KathyWdrf

I've emailed Glen that I'm 90% certain and will confirm within the next day, after completing travel arrangements.

And I haven't had time to read this entire thread ( ), but here is a tip for the Four Points Darling Harbour: try the SPG50 (50% off Rack Rate) award. I found availability on May 27 and 28, Friday and Saturday nights, of a net rate of about 204 AUD/night = $160 US/night. This is FULLY CANCELLABLE up to day of arrival (unlike the prepaid internet rates and some other special rates), and includes taxes but NOT breakfast. (I also booked a stay on points following the two nights on SPG50.) I used an SPG50 cert that I already had, but for those who don't have them, they cost 1,000 Starpoints per cert (good for max 5 consecutive nights stay), or you can probably get a friendly FTer to donate one that they won't be using. Also note that SPG50 stays can only be booked by phone, not online.

Apologies if the above tip is a repeat (I realize it probably is), but there it is.

And one other thing: I'm vacillating between booking a business class award flight or paid economy class (upgradeable with SWUs) flight. The !@#!$%!! United booking website claims that the economy class flight (SFO-SYD) pricing at around $923 roundtrip all-in, with S booking code, is upgradeable using SWUs. Yeah, right.

spotwelder

Dear Ozfesters,

I wish you all a great time in Sydney. Unfortunately, I will probably be in Argentina at the time, checking out the airport lounges in Buenos Aires again. I know that you are all thinking of my suffering as I type this from the business centre on Hamilton Island but someone has to check that the airport is safe for use by the rest of you on points or JetStar.

I move onto check out Cairns tomorrow so life is really hard...

Later in the week I get Tokyo and London (economy of course) before moving on to Colombia and Ghana. So I must appologise as the lifetime status point collection tour on OneWorld goes on.

So from a blue asterix Platinum member I can but wish that the lounge dragons smile upon you and your guests.

Spottie
PS, has anyone seen my QF card for last year as it is still floating around somewhere. I went to SYD to collect this year's card to find it is on its way by post to London. No doubt, London will have sent it to Ghana as I head for Argentina... That card should have a Gold card of its own by now.

kpc

Glen,
As mentioned in my email, I will be coming for certain events only...probably the dinners only (poss. the QP on Sat pm) as I will be working in the mornings

Thanks for organising it ^

SkiAdcock

I'm out unfortunately due to funds (ie, lack of). Glen's reminded me I have lots of UA miles & hotel points I could use, but my sister also reminded me that 100K of the UA miles are for her F ticket when I take her to Europe in the fall & similar w/ my hotel points for our stay. I would be in the sister doghouse if I cancelled her trip. Have a fab time everyone! Cheers. Sharon

Sharon

bneoma

I'm sadly downgrading to a very vague maybe now. Fingers crossed I might still get the chance to meet up for a drink at some point, but I can't commit to any specific events. Have a fantastic time, everyone!

ozstamps

Aaaaaah .... who'd organise a FT doo????.

The four (4) repeated urgings from Punki above to please include the Friday evening dinner/dance cruise (not something I was all that keen on FWIW) were acceded to, and just emailed to all those coming to confirm, and I now hear she is 'not in town Friday'. Lucky I have a lot of hair as I just tore large handfuls of it out. @:-)

Thanks to those who have responded with answers to the email sent a couple days back. As advised those that have not bothered to respond will shortly be removed from the list above.

FIRM numbers of those interested in things like dance cruise, Saturday night dinner, and Sunday Blue Mountains/Zig Zag Railway trip etc are essential in order to make firm bookings and pay a deposit. In case of the latter the more participants the better, as our cost is 100% related to those attending, as we are charged an hourly rate. i.e. 8 persons will pay exactly twice per head than if we have 16 persons, in which case rate will be very low. Initial response to this interesting day is encouraging.

This is the Sunday lunch stop up there Lynn suggested - a great old 1878 building:

http://www.bluemts.com.au/imperial/history.htm

A couple of points:

1. I had someone not keen on the Friday "Aqua Latino" cruise as he tends to get a little sea-sick on boats. I empathise - I often do too. However I stress this is Sydney inner Harbour - 100% protected and you simply will NOT have sea-sick type issues. It is one of the most protected harbours anywhere on earth. This is NOT like crossing the English Channel, or a Sydney-Hobart trip to Tasmania. But glad you raise the point now, as other may have thought the same. FLAT waters. Trust me. Hope you are able to join us.

2. Someone replied re the Sunday Blue Mountains day: "All that bus riding sounds dreadful" and chose not to come. Well my sincere apologies that God placed the Blue Mountains a bus ride away away from the CBD. It is a World Heritage Region. God also placed the Hunter Valley well out of the CBD too. In fact God placed most tourist spots on earth a little ways from their respective CBD's. Strange that most tourists all manage to survive the necessary "dreadful" trip to visit them.

Having sat next to this member for quite a ways on a bus with FT'ers to a Castle in Germany etc, and REALLY cramped in a car for many hours in Europe recently, and we drove around Oahu without finding it "dreadful". So I am surprised at the response, (especially as that person's travel here will involve 20 hours each way on a plane!) but that's life.

For all others, we will have plenty of room to move around, and I am sure we will have a great day. Most folks coming wanted a day in that area and that is what was scheduled - as you asked for that region. The bus will be at our command, and we can stop as often and where we choose. Hope you can join us, as we need a decent number to lower the cost for all.

Glen

ozstamps

Lynn and I drove into Darling Harbour today to check out possible spots for Saturday night dinner. I had a bunch of $30 Ent Book coupons for a new place there - the James Squire Brewhouse/restaurant. We had lunch there, but was very expensive, even with a coupon, as drinks were very pricey. Not what we want for a FT Doo.

We then went to a place just 100 yards from the Sheraton Four Points, right on the water, and that seems a better deal for our group. We spoke to management there and a 2 hour booking with our group on the balcony (covered in case of weather) overlooking the Harbour, in our own area.

We'd get Canapés continually bought out for our group, 8 or 10 different, depending on what folks want to pay, and ALSO a few kilos of fresh prawns, which as most local folks know is a LOT of prawns, and these run $25 a kilo from fish markets even. ^

With the prawns this would only run about $A25 a head for 8 extra choices and $5 more for 10 choices. There are 16 possible choices - everything from 'Oysters with grilled anchovies, Parmesan and parsley' to 'Coconut prawns with sweet Chili" to "Field mushrooms grilled with pesto". We did a horse-trade deal on Ent. book coupons to swing this, and just hope they confirm it for us in writing.

Drinks are more reasonable cost there, and they will allow us to buy as we go, rather than run just one long tab, which often causes a hassle for light drinkers when reckoning time comes around. At around $A25 ahead + what you drink this price-point should allow even the budget conscious to join in with us. @:-)

It is not a sit-down formal deal, rather a mingle affair and most will stand up I imagine. Cost is incredibly good for a Saturday night in that prime location, and I'd vote we got with this. I just made a tentative booking as they fill up fast Saturdays they all advised.

No cab ride expenses back to Four Points, and for those who want to party on, the Casino is just a walk across to the other side and there are 100s of bars and restaurants both sides of where we will be at. Or back at our suite for coffee and more drinks!

Glen

-----------------------------------

techgirl

Glen... I'll be delayed on replying as I need to talk to my travel companions to find out what else we might have planned for our time in country.

As soon as I connect with them I will reply back.

Punki

I am sorry Ozstamps. While at some level I guess I knew that leaving SEA on Thursday would not get us to SYD until, Saturday, it didn't really register. Fortunately we are in first class LAX/SYD and, hopefully, will be able to sleep well on the plane to be ready for Saturday's activities upon arrival.

Sunday we will need to sleep in a bit and have time to work out, before we get out and walk around the city.

I would be thrilled to have the luxury of adding a couple of extra days to this trip, and if I can, I will. With the economy rocking again, time is so precious these days and May is shaping up to be another crazy month.

I can't wait until we retire, and can just play all of the time.

ozstamps

Thanks Jenny. Would far rather have a definite answer you three have all thought carefully about, than something that changes after plans have been made.

Punki

We are currently waitlisted for Wednesday (5/25/05) departure, which will put us into SYD on Friday morning. We will just have to wait and see how it goes.

monitor

Let it be noted for the record that on Feb 5 the I had the follwong sentence in an email to one of Punki's address:
"Since you are leaving SEA on 5/26, that means that you arrive in Australia on the 28th. Is that correct...?"
Since there was no response to that question at any time over the next two months, I assumed that it was correct and made no plans to meet with Della and Joe at any time before the Do. All of the dancing, etc. talk went right by my ears as "Punki stuff," and it never even registered on me that she was not even going to be there on Friday night.
Since I have known him, I have never figured Glen to be one who is likely to show a lot of patience in the face of non or mis-communication, but I must commend him here for only ripping out his own hair and also to state that if he wants to change the Friday night thing to anything else that he might like better, Franny & I are completely amenable to anything he comes up with.
As I told him in an earlier e-mail, we're in for everything, no matter what, and as one who has helped organize this stuff, I understand how the shifting and sliding attendance figures can cause additional stress to the organizer.

Punki

We have the LAX connection on a waitlist, but since UA will only waitlist one itinerary, we will have to just keep checking back on the SFO connections every day to see what happens.

I am not entirely certain when we can leave BOS. We must be here in SEA for the installation of the Seattle International Film Festival properties on May 19th, and then in BOS for SID, which runs May 22-27, but we certainly don't need to be there until the end. Lots of time zone changes in a short time frame. Busy, busy, busy.

Hopefully it will all work out.

I am sorry, but I have never in all my life, liked any form of ground transportation which prevents me from getting up and walking around. This is probably the reason that Hunki and I have an on-going battle over whether we will take the "E" train or a town car when we fly into JFK. Following 20 however many hours it takes to get from SEA to SYD and back again, I just can't face the thought of any more sit-down confinement.

When we retire, we can come back for weeks and alternate days of walking and driving.

ozstamps

Me too. Goes for most of us I guess. Which is why I was most clear to say my email to all those attending, and in post #1 of this thread and re-iterated it in post #321:


" I found a place with a good sized bus that will take us where we want. Much larger bus than last year, and far more comfy so we can all move around. "

They tell me it is a new 24 seater tourist specific bus they'll give us for same price as a small mini van type deal. So as only about half the seats will be occupied, and as it allows full stand up headroom, I am still confused where the idea you can't "get up and walk around" came from?

The very reason I booked that vehicle was so that might occur allowing folks to readily move around.

Last year we did have a small bus on the lonnng day to the Hunter Valley, which was far from comfortable, and we were all crammed in, and I was annoyed we'd not booked a larger vehicle. Many of us learn from our mistakes.

thoglette

Thanks all, but I'm not likely to make it due to pre=existing commitments. Have fun!