Well, the realisation is starting to set in.... in approx 5 weeks I will be off on an adventure! Time travels so fast - even looking through my Facebook status updates from about 10 months ago it seems like an eternity! Now its almost a reality!
I had good news 2 weeks ago when the British Consulate sent me an email confirming that my work holiday visa had been approved! :-) In all it only took approx 9 work days in all with all of the public holidays around Easter. (Apparently im an exception to the standard 25 day turn around time - but hey im not complaining!) I received my passport back a few days later with another mugshot of my melon in my unused passport. I am offically allowed to be in the U.K and work for up to 2yrs from the 10th of June 2009 to 10th of June 2011! I can enter and re-enter the country in this time also.
More updates include my plane tickets.
I have booked a plane ticket from Gatwick Airport (South London) 7:25am to Barcelonda, Spain on Sunday 5th July at 10:30am on Easyjet Flight 5131. Im a bit concerned abouth the plane arriving at 10:30am as i have to be on a bus outside the terminal by 11:30am or i miss my ride to Pamplona.
FYI this is about a 6hr bus ride, i maybe screwed but i have a backup plan if needed which is expensive, but hopefully customs are nice to me and everything will work out.
I have booked another Easyjet flight # 3784 from Ibiza (dep at 10:00am) to Paris (arr. 12:10pm) on the 12th of July.
I am scouting accomodation for my few nights stay in Paris where I am catching up with some friends that live about a 1km or so from the Eiffel Tower. It will be quiet nice to get a personal tour of Paris!
Oh, almost forgot........ cricket!
Im pretty excited that a friend that i played cricket with who is now on the Isle of Wight (on the southern tip of England) is organising to get me a few games of cricket! Really excited about this and it seems a pretty good place from what I hear.
This is pretty much my latest information and look forward to updating it as it happens.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Updated Itinery - Fun Fun Fun!
Im a happy and relieved person to report now that there are a few things that have been sorted out.
I successfully navigated my way through organising my Working Holiday Visa. Got it off in the mail last week all packaged up with my passport and other relevant documents. Its pretty risky letting such an important snapshot of who you are go into our postal system! All worries aside it managed to get to the British Consulate in Canberra on Monday. Now the wait! Apparantely a 25- 30 working day wait at the moment.
Just a bit of information about visa's if you dont know how much of a pain they are to get. In between getting stamped bank statements, another passport photo, answering and supplying the correct documentation and fingerprint scans - dont get me started on this - it can be quite stressful!
Now thats the boring work related stuff out of the way. Here is for the fun parts.
5th of July - Spain, Running of the Bulls................ no im not that stupid to run with them, from what i have heard and seen (thanks to Youtube) there is no way that i would be doing the Running of the Bulls. I will merely be a spectator and getting my exercise from lifting my arms to get my Sangria (more information here). Oh and the best part is a side tour afterwards for 4 days in Ibiza - sun and partying! From what I hear it isnt to be missed and I suppose this is why its a trip of a lifetime!
Once this tour of duty is completed is must board a plane from Ibiza to Paris on the 12th or 13th (TBA). Here i am catching up with some friends for a day or two before my Contiki tour!
It is booked for the 15th of July! Hyaaah! Im really really looking forward to this. Its called the European Spirit - it covers Eastern Europe and starts at France - Paris, Netherlands - Amsterdam - Edam, Germany - Berlin - Dresden, Czech Republic - Prague, Austria - Vienna, Slovenia, Croatia - Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Pag Island, Italy - Venice - Florence - finishing at Rome. If you want to check out on what your missing out on you can view the info here .
So this is roughly what i've organised and am doing so far. All i am doing at the moment is saving saving saving - so forgive me if i have been hiding under a rock!
Oh and the other good news is that i have 8 weeks of work left! :-)
I successfully navigated my way through organising my Working Holiday Visa. Got it off in the mail last week all packaged up with my passport and other relevant documents. Its pretty risky letting such an important snapshot of who you are go into our postal system! All worries aside it managed to get to the British Consulate in Canberra on Monday. Now the wait! Apparantely a 25- 30 working day wait at the moment.
Just a bit of information about visa's if you dont know how much of a pain they are to get. In between getting stamped bank statements, another passport photo, answering and supplying the correct documentation and fingerprint scans - dont get me started on this - it can be quite stressful!
Now thats the boring work related stuff out of the way. Here is for the fun parts.
5th of July - Spain, Running of the Bulls................ no im not that stupid to run with them, from what i have heard and seen (thanks to Youtube) there is no way that i would be doing the Running of the Bulls. I will merely be a spectator and getting my exercise from lifting my arms to get my Sangria (more information here). Oh and the best part is a side tour afterwards for 4 days in Ibiza - sun and partying! From what I hear it isnt to be missed and I suppose this is why its a trip of a lifetime!
Once this tour of duty is completed is must board a plane from Ibiza to Paris on the 12th or 13th (TBA). Here i am catching up with some friends for a day or two before my Contiki tour!
It is booked for the 15th of July! Hyaaah! Im really really looking forward to this. Its called the European Spirit - it covers Eastern Europe and starts at France - Paris, Netherlands - Amsterdam - Edam, Germany - Berlin - Dresden, Czech Republic - Prague, Austria - Vienna, Slovenia, Croatia - Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Pag Island, Italy - Venice - Florence - finishing at Rome. If you want to check out on what your missing out on you can view the info here .
So this is roughly what i've organised and am doing so far. All i am doing at the moment is saving saving saving - so forgive me if i have been hiding under a rock!
Oh and the other good news is that i have 8 weeks of work left! :-)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Plane Ticket Booked - Saving like crazy
Well, I can happily report that i have my airline ticket is booked. I finally took the plunge after weeks of "im gonna do it!" the procrastination cost me about $200 as i went to book my ticket through Etihad a day after their sale finished. So instead of paying about $1080 for a 1-way ticket i ended up forking out $1275. But at least it's done.
I have my flight itinery and i fly out on (Wed) June 10th via Virgin Atlantic flight VS201 @ 2.25pm to Hong Kong, then Swiss Airlines flight LX139 from Hong Kong to Zurich, then Swiss Airlines flight LX316 and land in Heathrow @ 7.55AM on the 11th of June.
At this point in time i have no idea where i am going to stay but over the next few weeks im sure i will find a cheap and im guessing somewhat dodgy hostel to stay in for a few days.
Apart from this the only thing set in cement is that I have booked a ticket with The Fanatics Tour Group (yes that's the crazy part of the crowd dressed in green and gold that is going nuts - more than likely boozed up and just enjoying the atmosphere!)
I have a ticket to the Super 8's of the World Twenty20 Cup that is going to be played at The Oval. According to rankings and if everything works out to plan and Australia win (now that's no sure thing, the way that they are playing at the moment!) they will play England so we can dish it out to those whinging Pom's whilst enjoying a thousand beers! We get to see another game which chances are is Pakistan and Bangladesh which is the curtain raiser for the day - fun times ahead!
Aside from this i am just readying myself for the fun part of applying for a Youth Mobility Visa which i can apply for on March 11th as i can only apply 3 months out, prior to leaving. Kind of stupid that you cant apply for it any earlier. But that's Government departments - should i expect and more from them! Although they dont recommend booking a flight until you get your visa.....as expected i have ignored their advice and am crossing my fingers that they get their acts together or it might only be a 3 month visit :-(
Oh yeah - did i say that i was saving like crazy!
I have my flight itinery and i fly out on (Wed) June 10th via Virgin Atlantic flight VS201 @ 2.25pm to Hong Kong, then Swiss Airlines flight LX139 from Hong Kong to Zurich, then Swiss Airlines flight LX316 and land in Heathrow @ 7.55AM on the 11th of June.
At this point in time i have no idea where i am going to stay but over the next few weeks im sure i will find a cheap and im guessing somewhat dodgy hostel to stay in for a few days.
Apart from this the only thing set in cement is that I have booked a ticket with The Fanatics Tour Group (yes that's the crazy part of the crowd dressed in green and gold that is going nuts - more than likely boozed up and just enjoying the atmosphere!)
I have a ticket to the Super 8's of the World Twenty20 Cup that is going to be played at The Oval. According to rankings and if everything works out to plan and Australia win (now that's no sure thing, the way that they are playing at the moment!) they will play England so we can dish it out to those whinging Pom's whilst enjoying a thousand beers! We get to see another game which chances are is Pakistan and Bangladesh which is the curtain raiser for the day - fun times ahead!
Aside from this i am just readying myself for the fun part of applying for a Youth Mobility Visa which i can apply for on March 11th as i can only apply 3 months out, prior to leaving. Kind of stupid that you cant apply for it any earlier. But that's Government departments - should i expect and more from them! Although they dont recommend booking a flight until you get your visa.....as expected i have ignored their advice and am crossing my fingers that they get their acts together or it might only be a 3 month visit :-(
Oh yeah - did i say that i was saving like crazy!
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