Australian Holiday

coco_lola

My mother is living in Australia, and I am going to fly over to her and surprise her for Christmas (so excited ). However I'm flying alone, this is my first long distance flight alone (I've done Dublin-London alone and that's it!), and I haven't really travelled much, so I'm green when it comes to organising everything!

I have my flights booked with China airlines, stopover in Taipei and onto Sydney from there. I just have a couple questions:

- With regard to spending money, how much would I need for 2 weeks, around Christmas and New Years time, in Sydney? I'm staying with family, so food and accomodation would be paid for (except for the meals out every now and then).

- I only have a Laser card (no credit card), so what's the best way to organise this money, leave it in the bank and take it out as I need it, or get travellers cheques? Or should I lodge it to someones account in Oz and get it out over there?

-Finally! I have my Visa got (3 month holiday visa), is that all I need other than my ticket and passport, is there any other documentation required?

Thanks in advance!

Batgurl

Visa, valid passport and travel insurance are the big ones.

Laser may not work abroad unless you have cirrus on the back on the card.

Two weeks spending money depends on what you plan on doing? If your doing shopping, adventure sports like parachuting, zorbing etc, tours, sightseeing, going out to pubs much etc...bit more detail please? You could need about $1000 a week to have a proper holiday and do all the touristy things.

sponge_bob

you might get caught for big withdrawl charges forn using your laser card in australia.
i have a TSB visa debit card and i think they charge €12 for each time i use it outside of the EU or something ridiculous like that:eek:.

i think you might be better to organise a money transfer to your mothers bank a/c in australia and just get her to take out the money as you need it. alternatively you could open a bank a/c yourself in australia, it can be done online and you get your a/c details so you an transfer your money across first and then when you get there just go to the bank with your passport and they will have your cards ready and waiting for you. you could also set up a curenceyfair a/c and you get very good exchange rates on there and they can lodge it into your australian bank at no extra cost.
as for how much money to bring with you, well that totally depends on what you want to do out there. if you have your food and accomadation allready sorted and don't intend hitting the shops, restaurants, sights, pubs and clubs then a couple hundered dollars would probably do you for a few weeks, but if you intend to do and see it all then a couple of thousand dollars probably wouldn't go that far. i won't tell you how much i spent in a month out there in 1995, its a ridiculous amt of money even now:)

other than that just bring your tickets, visa and passport:D, throw in a good book aswell as the plane journey is terrible boring 12-13hrs on a plane for each leg, you will have your own little telly and a selection of films to choose from but it is still a drag.

coco_lola

Thanks for all the replies so far everyone. I want to do a bit of sightseeing, but I won't be doing all the activities that Batgurl mentioned, the main thing is just spending time with my family, I'm planning on having almost two thousand Aussie Dollars. I want to go to the reptile park, the Opera House, see the Sydney Harbour Bridge, go to Palm Beach and buy some souvenirs, that's really it! We will spend a lot of time at home with our family I'd imagine. The family are living in Newcastle, which is about 2 hours from Sydney I think, so I think cost of living etc is cheaper out there.

So would I have an Australian Bank Account opened in time for when I fly, and the money transferred? I land in Oz on 20th Dec!

Thanks guys

Tigerandahalf

No need to open an account or transfer any money. If you are with AIB or BofI, just use your laser card when over there. When you land take out $300. You should have plenty with that to last you. You don't seem to be going drinking etc or doing big spending things. You will be charged about €5/10 max for the transaction.

SONIC2008

Yeah i dont think organising to have the money transferred to your mums account would be a good idea since its supposed to be a surprise. I agree with the last post, dont open an account there, just bring your irish card and take out the money in larger amounts rather than 50 dollars here and there and getting caught with the transaction fee each time. You could also get a few hundred dollars in cash before you go. 2000 dollars will be more than enough with what you have described.. Enjoy!

coco_lola

Thanks everyone, well her partner organised the flights for me so I could send it to his account, but I have Cirrus on my card so I can use it over there. Yeah I won't be going mad partying, just want to do some sightseeing, have a night out once or twice, but most drinking will probably happen at home with the family! I'm so excited, it's my first time going over, I'm using it as an opportunity to gauge what I think of the place, as my contract with work is up in March so I am considering moving over, as I got residency for 4 years in Oz through my mother's visa

coco_lola

Another question - I applied for my visa through the evisitor link provided in the sticky from the immi.gov.au site. It was granted to me via email. However it has not requested payment from me at all. Does anyone know how I pay?

SONIC2008

It's free

coco_lola wrote: »

Another question - I applied for my visa through the evisitor link provided in the sticky from the immi.gov.au site. It was granted to me via email. However it has not requested payment from me at all. Does anyone know how I pay?

coco_lola

Oh this is great! Last I heard you had to pay $20, this is great!

castie

coco_lola wrote: »

Oh this is great! Last I heard you had to pay $20, this is great!

If your going from Airport to Newcastle by train alone check out http://www.131500.com.au to plan your rail journey. It will tell you what platform you will arrive at in central and what platform the Newcastle train will leave from.

mandrake04

coco_lola wrote: »

I'm so excited, it's my first time going over, I'm using it as an opportunity to gauge what I think of the place, as my contract with work is up in March so I am considering moving over, as I got residency for 4 years in Oz through my mother's visa

coco_lola wrote: »

Another question - I applied for my visa through the evisitor link provided in the sticky from the immi.gov.au site. It was granted to me via email. However it has not requested payment from me at all. Does anyone know how I pay?

If you have got residency why would you need an evisitor visa?

coco_lola

Yeah sorry people ask me that alot, I never elaborate, the application is still being processed so I don't have it just yet!