Where are you going in 2018?

[Cossie]

Lots of random trips around our country and somewhat the world again this year. Highlights are Cocos and Christmas islands (done), photos to come. Also Noumea (twice, but once for an hour....), Vietnam, Broome and Hong Kong (to try out my QF Platinum which I'll get in September - something I never thought I'd achieve, self funded). View attachment 117959 View attachment 117960

You didn't happen to pick up any number plates whilst you were there? There is a big demand for plates from those territories, especially the new C.I. graphics.

Looking forward to the photos and how you got there and back.

 

[amaroo]

Guess you can Weipa, Emerald, Atherton, Mission Beach .... the list goes on

 

[clipped_wings]

April: First trip to Hong Kong, very excited to see this incredible place. (VA Paid J) Not many plans for this trip as it's a SC run, so will probably do some tourist stuff and chillax without the kids for a few days.
October: Back to the USA - we go each year, mostly dragging a circus full of kids but this time it's husband and I going alone to drive Route 66. (VA paid Premium with a J points waitlist) Flying into LAX then red eye to Chicago. 3 nights in the Windy City before we pick up our car and head west to the Santa Monica Pier. We figure it will take us around 3 weeks to complete the journey. I just love America and can't wait for this holiday, it's been on husband's Bucket List since he was a young bloke.

That's it for 2018, unless we win Lotto of course........

 

[Deleted member 29185]

April: First trip to Hong Kong, very excited to see this incredible place. (VA Paid J) Not many plans for this trip as it's a SC run, so will probably do some tourist stuff and chillax without the kids for a few days.
October: Back to the USA - we go each year, mostly dragging a circus full of kids but this time it's husband and I going alone to drive Route 66. (VA paid Premium with a J points waitlist) Flying into LAX then red eye to Chicago. 3 nights in the Windy City before we pick up our car and head west to the Santa Monica Pier. We figure it will take us around 3 weeks to complete the journey. I just love America and can't wait for this holiday, it's been on husband's Bucket List since he was a young bloke.

That's it for 2018, unless we win Lotto of course........

I like your thinking! We are yet to visit HK and hope to do so next year and as much as I really don't have an attraction to the good ol' USofA, Driving Route 66 in a big old convertible Yank tank is one reason we still have to go (along with some of the National Parks). I'd love to read a trip report when you're finished!

 

[Pushka]

I like your thinking! We are yet to visit HK and hope to do so next year and as much as I really don't have an attraction to the good ol' USofA, Driving Route 66 in a big old convertible Yank tank is one reason we still have to go (along with some of the National Parks). I'd love to read a trip report when you're finished!

Acquaintances of ours completed Route 66 as a convey of motor bikes. Awesome experience.

 

[Cossie]

We did a good chunk of it years ago and got married along the way.

 

[clipped_wings]

Challenge Accepted.

I'll certainly post trip reports of both holidays. The Hong Kong one is going to be loads of fun I'm sure. We get to fly Business on all four sectors SYD-MEL and MEL-HKG and our plans were originally to eat our way there. But now I think we'll do more shopping and sightseeing - as the temptation to explore will get the better of me.

The States has been our go to destination since 2000. When the kids are with us, we do non stop Disneyland and shopping malls. But 2015 and 2016 saw us go alone, so we hired a red convertible Mustang (It has to be red) and we cruised sections of Route 66 through California, Nevada and Arizona. Monument Valley was a highlight, although the "dry" state rule was hard to cop for two die hard beer fans and we wished we'd made it a day trip haha.

You learn from your mistakes though. And our biggest mistake was thinking two fiftysomethings could leap in and out of a convertible like some Jack in the Box. Wrong. We had to gently ease our arthritic frames inside the car, bum first. Then, rock back and forth a few times to get the momentum going to eject our weary bodies each time we had a stop. Did I mention we drank a lot?

Anyhoo, this time we got a Jeep. That's right, we got a Jeep.

I'll keep you all posted..............

 

[Denali]

I think it was Dr & Mrs Ron who were given a sports car at the rental agency and then swapped it for a more reasonable drive (for space and as my husband says, so their cough isnt dragging on the ground).

 

[bobw]

We've already done our first trip for 2018. A few days in Rovaniemi and about a week in Sapporo for the snow festival. I was a bit nervous about two of our connections and we've now decided on a different approach to connecting flights. We left Rovaniemi for Helsinki and a 1:35 stopover. before a flight on to Nagoya. (All with Finnair.) We left RVN late and were delayed in flight. In Helsinki we literally ran from the far extremity of the domestic terminal to the opposite end of international (Gate 24 to 54 with immigration in between.) We were last to board.

A week later we were flying CTS>HND. NRT>SYD. and were a bit worried about getting across Tokyo. We need not have worried.

We've decided that our future connections will include an overnight stop.

 

[GDSman]

Time for an update....7 weeks in and I’ve already had far too much domestic travel and a short trip to NZ where the answer to the question “How long does it take to get from HBA to WLG?” Turns our to be “28hours!”.....bit of a disaster with fog and a disrupted flight to AKL and then LOTS of queueing...
Mauritius is still on for last week April but now I can add:
- SFO in July (World Cup of Rugby 7s - I couldn’t help myself). 10 days with a week at our favourite hotel, the Argonaut, and finish at Club Quarters nearer to AT&T stadium...
- ADL for a wedding in early December
- NYC and LAX for Xmas. Decided we need to spend more time with family so Xmas with brother. Son has been given an incentive - improve school grades and there’s a Disneyland visit to be won!
With my additional duties it looks like a shed load of domestic travel until then....what fun. Back to platinum on VA...

 

[wandering_fred]

Looks like the "bus" trips from Santiago Chile to Mendoza and Buenos Aires are a go ! A bit more than two weeks on first schedule estimate. Plus brother-in-law is Spanish fluent. Though whether he can understand the Argentinian dialect will be an interesting question.

Just wandering
Fred

 

[chelzmalee]

ADL somewhere July - October. Probably 5 days, just waiting on dates. Visiting a friend, and I’ve never been. Wanted to do the USA again but alas the budget doesn’t allow this year.. darn house renovations.

 

[dmgale1960]

ADL in early April because visit the family duty calls, HKG in late April because I need to recover from visiting the family. Back to ADL in August for dads 80th, Vietnam in early September for a break. I am seeing a pattern for some reason.......

 

[JessicaTam]

Somehow when planning to get from MCY to HKG I have ended up booking a weekend in NUE. I have no idea how that happened - ok, yes I do.

 

[clipped_wings]

Know what you mean about the house renovations. It was a new bathroom or a quick trip to the Melbourne Cup this year.

I could fly business class return, stay in a 5 star city hotel, back every horse in every race and it would STILL be cheaper than a new bathroom.

Melbourne wins.

 

[TomVexille]

Know what you mean about the house renovations. It was a new bathroom or a quick trip to the Melbourne Cup this year.

I could fly business class return, stay in a 5 star city hotel, back every horse in every race and it would STILL be cheaper than a new bathroom.

Melbourne wins.

At least you'll have a win?

 

[GlobalT]

I haven't planned too far ahead but between now and end of April I have:

Trip 1: Canberra
Trip 2: Singapore and Jakarta
Trip 3: Singapore, Mumbai, 3 x domestic cities in India, Riyadh
Trip 4: Doha and Kampala
Trip 5: London

 

[amaroo]

Due to the smarts of an AFF member, you can add a 5 night family trip to Shanghai to the list.... 840SC x 4 and still counting

 

[JohnM]

Due to the sensational work of an AFF member, you can add a 5 night family trip to Shanghai to the list.... 840SC and counting

I trust that this is not the full extent of 2018 travel .

 

[amaroo]

I trust that this is not the full extent of 2018 travel .

Busy year! Our FNQ travel will secure WP and beyond. The kids are in senior school (10 & 12) so we've got to keep it real .... after that, we'll be as free as a bird.