Australia Thread 2

[glacy_rein]

^sis dito ko na answer.. i booked my dad for Cebu Pac Sydney at 37k then Jetstar flight about 11k for Sydney to Gold Coast. As in paglabas ng visa last monday morning I booked his flight na agad for Tuesday night flight (last night) kaya sya lang pinaalis namen. (hinayang ako sa 16k lang na RT sa CebPac kaso yung visa nga hindi matancha)

Eyeing kame to visit by last week of January kameng ibang nakakuha ng visa sayang din eh.

BTW my dad brought 10packs of cigarette and he declared it in Sydney airport but the officers asked him to pay for $105 AUD kaya he refused and was given just two packs (as allowed) sayang din.

[rocky]

^sabagay 6 months naman validity nong visa awww ang mahal ng tax, kaya ayoko ring magdala ng food or anything na mahaharang sa custom kasi sayang lang pag hindi nakalusot

[choco_loka]

I ought to thank all our sisses who posted tips for applying Aussie visa, especially to @mama squeak!

Nakakagulat kasi one day processing lang yung akin. I did it online, I filled out the form online, submitted it yesterday, paid the application fee using my credit card. After paying, I attached the following documents:
passport's bio page, birth certificate, tax certificate, work and residency visa (im based in taipei), scanned copies of all visa stamps, entry and exit stamps, invitation letters from two friends in Melbourne and Sydney with evidence of their residency status; employment cert; bank cert.

I was about to attach another bank cert from another account this afternoon but when I checked online, the status said "Finalised." Medyo nagpanic ako kasi akala ko denied agad. So I Googled what "Finalised" means when applying for Australian Visa. Sabi sa websites, it means a decision has been made and you can now track your application using VEVO Entitlement Check by just keying-in the transaction reference number. True enough, my visa was approved, and I was granted a one-year multiple entry visa. Ang bilis! Nakakatuwa!!!

Sorry ang haba! But super thank you to this thread, I've been following this thread for quite sometime. 

[theflygirl]

^Wow, congratulations! Super speedy! I asked the vfs agent today and indeed, he said there aren't many applicants the past couple of weeks. More during our summer months. Although it's no indicator about the processing time of my application, it gave me some hope. Haha. Now playing the waiting game.

[glacy_rein]

mga sis anong sulit ipabili sa gold coast area? any ideas? para may mauwi dad ko hehe! clueless kasi kame ee. thankee!

[kinkytinch]

@sachism thank you summer na ba yung punta mo sa sydney na yun?

[rocky]

scary yong hostage drama sa sydney

[mama squeak!]

I know! Hubby was just there yesterday. I hope and pray it will end soon with no lives lost.

@glacy_rein, if mahilig kayo sa steak you can buy their meat. Iba talaga lasa ng karne nila. Hubby always brings home at least 3kgs each time. He gets it at AUD15/kg but not sure kung mura na yun nabibilhan nya dun but definitely a lot cheaper than buying it here at Rustans. 

[glacy_rein]

^oooohh ok sis! kaso hindi ba masisira kasi wala sa malamig? (ref)

[mama squeak!]

^Buy it on the day of departure or at least a day before departure. Ganun ginagawa ni hubby tapos pinapa-vacuum pack nya sa shop. Then sa fridge/freezer ng hotel room nya lang nilalagay until departure nya next day. Meron din pala kaming zip lock thermal pack which helps a lot.

[akthung]

scary yong hostage drama sa sydney

i was a a street or 2 away and was about to depart for the airport when this happened. traffic was already starting to build up. good thing i left right away.

I dropped 2 friends at the international airport before proceeding to the domestic airport. i noticed a lot of cops were deployed to both airports. on the plane people were receiving calls from their loved ones asking if they're safe.

[glacy_rein]

^^nagtanong na dad ko for wagyu beef and 13aud lang for 1kilo. ang mura naman? he also bought levi's jeans for like 33aud each, some 50aud and then the violet crumble na tig 175 dito sa PH, dun he bought for 1aud sa mall.

excited na din kame for our tour sa end of January, sana matuloy hehe!

[mama squeak!]

^Mura na yan, sis! My hubby kasi gets it at one of the meat shops at Sydney's CBD.

I am hoping to tag along with him again by late January or February. Basta yung open na mga flights para I can have a whole row of seats to myself. Ang hirap kasi pag di nakaka-stretch legs ko. 

[rocky]

waaahhh after 48 years na paghihintay, MULTIPLE VISA granted. ganda ng pasok ng new year

[theflygirl]

^Yay, congratulations! Yan na lang din wish ko. To be granted a multiple entry visa para di naman wasted yung money time and effort. Processing pa in yung application ko when in fact, I've to refund my ticket already and I picked up my hubby na last night from BNE. First time ko masira ang lakad in my entire life so super traumatic. I've lost interest in visiting na nga. Will rather catch PR's London flight before they remove it. Happy travels to all. Hope within the week may result na. 

[rocky]

^kaya nga ayaw ko ring magbook muna ng ticket sis kasi baka masayang

nov 14 ako nag-lodge & expected ko 1 month granted na kasi nga peak season. pero na-grant january 2 na. target date ko ng alis january 9 kasi binyag ng mga pamangkin nya tapos sa 24 first wedding anniv namin & sa 27 naman 80th bday ng dad nya. sa sobrang tagal nainip na ako & mahal na rin ticket kaya sabi ko hindi na ako aalis ng january. sabi ni hubby bawi na lang sya sa april, mag-phuket na lang kami. kaso nahihirapan kaming maghanap ng mura & magandang oras ng flight kasi madaling araw yong sa cebu pac. tapos nong na-release na visa ko, sabi ni hubby kung gusto ko daw pumunta don ng april & sa queensland na lang namin celebrate. mas ok sa kin yon kasi mahaba off ni hubby & hindi rin masyadong madami file kong leave kasi holy week yon.

thankful pa rin kahit matagal at least multiple na, gusto ko din kasi pumunta don ng spring & new year

[rocky]

hi mga sis, aside sa mga theme park sa queensland. ano pa yong mga ok na pwedeng pasyalan? saka san yong outlet store like billabong, nike & adidas? wala na kaming prob ni hubby sa tutuluyan kasi may house don yong pamangkin nya

[sachism]

^ Surfer's Paradise sa Goldcoast.

Nadaanan namin ang outlet from BNE city going to Gold Coast. Yun ang first stop over namin. Grabe, mura mga RL

[rocky]

^gusto ko talagang puntahan yang outlet. mukhang puro beach nga sis kaso april ang punta ko don (autumn). dapat ngayong january kaso late na na-grant visa ko, mahal na din ng ticket

[theflygirl]

After one million years, I finally received my visa grant....exactly two weeks AFTER my supposed trip. Hay, good thing still my money wasn't wasted and I can travel some other time. I already started the refund process for my ticket. Boo.