Australia Thread 3

[[-c-h-a-]]

ysa.belle, I get cold easily so I really wear winter coats. There are reasonably priced ones in Dotti, Bardot and Forever New. David Jones too.

I bought a royal blue wool coat from David Jones last season for only $199. It was sooo warm and the colour is gorgeous. I was stopped many times and asked by strangers where I bought it embarrassing!

I also scored a full length camel coat from Live clothing. It was on sale for $99 so I grabbed it na agad.

Houndstooth coat from Bardot, for $129.

My coats from Forever New, I can't remember the range but they're almost always around the $150-$200 mark. I don't want to pay for more than $200 too much!

Like I said, reasonably priced naman sila kasi quality and very warm. You just have to look more closely also, coats have different lengths...

And boots, yes everyday during winter. My sneakers won't cut it. But boots naman doesn't necessarily mean knee high, thigh high, over the knee boots. There are flat ankle and motorcycle boots too I think they're more casual.

[jenny_syngkit]

Finally, we got our Visas already! We submitted online last Feb 28. I emailed them a follow-up last night and got our IMMI grant notice this morning

[belle_v2g]

Looks like online applications takes a while compared to paper applications.

[mama squeak!]

Depende din siguro sa profile ng applicants yung bilis or bagal ng approval.

[summersunder]

Got my visa exactly 4 weeks.

[belle_v2g]

How long does it usually take for a tourist visa to be approved if lodged online? gosh i need my parents here before i give birth!!

[mama squeak!]

Dami factors din kasi to consider. Pwede din the season na nag-apply, kung peak expect a longer wait time. And as I've mentioned earlier the applicant's profile can be one major factor. I got my visa grant exactly 10 working days or two weeks. I lodged it online.

[jenny_syngkit]

^^allot two months for processing para sure sis. 6 months naman valid yung visa. nakaka-stress yung too tight na schedule. Kame nga sa May na flight namin, hindi kame makabook ng hotel and local airfare kase ang tagal lumabas ng visa namen.

I agree about the profile being a big factor, usually kase pag matagal ibig sabihin pinag-iisipan nila ng mabuti kung bibigyan o hindi weird lang kase never naman kami nahirapan sa Visa. We have a US, Schengen, UK, Japan, Korean, (previous) Australian visas na. Pero inabot pa din ng siam siam yung processing. I lodged the application online and as a group (me, hubby and two kids). Yung sister-in-law ko and her family naman applied via VFS, nauna lang sila nagsubmit ng one day. One day earlier din nila nakuha yung visas nila kesa sa amin.

Pero thankful na din ako at least na-grant na yung visa namin. Excited na din mga kids kase maraming theme parks sa Gold Coast.

[rocky]

^for me, overrated yong theme park sa GC. tapos uber mahal pa ng ticket been to HK & singapore mas di hamak na worth it yon sis

[jenny_syngkit]

^mura yung nakitang tickets ni hubby AUD79 tapos 3 theme parks na - Sea World, Wet and Wild tsaka WB World.

Sabagay, kung theme parks pag-uusapan, pinaka ok pa din sa US. Pero at least maiba naman, hindi puro mickey mouse Ten years ago na yung last punta namin sa Gold Coast, siguro naman marami na silang bagong rides.

[rocky]

^sa groupon ako nakabili sis, 4-in-1 kasama yong paradise country, don ako nakahawak ng koala kaya ok na rin. pero pag don mismo sa entrance mahal! hehe hindi ako bibili non

[belle_v2g]

^i hope they grant the visa asap para mahabol ko pa ang seat sale!! i don't see any problem naman with my parent's profile and i provided all the necessary docs from my doctors (proof that I am pregnant) and from my employer (since I will be shouldering the expenses. may titirhan at kakainin naman sila dito. ok din result ng medical nila.

[ysa.belle]

thanks po sis belle_v2g, sis ataypool, sis mamasqueak! and sis gumdrops.

ginawin kase po ako. tumatagos ang lamig. nakalongsleeves na ako and nakajacket pero malamig parin.

maghahanap na ako ng boots sa internet, any suggestions po?

ang mahal ng coats and jackets. suicide sa price. kahit 2 lang siguro na winter coat/jackets pwede na. may baon naman ako leather jacket eh. cute pa.

sabi nila di pa malamig kase autumn palang daw. so i need to be prepared kase ginawin ako.

[rocky]

^kahit autumn sis minsan nagda-drop sa zero pag madaling araw & depende kung saang city ka. pero kung bandang sydney & goldcoast keri lang, medyo mas mainit don

[ataypool]

^^Ysa.belle, for online sites, try Urban Outfitters and Amazon (all my boots were bought from these two). The Iconic and of course Asos are good too, lagi din may sale, sometimes the boots less than $50 and maganda quality. Hintay mo na lang lagi sa Myer and David Jones kasi weekly naman may sale sila; recently sa kanila muna ako tumitingin for the rewards points, apply kang maging member ng rewards nila.

Maganda din sapatos sa Novo, Portmans, Dotti and Sportsgirl if you want them cheap and stylish, questionable nga lang durability. Ibang shoe stores like Shoebox, Wittner and Nine West may kamahalan but like I said before, may mga sale naman lagi.

Check mo rin ang Supre; I used to buy my long-sleeved tshirts from them before Uniqlo’s Heatech came here. Mura and nagtatagal din. Target, Kmart, Best & Less and Big W sell thermals too. Check mo rin Target for cheap and stylish jackets and coats.

[fallen_@ngeL]

Got our visas na thanks sa mga tips sisses! =) I applied/lodge Feb 24 and receive the email on April 1. =)

[ysa.belle]

^wow. wala man 2 months. nung ako 2months talaga pero kase inabot ako ng christmas and new year kaya siguro ganun.

[rocky]

^yes peak season talaga yan sis plus summer kasi sa kanila

[ysa.belle]

thanks again sis ataypool.

^buti nga naapprove ako kase yung kilala ko na 1 month pa nauna sa akin eh narefuse ng entry.

saw nice boots at freelanche shoes pero suede sila. baka mabasa lang sayang naman kase pang harabas talaga ang bibilhin ko na boots. sa dotti meron ako nakita, size 7 ako talaga pero maluwag pa rin size 6 nila. hay.

got one winter coat. was eyeing a reefer jacket sa h&m. 59.95 lang. it comes in peach and dark green. kinuha ko na dark green. 1 more coat to go and 1 pair of boots.

[belle_v2g]

March 23 ko inapply ang tourist visa ng parents ko so hopefully they receive the grant soonish. I'm just worried baka manganak nako anytime eh wala pa sila. Where can I follow up? Any email addresses there you have na pwede kahit inquiry lang?