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Post by tiffany on Apr 27, 2015 11:46:32 GMT
It sounds like you have a busy year Tassiedevil! My first tour was also in 2007, and I’ve been on 12 since! I still remember my first tour like it was yesterday though. My travel plans for the rest of the year are a trip to Nashville to visit my cousin in July, and then Greece in the fall with a stop-over in London. I wish I could do more tours in a year, but time and money don’t allow for it.
That is on top of spending 10 days in Canberra during January being part of a state team for national championships and spending the extra long Easter weekend in Melbourne. This will only be my 5th tour since my first in 2007. My 2 trips to the US I didn't do an organised tour, did a few day trips and a lot of independent travel.
Whether you take a tour or not, you’re still travelling, and that’s what’s important. Have a great time on your Treasures of the Balkans tour!
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Post by californian on Apr 28, 2015 14:56:26 GMT
Well 4 days to go until I depart for Treasures of the Balkans with Insight. Would love to say I'm all ready to go, but had a few dilemmas the last couple of months and would be the least prepared I've ever been for a trip. I have my passport, some money and my documents so will get on the plane on Tuesday and leave my troubles behind and have a great holiday. I arrive back on 10 June.
Well I hope you were ready and left already, have a wonderful time, Tassie, I plan to do this one next year, I would love to hear from you how it went. Safe travels, please tell us all about it!
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Post by tiffany on Apr 29, 2015 11:42:57 GMT
Hi Tiffany, I'm really looking forward to the cruise, something I've wanted to do but been put off as they tend to attract a more 'older' cruise type crowd as well as I'm traveling solo but I wanted to see Europe in a different way, so I thought I'll give it a go. That’s my fear with a river cruise as well Bet. My friend went on one with her mom a few years ago, and she said she was the youngest person on the cruise, and her mom was the second youngest. She said it was a slow moving group. I’m hoping that a Christmas river cruise might be more family oriented, and would have a wider age range. I don’t think I’d be able to go on this cruse during Christmas, but would like to go on it at some point in December. I really want to see the German, Austrian and Swiss Christmas markets some day!
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Post by chech on Apr 29, 2015 16:28:54 GMT
I did the Nile and Yangtze River cruises and at least on those, the average age was actually lower than what I usually see on a coach tour. Granted, some older folk might be more inclined to do a Europe river cruise over Egypt or China. When I went to the Vienna concert, we saw the river boat crowd come in. The age range was probably slightly older than a coach tour group but I didn't get the sense that it was much older. I remember looking at them and thinking I'd fit in fine (as I was considering the Vienna to Black Sea cruise).
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Post by californian on Apr 29, 2015 21:00:57 GMT
No doubt the river cruises attract slightly older people, but not too many spring chickens go on coach tours either, but what i don't think I can take is a slow ship, at night would be fine but during the day...mmmmm, went in two short Rhine cruises with Trafalgar, and a few lake cruises, to me they were boring, not sure I could take a week of that! I am definitely not a river cruise person, as least for now, now Norway is another thing, and I enjoyed the Patagonian cruise around Cape Horn.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 30, 2015 11:39:41 GMT
My friend loved being on a river cruise, and has been trying to get me to go on one with her for a while. She liked that you didn’t have to pack and unpack every day or second day, and she said the food was really good. They also had live music almost every evening, and when they didn’t, she’d play music on her tablet, and people would get up and dance. She also liked that they travelled at night so they had more time to see the sights during the day. Other than the Christmas river cruise, I’m not that interested in a river cruise right now. For most countries, I want to visit the whole country, and not just the cities along the River. Maybe when I’m older and I’ve seen most of Europe I’ll be interested in a river cruise.
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Post by Oz-T on May 5, 2015 23:41:35 GMT
I will be spending most of June on a different sort of holiday, one that doesn't involve getting onto a plane or ship - or even staying at any hotels.... This will be an extended caravan holiday and we'll be driving from the southern coast of Australia, all the way up to the northern coast. The trip will take us through the opal fields of Coober Pedy, the 'Red Centre' of Alice Springs, the McDonnell Ranges, Darwin and Kakadu National Park. We will encounter kangaroos, emus and some saltwater crocodiles - all of which we plan to keep some distance from. We have owned caravans for 25 years so we're used to this sort of travel, although never for this distance (nearly 10,000km/6,000 miles) or for this duration (a month). Everything comes with us on this trip: bed, fridge, TV, DVD, microwave oven, food, crockery/cutlery, cooktop, air-conditioner, water supply, and errr... a month's supply of red wine. On some nights we will be staying at camping grounds without mains electricity - but we have an onboard battery that will power all the LED lights for weeks if necessary, and our bottled gas keeps the caravan fridge running 24/7 if we're not connected to the car or mains power. We can even watch TV or DVDs from battery power and I have an inverter that converts 12 volts to 240 volts for some appliances. And I can stay connected to the internet - my smartphone sets up a WiFi hotspot for me to use the laptop or i-Pad. We definitely 'rough it' in luxury. This is our chance to get a taste of the real outback and regional areas of this vast continent. Each morning when I get out of bed I'm just three steps into the kitchen to make Mrs Oz some breakfast - often this will be an omelet cooked outside and brought into our little kitchen where we can sit and eat. Dinner will probably be a joint project, cooked on a butane BBQ and consumed outside under our caravan awning whilst sipping a glass of red wine. And then, unless we wish to watch a movie, it'll be reading a book in bed. The driving will be pretty constant, but I have a new diesel 4WD car that's top of the range with all the extra features that will make it comfortable. Mrs Oz has been excited for some time and there's just a few weeks to go.... 'Crocodile' Oz-T
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Post by Oz-T on May 5, 2015 23:49:36 GMT
Looking forward to inspecting the feral wildlife.....
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Post by chech on May 6, 2015 0:13:53 GMT
OMG...If I had known you had feral wildlife like that, I would have been to Australia so much sooner!! lol That trip sounds amazing! Do we get a pic of the caravan? Or of Mrs. Oz doing the dishes? Or is she contracting out to the feral wildlife?
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Post by californian on May 6, 2015 1:10:21 GMT
Sounds so good, Oz, how exiting! we used to go on caravans when the children were young, camp out, get a fire going...(we call them trailers if they are pulled by a car o track, mobile homes the others). I imagine that the weather in June is good in that part of the country, not too much rain. Have a blast Oz and Mrs Oz!
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Post by Oz-T on May 6, 2015 2:01:28 GMT
I shall show some photos of the caravan later in my travel tale. It's our third caravan, and we expect it to see us into retirement because it's so new and has every modern thing that we need.
Our kitchen is at the front and it's got a cooktop with four burners (3 gas, one electricity), and a grill area. The sink has two taps, one pump-action to draw water from the tank, and a second one that has mains pressure if I connect a hose to a water tap. Drainage from the sink goes through a sullage hose underneath and into suitable inlet (or into a plastic bucket). The front window has venetian blinds and there's an ample pantry for food items. The refrigerator is large enough to hold several days' food as well as a freezer compartment. I have a 12 volt line coming from the car battery to the caravan's electrical plug so I run the fridge on 12V whilst driving, then switch it onto main electricity when we set up each afternoon on a powered site (or switch to gas if we're on a campsite). The bottled LP Gas lasts forever.
We can seat six people at the table if we had to, but it's always just the two of us. Our older caravan had bunk beds for the kids but they've moved out now so the new van only needed a double bed which is permanently set up with doona, pillows etc. The airconditioner is a reverse cycle so we can heat or cool, depending on the season. June is early winter in Australia so it'll be reasonably cool, and not hot weather until we get closer to the Tropic of Capricorn (north of Alice Springs). This makes the weather pleasant, and without the cyclones and torrential rain of the monsoon season (December-February).
The caravan has ample cupboard space and a microwave oven that's suitable for quick cooking of meals when on holidays. If needed, I can connect the TV antenna in a couple of minutes and with an electric signal booster, get TV reception in most towns. My digital clock plays AM/FM radio as well as thousands of MP3 songs from Mrs Oz's smartphone if we plug it in. We even have a pod coffee machine permanently in the van - we can make lattes or cappuccinos whenever we want.
Outside, there's an external electricity outlet and an exterior awning to protect from sun and rain. That's where we sit for a late afternoon drink in our folding chairs. The caravan is a tandem, so there's four wheels for better balance and stability. At more than 18 feet long, it needs this. As with all modern vans, electric brakes provide the best safety, along with my weight distribution bars that realign the balance of car-trailer. We carry a UHF CB radio for any emergencies because cellular phones won't work in the vast distances between towns and cities. Not that we will need it much for navigation, but I have two GPS devices which will tell me the distances to places and some other helpful information. Being a diesel vehicle, fuel consumption is good, even with towing a caravan, but I will still have to be alert - there are some places where I'll need to drive nearly 400km before we see a fuel station so I cannot avoid topping up the tank.
I've created an itinerary that covers the main points of interest, although you'll need to wait until my travel tale to see what we visited.
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Post by californian on May 6, 2015 3:10:44 GMT
You'll be traveling in style!! you don't mention shower and facilities, but I imagine they are first class as well. Feeling a little envious...it will be very nice to see the pictures and read about your adventure, with complete itinerary so we don't have to google your route, places every day. A friend lived in Alice Springs for a couple of years, never made it to pay her a visit there.
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Post by Oz-T on May 6, 2015 4:20:34 GMT
Shower & toilet are things we chose not to include in the new caravan. they add to the length of the trailer and you have to carry extra water tanks and a hot water service. That means a higher purchase price, extra fuel to carry the weight of the water, extra gas usage and more space required to store the caravan at home. It's much easier to just walk to an amenities block at a caravan park. If we're at a camping ground, there's usually a toilet there, and if not, we can buy a porta-potti (small flushable portable toilet that can hide under the bed). Sponge-baths can always freshen us up each morning if we don't have decent facilities, but if we needed this enough we can buy a cheap portable shower system that can be operated outside. By the time we get too old and frail to improvise with shower/toilet matters, it's probably time to sell the caravan anyway.
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Post by tiffany on May 6, 2015 11:35:18 GMT
Sounds like a great trip Oz, and I can’t wait to hear about it when you get back. I’m not big on camping or staying in trailers, but I’ve always wanted to do a road trip to our East Coast, staying at bed and breakfasts along the way. It sounds like you’ll have quite the adventure.
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Post by chech on May 6, 2015 12:17:39 GMT
It seats six at the table? We're on our way....
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Post by 1jhwks on May 6, 2015 23:42:52 GMT
Ummm! I'm coming down! That will be one awesome trip. Can't wait for your tale in July!
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Post by Tonnet on May 7, 2015 14:59:15 GMT
Shower & toilet are things we chose not to include in the new caravan. they add to the length of the trailer and you have to carry extra water tanks and a hot water service. That means a higher purchase price, extra fuel to carry the weight of the water, extra gas usage and more space required to store the caravan at home. It's much easier to just walk to an amenities block at a caravan park. If we're at a camping ground, there's usually a toilet there, and if not, we can buy a porta-potti (small flushable portable toilet that can hide under the bed). Sponge-baths can always freshen us up each morning if we don't have decent facilities, but if we needed this enough we can buy a cheap portable shower system that can be operated outside. By the time we get too old and frail to improvise with shower/toilet matters, it's probably time to sell the caravan anyway. I'm surprised you did not elect to have a shower/toilet on board, Oz. I have always enjoyed that facility in my motor home plus the hot water system. I carry a generator so am never short of 240 volt power but also have solar panels fitted to the roof - constantly charging the 'house' battery which is also charged from the engine. You have indeed chosen a nice time to travel in that direction. I don't have much time to spell up after my return from Gallipoli as I sail from Fremantle on 6th June - destinations are Geraldton, Lombok Island (Indonesia), back to Broome, cruising the Kimberley coast, Darwin, Port Douglas (Queensland), Brisbane then Sydney - disembarking 23rd June. The next couple of weeks will be spent visiting family and friends in New South Wales (hire car) then flying to Brisbane (another hire car) and doing likewise in Queensland.
27th July will see me fly to Cairns for a land 'cruise' for 16 days taking in Australia's Longest Short Cut via Winton, Boulia, the Plenty Highway, Alice Springs, Hermannsburg Mission, Kings Canyon, Ayers Rock then west to Giles Weather Station (we will visit Lasseter's Cave on the way) and down through Warburton to Kalgoorlie finally arriving Perth on 11th August. The coach is a 4-wheel drive type and will pull a trailer with our luggage and gear as well as the kitchen. Four nights will be spent in motels but the rest of the time we will be camping. The deserts are very cold during winter nights but the days will be lovely.
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Post by californian on May 7, 2015 18:52:07 GMT
In the States we have disposal stations everywhere, is it the same in Australia? We always are told not to use the toilets on the coach because of the lack of them, mainly in Europe, I guess. I sounds like another pair of great trips for you, Tonnet. Hope you post a tale as well. Safe Travels.
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Post by Oz-T on May 7, 2015 21:57:38 GMT
"I'm surprised you did not elect to have a shower/toilet on board, Oz. I have always enjoyed that facility in my motor home plus the hot water system"
There were other considerations, Tony. We don't travel with it into far-flung places off the beaten track. We would have chosen a rugged, 'off-road' style caravan (with a highland hitch) if we had intended to do that. We're usually at caravan parks where showers and toilets are a short walk away, but if we're 'free-camping' we're unlikely to stay at one site for more than a night or two. And we actually like meeting people and chatting to them when you have chance encounters to and from amenities blocks at caravan parks.
The more important criterion was towing height. I store the caravan at home and it has to be able to get under my garage door to reach its place in my backyard. A shower would make the van too high in most floorplan layouts we prefer.
I have looked at both solar panels and generators regularly in recent years. They both make sense, but only if I can justify them on the basis of usage. For that to happen, we would need to be staying "off-road" far more than we ever intend to do. My deep-cycle caravan battery hardly lost any voltage over a 4-day stay with no 240V electricity, so solar panels simply aren't necessary unless we're staying somewhere for more than a week or two. And I can't instal panels on the roof because I'm only just making it under my garage door. The generator idea has some merit, but only if we needed to operate our air-conditioner/heater or microwave oven - it seems quite an overkill to buy a generator for these reasons.
I am very interested in your trips - they sound like a lot of fun and I eagerly await you sharing the experiences with us later if you can.
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Post by Oz-T on May 7, 2015 22:05:39 GMT
In the States we have disposal stations everywhere, is it the same in Australia? Yes, there are similar arrangements here, Californian. We used to have a porta-potti in a previous caravan when the kids were toddlers - it was useful when they woke up in the morning and couldn't hold on long enough for the short walk to the amenities block. In many caravan parks there was usually an official 'dumping area' where the lower reservoir could be emptied. I'd rinse it, put more chemicals into it and it'd be ready to go in no time. Being portable, it was also handy to take on our small boat when the kids were little and we went fishing in the bay.
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Post by Tonnet on May 8, 2015 22:34:20 GMT
I certainly will report on all my tours when I get back in August and will load selected pictures. They will appear as Tour Tales. I've already packed my bags for the June cruise - the first new luggage I have purchased for 15 years. The new luggage was necessary as 'soft' bags are needed for the land cruise and packing is a bit different this time as I had to include a sleeping bag and pillow. My swimmers are in but I don't think I will use them as it is pretty cold at this time of the year
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Post by chech on May 12, 2015 16:04:13 GMT
18 days to Norway! Woohoo!
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Post by californian on May 12, 2015 20:03:54 GMT
All right! We are getting ready for another fave adventure, photos and tale....
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Post by Tonnet on May 12, 2015 20:28:51 GMT
It comes around quickly - 23 days to go!
All packing done except for laptop to be included and charged camera batteries - I carry a small backup camera. Suitcase comes in under 20 Kg - very pleasing due to the extra heavy clothing included for land usage after the cruise. If I can find a suitable thermometer I will record temperatures daily, especially minimum.
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Post by Tulips on May 12, 2015 21:40:09 GMT
9 days until Iceland.
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Post by tiffany on May 12, 2015 22:30:45 GMT
Have fun! Iceland is on my list of places to go, so I can't wait to hear about your trip when you get back!
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Post by chech on May 13, 2015 0:49:41 GMT
Oh...forgot to mention...I was able to prepay my gratuities! First time I've been able to do that as a Canuck.
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Post by tiffany on May 13, 2015 11:48:59 GMT
Oh...forgot to mention...I was able to prepay my gratuities! First time I've been able to do that as a Canuck. Good to know, although I don’t know if I’d take advantage of this. While I usually tip the recommended amount, and then round up, I like the option of tipping less if I have a bad tour director. Where’s the incentive for the tour director to do a good job if everyone’s tipped him/her a head of time. I understand why this is offered to people from non-tipping countries, but, as a Canadian, I know that tipping is expected, and don’t have a problem tipping for good service. I don’t feel the need to tip ahead of time.
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Post by Tonnet on May 13, 2015 22:17:04 GMT
Oh...forgot to mention...I was able to prepay my gratuities! First time I've been able to do that as a Canuck. Don't get caught for this in Australia! This is a non-tipping country. Nearly all hospitality staff, including maids and cleaners, receive wages around 4 to 5 times those paid in Canada and U.S.A. Tour Directors are paid extremely well and coach drivers are paid handsomely!
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Post by chech on May 13, 2015 23:47:52 GMT
That's what they said about New Zealand but I still found service workers with their proverbial hand out....and the driver/guide were tipped as per normal. The guide said that the service workers are figuring out that North Americans tip and you can get the sense they're expecting something.
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