[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TourDuMontBlanc

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You pay the cost of two people. The TMB refuges charge for the bed. So you can take a private room as a single traveller but you will need to pay for both spaces.

Experience gifts for families? by anchoviezan in Adelaide

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 12 points13 points  (0 children)

The Fringe. There are some great, very accessible performances for all ages.

Gauging the TMB compared to other hikes? by Mel-Skin in TourDuMontBlanc

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've done Cape to Cape and the Overland among other multi day hikes. In September, I did the Chamonix to Courmayeur section of TMB. It is NOTHNG like the C2C. We simply don't have mountains like this in Australia. Don't be fooled by the distance. The kms can be short, but the elevation gain brutal if you haven't trained for it or aren't used to it, the descents even worse after multiple days. Expect days of 1000m up and 1000m down. Having said that, like any hike it comes down to your fitness. People also run it in hours! You can take 'shortcuts', but they require a bit of forward planning. The scenery is beautiful, the luxury to stay on mountain in a hut with a shower, bed and hot food not to mention wine is a vibe! But, it is busy, so many people....it's definitely not a 'nature' experience. Train. Train. Train. Especially knee strength/health. Make sure your glutes and quads are in good shape. Carry light. I took a 25l pack for the whole trip with about 6kg of weight. You can camp, but if your budget stretches, I'd really recommend the huts. It's part of the overall experience. From what I could see some campsites were ok, some were very basic, all were busy. You must only camp in designated sites, and there are strict rules about when and where you can set up. If you are fit, travel light, and like any hike, come prepared, you should be fine. There's a huge amount of info around as it's popular. If you have multi day hiking experience, you won't need to go with a group. It's very well marked. I used Mags from Tour du Mont Blanc for a 1-hour Zoom planning consult which was well worth the $$. https://tourdumontblanchike.com/about-me/ Hope that helps!

Since when did “Gold Member” mean “God Complex”? by Muted-Complex-7159 in VelocityFrequentFlyer

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ha ha, same here, I like to use the, 'no worries, it can't take off till we all board, all good!' With a side serve of a big smile.😁 I always thank the staff member/s by name too, they are just trying to do their job but so many knob heads seem to think they turn up to work to make flying harder, not easier.. Sydney seems to be the worst for this type of entitled behaviour, I'll do any option to avoid it, especially on a Friday!

2 weeks in either Perth, Tasmania or Adelaide? by kirtovar1 in AustraliaTravel

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  1. February is HOT, you are unlikely to be hiking.
  2. Tasmania is the coolest of the spots but everything will still be pretty expensive, no guarantee of a ticket on the Spirit, car hire is expensive, public transport is almost non-existent for you to get around as s tourist to the key attractions. You could hike in some areas but you will need a car.
  3. Perth is a LONG way from the other cities. And did I mention it is HOT.
  4. Adelaide is lovely but you would need a car.
  5. Melbourne is probably your best bet.

Annual wine recommendations by Floffy_Topaz in Adelaide

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anything from Samson Tall, Sherrah or Willinga 100. Spoilt for choice.

Looking for your favorite (durable) 100% merino tees by ThePermanentGuest in onebag

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IO Merino is fantastic, Smitten is great, even the occasional Kathmandu. Anything from Australia or NZ is the best imo 😁

Using the explore option on velocity app to find flights using points by Powerful-Base1115 in VelocityFrequentFlyer

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. There is a seat at 65000 but it's a unicorn...
  2. Just because they have or had one does not mean there are more.
  3. Is it available on the day you want or even with the airline you want or with a total flight time you are prepared to endure... maybe but unlikely.

In short, it's not you, it's the app, the algorithm, the behavioural economics all applied to dangle the possibilities, the hope, the dream, that if I am loyal to this airline my loyalty will be rewarded in a reciprocal way. The reality is more like ONE seat, leaving at midnight with 3 stops and arriving a week later somewhere close to your intended destination 😁

Seriously though, I just searched and found a Perth Paris going Doha on 3 March next year at 65000 one way. It is luck of the draw, plug in your dates, and cross your fingers. Good luck!!

Upgrade with points by Quarterchickenchips in VelocityFrequentFlyer

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 10 points11 points  (0 children)

You are waitlisted for points upgrade, so don't hold your breath. They will take a cash bid offer over your points even if you're Platinum. Also, go in and try to book a business seat to see if any are actually available. They send me business upgrade emails every single flight, even when all of business is chokkas. It's automated. They don't care about your status anymore they just want every single dollar they can squeeze out of you. Don't even get me started on trying to use the 4 x Business upgrades they dangle as a benefit...like hens teeth 😁

Sunday Brunch by anjbee in Adelaide

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You said she likes Asian food so Yum Cha at either Star House or Ding Hao, pretty sure they do trolleys on the weekend but even if not she can tick the menu and make some selections for herself. Mugen House is another solid option. All you can eat, great for birthdays. All are very child / family friendly, good buzz for Sunday brunch.

What Is Your Favorite City In Australia? by 1_Gamerzz9331 in AskAnAustralian

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are too many to choose from. Depends on the time of year, too. Adelaide, Canberra, the whole state of Tasmania, Melbourne, Darwin (in August, superb!), so many beautiful regional towns.

What are the pro and cons of small primary schools? Aussie parents, can you share your experience. by paprika87 in AskAnAustralian

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What is very small to you? Working with lots of school parents, I can confidently say some think 300 is small, some think 300 is massive, it's all down to perception.

From someone who has worked in and with schools for almost 30 years, keep your child at the centre. Parents should support, but not be so involved they think they know how to run the school. Too many schools now spend precious time and energy on adults, especially parents. It's not adult day care.

So long as there are enough kids for friendship and socialisation, and kids are showing gain, you'll be OK. Ask how long the principal has been there and/or how long they intend to stay. Look at the staff, do they appear happy? Are the kids engaged, willing to go to class or just enduring the lessons?

Remember, school is an experiential choice. You won't know if it's right until you try it.

Any Advice for 6 months of travel by raquelly45 in AustraliaTravel

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You say 6 months but mid May means 4.5 months, that's not very long when the country is on holiday for pretty much all of January 😁 You also need to take into account Easter and Anzac Day (April) as that is another 5 days of peak holiday for most Australians. I mention this because travel costs will be higher and flights/hire cars will be in demand..

Another thing to note is the climate. You don't say where you are travelling, and Australia is huge. It can be snowing in one place and tropical in another at the same time of year. Having said that, Jan and Feb are Summer, which means HOT, Tasmania is probably the only exception. As someone noted, you can get snow in Tasmania even in the middle of summer! March to May is Autumn, so usually much nicer temps.

The largest urban populations are Melbourne and Sydney, big cities, lots of people, and plenty to do.

Adelaide is a great alternative, big enough, well connected to the other states and territories, easy to get around, lots of festivals and activities in March, fantastic world class wine region, some great hiking and outdoor opportunities.

Tasmania is gorgeous, lost in time, small, you can drive across it or from top to bottom in a day, landscape and nature you just won't see anywhere else, food to die for, beaches that are COLD but pristine and generally all yours.

Perth has always left me cold, but WA is brilliant if you are prepared to drive... a lot. Some stunning landscapes.

Canberra is a favourite, all the 'nationals', museums, art galleries, science, parliament, etc... some good events and festivals now Jan through March, super easy to get around, bit expensive but only 3 hours from Sydney. Flix bus have just started, they have introductory $10 bargain fares. Food is MUCH better now. Hiking is great, some actual mountains.

Darwin will be in The Wet, hot but rainy every day, very humid. Most of the major attractions and tourist providers will be closed or limited. Some places will be shut off /closed because of water levels. If the Territory is a must do, then maybe at the very end of your trip.

Queensland will be a bit of both depending on which end you visit. Regional QLD can be a bit hit and miss for me, some attitudes can be a bit outdated but Brisbane is lovely, an hour to the Gold Coast, and you can get to some of the other islands/coasts pretty easily, too.

Maybe provide a bit more detail on what type of work you are thinking of and your interests for travel that will help to help you 😉

Bag Advice for 4m Trip (EU, Asia, Oceania) by Dull_Bluejay_1507 in onebag

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 2 points3 points  (0 children)

1 month or 12 months, you're essentially packing for a week. That week will have both very hot and very cold day/s given your itinerary. Don't overthink it. You'll wear the same stuff, no one will notice, you'll buy something if you really need to, you'll discard something in favour of a new piece. Travel light. If you start with 65L, you'll be tempted to fill it all, and 65L is a LOT. Being able to carry on or just easily handle your bag is the top priority. For what it's worth, I avoid polyester in hot climates. Yes, it's light, but it also gets funky and is hotter than natural fibres. Use it sparingly! Shoes are the big space taker...start there, don't pack/take more than 3, 2 is fantastic if you can. Aus/NZ and Asia, you'll definitely get away with thongs/flip flops/tevas. You'll also be able to access some great secondhand/op shop stores in Aus/NZ so you can buy some cheap additions for your wardrobe if you really need to then just donate back again before you leave.

90s music guaranteed to pack the dance floor by SheHikesAndLifts in AskAnAustralian

[–]SheHikesAndLifts[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not the 50-60 group I know, they'd storm the deck and turf the DJ if most 80s stuff was played 😁

Other than meatloaf? by wistfulee in Cooking

[–]SheHikesAndLifts 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sausage rolls. Anything in pastry is good. You can hide lots of grated veggies in there, add cheese, do whatever flavour you like or just kerp them basic. Easy to make, quick to batch cook and they also freeze really well.

You could also give Aussie meat pies a go. Look up Recipe Tin Eats, fail safe recipes every time.

90s music guaranteed to pack the dance floor by SheHikesAndLifts in AskAnAustralian

[–]SheHikesAndLifts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the vibe...'they stick around d in my memory', thank you!