A Tourist Enroute!
Discussion
Hi folks...couple of questions.
I am luckily enough to be heading over to Australia for Christmas and the Ashes, really cannot wait!
Starting in Cairns, before heading down to Melbourne & Sydney, so if anyone fancies a beer
Anywaym keen to understand what will be open around Christmas. In Melbourne for Xmas day, will anything be open? How does Christmas compare to Christmas in the UK - apart from the weather!
Also as I will need to do quite a bit of calling to friends & family how cheap in a pay as you go mobile. In the its bugger all, is it the same in Oz?
Cheers!
Matt
I am luckily enough to be heading over to Australia for Christmas and the Ashes, really cannot wait!
Starting in Cairns, before heading down to Melbourne & Sydney, so if anyone fancies a beer
Anywaym keen to understand what will be open around Christmas. In Melbourne for Xmas day, will anything be open? How does Christmas compare to Christmas in the UK - apart from the weather!
Also as I will need to do quite a bit of calling to friends & family how cheap in a pay as you go mobile. In the its bugger all, is it the same in Oz?
Cheers!
Matt
This is for Melbourne.
Disregard most of this if you driving! If you haven't got travel into Melbourne I would start getting it as Christmas is normally busy in and out of Melbourne.
Bus from the airport, unless you are on some sort of package thing. www.skybus.com.au never used it but you see them all the time. Looks like it runs all night. Big red bendy buses.
http://www.skybus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/0...
It drops you in the city too. Southern Cross station (spencer street) After more research there is a 24hr Coles supermarket on Spencer street. (I have a feeling it might be a little one) There are other Coles in the CBD that are open until midnight.
I am guessing the 24 hour one will be open on Christmas day, none of the normal shops are open until Boxing day. They are open late on the 23rd and will be open on the 24th.
No trains at the airport. You can get to the city cheaper by normal Bus and tram but it will take 3 times as long and involve 2 or 3 bus tram swapovers. If you can get a lift to Airport West Shopping Centre, about 5km from the airport then the tram to the city is easy. There are stacks of taxis at the airport but they are not cheap.
In the CBD you can walk or get around on the trams/trains. There is a tram that does loops of the city that is free.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/route/view/1112
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps-stations-s...
There is a city saver area but looking at it, it looks like you can get around Zone 1 for about the same money anyway.(out to about 15km of the city for $29.40 for 5 days) which would allow you to go further out anyway. You have to activate the ticket each time you get on something different.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/m...
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/m...
Train map gives an idea of how far zone 1 and 2 are.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps-stations-s...
Eating should be open I reckon. Southbank, casino area, Docklands, Lygon street to the North of the city, City, little Bourke street in the city is Chinatown.
Phones, can't help you to much with.
http://www.virginmobile.com.au/mobile-plans-pricin...
http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?...
http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/prepaid/gettingst...
http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/prepaid-mobile...
The weather! 7 day forecast.
http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtm...
Disregard most of this if you driving! If you haven't got travel into Melbourne I would start getting it as Christmas is normally busy in and out of Melbourne.
Bus from the airport, unless you are on some sort of package thing. www.skybus.com.au never used it but you see them all the time. Looks like it runs all night. Big red bendy buses.
http://www.skybus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/0...
It drops you in the city too. Southern Cross station (spencer street) After more research there is a 24hr Coles supermarket on Spencer street. (I have a feeling it might be a little one) There are other Coles in the CBD that are open until midnight.
I am guessing the 24 hour one will be open on Christmas day, none of the normal shops are open until Boxing day. They are open late on the 23rd and will be open on the 24th.
No trains at the airport. You can get to the city cheaper by normal Bus and tram but it will take 3 times as long and involve 2 or 3 bus tram swapovers. If you can get a lift to Airport West Shopping Centre, about 5km from the airport then the tram to the city is easy. There are stacks of taxis at the airport but they are not cheap.
In the CBD you can walk or get around on the trams/trains. There is a tram that does loops of the city that is free.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/route/view/1112
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps-stations-s...
There is a city saver area but looking at it, it looks like you can get around Zone 1 for about the same money anyway.(out to about 15km of the city for $29.40 for 5 days) which would allow you to go further out anyway. You have to activate the ticket each time you get on something different.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/m...
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/fares-tickets/m...
Train map gives an idea of how far zone 1 and 2 are.
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps-stations-s...
Eating should be open I reckon. Southbank, casino area, Docklands, Lygon street to the North of the city, City, little Bourke street in the city is Chinatown.
Phones, can't help you to much with.
http://www.virginmobile.com.au/mobile-plans-pricin...
http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?...
http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/prepaid/gettingst...
http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/prepaid-mobile...
The weather! 7 day forecast.
http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtm...
I stay at the Crown Towers (above the Casino) now and again - not THAT full of t
ts to be fair. Nothing like the levels of tttiness you get at the Opera bar in Sydney for example!
Matt - I'd get a Telstra PAYG SIM when you get here - $40 will get you plenty of minutes (be brief) and lots of data for google maps etc. if your on a smartphone. Reason I'd say Telstra is that it's far and away the best coverage, all the other networks seem diabolical compared to it ... albeit it is always a bit pricier.
A 3/Vodaphone PAYG sim will be cheaper, but you'll be staring at dropped calls or the dreaded 'roaming' sign a lot of the time, which means you'll end up spending more on it anyway....
When you come to Sydney, we can talk about my beloved touring-car spec DC2 and my 'trackday' DC2 I've just flogged now I've moved to Sydney
ts to be fair. Nothing like the levels of tttiness you get at the Opera bar in Sydney for example!Matt - I'd get a Telstra PAYG SIM when you get here - $40 will get you plenty of minutes (be brief) and lots of data for google maps etc. if your on a smartphone. Reason I'd say Telstra is that it's far and away the best coverage, all the other networks seem diabolical compared to it ... albeit it is always a bit pricier.
A 3/Vodaphone PAYG sim will be cheaper, but you'll be staring at dropped calls or the dreaded 'roaming' sign a lot of the time, which means you'll end up spending more on it anyway....
When you come to Sydney, we can talk about my beloved touring-car spec DC2 and my 'trackday' DC2 I've just flogged now I've moved to Sydney
nebpor said:
I stay at the Crown Towers (above the Casino) now and again - not THAT full of tts to be fair. Nothing like the levels of tttiness you get at the Opera bar in Sydney for example!
Matt - I'd get a Telstra PAYG SIM when you get here - $40 will get you plenty of minutes (be brief) and lots of data for google maps etc. if your on a smartphone. Reason I'd say Telstra is that it's far and away the best coverage, all the other networks seem diabolical compared to it ... albeit it is always a bit pricier.
A 3/Vodaphone PAYG sim will be cheaper, but you'll be staring at dropped calls or the dreaded 'roaming' sign a lot of the time, which means you'll end up spending more on it anyway....
When you come to Sydney, we can talk about my beloved touring-car spec DC2 and my 'trackday' DC2 I've just flogged now I've moved to Sydney
cool thanks for the update.ts to be fair. Nothing like the levels of tttiness you get at the Opera bar in Sydney for example!Matt - I'd get a Telstra PAYG SIM when you get here - $40 will get you plenty of minutes (be brief) and lots of data for google maps etc. if your on a smartphone. Reason I'd say Telstra is that it's far and away the best coverage, all the other networks seem diabolical compared to it ... albeit it is always a bit pricier.
A 3/Vodaphone PAYG sim will be cheaper, but you'll be staring at dropped calls or the dreaded 'roaming' sign a lot of the time, which means you'll end up spending more on it anyway....
When you come to Sydney, we can talk about my beloved touring-car spec DC2 and my 'trackday' DC2 I've just flogged now I've moved to Sydney
I could talk DC2's all day.....!
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