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Doug.Kaya · 08-07-2005, 05:54 AM

Hi Chubby and Sydney !

We'd love to visit OZ and New Zealand.
Which months have the best weather ?
(Doesn't have to be the very best weather... just not during any "rainy" or blistering hot season.)

I know very, very, very little about the geography of Australia or NZ.

Can either of you suggest any nice locations/timeshares to exchange into ?
(I have a weak trader (South African) but can pull some timeshares.)

Thanks.... Doug

chubby · 08-07-2005, 07:25 AM

Hi Doug

I will start with Australia there is so much to see over here the best parts to see are all down the east coast and around the bottom part of Victoria to Adelaide and the bottom part of West Australia and Tasmania.
This is where most of the timeshare places are over here most are good and if you name the ones you are looking at l can soon tell you if they are ok .
The best time to come over here l think April May are the best time to be here it is not to hot in the north and it is not to cold in the south
Australia has a mountain range that goes from the north tip to the south it is called the Great Dividing Range with lots of National parks through it there is a thin area of flat land to the sea or the hills goes to the sea over the range you get farm as it flattens out and it gets dryer as it goes in land to desert type of country .

New Zealand there is just so much to see over there l could go on for ever it is very hilly the north island is more warmer than the south island . Some of the best places to see in the north are The Bay Of Islands north of Auckland ,Rotorua where it is thermal and around Lake Taupo and the drive to Wellington the boat trip to Pickton is a must but the sea is rough but when you get near the south island near Picton you go through some island on the trip it is out of this world
The road trip down the west coast is a must to see the glaciers and go to Queenstown and to Milford Sound and take a boat trip there up the east coast the land is more flatter the city of Dunedin is very Scottish and a lot of history about it .
New Zealand has time shares in both islands we stayed in time shares in Queenstown in the south and In the north at the Bay Of Island and in motels when we was there it is a place that has lots to see and l would say you would like it very much both times we have been there we stayed three weeks there if you want any web site to look up or more imfo just ask

____chubby___

Doug.Kaya · 08-07-2005, 06:30 PM

G'Day Chubby

Anything here you'd care to comment on ?
If we do go... it'd more likely be in 2007 as we're booked solid for Spring-2006

Wasn't able to pull anything for New Zealand but this is what I pulled for OZ:

April 2007
The Lifestyle Club @ Kooralbyn Resort (#6750)
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen

April 2006
Mansfield Country Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"The resort is approx 200km from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport...."

Kyneton Bushland Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne and Tullamarine Airport travel approx 1 hour on the Calder Highway/Freeway towards Bendigo."

Murray Valley Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne, take the Hume Highway to Benalla. Drive through Benalla (2kms), following the signs to Yarrawonga. From Sydney/Canberra, take the Hume Highway to Albury, then take Murray Valley Highway toYarrawonga."

Nepean Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"Nestling in 35 acres of lush countryside just minutes from Rosebud and 80km from Melbourne,"

Capri Waters Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"The nearest international airport is in Melbourne, 3 hours away. From the airport take the Hume Highway to Benalla...."

The Lifestyle Club At Kooralbyn Golf And Ski Resort
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen
"Located 100 km's from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. From the Gold Coast, drive north into Nerang and follow the ALT90 through Canungra and Beaudesert...."

Thanks.... Doug

basham · 08-07-2005, 08:10 PM

Doug,

I'm an expat. An Australian who has been living in the US for almost 30 yrs now. I go back to see family and and friends every 3-5 yrs. I am much out of touch with day to day life.

Still there are some things I can offer.

It's a long and expensive trip. Rather than look for what is available decide what you would like to do and see and then see if a timeshare could fit into into those plans. I would also suggest that given the time and expense at least a 3 week trip is necessary.

Since you say you could travel next in 2007 only the Kooralbyn Resort is up for discussion.

Brisbane is a nice city and I have been flying into there in preference to Sydney the past few times, often staying two days later than necessary.

However if you want to see that part of the country then maybe flying into Brisbane (usually will entail Sydney first), spending some time there in a Hotel and then onto a timeshare on the Goldcoast or the Sunshine Coast would fit.
(A couple of hours South and North of Brisbane, one more frantic and one more relaxed).

With still time left to see and do more.

Best of Luck,

Mark B.

Originally posted by Doug.Kaya

G'Day Chubby

Anything here you'd care to comment on ?
If we do go... it'd more likely be in 2007 as we're booked solid for Spring-2006

Wasn't able to pull anything for New Zealand but this is what I pulled for OZ:

April 2007
The Lifestyle Club @ Kooralbyn Resort (#6750)
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen

April 2006
Mansfield Country Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"The resort is approx 200km from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport...."

Kyneton Bushland Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne and Tullamarine Airport travel approx 1 hour on the Calder Highway/Freeway towards Bendigo."

Murray Valley Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne, take the Hume Highway to Benalla. Drive through Benalla (2kms), following the signs to Yarrawonga. From Sydney/Canberra, take the Hume Highway to Albury, then take Murray Valley Highway toYarrawonga."

Nepean Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"Nestling in 35 acres of lush countryside just minutes from Rosebud and 80km from Melbourne,"

Capri Waters Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"The nearest international airport is in Melbourne, 3 hours away. From the airport take the Hume Highway to Benalla...."

The Lifestyle Club At Kooralbyn Golf And Ski Resort
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen
"Located 100 km's from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. From the Gold Coast, drive north into Nerang and follow the ALT90 through Canungra and Beaudesert...."

Thanks.... Doug

Sydney · 08-07-2005, 09:08 PM

Hi Doug, it's about time you head down this way, seeing as you've been all the way to Thailand a number of times.

Besides April & May, I'd also add Feb, Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov. We don't get much rain at the moment as are in the middle of a prolonged drought so any month is fine for rain. Our coldest months are June, July, Aug but even then it's not that cold unless you're down in Victoria and Tasmania. Those months are a good time to visit though if you want to visit Northern Queensland, The Great Barrier Reef, as it gets quite hot up there in Summer.

Marina knows heaps about Western Australia and there seems to be quite a few things to do there including wineries and dolphin swims. There are a number of timeshares there.

I can't say much about Kooralbyn except to say that it doesn't look too close to anything you might want to see. Basham's suggestion is good that you decide what you want to see first and then whether timeshares would fit into that plan.

Chubby is right that Victoria has many timeshares. It's a very nice and relaxing place to visit.

I might add that there's so much to see in Sydney that you must spend some time here. You can see part of that Great Dividing Range Chubby mentions just over an hr from Sydney. There are native animal parks here to visit for the obligatory patting of a koala and kangaroo. You can catch a ferry on Sydney Harbour and even a dinner cruise onthe harbour or climb the Harbour Bridge.

If you stop over in Brisbane, you may want to see the Gold Coast although it is a very touristy and overbuilt area that is not to everyone's liking. Ron and Joan Dungey were just here the last few weeks and just arrived back in the States. They said they weren't too impressed with the Gold Coast but really enjoyed staying at the Don Pancho in Bargara, Queensland. It is right on the beach and if you come at the right time of year, you can see turtles come in to lay their eggs or the baby turtles hatching. They also stayed in Sydney for a wk and while the Manly Apartments were a bit claustrophobic, they had trouble trying to fit everything they wanted to see into the one wk.

First decide what you want to see and get back to us.

Doug.Kaya · 08-12-2005, 10:46 PM

Originally posted by basham

.... It's a long and expensive trip. Rather than look for what is available decide what you would like to do and see and then see if a timeshare could fit into into those plans. I would also suggest that given the time and expense at least a 3 week trip is necessary........

Since you say you could travel next in 2007 only the Kooralbyn Resort is up for discussion.

G'Day Mark !

I see no problem with 3+ week vacations !

It's me wife who doesn't want to travel for so long.
But, due to the cost and distance of traveling "Down Under" she'd understand.
(We spent almost a month in Thailand... and I wasn't even close to being "ready" to leave

I believe I only was able to "pull" Kooralbyn Resort in 2007 is because most owners haven't yet deposited their weeks with RCI or II.
As we get closer to 2007... I hope to see more resorts.

Thanks for your suggestions, mate !!!

Doug

Doug.Kaya · 08-12-2005, 10:55 PM

Originally posted by Sydney

Hi Doug, it's about time you head down this way, seeing as you've been all the way to Thailand a number of times..... Besides April & May, I'd also add Feb, Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov. We don't get much rain at the moment as are in the middle of a prolonged drought so any month is fine for rain. Our coldest months are June, July, Aug but even then it's not that cold unless you're down in Victoria and Tasmania. Those months are a good time to visit though if you want to visit Northern Queensland, The Great Barrier Reef, as it gets quite hot up there in Summer..... Marina knows heaps about Western Australia and there seems to be quite a few things to do there including wineries and dolphin swims. There are a number of timeshares there...... I can't say much about Kooralbyn except to say that it doesn't look too close to anything you might want to see. Basham's suggestion is good that you decide what you want to see first and then whether timeshares would fit into that plan..... Chubby is right that Victoria has many timeshares. It's a very nice and relaxing place to visit...... I might add that there's so much to see in Sydney that you must spend some time here. You can see part of that Great Dividing Range Chubby mentions just over an hr from Sydney. There are native animal parks here to visit for the obligatory patting of a koala and kangaroo. You can catch a ferry on Sydney Harbour and even a dinner cruise onthe harbour or climb the Harbour Bridge...... If you stop over in Brisbane, you may want to see the Gold Coast although it is a very touristy and overbuilt area that is not to everyone's liking. Ron and Joan Dungey were just here the last few weeks and just arrived back in the States. They said they weren't too impressed with the Gold Coast but really enjoyed staying at the Don Pancho in Bargara, Queensland. It is right on the beach and if you come at the right time of year, you can see turtles come in to lay their eggs or the baby turtles hatching. They also stayed in Sydney for a wk and while the Manly Apartments were a bit claustrophobic, they had trouble trying to fit everything they wanted to see into the one wk....... First decide what you want to see and get back to us.

G'Day Lange !!!
(Is that how you spell your name ?)

I've copied your entire text (and the other's) and will file it in my "Down Under" travel folder !

BTW:
Did you email me with info on Sydney travel ?
Someone did and I thought it may have been you.

Guess we'll pass on the TUG'ers Alaska cruise too.
We've been on a Alaska cruise and a separate land tour so it's not a "once in a life time" thing for us.
(We've got too many exchanges already for 2005 and 2006)

BTW:
Are you ethnic "Thai" ???

Doug

Sydney · 08-13-2005, 07:51 AM

Hi Doug,

Yes it was me. I'm ethnic Chinese but Thai is close enough. We all look the same anyway.

Since you've been to Thailand, coming down under isn't much further to go.

We went to Thailand for the first time this year on our way back from Europe and US. Only overnight though but wish we could have stayed longer. If only work hadn't beckoned.

Lang

marc570 · 08-13-2005, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by chubby

Hi all

I have been given job as one of the moderators of Australia Forum if you are thinking of coming to a great place to have holiday and want info about the land down under just ask and we will try and help .
The more you ask the more info you get and helps the forum get going we have some of the best beachs you can get and the Great Barrier Reef in North Queens Land is a must see.
Theres lots of great places to stay at over here and things to do in this part of the world I have traveled all over Australia over years and have seen lots good places for you to ask about and if I can not answer question Sydney may be able to or we will get the answer some how .
Ok you guys out there who is thinking of comming to the land down under for a holiday more you ask the more it helps this forum get going

______chubby______

Hello Chubby, Marc here from Dial An Exchange. I thought I'd pitch in and offer assistance if you need any help with answers to questions on Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia, and the Oceanic Region. I live on the Gold Coast, south east Queensland, border of Queensland and New South Wales. We have exchange availability all across Australia, New Zealand and the surrounds. www.daelive.com - On-line availability. Cheers..Marc

chubby · 08-13-2005, 11:17 PM

Originally posted by Doug.Kaya

G'Day Chubby

Anything here you'd care to comment on ?
If we do go... it'd more likely be in 2007 as we're booked solid for Spring-2006

Wasn't able to pull anything for New Zealand but this is what I pulled for OZ:

April 2007
The Lifestyle Club @ Kooralbyn Resort (#6750)
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen

April 2006
Mansfield Country Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"The resort is approx 200km from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport...."

Kyneton Bushland Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne and Tullamarine Airport travel approx 1 hour on the Calder Highway/Freeway towards Bendigo."

Murray Valley Resort
2 Bedroom 6 / 4 Full Kitchen
"From Melbourne, take the Hume Highway to Benalla. Drive through Benalla (2kms), following the signs to Yarrawonga. From Sydney/Canberra, take the Hume Highway to Albury, then take Murray Valley Highway toYarrawonga."

Nepean Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"Nestling in 35 acres of lush countryside just minutes from Rosebud and 80km from Melbourne,"

Capri Waters Country Club
2 Bedroom 6 / 6 Full Kitchen
"The nearest international airport is in Melbourne, 3 hours away. From the airport take the Hume Highway to Benalla...."

The Lifestyle Club At Kooralbyn Golf And Ski Resort
Hotel, 4 / 2 No Kitchen
"Located 100 km's from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. From the Gold Coast, drive north into Nerang and follow the ALT90 through Canungra and Beaudesert...."

Thanks.... Doug

Hi Doug

Sorry for being so long getting back my pick of these resorts would be Kyneton or Nepeon they would give you more to see and do around the resorts in the Melbourne area
Have you tryed to look up www.dealive .com they seem to have a lot of resorts available at that time of year more than you have said if you are comming all the way down here you want to see the best there is so you want to have more than 1 week try 3 or 4 weeks and do the far north of Aus .(Barrier Reer)and the Sydney and the Melbourne areas Kyneton would be ok for the Melbourne area
____chubby____

chubby · 08-13-2005, 11:51 PM

Hi Marc

Yes any help you can give would be ok by me you would know more about resorts than l will ever know l have stayed in some resorts but not all of them . We live in the south west Victoria near the town of Warrnambool at the end of the Great Ocean Road so any help from the Gold Coast will help and some one that knows about resorts we can not say no to that help.

As you most likely know Sydney lives in Sydney so she will be able to help there so if anyone wants help with Australia for a good holiday we have a team of us to help down here.There is so much for every one to see and do down under so just ask and we will try and help.
____Chubby_____

BoodieMummy · 11-14-2007, 03:38 AM

Making our points work for us

Hi

We bought an APVC Platinum membership in march this year. I recently attended a workshop and there were some pretty angry people there that have paid a lot of money and not used their points.

I would like to book a two bedroom apartment in Melbourne for the 8th, 9th, 10th of May but cannot book until 45 days prior to check in due to our booking being less than a week and including a Friday and Saturday night. It is really annoying because we have already bought our flights and are tempted to just book accommodation not using our points (which is very frustrating).

I guess my question is - is there anywhere that members can ask other members if they would like to use their points either side of when we want to book making our total booking up to one week and thereby we can book 12 months in advance?

Hope to hear from you.

BoodieMummy · 11-14-2007, 03:40 AM

Not that I really know how to check whether I get a respons to this question.

chubby · 11-14-2007, 07:23 AM

Hi

I am afraid APVC makes the rules on the booking out the 12 months in advance they sell points or credits to give you a weeks vacation .
The 45 day rule is for less then the week as you want only the 3 days it would come under a bonus time that you can book it is time that has not been booked out for the week.
To get a 2 bedroom unit in Flinders Street in Melbourne you would have to take the risk that no one has booked it for the week before you if you take the bonus time .
And to get someone to take the other days it would be very hard if you booked the week .
The other way you have is to book your accommodation so you have it you could look up the accor site they have 2 bedroom units at the Dockland apartments or at Ibis Hotel in Therey Street both are on the edge of the city square I would take the Dockland appartments over the Ibis hotel but they are a bit dearer .
Use your points for a week later in the year some where

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