TVCH'ers Travels

The ClubHouse: Archives: TVCH'ers Travels
 SubtopicMsgs  Last Updated
Archive through January 31, 2002 25   01/31 11:32pm

Babyruth

Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 08:34 pm Click here to edit this post
Anybody have any ideas or recommendations or stories about the greater Sydney, AUS area or Tahiti? Would love to hear anything you have to share.

The plans have been finalized: we are going to visit my Mom in Australia in April!

She has lived there for the past 19 years and I have never been able to go see her (has always cost BIG bucks--see my job history in that thread to see why I never could afford to go--LOL). My brothers have never been, either, but she has come home to the USA on visits about every 5 years for a few weeks (a week with each of us). I finally feel comfortable enough financially and logistically to go visit, and I'm very very lucky that my partner can join me.

We are planning to spend a week with her (she lives near Wollongong, which is just south of Sydney on the East coast), and will take her out and about--tentative ideas include a Sydney harbor afternoon/dinner cruise, a visit to a nature park to see the flora and fauna, and whatever else she comes up with that she'd like to do. I'm sure we'll get dragged off to church for some potluck or something, but that's ok! I want to see how she lives and what she enjoys.. Her health isn't that great, and she doesn't drive, so we'll rent a car-- and drive on the left("wrong") side of the road--watch out, Australia!!!

After a week with her, my sweetie and I are flying to Tahiti for a week there, just the two of us. We were originally going to stay on Fiji for a week (it's on the way back to the US), but there is a travel advisory and some vague anti-American feelings there now. So, we looked into going to French Polynesia and discovered it is relatively inexpensive right now because of the overall decline in air travel. We'll be staying on the islands of Bora Bora and Huahine. We figure this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we are going to go ahead and have fun. Life is short!. The next time we come to Australia will probably be for the purpose of helping my Mom move home to the States, and will not be a vacation.

I can't wait for April!!!!!

Donut

Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 11:08 pm Click here to edit this post
that sounds amazing!

Kstme

Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 11:15 pm Click here to edit this post
Can I tag along on the wing of the plane? Sounds like a dream vacation of a lifetime, Babyruth! What fun!

Babyruth

Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 07:24 am Click here to edit this post
Thanks, Donut and Kstme-
I wish you could come, too!
Maybe we should all charter a TVCH jet and take a group trip!

Aussiedeb

Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 09:16 am Click here to edit this post
Hey count me in for that trip ...

If you need to know anything about Sydney let me know..I was born and raised there.

Went to school there, and still have many friends there...

You should go see the Blue Mountains, they are beautiful, but they just had those bad fires there..

The harbour is great for a cruise, and you will need to take the ferry across to Manly from Circular Quay..

Wollongong isnt too bad a drive from Sydney these days, and there are some great beaches there..

You are in for a shock with the driving..trust me us sydney drivers are as bad as New York drivers...Thats why when I get the chance I drive on the interstates here in the US..we live in a small town, people drive slow and careful...

Shopping is great in the city of sydney, there is the Centrepoint Tower you can go up in and see Sydney, plus it has a great shopping mall under it...ohhh how i spent many a lunch hour there...
I worked in the city for years too...
Ok, thats a quick overview...feel free to email me with any other questions..

Juju2bigdog

Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 10:04 am Click here to edit this post
Babyruth, I was in Sydney last March and April. I would suggest you go up in the AMP tower in Sydney if nobody in the groups has bad vertigo. We went for the lunch buffet, which was around $49 AUS, so about $25 US. The view is spectacular and with lunch, you get to spend a good long time up there in comfort. Food is just ordinary, but since it is a buffet, you can sample several exotic things, such as camel, emu, and er, kangaroo.

You may be getting a car because you mother is in poor health and has difficulty getting around. Otherwise, you would not strictly need a car. Public transportation in Sydney is very good. You can get passes that cover unlimited travel on buses, trains, and ferries, which is what we did. Any time we would get too hot in the city, we would just go hop a ferry to anywhere, and cool off.

And, of course, you don't need a dinner cruise to see Sydney Harbor. Take a ferry to Watson's Bay and eat at Doyle's, a Sydney institution, for probably the same price or less. You will see Doyle's just a few steps away as you get off the ferry.

Let me know if there are other things you would like to know.



p.s. Lance sent me to this thread.

Juju2bigdog

Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 10:22 am Click here to edit this post
Well, I started this post before Aussiedeb's was posted and ended it after, so now I am editing a few things to make the information seem less contradictory. And now the editing feature is messed up, and it says it has been more than ten minutes when it has not. Or maybe it is the clock again. Anyhow, here is the edited version.

Babyruth, I was in Sydney last March and April. I would suggest you go up in the AMP tower (same as Centrepoint mentioned by Aussiedeb) in Sydney if nobody in the group has bad vertigo. We went for the lunch buffet, which was around $49 AUS, so about $25 US. The view is spectacular and with lunch, you get to spend a good long time up there in comfort. Food is just ordinary, but since it is a buffet, you can sample several exotic things, such as camel, emu, and er, kangaroo.

You may be getting a car because your mother is in poor health and has difficulty getting around. Otherwise, you would not strictly need a car. Public transportation in Sydney is very good. You can get passes that cover unlimited travel on buses, trains, and ferries, which is what we did. Any time we would get too hot in the city, we would just go hop a ferry to anywhere, and cool off. I agree ferry to Manly is a good thing to do. It is about a three block walk to the beach. Nice beach, and there are interesting shops along the way. Just follow the crowd as it gets off the ferry. You will see some topless women at the beach.

Speaking of beaches, we felt obliged to visit Bondi Beach just because it is world famous. I loved it.

And, of course, you don't need a dinner cruise to see Sydney Harbor. Take a ferry to Watson's Bay and eat at Doyle's, a Sydney institution, for probably the same price or less. You will see Doyle's just a few steps away as you get off the ferry.

Let me know if there are other things you would like to know.



p.s. Lance sent me to this thread.

p.p.s. I don't know how to get to it, but there is a whole thread somewhere here in the archives of my trip to Australia. I went to cybercafes and sent back brief chronicles of where I was and what I was doing. Soeur posted links to the places I described.

Babyruth

Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 07:01 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks so much, Juju and Aussiedeb! All the information you posted is helpful.
About the car:
Yes, Juju, we are getting the car because my Mom has pretty bad arthritis in her hips, knees and ankles and uses a cane. She can't do too much walking. Aussiedeb, my Mom found out we were planning on getting a rental car at the airport and driving to Wollongong, and she freaked a little and warned us of the TERRIBLE Aussie drivers, and how awful it is to drive from the airport, etc. She has advised us to take the limo/van from the airport and rent a car in Wollongong for the week, then go back to the airport the same way. Of course, when she said it, I assumed she was exaggerating, but to hear you confirm it makes me believe it--LOL--isn't that always the way with Moms and daughters?

Again, thanks you guys for the great, useful info! Feel free to add anything else you might think of!

Aussiedeb

Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 09:17 am Click here to edit this post
LOL...Babyruth

I would take your moms advice on that one..You could go into the city and then catch a train to the gong...Its pretty bad driving to and from the airport there...
One good thing that I found last time I went thru Sydney Airport is that they have improved heaps on going thru customs and immigration now..Since the Olympics, it doesnt take as long...when i came back from Bali years ago it took me about 3 hrs to get thru that..so naturally I panicked when I flew back there last year and only had one and a half hours to get off the United flight, go thru all the normal stuff, get on a bus and transfer from the International terminal and get to the Domestic one...
I managed to run the whole time and even had time for a ciggie outside the domestic terminal before catching my last flight to Perth...
Sure I cant fit in your suitcase??

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 10:04 am Click here to edit this post
Babyruth, we were in Sydney twice when we were there, so went back and forth from the airport twice. Granted we were not driving, but I certainly would not have characterized it as a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, your Mom's idea sounds excellent. You don't have to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road in a strange big city when you are severely jet-lagged.

Goatgirl

Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 10:55 am Click here to edit this post
Babyruth I am green with envy!

I just finished reading a book that I loved, it is called "In a Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson. He is I guess a travel writer but it's not a guide book, more a recounting of his own travels through Australia - very funny and lighthearted. If you haven't read it I would recommend it!