AFF Gathers: In RADelaide!! [28-30 November 2008]

[oz_mark]

Looking at some winery options for either Barossa or Mclaren Vale:

Barossa
Chateua Tanunda
Rockford
Seppelt
Peter Lehman
St Hallet
Wolf Blass
Penfold

Mclaren Vale
Fox Creek
Chapell Hill
Conte Estate
Wirra Wirra
Rosemount Estate


Not sure which way we are going yet - no-one seems to have expressed much preference one way or the other.

Looks like 5 of us looking to go - so that suggests a largeish car

 

[Flashback]

Count me as +1 for Mclaren Vale

 

[tuapekastar]

I'd probably lean towards McLaren Vale as well...a little less travelling time!

 

[serfty]

Adelaide to:

• Barossa Valley
• McLaren Vale

 

[Flashback]

Looking at some winery options for either Barossa or Mclaren Vale:

Barossa
Chateua Tanunda
Rockford
Seppelt
Peter Lehman
St Hallet
Wolf Blass
Penfold

Mclaren Vale
Fox Creek
Chapell Hill
Conte Estate
Wirra Wirra
Rosemount Estate


Not sure which way we are going yet - no-one seems to have expressed much preference one way or the other.

Looks like 5 of us looking to go - so that suggests a largeish car

Ok, so either a Fairlane or a Tarago I would assume.

Has one been booked yet? When do you arrive into ADL oz_mark?

 

[oz_mark]

Ok, so either a Fairlane or a Tarago I would assume.

Has one been booked yet? When do you arrive into ADL oz_mark?

Fairlane? I thought they stopped building those!

Nothing booked yet, will do that today or tomorrow. I arrive about 8 am Saturday morning

 

[Flashback]

Fairlane? I thought they stopped building those!

Nothing booked yet, will do that today or tomorrow. I arrive about 8 am Saturday morning

Great, should be able to get away with booking for 1 day then returning to Adelaide Downtown...

 

[oz_mark]

Great, should be able to get away with booking for 1 day then returning to Adelaide Downtown...

Except the downtown locations seem to close early on the weekend in Adelaide (like at 2 pm :shock. Might be easier to return it late in the afternoon to the airport!

 

[QF WP]

Yes. I'll always check a booking made more than 2 weeks ago to see if there are different rates now. Running at about 40% success rate for doing what you did (cancelling existing booking because new booking rate is cheaper).

Hmmm...this is odd?

I was just reading through my details again and went over my Hilton reservation, then noticed that I'd selected a rather expensive rate. (Probably in frustration to my earlier blunder.) This was all about 2 months ago now.

As a bit of interest, I searched Hilton again for the ADL Hilton on the same dates with the same promo code...and low and behold I find the same room types with the same promo code, but a lower cost (at least 20% lower for that matter).

Needless to say, I cancelled my previous booking and rebooked under the new rate.

Is this unusual? Do several people here frequently do this kind of juggling?

 

[anat0l]

Thanks for the feedback. Have checked Hilton ADL again today and rates are the same lower rate I have for my new booking.

On the other hand, having a cracker of a time trying to get a good seat on a 738 for QF661 BNE-ADL tomorrow. Tried at 0920h this morning and again just now; was auto-allocated 7F, just moved myself to 4B.

Pretty much all of ACDF was blocked out for rows 4, 5 and 6 when I checked this morning. I seemed to luck out a better selectivity when I was a QFF PS, so somehow I think being a QFF SG bites at times (but then again I get QP access, so no pun intended).

 

[Flashback]

Our guest for dinner on Saturday night will be Enda Mansfield, Commercial Manager for Velocity Rewards @ Virgin Blue.

 

[oz_mark]

Great, should be able to get away with booking for 1 day then returning to Adelaide Downtown...

Hmm, Tarago or Falcon.

Falcon, cheaper, prefereable to drive
Tarago - bigger, more space for drunken yobbo's to stretch out in....

 

[Flashback]

Hmm, Tarago or Falcon.

Falcon, cheaper, prefereable to drive
Tarago - bigger, more space for drunken yobbo's to stretch out in....

QF009 can take the middle seat :mrgreen:

 

[anat0l]

Hmm, Tarago or Falcon.

Falcon, cheaper, prefereable to drive
Tarago - bigger, more space for drunken yobbo's to stretch out in....

Would we all legally fit in the Falcon? (Putting QF009 in the boot does not count!)

Then we have to think of the squeeze factor.

Also, have to consider if someone is comfortable driving the Tarago.....

Rates are about the same?

 

[Flashback]

Friday Night
Welcome drinks @ The Tap Inn (Welcome to The Tap Inn) - 5 min taxi ride max, and over 70 taps including 54 'wines on tap' (tuapekastar, QF009, anat0l, Flashware (depending on arrival), Skoogle)

Saturday

09:30 - 17:00
Winery cruise w/ oz_mark (and if needed) Flashware (oz_mark, Flashware, anat0l, tuapekastar, QF009) -- maybe to keep to 1 car we could hire The Bus(TM)

19:00 - 22:30
Mapo - Korean Restaurant - Adelaide - Dinner @ Mapo Korean Restaurant (average cost of 3 course meal ~$50) (QF009, Flashware, tuapekastar, anat0l, oz_mark, Skoogle, Executive Guest)

22:30 - Late
Post-dinner drinks for those keen. (will be sorted out on the night!)

Sunday
10:00 - 14:00
CHIANTI on 160 Hutt St, Adelaide for 10.00 am (Booking name is NANA) (oz_mark, Flashware, anat0l, tuapekastar, QF009, sris +1?, Skoogle)

Have just booked for 10 @ Mapo on Saturday night. Currently have:
QF009, Flashware, tuapekastar, anat0l, oz_mark, Skoogle, Enda Mansfield

If you believe you are missing from this list please let me know ASAP.. if I don't hear otherwise, I will reduce the booking down to 8.

 

[oz_mark]

Would we all legally fit in the Falcon? (Putting QF009 in the boot does not count!)

Then we have to think of the squeeze factor.

Also, have to consider if someone is comfortable driving the Tarago.....

Rates are about the same?

Unless I have missed someone, I thought there were 5 of us, so we would all fit, but a Tarago may offer some flexibility and be more comfortable (but Tarago's are more expensive)

 

[Flashback]

Would we all legally fit in the Falcon? (Putting QF009 in the boot does not count!)

Then we have to think of the squeeze factor.

Also, have to consider if someone is comfortable driving the Tarago.....

Rates are about the same?

If rates are the same, may as well go the Tarago. Otherwise.. I'm sure anat0l, Flashware, and QF009 should be relatively comfortable. This is assuming Mclaren Vale.

 

[Keith009]

Hope it isn't too late, but a +1 might be coming from wine cruise onwards. Sorry for the tardiness...

Got 7C for tomoz.

 

[oz_mark]

If rates are the same, may as well go the Tarago. Otherwise..

From what I can see the base rate of a Tarago is roughly double a Falcon/Commodore Option. For example Avis is $44 for a Commodore and $88 for a Tarago. This is before adding taxes and and subtracting discounts.

Anyway, dividing the cost 5 ways it probably is not expensive either way.

 

[NM]

Sounds like you need the NM b*s. But the NM b*s is in Brisbane and not visiting ADL this weekend, so you may need to downgrade to the Tarago option .