Travel to AU Questions

[OnMyWay]

On 10/21/2022 at 11:19 PM, OnMyWay said:

My wife and stepdaughter did the biometrics in Makati today.  They took the bus and that worked out fine.  Arrived at VFS at 2:30 for the 3:30 appointment.  The external guards will not let people into the building until the appointment time.  That was not pleasant because there is no place to wait, it is hot, and the guards will not even let anyone sit on steps, etc.  Once inside, they give you a number.  They didn't get out until almost 5.

Fingers crossed for quick approvals!

Yippee!  Wife and stepdaughter visas granted today!  So, applied on the 12th, biometrics on the 21st, approved on the 27th.  Total 15 days.

[BrettGC]

24 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I missed this earlier.  Thanks so much!  The Outlander was one that caught my eye as a good fit!

There is a hybrid Toyota SUV with a name I can't recall.  Might be worth having a hybrid if the price is right.

Toyota Highlander?

https://www.toyota.com/highlanderhybrid/2022/

[OnMyWay]

1 minute ago, BrettGC said:

Toyota Highlander?

https://www.toyota.com/highlanderhybrid/2022/

No, it has a funny name that might just be the local Aussie name.  Wait......

Kluger!

[BrettGC]

6 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

No, it has a funny name that might just be the local Aussie name.  Wait......

Kluger!

Yep, same car.

[OnMyWay]

13 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

Yep, same car.

And those a fairly close to the Philippines Fortuner, right?

[BrettGC]

20 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

And those a fairly close to the Philippines Fortuner, right?

Somewhere between a Fortuner and a Prado.

[Colsie]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Yippee!  Wife and stepdaughter visas granted today!  So, applied on the 12th, biometrics on the 21st, approved on the 27th.  Total 15 days.

Great news 

[OzeMike]

17 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Yippee!  Wife and stepdaughter visas granted today!  So, applied on the 12th, biometrics on the 21st, approved on the 27th.  Total 15 days.

Same here Cel got hers in 14 days  (Aussie tourist visa)...did it myself on line. We were expecting a month wait at least...some have waited 3 months.

They seem to be speeding up.

 

 

 

[BrettGC]

24 minutes ago, OzeMike said:

Same here Cel got hers in 14 days  (Aussie tourist visa)...did it myself on line. We were expecting a month wait at least...some have waited 3 months.

They seem to be speeding up.

 

 

 

About the same for AM's first visit, very fast.  The new government is adding 500 people to visa processing at DFAT.  Granted, that's to expedite work visas in critical shortage jobs, but there will be a flow-on effect I would imagine.   

[OnMyWay]

On 10/21/2022 at 6:29 AM, BrettGC said:

Gold Coast airport is about 90mins to the Brisbane CBD on a good freeway so not that big of an issue so depending on the flight price difference definitely worth it. 

I booked Gold Coast to Melbourne yesterday.  Brisbane to Melbourne flights are ridiculous and have gone up since I posted.  70-80 k pesos for the 5 of us.  I booked Virgin from OOL for 27,758 pesos plus estimated 9300 pesos for Uber XL from Brisbane to Gold Coast.  Total of 37k pesos is less than half of BNE/MEL.

Our flight from Gold Coast is not until 2035 so we are going to take the Uber early and spend the day in Gold Coast.  We are going to try the Aquaduck and probably the Skypoint Tower and ???.  We don't want to go to Marine World.

Question:  Are tourist places generally open on Boxing Day?  It is a big retail day, right?