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Post by hwinpp on Mar 17, 2011 7:49:12 GMT
I' ve got some tough weeks ahead Going to Australia in April, this time Brisbane, then Sydney. Do you have any advice on accommodation there? Budget is 100USD/ AUD per twin room. Better if it's closer to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center on Grey Street. Is that a good area to stay? Reasonable night life? Any good pubs there? Also looking for info on micro breweries in the Brisbane area. I had a great time in Melbourne last year, with some good beers tasted in some private breweries. Would be looking for something similar.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2011 8:18:48 GMT
I can't remember ever staying in Brisbane. I think I just picked up a rental car there once to immediately begin driving north.
The last time that I went to Sydney, I was priced out of the Sydney CBD -- I had to stay in the suburbs to find a price that I was willing to pay. But that was about 10 years ago.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 17, 2011 8:38:32 GMT
When I was in Sydney last year we got a hotel right next to some big market, slap dab in the middle of Chinatown. My boss was delighted! I haven't checked the cheapo Accor chains yet but even those cost over 110USD per night in Australia...
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Post by bjd on Mar 17, 2011 8:53:18 GMT
Actually, I would suggest you check the TT here. Lots of Aussies on there.
I have been told accommodation is indeed very expensive in Australia.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 17, 2011 9:30:36 GMT
F*ck me! Even the Formule 1 at the airport costs 101USD
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2011 18:05:32 GMT
I stayed at the Formule 1 in.... let me look it up.... St. Peters. I see that it is priced at 89 AUD.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 22, 2011 8:34:40 GMT
Ok, it's boiling down to these places:
1. Brisbane
Explorers Inn Hotel Brisbane, 63 Turbot Street Brisbane Street Studios, 70 Brisbane Street, Annerley Travelodge Garden City Hotel, Cnr Logan Rd & Macgregor St Upper Mount Gravatt Edmondstone Motel, 24 Edmondstone St, Weststadt / Woollongabbe Minto Student House, 61 Gladstone Road, Weststadt / Woollongabbe Kangaroo Point Hotel, 319 Main Street Bowen Terrace Accommodation, 365 Bowen Terrace Base Embassy Hostel, 214 Elizabeth Street The Ridge on Leichhardt Apartments, 189 Leichhardt Street
Which ones are closest to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank?
2. Sydney
Travelodge Sydney Hotel, 27 Wentworth Avenue Y Hotel City South, 179 Cleveland Street Chippendale Aarons Hotel, 37 Ultimo Road, Haymarket Posh Hotel, 8 Broadway Central Railway Hotel, 240 Chalmer's Street, Surry Hills Sydney Central Hostel, 428 Pitt St
Need to be in Haymarket/ Chinatown, Central Railway Station area, Haymarket best.
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Post by auntieannie on Mar 22, 2011 12:48:06 GMT
good luck HW... Haven't stayed in Sydney since too long ago to have any relevant info.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2011 18:13:57 GMT
I would like to be young enough to appreciate some of those grungy backpacker places in Australia, but I fear that my time for that has passed.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 23, 2011 3:41:17 GMT
Backpackers places aren't all that grotty anymore. They're pretty clean now, and offer all the modcoms you need.
Over here in Asia they're still as you know them though.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 23, 2011 4:59:59 GMT
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 23, 2011 6:17:14 GMT
I registered on Agoda yesterday and will probably book there. Going to Australia makes you aware of the fact that you're going back into the real world. 65USD for a very simple (but adequate, I'm not that fussy) room seems so unfair! I pay 70USD for the JW Marriott in Surabaya The other site giving info on all hotel booking sites is useful too. But a bit much clicking. I'm on a slow connection here...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2011 6:25:25 GMT
I suppose you have a per diem that you must respect for all of your expenses? Or are you on a "reasonable & actual" basis with the word 'reasonable' being stressed?
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 23, 2011 9:05:24 GMT
I have a set set of prices/ costs I can run up regarding hotels (grouped geographically ;D) and meals. I submit an estimate of the total cost of the trip, including a point called 'miscellaneous'. This always sees me through no problems.
But I have to also submit the actual costs when I'm back at the office.
Isn't that normal procedure?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2011 9:53:22 GMT
Yes, that's pretty normal. My company has a per diem scale with all of the countries of the world listed in one of three zones (expensive, medium, cheap) and you do whatever you want with your budget (keeping the extra money, if any!). In exceptional cases when you exceed your per diem, then you present all actual receipts to get reimbursed, but you had better have a good reason.
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 30, 2011 7:50:48 GMT
Goddam! I just wanted to post a thread with some pics of my trip to Oz and I find this thread that I started and never finished! So here goes, the pics! Starting with Brisbane. Arrival at the airport, very efficient, fast, well organized. View from right in front of my hotel, looking towards George St. A bit further down A lunch in Chinatown, Fortitude Valley it's called Where to get a proppa haircut Back in town, recce- ing the way to the expo. We had great weather and walked there and back every day, passing the library of the university of Queensland or something. As we were there in the middle of April (missing KNY in Phnom Penh), we went to the one near Brisbane. Have forgotten the name of that suburb but it was about 20 minutes outside Brisbane with lots of people from all over Asia. This was a Khmer pagoda (and not a 'borrowed' Thai one), there were about 200 people there and and the ladies had prepared fresh nom ban jok and various sweet delights! Lots of dancing, singing and children running around making a nuisance of themselves. farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5642860178_7fb87a1a6a_z.jpg [/img] And the river by night
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Post by onlymark on Jun 30, 2011 9:15:57 GMT
Jeez. It all looks so clean and tidy. I'd have a culture shock.
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 30, 2011 9:42:24 GMT
You very nearly do if you come from a hotter and dustier place.
What surprised me about Brisbane was that it's hilly. And when you get into town from the airport you go through an area along the river that looks like Europe, I was reminded of places with sea inlets in Brittany.
Not easy to buy beer though, you have to go to a bottle shops, normal 7/11 style places don't sell alcohol and pubs won't let you 'take away'.
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Post by bjd on Jun 30, 2011 12:18:20 GMT
Not easy to buy beer though, you have to go to a bottle shops, normal 7/11 style places don't sell alcohol and pubs won't let you 'take away'.
Sounds like Anglophone Canada. Probably a result of the Scottish Presbyterian heritage.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 2, 2011 16:50:33 GMT
I'm shocked about the beer, as I thought Australians loved their beer and that access to it would be a birthright.
It is very clean, tidy, modern, with unexpected touches of old-fashioned. Are the buildings in Chinatown as old as they appear?
You all certainly didn't give yourselves much opportunity to become homesick for Asia, did you? ;D
The waterfront pictures are really beautiful. Hope you managed to find accomodations close to that nice area. Were you able to find ways to have fun economically, after the shock back in Spring when you found out how much hotels were?
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 4, 2011 10:26:08 GMT
I'm not sure how old the buildings are, maybe 50 years?
I'm not the one who needs to eat Asian food when we're abroad, it's my boss (he comes along on these 'nice' trips, as he describes them...). I'd be eating all the other stuff if I were aloner, steaks, Jewish, Spanish, Portuguese. I saw all those cuisines in Sydney and would have preferred them to Chinese, Viet or Thai.
Our hotel was so close to the expo site we walked there and back every day, passing the Queensland State Library. So that's where we downloaded our emails, as internet was free. ;D
Actually, after I found that bottle shop not too far away, I started testing the Australian beers, they've got some good stuff. Will post pics tomorrow.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 17, 2011 22:16:11 GMT
Ahem. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in its petty pace from day to day, to this beer pictureless second of recorded time.
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 18, 2011 8:55:59 GMT
Ok, ok, ok, already... rub it in my face! I can only find two pics but they contain 5 different beers, all of which are good: I think the Boag's was very good but James Squire's IPA (Indian Pale Ale) edges it by a bit. Not on any pic unfortunately. I was testing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2011 18:21:26 GMT
Oh, I just drank the 4X or whatever it is called.
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 19, 2011 10:32:48 GMT
I didn't try that one, I was advised not to. Also didn't try Foster's (actually didn't even see it).
I did try VB though, not that great (Victoria Bitter).
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 23, 2011 21:29:57 GMT
Isn't Foster's just a regular old supermarket beer in Australia?
It looks as though the ones you show are all specialty, "better" beers, right?
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 25, 2011 8:03:25 GMT
Yes. I suppose you could call them 'crafted' beers. On the one hand I like them, on the other hand I don't like their high falutin' marketing.
Bix, I think Foster's isn't available in Australia anymore.
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Post by mockchoc on Aug 12, 2011 7:24:20 GMT
I don't know if Forsters is still sold here but I haven't noticed any for sale. I've never seen an Australian drink it anyway.
Beer/wine etc is only sold from "Bottle shops" to take away not supermarkets or elsewhere.
I'm too much further north to have joined you there. Hope the weather was ok for you.
XXXX (4X) isn't good, I tried it once.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 17, 2011 17:21:05 GMT
I quite like 4X...but then I'm a pom and a girl.... ;D ...but give me draught bitter any day.... slurp...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2011 17:38:54 GMT
I am easy to please as a tourist. I drank anything that was in plentiful supply. It is only when I am home that I am picky.
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