Australia Thread 4

[althea_ge]

mga sis, sa mga nagtravel na sa Sydney, what travel insurance kinuha nyo and how much?

[rocky]

^iba gamit ko dating insurance, pero recently malayan na binibili ko. check mo website sis nanjan na rate, depende kasi kung sang country & kung ilang days stay

https://malayan.com/

[althea_ge]

thanks po

^iba gamit ko dating insurance, pero recently malayan na binibili ko. check mo website sis nanjan na rate, depende kasi kung sang country & kung ilang days stay

https://malayan.com/

[fibia]

Anyone care to share recent tourist visa 600 actual approval time?  Im geyying paranoid my trip is aug 18 and i only sent my application last aug 3 LOL.  My cousin sent her application july 27 still no visa today.... :-(

[annamarie88]

^i applied for hubby's visa last July 5, nagrant July 10. 3 working days. Flight namin was July 13. Hehe good luck


So we were just in SYD last month, ang lamig. I had rashes all over. But I love it there. We stayed sa Meriton kasi I wanted to cook some steak and may washing machine. Wala kami masyado itinerary. Kasi biglaan kami nagdecide umalis. Haha
1st day - sa mall lang malapit sa Meriton
2nd day - Sydney Opera
3rd day - Bondi Beach
4th day - Chinatown
5th day - Featherdale Wildlife
6th day - uwi na

I wanna go back! Bitin. Pero siguro Melbourne muna habang valid pa visa. Nakita ko lang last week Mel was 11k sa CebPac. Tempting. PAL kasi kami nito.

Medyo hindi lang ako sanay sa train nila kasi wala masyado signs unlike sa atin or sa ibang countries diba, makikita mo ano next stop. Like nung nag Featherdale kami, lumagpas kami. Dapat pala baba kami sa isang station. Wala masyado signs sa loob eh. Hehe saka dapat pala tap on tap off kahit sa bus. Nacharge kami tuloy mas mahal. Also, medyo rant, yung taxi namin from airport was 182aud! Grabe grabe. Ang tagal kasi namin. Lagpas one hour. I dont know kung ganun katraffic or niligaw kami ng driver. Hahaha dinadaldal nya kasi ako, hindi ko nasilip ang waze. :-| pero kung uber from airport, nasa 60-70 lang. pero ang mahal pa din diba? Nakakaloka. Hindi ko kasi masyado na-plan lakad namin kaya pati transpo waley. Dapat naguber kami agad. Hahaha 

Bumili din ako vodafone sim. Yung 25gb ba yun for 30 days. Sulit naman kasi kahit saan okay signal.

May napulot ako na phone sa airport. Inabot ko sa baggage desk. Looks like hindi naturn over sa lost & found. Tsk yun lang. akala ko since mukha sila strict dun eh okay employees. Better pa na diretso sa lost and found or wait na lang tumawag owner. :-|

I was supposed to get us travel insurance pero dahil hindi ako prepared, wala. But i'd usually get sa Malayan.

Naguwi kami steaks, chocolates, cookies, clothes. Hindi masyado madami but we bought an extra luggage sa Chinatown. Para hindi kami mastress paano pagkasyahin. Now I understand why bumibili yung iba when they travel. Nakalimutan ko bumili ng magnet tho. Hehe

[travelling_daisy]

^sis, may I ask which Meriton did you book and around how much ang rate per night? Looking also for a place to stay with washing machine and location near train station. We are family of four. Two are kids but most likely considered adults na since they are above 12y.o. na. Thanks!

[i_miss_sleep]

^on Meriton near stations, check out the ff in the CBD area that are within walking distance and close to either Museum, St. James and Town Hall stations:
1. World Tower
2. Pitt St.
3. Kent

These Meritons are quite a distance to the CBD/attractions but cheaper than above mentioned:
1. Meriton-Sydney Airport (close to Mascot)
2. Meriton-Bondi Junction (close to mall/shops/Bondi)

Pls. note I haven't stayed here to vouch experience but has gotten familiar with these since these were my contenders during my IT planning and ran across during strolls We ended up in Travelodge (close to museum and has coin-op washing machine) and Adina in Mascot.


I suggest you download their app on Train travel - Opal Travel app. You'll get to plan your train travels there, check your balance and top up your balance. If for some reason you forgot to tap off on your exit, you can simply walk up to the service counter and have it corrected/refunded. Happened to us, we got bored waiting for the ferry so we left without tapping off, so we got charged max of 1 day for that. Pero na-refund naman namin. Makikita nila sa system nila na walang tap-off.

[travelling_daisy]

^ Noted, thanks so much for the info.
I will look into all the options you have mentioned.
Previously, yung mga na-check ko na Adina and Meriton apartments halos same rates din ng hotels. They were the first two options I have since they can accommodate 4 kasi in a room unlike sa hotels, usually up to 2-3 adults lang ang pwede.
Thanks again!

[annamarie88]

^we stayed at Meriton Chatswood for 3 nights, for 653 aud. Ang tagal namin inisip where to book but maganda dito kasi may train station and mall, coles, woolsworth na malapit. At mas mura kesa sa malapit sa CBD. Hinanap talaga namin yung may malapit na mall and grocery. Tapos we transferred sa Meriton Sydney Airport, 2 nights 392 aud. Kasi si hubby is the praning type. Gusto nya lagi malapit sa airport. :p sa HK, nakastay kami lagi sa Regal Airport. We chose Meriton kasi ang ganda ng rooms. 2 bedroom sa amin.

I didn't know about sa pagrefund sa Opal. Sayang. Hihi

[i_miss_sleep]

^same here, sis. On the last night of our trip, we moved closer to the airport. Also, from Mascot kulang na yung laman ng Opal namin papuntang airport. So ipinaalam namin doon sa attendant bago namin I-tap sa machine. (Nagtatanong kase kami kung magkano pa papuntang airport). Ok na raw yun. Huwag na daw namin I-top up

[ataypool]

Medyo hindi lang ako sanay sa train nila kasi wala masyado signs unlike sa atin or sa ibang countries diba, makikita mo ano next stop. Like nung nag Featherdale kami, lumagpas kami. Dapat pala baba kami sa isang station. Wala masyado signs sa loob eh. Hehe saka dapat pala tap on tap off kahit sa bus. Nacharge kami tuloy mas mahal. Also, medyo rant, yung taxi namin from airport was 182aud! Grabe grabe. Ang tagal kasi namin. Lagpas one hour. I dont know kung ganun katraffic or niligaw kami ng driver. Hahaha dinadaldal nya kasi ako, hindi ko nasilip ang waze. :-| pero kung uber from airport, nasa 60-70 lang. pero ang mahal pa din diba? Nakakaloka. Hindi ko kasi masyado na-plan lakad namin kaya pati transpo waley. Dapat naguber kami agad.

Tama ang pricing sa Uber, ripped off sa taxi, iyang price na binayad niyo pang-outer suburban Sydney na destination.

Trains in Sydney are not up to standard. Naiiyak na lang ako pag nasa Japan, HK, Singapore, SK and Taiwan ako, sa efficiency ng trains nila and mas mura pa ang fares nila. The train guards are supposed to announce the stations but due to laziness or cockiness (they just assume everyone reads English or are not blind).

[travelling_daisy]

^we stayed at Meriton Chatswood for 3 nights, for 653 aud. Ang tagal namin inisip where to book but maganda dito kasi may train station and mall, coles, woolsworth na malapit. At mas mura kesa sa malapit sa CBD. Hinanap talaga namin yung may malapit na mall and grocery. Tapos we transferred sa Meriton Sydney Airport, 2 nights 392 aud. Kasi si hubby is the praning type. Gusto nya lagi malapit sa airport. :p sa HK, nakastay kami lagi sa Regal Airport. We chose Meriton kasi ang ganda ng rooms. 2 bedroom sa amin.

I didn't know about sa pagrefund sa Opal. Sayang. Hihi

Sis, yung AUD 653 is per night or the total na nung 3 nights accommodation nyo? I am looking at a 2-bedroom suite din kasi sa Meriton but prices are way higher... might be the intended date of stay siguro (pang next year pa actually)  but I find it so expensive  pa din...

Hassle ba ang commute to/from the airport by train? How much time should we allot for it?

Thanks!

[i_miss_sleep]

Hassle ba ang commute to/from the airport by train? How much time should we allot for it?

Not hassle at all. Di naman crowded yung train - maski rush hour di ganun ka-crowded. As soon as malaman mo kung saan ka mag-stay, I-calculate mo yung distance/time from your hotel to airport. Google maps is a handy tool for this. It knows train schedules.

[annamarie88]

Tama ang pricing sa Uber, ripped off sa taxi, iyang price na binayad niyo pang-outer suburban Sydney na destination.

Trains in Sydney are not up to standard. Naiiyak na lang ako pag nasa Japan, HK, Singapore, SK and Taiwan ako, sa efficiency ng trains nila and mas mura pa ang fares nila. The train guards are supposed to announce the stations but due to laziness or cockiness (they just assume everyone reads English or are not blind).

Before leaving Pinas kasi I checked nasa 30 mins lang byahe dapat pero inabot kami more than an hour. Which is feeling ko kaya ganun baka kung saan dumaan. Hindi ko lang naisip about sa fare. Dala ko nga lang 250 aud. Naubos sa taxi!

Nahassle ako sa train nila talaga, lalo kung first time mo wala masyado sign or katulad sa atin diba may umiilaw ano na next station. Gusto ko trains sa HK, SG, Taipei. Yan pa lang kasi napuntahan ko na nagtrain kami. Hehe

Sis, yung AUD 653 is per night or the total na nung 3 nights accommodation nyo? I am looking at a 2-bedroom suite din kasi sa Meriton but prices are way higher... might be the intended date of stay siguro (pang next year pa actually)  but I find it so expensive  pa din...

Hassle ba ang commute to/from the airport by train? How much time should we allot for it?

Thanks!

Total na yun for 3 nights. Magextend na lang din sana kami sa Chatswood pero biglang nagmahal yung next 2 nights kaya ok na din kami sa Airport. Sa website nila ako mismo nagbook. Wala na din kasi ako time magcheck saan mas makamura, paalis na din kami nun. Check check mo lang din sis kung magiiba iba sa dates. Kung wala
kami kasama baby baka nagtrain din kami. Saka apat luggages namin. Sulit na din uber.

[Bagluvah]

anyone here moving to Australia? I'm moving from the US and next week 8/21 na ang last day ko here sa the Land of the Free  anyone living in Brisbane?

[travelling_daisy]

^^ Thanks, sis annamarie88!
Will check prices na lang from time to time.
By the way, di ba malayo yung Chatswood from city center? Though I know there's a train station and grocery stores naman near Meriton Chatswood pero how is the commute to and from the CBD?

[annamarie88]

^malayo sis. Mas mabilis pag maguber kesa train. Kasi nakalagay sa app pag train for example 45 mins. Pag uber/taxi 25-30 mins. Parang ganun. Saka may toddler kasi kami kaya okay lang sa amin uber. But late na kasi ako nagbook as in kinabukasan ata flight na namin! Haha so mahal pag sa city or malapit or sold out na sa iba. Although we chose Meriton kasi ganda ng rooms.

[travelling_daisy]

^Thanks, sis.
Will consider staying na lang sa CBD area. First time kasi namin sa Sydney so I guess mas okay kung within the city center kami para accessible to all. Will choose one near a train station.  Ang mamahal pa ngayon so hintay hintay lang ako. Next year pa ang plan so I guess I have ample time to prepare.

Yung flight nga ganon din, sobrang mahal pa! Waiting for promo din ako. 

[rocky]

^consider nyo rin sis melbourne, 3999 lang one-way sa cebu pac since kakastart lang ng route nila

[travelling_daisy]

^ next visit na lang sis ang Melbourne after Sydney. Actually, binook ko na yung CebuPac kani-kanina lang... haha...