| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Josh the cat |
Posted - 10/06/2006 : 13:41:32
When I was a young lad and first started to look at the world, I had already lived in HongKong various parts of Britian and was then in Germany. I decided that there were three places that really intregued me, America, Switzerland but most of all Australia.
I have wanted to go to Australia for around 30 years, and now a good friend of mine has just moved down there for a 4 year contract. He has a house just off Bondi beach, (inland fortunately) and so My wife and I have decided that next summer we will visit him and try to see some of the rest of the country.
So we are about to book tickets, we are probably going with emerates airline as we have been told they a good carrier. We will spend about a week in Bondi not far from Sydney ao we will visit there, I am aware that it is the Australiian winter but that doesn't really bother either of us.
What I was wondering if there are any of you who have visited and have recommendations, I would love to hear where you think we should visit. I would like to be a real tourist and dive on a part of the great barrier reef, I dived in egypt, and that was awesome so I expect the GBR will be even better.
If you are local and have recommendations that I can start checking places out on the net. We have thought about flying to Perth and spending time there (a friend sent me Roll and I liked the look of the city) but the travelling after spending 23 hours getting there may be a bit much.
I would love to visit and possibly walk up Uluru, but I am aware that this is not appreciated by the aboriginal land owners so there is a charge, and taking a 15 month old up is probably a bad idea.
I fancy (visiting) Alice Springs but what is there to do for a young family? and what is the travelling like?
We are planning to take 3 - 4 weeks which includes travelling there and back with hopefully a stopover of 3 ish days in Dubai on the way out.
Any advice, tips, guidance or websites would be great.
If anybody is gonna be in Sydney from about the 12th july '07 to about 30th july '07 and we could meet up that would be fab.
Cheers in advance
Josh the cat |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Josh the cat |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 22:04:56
quote:
Originally posted by Conan The Scottie
quote:
Originally posted by thefoxboy
Excellent, looking forward to meeting. I'm sure Conan will make his way to Melbourne as well.
Sounds good to me. 
It's all sounding great, we will be spending time in Sydney then the blue mountains to start with. we also wanna see melbourne and the great barrier reef/gold caost.
Unfortunately I did not realise just how massive your fine country actually is. Gold coast and Melbourne being in opposite directions means we have some planning yet to do and we may miss TGBR.
As yet we have just got loadsa ideas, but we are going to come see you guys oh, and the penguin parade
Josh the cat |
| Conan The Westy |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 21:35:44
quote:
Originally posted by thefoxboy
Excellent, looking forward to meeting. I'm sure Conan will make his way to Melbourne as well.
Sounds good to me. |
| thefoxboy |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 10:04:38
quote:
Originally posted by Josh the cat
Have started to look into activities, and my wife found Phillip Island Penguin Parade so we will probably be going to see that she loves penguins!
So we will be down in Melbourne, we may consider going over to Taz for a night or two.
Josh the cat
Excellent, looking forward to meeting. I'm sure Conan will make his way to Melbourne aswell. |
| Sean |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 22:56:04
quote:
Originally posted by Josh the cat
Have started to look into activities, and my wife found Phillip Island Penguin Parade so we will probably be going to see that she loves penguins!
Excellent idea.  |
| Josh the cat |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 20:04:47
Have started to look into activities, and my wife found Phillip Island Penguin Parade so we will probably be going to see that she loves penguins!
So we will be down in Melbourne, we may consider going over to Taz for a night or two.
Josh the cat |
| thefoxboy |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 00:37:10
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
quote:
Originally posted by Josh the cat
Breaking news, we went to the travel agent today and got a cracxking deal on flights so we are booked.
We fly out on the 08/07/07 and leave Sydney 31/07/07. So the anticipation is now building!!!!
Josh the cat
Gives ya plenty of time to learn the language!  
Ken oath. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 10/14/2006 : 17:56:35
quote:
Originally posted by Josh the cat
Breaking news, we went to the travel agent today and got a cracxking deal on flights so we are booked.
We fly out on the 08/07/07 and leave Sydney 31/07/07. So the anticipation is now building!!!!
Josh the cat
Gives ya plenty of time to learn the language!
|
| Josh the cat |
Posted - 10/14/2006 : 17:09:49
Breaking news, we went to the travel agent today and got a cracxking deal on flights so we are booked.
We fly out on the 08/07/07 and leave Sydney 31/07/07. So the anticipation is now building!!!!
Josh the cat |
| thefoxboy |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 23:24:30
quote:
Originally posted by Beanmimo
I'd love to go to Australia too but i Can(t)berra spiders.
Nothing a shoe can't fix. |
| Sean |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 23:10:08
quote:
Originally posted by Beanmimo
I'd love to go to Australia too but i Can(t)berra spiders.
Spiders are cute! Particularly the hairy ones.  |
| Beanmimo |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 13:57:01
I'd love to go to Australia too but i Can(t)berra spiders. |
| Sean |
Posted - 10/10/2006 : 10:53:54
quote:
Originally posted by Josh the cat
It was there that we saw a dogfish asleep, so I go over have a look with the torch get a bit close and the blasted thing went for me. It was only 18inch long...
I've got bite marks on one of my flippers (fins) from a dive in the Maldives..... from a triggerfish.
The bastard bit me on the ankle too, it took a week for the toothmarks to disappear. Triggerfish teeth are like toothpicks.  |
| Josh the cat |
Posted - 10/10/2006 : 09:08:32
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
When you're diving on most reefs on the continental shelf, you can see the reef starting to flatten out lower down, and you know the bottom isn't too far away. But on the edge of the shelf it just goes down... down.... down.... to the pitch black abyssal plain miles below. 
I dived at stalion rock in Scotland and thats a wall that goes vertically down 40 metres then trails off, the vis is a max of 15 metres on a good day with no rain (to wash sediment in to the water). The first few times it was scary as hell, after that I knew that I could do it and that my buddies where ther for me if I needed them .
It was there that we saw a dogfish asleep, so I go over have a look with the torch get a bit close and the blasted thing went for me. It was only 18inch long but I took fright and waved my arms about a bit whilst my buddy pi**ed himself laughing. It was funny ... afterwards in the pub!!
Thanks for all the great ideas and stuff so far I am looking forwad to this trip sssoooo much!!
Josh the cat |
| thefoxboy |
Posted - 10/10/2006 : 00:53:24
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
quote:
Originally posted by duh
quote:
Originally posted by thefoxboy
I have snorkeled Ribbon Reef #5, looking over the edge of that continental shelf was fringing scary.
Even though you know that you won't 'fall' does that experience make you feel like hanging on for dear life? I noticed your phrasing, "Looking over the edge..."
I think it's more a sense of vulnerability. There could be a monster the size of the Titanic coming up from the depths. When SCUBA diving the greatest sense of vulnerability is when you're on the surface or in mid water where you can't see the bottom. Once you're on the bottom you feel as safe as standing in the middle of a field on land.
When you're diving on most reefs on the continental shelf, you can see the reef starting to flatten out lower down, and you know the bottom isn't too far away. But on the edge of the shelf it just goes down... down.... down.... to the pitch black abyssal plain miles below.
Yep, thoughts of a monster where on my mind. |
| Sean |
Posted - 10/10/2006 : 00:39:30
quote:
Originally posted by duh
quote:
Originally posted by thefoxboy
I have snorkeled Ribbon Reef #5, looking over the edge of that continental shelf was fringing scary.
Even though you know that you won't 'fall' does that experience make you feel like hanging on for dear life? I noticed your phrasing, "Looking over the edge..."
I think it's more a sense of vulnerability. There could be a monster the size of the Titanic coming up from the depths. When SCUBA diving the greatest sense of vulnerability is when you're on the surface or in mid water where you can't see the bottom. Once you're on the bottom you feel as safe as standing in the middle of a field on land.
When you're diving on most reefs on the continental shelf, you can see the reef starting to flatten out lower down, and you know the bottom isn't too far away. But on the edge of the shelf it just goes down... down.... down.... to the pitch black abyssal plain miles below. |
