hello all!
im on looking for some advice. after years of mming and aahing iv finally quit my job and am off travellling for a year!!! am pretty scared but should be fun even if i will miss everyone here like crazy!
anyway rough itinirary is:
1st nov leave glasgow
5 days in singapore
4 days Kuala Lumpur
2 1/2 weeks sydney (where im hopefully meeting up with the lovely lemoncake!)
around 6 months new zealand. if i get my physio reg am planning on basing myself in auckland for a few months to work befofe travelling south
june 07 - fiji, LA, Houston, New york and home
was wondering if anyone has any highs/ lows, must sees/must avoids etc for these places and also anywhere that would be good to spend xmas and new year in/around auckland as im doing all this on my lonesome!
have already been told to contact pjay and nz monkey which i am going to do asap.
any help greatfully appreciated!
C x
New Zealand, just all of it. Don't spend too long working in Auckland, its really not the nicest place in NZ, not that its not nice, but its the biggest City in the country, something like 60% of the entire population live there, or something daft like that. NZ is just such a truly amazing country that you want to spend as much time as possible actually seeing all of it! I spent a month there with a friend, we hired a car and just drove round the whole of the south Island, after I'd spent a week in the north island by myself. A month wasn't even close to enough time! 6 months may just about crack it!
Don't be fooled by the size of the place, there is just so much to see, and all of it is simply stunning! Its the only place on earth that I've visited that has made me think I may one day want to actually live permanently somewhere other than England.
I'm so jealous!
I'm amazed this wasn't in the "Upstairs" section, when I read the title. But then maybe I've just got a filthy mind.
I don't have anything to contribute otherwise
I'm doing a similar kinda thing - have managed to get a two year work secondment out to Brisbane; leaving in just over a month. I'm looking forward to the slightly different way of doing MJ out in Oz - is there anything I should particularly watch out for?
Not sure I'd recommend the stopovers in KL or Singapore - have heard that they aren't particularly nice places to visit. I'm intending to spend a couple of days in Hong Kong (an iconic place); a couple of days in Thailand should also be quite fun.
Good luck with the trip anyway - I'm sure that you'll come back with a decent suntan and loads of great memories.
I wish I was going with you, I to have spent time in NZ went back last year for a month. Aukland is great for the dancing there is a main school of dance in city centre, lots of classes ever day and eve really push you. My fav place to live in Aukland was the North Shore, and the cafe life is great lots of fab bars too, and the sky tower do ceroc dancing in the dance bars. So enjoy
It’s actually much closer to 30% of the population living in Auckland, but Tiggs pretty much has the right of it. Auckland’s my home town, and while it’s a wonderful place to live it’s fairly low on the places you’d want to spend a lot of time in if you’re only visiting NZ. It is a lovely city, but it pales in comparison to the natural environments you’ll find in the South Island.
If you’re planning on staying for a few months in one place then Auckland is still probably the best place to do it. There’s generally more happening there than anywhere else in the country and it’s relatively easy to find work. You’ll also get to go to the Lorne St studio in town for classes and/or dancing four days a week! (did anyone notice the incredibly subtle plug there? ).
There is no shortage of outdoor activities and sightseeing to do around the country and the GBP goes a long way in the South Pacific Paeso (we sometimes call it the New Zealand Dollar…).
The fastest way to travel is obviously by plane, but the prices of that are a lot higher than what you’re used to in the UK. Rail isn’t nearly as developed or cheap as it is here either so the best option for travel is to hire a car just as Tiggs suggested. If you start out travelling in the south and head roughly north it’s possible to get really cheap deals because the rental companies need to return the cars that have been taken that way by the normal flow of tourists. You also get to go where you want, when you want and see all the things you want so it’s a pretty good deal.
When I get enough time I’ll PM you with a bunch of ideas, but with Camber on this weekend that’s not likely to happen soon.
I will take any opportunity to talk NZ up though as many of the forumites can attest to, so you may regret getting me started.
It’s actually much closer to 30% of the population living in Auckland, but Tiggs pretty much has the right of it. Auckland’s my home town, and while it’s a wonderful place to live it’s fairly low on the places you’d want to spend a lot of time in if you’re only visiting NZ. It is a lovely city, but it pales in comparison to the natural environments you’ll find in the South Island.
If you’re planning on staying for a few months in one place then Auckland is still probably the best place to do it. There’s generally more happening there than anywhere else in the country and it’s relatively easy to find work. You’ll also get to go to the Lorne St studio in town for classes and/or dancing four days a week! (did anyone notice the incredibly subtle plug there? ).
There is no shortage of outdoor activities and sightseeing to do around the country and the GBP goes a long way in the South Pacific Paeso (we sometimes call it the New Zealand Dollar…).
The fastest way to travel is obviously by plane, but the prices of that are a lot higher than what you’re used to in the UK. Rail isn’t nearly as developed or cheap as it is here either so the best option for travel is to hire a car just as Tiggs suggested. If you start out travelling in the south and head roughly north it’s possible to get really cheap deals because the rental companies need to return the cars that have been taken that way by the normal flow of tourists. You also get to go where you want, when you want and see all the things you want so it’s a pretty good deal.
When I get enough time I’ll PM you with a bunch of ideas, but with Camber on this weekend that’s not likely to happen soon.
I will take any opportunity to talk NZ up though as many of the forumites can attest to, so you may regret getting me started.
Hey Tramp! You've met me too! Does that mean I'm normal or just forgettable...?Originally Posted by Trampy
Can't comment on KL, but Singapore is worth a couple of days - you may find it difficult to fill 5. There is a zoo, a bird park, lots and lots of shopping in posh malls and traditional markets. Boat rides around the harbour, cable car rides across to Sentosa, a 'pleasure island'. And Raffles Hotel, of course, for tiffin. Singapore is also very clean - remember that chewing gum is banned!
Bah!
Random cut and paste error in last post. I thought it was looking little on the long side..... stupid 15 minute editing rule
Originally Posted by TrampyUmmm. Neither. You're just in the UK at the moment, and therefore, only verbal help (as opposed to actually taking cms round!).Originally Posted by NZ Monkey
things to do and see around NZ
South Island
Doubtful & Milford Sounds
Fox Glaciar
Mt Cook
Queens Town - lots of physical activites here my favourite was a horse ride along the gorge
Arthurs Pass - keep an eye out for Keas - but don't feed them it's bad for them
North Island
Rotorua
Mount Ruapehu, an active volcano in Tongariro National Park - get to go skiing on a live volcano
New Museum in Wellington - haven't seen it myself was built after I left but have heard rave reviews of it
thats all that springs to mind at the moment - will let you know if I think of anything else
thanks to all of you - so many replies so quickly!
ooh - should i be worried?!!!
i know what you mean, but i do need to work fo some of it and the hospitals in auckland are where most of the physio jobs are going and hey - i get to dance!!!
take it any way you like....but then if you have a filthy mind that comment could be misconstrued as well!
sounds fantastic - good luck to you!
the stopovers work for me. i know people who used to stay in singapore and rave about it so theyre giving me some advice. and a friend went to KL in jan and loved it - hes also put me in touch with people to show me round there! i was going to stop in hong kong but didnt work on my ticket and thailand would be fun but with the coup etc at the moment i thought twice! but im sure it'll be fab!
thaks it sounds great. thats why i was thinking of basing myself in auckland while i do the working part (and dancing!!! ) and then when i do start travelling i can forget the work and enjoy myself and the country!
as for the pm - i dont go for a month so whenever you get a chance thatd be great!
and btw - enjoy camber!
id heard that - *makes mental note to self to remember!*
thanks to you all!!!!
C x
Last edited by cms; 25th-September-2006 at 11:45 PM. Reason: double quoted nz monkey
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