ had good beer. Hoegaarden and Tui were my other faves there.[/quote] Hoegaarden is from Belgium.

Australia is considered the paradise of fishing with a coastline of thousands of kilometers like harbors, bays, lakes and rivers etc which is an ideal for fishing. Below are some of the top fishing spots in Western Australia: Fitzroy River lies in Central Queensland, Australia. Its catchment covers an area of 150,000 square kilometers. Rottnest Island is situated 18 km off the coast of Western Australia close to Fremantle. Kalbarri is a coastal town in the Mid West region which is located 592 km north of Perth, Western Australia..

I'd go with Australia. I'd love to try Skydiving in Brisbane there..

Hi, I thought you may like know that people with names deleted by moderator have teamed up to provide a free, all-expense paid, 7-day wine tasting trip to New Zealand. It's awesome and you should check it out. More info about the giveaway here: Link removed, also by moderator Spamming the boards is not allowed. Please read the guidelines on advertising at the top of every forum. Any more posts like this, and you will be banned!.

I know it's an old thred, but someone may find it useful. I loved White Island, just off the coast of Whakatane. We used Pee-Jay for the tour (I think they are the only ones allowed to land on the island). White Island is an active volcano, and well worth gettting to see, especially the old sulphur mines that have been left behind. I would also recommend BLACK water rafting. This is usually done on inflatable ring through caves. Pretty awesome. A bungy jump is another one to do - the places available to do it in NZ are far better than most (pub car-parks, etc). I did the tallest in NZ - the Nevis bungy run by AJ Hackett. I also did the Auckland Bridge climb that they run. That was OK, but wouldn't rush to do it again. Try and get to the thermal pools in Rotorua. They are amazing!.

Please give your most recent experience. Greatly appreciated..

Always interested on how the market is in NZ. How was it getting a campervan hire at a good rate?.

hey there. Yes your 3G would be usable in Taupo, neighboring areas can only get you signal for calling, 2g and 2.5G.. and the major 3G locations are far out there in wellington and auckland. Taumarunui can also access 3G which is 2-3 hours from taupo, but not as fast as you could get in taupo. buying a used car in auckland is easy! selling it would need time. check out http://www.autotrader.co.nz/ where you can buy and sell your car..

I agree, there aint country with no offenders. I dont see why NZ is terrible? it is probably one of the most scenic places (if you like beaches and landscapes), and people are cool they are infact glad to help tourists and sometimes would offer you lodging or a carpark in exchange of a minimum cost. the ferry transport are on bargains if you wanted to travel both north and south. both islands have compact attractions so theres always something to capture..

hmmm...IMO you can get cheaper rates if you fly out from london during september to october....I guess cheapflights.co.uk can scour cheap flights for you. keep watching they still have good deals to fiji during this month. Discounted hotel rates in Fiji can be found in February and March.. and more people flock to Fiji during May June July Aug...

I know this thread was posted a while ago but for those of you discussing which tour bus to use, which did you go with in the end? My boyfriend and I arrive in NZ in Nov and think we will be using Flying kiwi because of all the good reviews we've heard. Being slightly older than the average traveller, we too don't want to go on a "bang bus" so hoping flying kiwi is the one for us? cheers guys maddie.

hmmm... a hawaii resort and spa would averagely charge $4 for mineral waters. $3-$4 softdrinks. chocolate drinks, coffee, energy drinks, juices around $10-15. moderate restaurants can have meals betwee $10-$20. high end resto $35 and up..

I'm getting tired of people copying and pasting posts from other boards just in order to do quick and easy posts with a view to getting their sig seen. The above post has simply been taken from http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-487016-1-1-Travel-0-0-Auckland-discussion.html - it was made by someone called Emma. That's funny, because in the above poster's previous post to this one, he(?) claimed he was a 25-year-old guy (chances are that that was just another copy and paste job, so take that with a pinch of salt also). I'm also getting tired of dishonesty surrounding posters' locations. The above poster is from Vietnam, not Thailand as claimed. The above user has been banned and I am going to be advising all other moderators to ban anyone else who is clearly trying to deceive the rest of the community that we have here. Aaron.

Just a though, why do you have to buy if you are just visiting NZ. hmmm... that could be a lot of expense. registration and everything else that goes with owning a second owned vehicle.

Koalas in New zealand? you should be lost. Architectural designs of London is a lot like Australia than NZ... and some dining experience most especially in Sydney's The Rocks is like a benchmark of London..

I guess they all said it. I bet you have agencies in your country to process that for you or to guide you so to make it easy as well as give you an advice. then all you have to worry about is your travel in NZ.

Shameless plug for perhaps my most favourite company right now - might not be your liking but i think there pretty cool http://www.wicked-campers.co.nz/ I think I rate these as the kinda thing you would love to do but dont.?!.

ohh boy last minute flights. always heavy on the pocket..

goneforawander posted a photo:

Tide coming in over the flats

goneforawander posted a photo:

goneforawander posted a photo:

goneforawander posted a photo:

goneforawander posted a photo:

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Solomon islands, guadalcanal, honiara, street scene

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Solomon islands, treasury island, native boy in outrigger canoe watching passing zodiac/Tourists

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Solomon islands, rendova lagoon, dive master showing snorkelers purple starfish

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Micronesia, caroline isls. Satawal island, tattooed old man holding child

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Solomon islands, stirling island, treasury island group, tourists in rain forest

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Micronesia, caroline isls. Ifalik island, zodiacs landing on beach with tourists

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Papua new guinea, rabaul, new britain, baining fire dancers

aleszev posted a photo:

Kangaroo Sleeping

aleszev posted a photo:

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Micronesia, caroline isls. Woleai island, natives with tourist sitting on beach

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Easter island, ahu tahai, moai statue with top knot

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

New zealand, near rotorua, detail of carved canoe

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

French polynesia,tuamotus, mangareva island(Iles gambier), sunset

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

French polynesia,tuamotus, napuka island, atoll, beach with coconut palm trees and local villagers

wolfgangkaehler posted a photo:

Solomon islands, kennedy island, evening sky

Oceanic & Pacific Vintage, Photographs, Rare Books & Sound Recordings. Preview images of good quality.

from the page: "..High court judges in London recently upheld a ban on British forces transferring prisoners to the National Directorate of Security in Kabul because of "a real risk" they would be "subjected to torture or serious mistreatment". Yesterday Defence Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed that prisoners arrested by Afghanistan's Crisis Response Unit, which the SAS works with, are transferred to the interrogation centre referred to in the British judgement.. The Star-Times understands the SAS has taken part in arrests more than two dozen times since it began working with the CRU last year.. Dozens of detainees – some arrested arbitrarily and detained without access to lawyers, families, or courts – have been subjected to torture and other ill treatment," Holmes [Amnesty International] said. The British court was told that at least one prisoner handed to the directorate had died, while others suffered torture, including amputations, electric shocks, sleep, food and water deprivation..

from the page: "..New Zealand also has about 80 elite Special Air Service (SAS) troops in Afghanistan... According to comments by Norway’s defence chief last year, the New Zealand SAS was taking over from Norwegian troops who had been involved in arresting insurgent leaders allegedly responsible for suicide attacks in the Kabul region... On August 4, all the parliamentary parties lined up with the National government to mark O’Donnell’s death [the first New Zealand soldier to die in Afghan war] and in doing so to indicate their support for New Zealand’s participation in the Afghan war. Facing widespread opposition to the war, the Labour Party, Greens and the Maori Party have all called for the SAS to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, but supported the continued presence of the PRT troops. A nationwide poll conducted by Research New Zealand in May found that an overwhelming majority of respondents—77 percent—favoured some form of withdrawal of New Zealand troops from Afghanistan...

prístinas y la sombra de miles de cocoteros. Las Maldivas es

Gletscher gibt es auch in der Nähe des Äquators - allerdings nicht mehr lange, wie Forscher befürchten. Wissenschaftler sammeln Bohrkerne von den letzten Eisfeldern Ozeaniens und der Südsee. Es ist ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit.

from the page: "..Before being allowed into Schofield [where U. S. Army left depleted uranium by spent shells], all [activists] were asked to sign a waiver of responsibility acknowledging... "I fully understand and by my signature acknowledge that I understand, West Range at Schofield Barracks is currently constructing the Battle Area Complex (BAX) which includes clean up of unexploded ordnance (UXO) including potential chemical warfare munitions (CWM) and depleted uranium (DU)...," the waiver read, in part. "I understand that the ENTIRE RESERVATION IS DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE due to the presence of surface and subsurface UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE and DEPLETED URANIUM; that there may be hazardous conditions and ordnance on or under the surface of the Reservation; and that unexploded ordnance may explode nearby causing serious bodily harm, injury and death and that depleted uranium particles can be ingested from the soil or inhaled by airborne dust that may cause adverse health effects."...