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Old 22 Jun 18, 01:42 PM  
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Kiddlywinks
Excited about Disney
 
Join Date: Jul 13
The grand Oz reunion Aug/Sep 2018 Pre trip report (part 2)

So, on a freezing cold January evening, we are now the proud owners of return flights to Melbourne, Australia, travelling out on Aug 25th, returning on Sept 13th...
24 hrs to get there, 28 hrs to get back

I keep looking at the booking, my tummy is in knots, I feel sick, excited sick, but sick all the same.
We are actually going to Australia!
For real!
Not a pipe dream, or a wish, an actual flight booked.

OMG!

Honestly, I've spent the last 6 months like this
It's pathetic! I'm a grown woman for petes sake, man up!

Nah!



DD went into work on the Monday and gave them her confirmed holiday dates, 3 weeks off - gives her a couple of days with the weekend to get over any jet lag
DS speaks to college, they're fine (so they should be, I'd warned them before he started that we were going lol), just need to remind them nearer the time (ie now) and they'll sort out any work he'll need to do whilst away.
I inform my clients that I'll be unavailable too and that's it, everyone that needs to be informed has been informed with plenty of notice.

So then the planning starts.
What do we want to do whilst we're there, anywhere special/specific we want to go to?

L really wanted to show us the country at it's best, he loves getting up close and personal with the nature and wildlife surrounding them, and being in Melbourne, there's a lot to see apparently.
(No Neighbours set tour will be included in this report, sorry )

Sydney was a must, as is Ayers Rock, but beyond that, we're easily pleased, and were happy to go off on our travels by ourselves.
They'd already 'done' Uluru (Ayers Rock) but hadn't been to Sydney other than flight changes, so suggested they'd like to join us for the Sydney trip - er absoflippin'lutely! We'd love for them to join us!

We decided to join the Sydney trip with my 50th birthday celebrations, and do the Twilight Harbour Bridge climb as my present (Yes please )
Neither of the boys fancy doing that (TBF DS is terrified of heights which means I always get the window seat on flights - bonus ), so it's just the 3 girlies, which should be nice.

J also checked out the Alice Springs tours for us as they often get special offers/discounted rates, which would obviously help.
Whilst sourcing this, we also looked at going to the Gold Coast for a few days...
J & L had stayed at lovely beach apartment on previous trips that they highly recommended, so we checked that out too.

During the many, many, many emails, fb messaging, video calls, and group messages flying between us, it came out that, unlike the original plan - we would stay with J & L for a few days at the start and end of the trip but go off on our own travels in between, they had managed to get time off too, so would be coming on our travels with us

Now, I know that given we haven't seen each other in the flesh for almost 20 years, this could be a recipe for disaster, but honestly, I cannot wait.
They are such a lovely, warm, funny (in a good way lol) couple, that I truly cannot wait to get my overdose of them both, and as much as it will be intense, I think it'd be less so now, spread out over the 17 days, than it would have been, trying to cram everything in at the start and end of the holiday.
I guess time will tell, but we are all really excited about the prospect of spending some amazing quality time together, making new memories as a group, rather than both families exchanging stories.

So, how does the itinerary look now?
Busy. Very very busy

25/8 Flying out of Manchester via Singapore
26/8 Arriving Melbourne Tired I'm sure, but I can't wait for our bear hugs
27/8 Local sights, Mt Dandenong/St Kilda (?)
28/8 Train into the city (bus tour/Jail/Market & Shops)
29/8 Yarra Valley Wineries/Healesville
30/8 Phillip Island and head off on our road trip to Sydney
31/8 Arrive in Sydney and at our apartment in the city
1/9 Harbour bridge climb & 50th birthday celebrations
2/9 Blue Mountains/Tour bus
3/9 Sydney airport for Alice Springs (No J for this part of the trip due to other commitments)
4/9 Town like Alice
5/9 Uluru day tour (6am start )
6/9 Easy day
7/9 Flying to Cooloongatta on the Gold Coast (J will meet us at the apartment)
8/9 DS 18th birthday (theme park TBC)
9/9 Surfers paradise/Sky point observation deck
10/9 Head back to Melbourne

11th and 12th Easy days/Anything we think we missed/hunting for gold

13th Fly back to UK @ 1540

Think we got it all covered

All we've got left to do now is wait... 63 days and counting
__________________
Dec 1991 - HoJo Kissimmee
Dec 2015 - Back to Disney Trip Report Finally got to go back!
August 2018 - Australia baby! The grand Oz Reunion
August 2022 - Disney's 50th for sure
Kiddlywinks is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 26 Jun 18, 08:55 PM  
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Andi
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Join Date: Mar 07
Sounds terrific and won't be long now.

Looking forward to hearing about the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, we are booked to do that in November.
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International Drive 2002, All Star Movies 2005, Renaissance at Seaworld 2008, Rosen Plaza & POFQ 2010, Saratoga Springs Resort 2012, Hotel New York DLP 2013, Rosen Plaza and Old Key West 2014, AKL, BLT & SSR July 2015, Crowne Plaza NYC, AKL, Cabana Bay, AKL Nov 2017, Crowne Plaza NYC April 2018, Rosen Plaza, AKL and GFV August 2018, Australia Nov 2018, RCI Cruise August 2019, Rosen Plaza, Pop Century August 2022
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