Posts Tagged ‘money’
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
I can’t believe nearly 3 months is over with since we came back from New Zealand. We leave for Fiji now in about 3 weeks! WOW!
Not much is happening really, just living life. Stressing over money for each of these trips and pay bills and it’s hard because I can’t work. I can’t contribute and I feel bad. Lyn knows it’s not my fault but it’s the sacrafices we have to make. We do take small little day trips here and there to break up the monotony of things. Just a couple weeks ago we took a day trip to Mamu. There is a new Canopy Rainforest Walk there. Not worth the $20 entry fee but nice all the same.
Anyway, our flights are booked. Taking 1 flight to Brisbane, then Brisbane to Nadi (Fiji), staying 4 days, then back again. We got an all inclusive mega deal! The nice thing is that the place we’re staying at is gay/lesbian friendly. That’s always nice! Our package includes all meals, 3 tours, $100 worth of drinks and the roundtrip flights (except for the Cairns to Brisbane portion). So it pretty much cost us the same as our New Zealand trip.
Lyn and I decided to go buy some bathing suits (or costumes as Aussie’s call it). We both bought one-pieces and wore them this past Sunday. It was father’s day for Aussies so we spent the day at the lake. It was overcast, not much sun but certainly enough to burn our backs! OMG the pain! Well, at least we’ll be set for Fiji! LOL!!
I’m thinking about posting pictures of our trips as additional pages. So have a look for those if you’re curious. And I’m going to try and keep this blog updated. Not like anyone really cares but…. I do!
Tags: aussie, Brisbane, Cairns, father's day, Fiji, flight, lake, Mamu, money, nadi, New Zealand, pictures, rainforest, sunburn, trips, work
Posted in Fiji, Flight Plans | No Comments »
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
It’s getting closer for me to depart AU so we are searching for some deals with airlines. We haven’t decided where we want to go yet, ie: Fiji, Guam, or Auckland. Seems tho that if we go to Auckland I’ll have to get a Visa for that country, but if I go to Guam, it’s part of the U.S. so I won’t need a Visa. And it’s only 4.5 hours flight from Cairns.
Driving is becoming much easier now. I actually drove with an ice cream cone. 
I drove roundtrip from Gordonvale to Cairns and back without turning on the windshield wipers as well! PROGRESS!
Still have trouble with store names. Dunno how long it’ll take me to get used to. Lyn laughs every time I say one wrong. **blush**
Internet is funky here. So not like the U.S. Here you have to pay for bandwidth. Rather sucks because it gets quite expensive! I’m paying for 5 gig bandwidth a month for $40! I paid for unlimited use in the U.S. for the same price. They don’t have much in the lines of competition with businesses so they can pretty much charge what they want. I purchased an internet mobile device. Virgin Broadband Mobile but I tell ya… it’s massively S L O W ! ! ! I was clocking the highest rate at 5.2kbs DAMN! Downloading a 1 meg file took 10 minutes. But it’s like a cell phone, if the signal is weak, slower connection. SUCKS!
I’m not much of a sports person. I never liked sports in the U.S. all that much. Football is ok but the Footy here is pretty cool. They don’t suit up at all, and it’s all around different. I’m quite liking it better. Rugby, however, WOW! That’s grueling! But something I could definitely watch. Figuring out the game is the hard part but Lyn’s explaining it to me little by little.
So it’s coming into Winter here. Winter in July! How ’bout that! My first Winter Birthday! (July 7th). Yeah, I know it’s only June. Anyway, the temperature is just gorgeous! I can’t imagine what summer must be like. (in December!) Oh my god! I just can’t get over that! Summer in December… hmmmmmm
Tags: airline, Auckland, australia, bandwidth, birthday, business, Cairns, christmas, competition, deals, december, download, driving, Fiji, file, flight, football, footie, footy, game, gig, Guam, internet, july, june, meg, money, paying, plane, rugby, summer, ticket, unlimited, Visa, winter, xmas
Posted in Driving in Australia, Thoughts | No Comments »
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
I got the quote from the Pet transport place. Crazy insane!! Total cost would be $1800! Come ON! I could get him there for $900!
Here’s a quote direct from the email:
SERVICES PROVIDED TRANSIT LAX:
Veterinary Services: $94.00 (Final Exam and completion of Australian Health Certificate A document by one of our USDA accredited veterinarians.)
USDA Government Endorsement of Veterinary Import Documentation (Vet Certs A/B) and Security Sealing of Travel Crate/s: $278.00
Transportation from boarding facility to LAX Airport via USDA facility for travel crate security sealing prior to evening departure (also includes delivery in morning of documents to USDA office): $130.00
Travel Crate Modification (includes rear panel ventilation, 6 USDA security seal receptacles and 2 oversize water containers with refilling funnel): $10.00, 1 crate/s, see below.
Booking & Air Travel Charge (airline fees) LAX-SYD: $762.35 [IPT, INC. AIRLINE DISCOUNT RATE] (based on 1 ea. 32×22x23 inch Model #400 Vari Kennel/s or similar brand to be provided by owner* )
Import Administration and Counseling, and Coordination of the above, Priority Expedite: $545.00 (Includes review and corrective instruction, as required, for work previously done, and organization and oversight of work yet to be done, by your own USDA accredited veterinarian in complying with the import requirements.) Total Estimate US Dollars: $1819.35 (based on 1 ea. 32×22x23 inch Model #400 Vari Kennel/s or similar brand to be provided byowner)
It’s Thursday and I feel extremely hopeless. I told them to send me the registration form but I don’t have THAT kind of money… I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Tags: airport, australia, barrel, cost, crate, crazy, export, facility, fees, flight, government, import, insane, instruction, LAX, money, New Zealand, pet, quote, registration, robbery, security boarding, travel, USDA, vet
Posted in Ranting | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Made a few phone calls, one to Air New Zealand. Seems the only way they’ll fly a domesticated animal is through a Pet Transport company. The whole point of doing all this ourselves was to avoid the hefty charge from this Pet people. We’ve done everything ourselves up to now and the one final thing we need is the flight and it turns out we STILL need to use this service. It’s NOT fair! SO not fair and I just don’t understand how company’s and governments and everyone else involved can do this!
So… It’s OK with USDA to fly my dog WITH a layover if I use a pet transport company and NOT ok if I try to fly him myself. ASSHOLES!
Regardless, I made the dreaded call to a Pet Transport company yesterday and am waiting for someone to call me back. I’m gonna beg and plead with them. I don’t need their service… just a flight! BE NICE on cost please. I just hope the call comes soon because Ty has a reservation for next week in Quarantine.
Tags: Air New Zealand, animal, call, charge, company, domestic, fee, flight, fly, government, layover, money, New Zealand, NZ, pet, pet transport, quarantine, reservation, service, transport, USDA
Posted in Ranting | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
Well we’re getting down to the nitty gritty now. I called the airline to book Ty’s flight. He’s going to be flying out of the Korean airlines from L.A. to Sydney, but what I found to be an odd way of booking his flight was all done by email. I called, they said they’d email a form to me. I received it just as I was hanging up. I filled out the word document and emailed it back and then got a reply saying they will get back intouch with me with the pertinent information that I need. I hope this doesn’t take too much longer because I need to book him in for his final vet appointment and then call the USDA and make an appt with them to seal the crate. I just don’t want this ticket to be more than what I was quoted when I called. I can’t afford it. Just can’t!
I’m getting a bit nervous since the time is coming closer. I’m on my last week of work. 4 more days left. My last week with Ty. He’ll fly out on the 9th. It’s all happening so quickly now and the days are diminishing quickly! I can’t wait to just get there and get settled.
I found out that my Boss wants me to continue with the website. So we’ll make arrangements and negotiate price which will help with money while I’m overseas but one thing that bothers me is how she’ll pay since they’re company doesn’t use credit cards. And they personally don’t have credit cards either. Hoping maybe I can get her to pay a years worth of work in advance. It’s easy to update the websites, takes me 5 mins. and I know they’re going under so-to-speak so I’ll keep the cost down a bit. Hoping we discuss things soon. So glad that I’ll be leaving there!
Tags: airline, australia, book, company, crate, document, flight, job, Korean, money, nervous, overseas, plane, price, Sydney, ticket, USDA, vet, website, work
Posted in Thoughts | No Comments »