Now for something completely different

[Blackduck59]

Hey Chili, I looked at the some car hire sites, several had no one way fee. Some were low some were high. For me it's about the bottom line and that includes the one way fee. Like I said the cost of doing business. being able to meet and spend even a few hours with the people we have met on these boards is more important than saving a few bucks on a car rental.

[BRANDEE]

10 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Just get on a drinking binge for 2 weeks Lyle, I’m pretty sure you can get alcohol delivered.

 

 

 

 I did a mock booking for you and the one way surcharge is about $AU700

 

 

We found the same one way surcharge last year for Sydney to Gold Coast/Brisbane so we decided on a roundtrip instead to save about $AU800.  It looked like a nice itinerary on paper but never did it.  We are doing a one way cross country in the US this late spring and our surcharge is $1000. We are two couples in a large SUV for three weeks..crazy but best way to maximize our plans.

[Chiliburn]

13 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Hey Chili, I looked at the some car hire sites, several had no one way fee. Some were low some were high. For me it's about the bottom line and that includes the one way fee. Like I said the cost of doing business. being able to meet and spend even a few hours with the people we have met on these boards is more important than saving a few bucks on a car rental.

If you you can get it with a no one way is good.

Just preparing you for the worst case. I’ve been there.

[Blackduck59]

I just had a look the website and it shows a Rav4 for 13 days no one-way fee for $1,556.00 CAD plus taxes, that was from Avis. It was with unlimited mileage and free cancellation within 48 hrs. of pick up.

[Chiliburn]

13 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

We found the same one way surcharge last year for Sydney to Gold Coast/Brisbane so we decided on a roundtrip instead to save about $AU800.  It looked like a nice itinerary on paper but never did it.  We are doing a one way cross country in the US this late spring and our surcharge is $1000. We are two couples in a large SUV for three weeks..crazy but best way to maximize our plans.

The surcharging can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes I heard they will do cheap just to move cars.

[Chiliburn]

2 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

I just had a look the website and it shows a Rav4 for 13 days no one-way fee for $1,556.00 CAD plus taxes, that was from Avis. It was with unlimited mileage and free cancellation within 48 hrs. of pick up.

I think the Canadian dollar is about the same as the Australian?

 

Base rate for a RAV4 is about $300 a week going on my quote.

So Your quote would have a surcharge.

[Blackduck59]

I like to think of the price quoted as "one way fee included". I look at things like "free " this or that or the next thing as included in the price...nothing is "free", except good will and good conversation.

[Chiliburn]

31 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

I like to think of the price quoted as "one way fee included". I look at things like "free " this or that or the next thing as included in the price...nothing is "free", except good will and good conversation.

So you said you are open to suggestions?

I like your itinerary but I hate giving big companies unreasonable money.

 

Lyle and Lynn’s epic Australian adventure Plan `D’

 

Arrive circular quay get a taxi to the car hire .

 Do a loop Canberra, Batesmans bay  and back to Sydney for a couple of nights.

Fly to Melbourne and do a loop the come back to Melbourne for a couple of nights ready to return to Texas.

[Blackduck59]

1 minute ago, Chiliburn said:

So you said you are open to suggestions?

I like your itinerary but I hate giving big companies unreasonable money.

 

Lyle and Lynn’s epic Australian adventure Plan `D’

 

Arrive circular quay get a taxi to the car hire .

 Do a loop Canberra, Batesmans bay  and back to Sydney for a couple of nights.

Fly to Melbourne and do a loop the come back to Melbourne for a couple of nights ready to return to Texas.

Thanks for the suggestion Chili but I'm not worried about the rental costs. You miss a lot of the scenery from 30,000 feet. That's like flying from Victoria BC to Saskatoon and claiming you saw the Rockies

[Chiliburn]

14 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks for the suggestion Chili but I'm not worried about the rental costs. You miss a lot of the scenery from 30,000 feet. That's like flying from Victoria BC to Saskatoon and claiming you saw the Rockies

Fair enough but the south coast isn’t the Rocky Mountains.

 

Coming from the other side of the world and to trade a night in lakes entrance to a extra night at circular quay ( with about a extra $600 in you pocket)

or that hotel in Ballarat?

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If South Australia had still had the requirement for NSW residents to be tested on days 1, 5 and 12 and self isolate until we got a negative result we would have cancelled our trip. Luckily they removed that requirement the Sunday before we left home.

We all had our fingers crossed for you.  

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks for the suggestion Chili but I'm not worried about the rental costs. You miss a lot of the scenery from 30,000 feet. That's like flying from Victoria BC to Saskatoon and claiming you saw the Rockies

When I was young, I travelled throughout the US and Canada for 3 months on a Greyhound Bus Pass.  I travelled from Calgary - Vancouver - Calgary - Vancouver, so I got to see a lot of the Rockies.  

[Blackduck59]

21 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

When I was young, I travelled throughout the US and Canada for 3 months on a Greyhound Bus Pass.  I travelled from Calgary - Vancouver - Calgary - Vancouver, so I got to see a lot of the Rockies.  

My first trip through the Rockies that I can remember was 1968 with my Mom & Dad in our brand new AMC "Rebel", Victoria to Leask Saskatchewan (The extended Family was and is in the vicinity) I did the trip by bus for the next 4 summers (then I joined Sea Cadets and my summers were spent doing summer training on Vancouver Island, then on a Canadian Navy ship then the Yukon. I have also made the drive in my own car 4 times (once in winter). You definitely see more on the road than in the air.

[NSWP]

7 hours ago, BRANDEE said:

Just a heads up..we purchased honey in Napier NZ on our cruise but the Australian immigration confiscated it at the Sydney airport before we got on the plane to go home.

AQUIS are pretty savage.

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

The people at the bee farm in Napier should have known that honey was a prohibited item to take into Australia. Maybe they did know, but if they told people that, they would have no sales. 😁

NZ bee farmers, conning the tourists. Karma has hit them, now no tourists.

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

If there is Quarantine the trip is off, no thought required

Copied.

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

If there is Quarantine the trip is off, no thought required

I agree you dont want to spend your two week in Straya looking at 4 walls of the ibis at darling harbour. No balcony and paying $3000 x 2.

 

[possum52]

28 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I agree you dont want to spend your two week in Straya looking at 4 walls of the ibis at darling harbour. No balcony and paying $3000 x 2.

 

I wouldn't want to travel if there was any chance of being quarantined for two weeks.

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

NZ bee farmers, conning the tourists. Karma has hit them, now no tourists.

Honey is allowed into Australia. 

"Honey products are permitted into most Australian states and territories. Honey products must be inspected by a biosecurity officer on arrival, to confirm the honey items are free from contamination.

Items that do not meet these conditions will be exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

Western Australia currently has a higher quarantine status for bees and bee products. Honey or bee products imported into Western Australia must meet Western Australia state quarantine entry requirements. For more information contact the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. Passengers arriving at ports outside of Western Australia should be aware that Western Australia has state quarantine entry requirements which will also apply should they travel domestically to Western Australia."

 

I suspect it wasn't the honey itself which was the problem but the quantity of liquid that was being taken as carry-on. It comes under the liquids rule. Each container can only be 100ml. If the honey had been packed in checked luggage it wouldn't have been a problem. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[BRANDEE]

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Honey is allowed into Australia. 

"Honey products are permitted into most Australian states and territories. Honey products must be inspected by a biosecurity officer on arrival, to confirm the honey items are free from contamination.

Items that do not meet these conditions will be exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

Western Australia currently has a higher quarantine status for bees and bee products. Honey or bee products imported into Western Australia must meet Western Australia state quarantine entry requirements. For more information contact the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. Passengers arriving at ports outside of Western Australia should be aware that Western Australia has state quarantine entry requirements which will also apply should they travel domestically to Western Australia."

 

I suspect it wasn't the honey itself which was the problem but the quantity of liquid that was being taken as carry-on. It comes under the liquids rule. Each container can only be 100ml. If the honey had been packed in checked luggage it wouldn't have been a problem. 

We purchased a Gift Pack.  Three jars of various flavors. I think each jar was 8 to 10 ounces .  It was a sealed pack.

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by BRANDEE

[NSWP]

11 hours ago, possum52 said:

I wouldn't want to travel if there was any chance of being quarantined for two weeks.

 

Leigh

Thousands of your Vics up here in Merimbula, Leigh. Hope the borders dont close😩

[lyndarra]

13 hours ago, NSWP said:

AQUIS are pretty savage.

On a 12/17 (Ovation OTS) cruise to NZ I bought a very large jar of Manuka honey during a tour of Napier. Declared it on return. Checked by quarantine at OPT on return. It was OK'd as it was a permitted brand for import to Oz. The Manuka bee apiarists shop person said it was ok to take to Oz.

Edited March 1, 2021 by lyndarra
added info. corrected ship name

[Docker123]

4 hours ago, BRANDEE said:

We purchased a Gift Pack.  Three jars of various flavors. I think each jar was 8 to 10 ounces .  It was a sealed pack.

 

8oz is about 235ml. So above the liquid limit.

 

One stark example I have seen several times of this being implemented is at Hong Kong. Punters wander around the vast array of duty free shops and stock up on booze.  Walk down the airbridge to the Qantas flight, and it all gets confiscated.

 

Not so cheap booze anymore.

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

4 hours ago, BRANDEE said:

We purchased a Gift Pack.  Three jars of various flavors. I think each jar was 8 to 10 ounces .  It was a sealed pack.

 

Definitely the liquids rule, which was brought in after 911. Even though it was a sealed pack you had brought it into the airport from an unknown source. They are particularly strict in that rule for US flights. The silly thing is that after you go through the screening you can buy liquids to take on board but, of course, they know the source of those.

 

I always pack a selection of zip lock bags. Any souvenir liquids, usually wines in our case, are double bagged and packed between layers of clothing in our check-in luggage.

[possum52]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Thousands of your Vics up here in Merimbula, Leigh. Hope the borders dont close😩

Let's hope we are past border closures, but I somehow doubt it. All the states have closed their borders at some time or other so it is bound to happen again. If the Vic NSW border closes Les, there will be a mad rush to try and make it back in time.

 

Leigh