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kiwi
Valued Member
Joined: 02 Apr 2004
Posts: 126
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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That is so cool he said 'do it!!" I am going to try that on mine after his dinner and he is about to pass out on the couch...(yes, I do need a holiday!)
Last overseas holiday was a girls weekend in Sydney in April 03...cant complain really...then duran duran in Auckland in Dec (another girls weekend) really must go away with the family!! (took em to the west coast for the night in March...they didnt complain)
send us a post card...cant wait to hear what you think about the place. It is very cheap from chch ..about $1200 for a weeks accomm and airfare I think...will look into it
Nic |
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Dianne
I'll Hang Around A Little
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 23
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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okay girls, now I've got envy!  I think I might have to ask my hubby about a stopover too 
Dianne |
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Moorf
Future NZ Guru
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 705
Location: West Sussex, UK
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:53 am Post subject: |
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WOW - how easy what THAT - just convinced hubby that savings on flights to Auckland could be put towards a trip to Tonga I only had to MENTION game fishing and he jumped at it...
When are you all going? Would be nice to get some feedback on hotels etc!!
I feel a tan coming on.....  |
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sesame
Valued Member
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 123
Location: southwestern usa
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:47 am Post subject: |
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Dianne, Lisa, Kiwi, Moorf! thank you all for joining the tonga club after helping to establish it!  now, JUST cause my husband said 'yes' doesn't mean we're actually going to do this .....NOW it has finally hit him that we are going to nz (never mind me selling furniture oh and the house from under him!  ).
now i wait for about a week until his anxiety level has diminished .... THEN we'll see what the best avenue is - a direct flight also has its advantages, and knowing - like kiwi already researched - that flights etc. are rel. cheap from nz is reassuring! so, whoever goes FIRST gets to write the initiative postcard - ...... like i said before - just learning about this OPTION (aren't we blessed to have any options at all in this lifetime?!!  )
has made me braver.
sesame~ |
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Moorf
Future NZ Guru
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 705
Location: West Sussex, UK
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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Hey sesame - you hit the nail on the head when you said we are blessed with choices. Let's hope we all make the best of it!!
Hmmm I am really not sure about where to go now - friends have said that Fiji is out of this world....! Hmmmm what to do?
BOTH?!!
Ok, methinks I am pushing my luck now!!!  |
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sesame
Valued Member
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 123
Location: southwestern usa
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Moorf,
maybe save fiji for your first official scuba trip?! you've already determined that the fares from nz are reasonable - and you got some good pointers in your scuba posts
.....it'll all work out JUST the right way
sesame~
when do you book your flight?
i have til the 30th of june....  |
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Moorf
Future NZ Guru
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 705
Location: West Sussex, UK
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:08 am Post subject: |
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Sesame - I am already booked - we finalised yesterday !! We fly out with Singapore Airlines on 21 Sept!! Hence my manic postings today!!
I think you're right re Fiji - can be a long weekend diving weekend sometime - plus Tonga isn't somewhere you hear of everyday!
Hmmm hubby may get worried when he sees me booking holidays before we've even got a job!! |
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Dianne
I'll Hang Around A Little
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 23
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:44 am Post subject: |
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My husband's family are from Fiji, and we went there on the same trip that took in Rarotonga ('Raro' to those in the know ).
Fiji is a wonderful place, and has pluses and minuses for us. Here are some of them:
It is quite poor in many areas, which is sad.
It can be quite dirty, especially in food places, but food was good!
Hotel resorts are very expensive and not 'real Fiji', so somewhat defeat the object of 'seeing' the place, but are very clean and well kept.
The trips to the small islands for snorkelling etc are awesome.
People were nothing but pleasant and welcoming to us.
...So it's a toss up wich way to go - native or holiday maker.
The reason Raro wins with me, then, is cos is had no real downside at all and was just paradise - viva escapism  |
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sesame
Valued Member
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 123
Location: southwestern usa
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 4:01 am Post subject: |
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Dianne, just when i was getting over my goosebumps - there you go again talking about paradise!
do you have green eyes? (i do!)
sesame~
Moorf!
congratulations on ticketing! how exciting - i'll put your departure date in my calender ('diary' for you - too cute! - here in america a 'diary' is a secret little journal book .... )
are you going to auckland and then straight to chch? |
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Moorf
Future NZ Guru
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 705
Location: West Sussex, UK
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 4:22 am Post subject: |
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We are flying to Auckland and calling in on friends there for a day or so to recover. We also want to stop off in Blenheim to visit family friends.
We didn't know how we would get from Auckland to Christchurch until I was advised of a great train route today via this forum (see "Trains").
The train trip looks fab and we can relax and take in the new scenery - will arrive Christchurch c. 25th Sept and we have an apartment (self catering) booked for 10 days... in fact, if anyone is looking for somewhere in Christchurch then contact Lucy - their apartment (and B&B) looks lovely and Lucy is very helpful .... (I'd appreciate comments on location from locals!!!)
http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/christchurch/accommodation/apartments/jumpto/24459
C'mon sesame - get those tickets!
Helen |
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sesame
Valued Member
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 123
Location: southwestern usa
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:45 am Post subject: |
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C'mon sesame - get those tickets!
Helen[/quote]
honest to god i'm trying every minute i get! those 'great' rato flights courtesy of air new zealand only fly once a week - making onward travel from there a bit difficult as well, especially since 95% of the flights onward to auckland leave at 1:30-3:00 AM we can't do that with the little one - we'd never hear the end of that! plus the rato flights are all almost booked (so we're pretty much guaranteed a full flight which means NO seat for our lap child situation soooooooooo, we're really almost back to square one with air nz vs. qantas (sound familiar ) ok, ok, - i won't post again on that one. but i am re-reading all those helpful posts, indeed i am, ....
arg.
so i've been studying the map of the qantas 747 on seatguru.com - although they come in version a and version b (it's amazing how many crash (no pun intended - gulp) courses i take on a daily basis!) - trying to figure out the seating due to the lesser pitch (?) of the seat ...... but i have to get these details down - and that's what is so annoying about being on a tight budget - those little details have to be worked out by oneself - they're not worked into the price ....
still, i count our blessings - even without ONE penny - i'd count our blessings every day and kick myself to remember to do so - cause i KNOW how blessed we all are - 
oh, TRAINS - yippie - thanks for the idea Moorf - you're such a great trail blazer! will you rent a car once in chch? or buy at auction maybe right away?
sesame~ |
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sesame
Valued Member
Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 123
Location: southwestern usa
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:16 am Post subject: |
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http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/christchurch/accommodation/apartments/jumpto/24459
Helen[/quote]
....'a private luxury spa' ... now you're talking! i happen to be a licensed massage therapist and do ALL that kind of stuff (although only for friends anymore - as a therapist i actually worked with cancer patients for years and years .... Moorf - pm me sometime regarding your scare - i'd be interested....)
sesame~ |
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kiwi
Valued Member
Joined: 02 Apr 2004
Posts: 126
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:45 am Post subject: |
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The apartment is off deans ave (BUSY rd for chch) and matai east backs on to a rail way line !!! at least you love trains..and as you arrive in chch on the train...you will see your place!!!
Trains are not very frequent and as you are there for 10 days (which will probably be enough) you should be fine. The train from picton to chch takes about 10 hrs..so bring a book.
How much is she charging you? I would hope it was no more than $80 for the night including power and phone.
Go to tonga everyone (you can tell me what it is like).......we will all go to fiji together later!! bulla!!!
Nic |
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Moorf
Future NZ Guru
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 705
Location: West Sussex, UK
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:59 am Post subject: |
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Kiwi - thank you very much indeed for the location info - very helpful indeed.
I assume that you consider 10 days enough time to secure a rental place? I do hope so!
We are being charged $75 a night - a good discount for a long term stay as it is usually c. $100/120 per night!
A book? Not sure I could take my eyes away from the views for 10 hrs (unless its night time LOL!).
Thanks again, maybe we'll get to buy you a pint someday ......
Helen |
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kiwi
Valued Member
Joined: 02 Apr 2004
Posts: 126
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:35 am Post subject: |
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Trust me...from picton down to about kaikoura it is mountainous..and then you hit the canterbury plains...yawn! then you have that book you can pull out and read!!!
10 days will give you a chance to look at different areas you would like to live in, then when you visit the real estate agents/local paper you know exactly where you want to live and can look just at those properties (saves travelling all over the place) spend 2 days just driving around and going "this is nice' " this is scank!" etc. Harcouts rentals are about 5 mins from you on bealy ave. They are very dissorganised, but seem to have a lot of places. You will have to pay them (and any real estate agent) 2 weeks letting fee..which is 2 weeks rent, just for getting a house through them,. If you go privately, (ie through the paper) you wont be charged it, as they are not licenced agents. Will save you about $500 plus easily.
Then there is the bond with the electric board, telecom, cleaning the rental..as our rentals are crap and USUALLY (the odd one isnt) in need of a clean. That first month you will be heamoragging money...maybe I need to buy you the pint!!!
$75 is excellent....enjoy those 10 days cos you have money in the bank then!! watch it evaporate after the 10 days!
Nicky |
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