The Prize for the most Indecisive Traveller

[WanderlustNZ]

Remind me to take the day off. Let us know what sorts of things you like to see or what the excursions are and we can work it out from there. If we have an idea of what you and the family want to see, we can definitely see how much we can fit in the day.

Thank you PIO, that is very kind. I am really looking forward to it.

By the way, it will just be just me and DH on this trip - DS is staying home with his grandparents.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

ps. Personally, I don't think it works that way. I always like to save tourists their dollars so that they can spend it on tourist things and souvenirs. And if you''re uncomfortable about it, you can reciprocate when I get to NZ to visit you.

That's lovely, but you would saving us so much anyway over a ship tour. The least we can do is shout you lunch
As for coming to NZ, you are welcome anytime.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yay for moving to the South Island Wanderlust . What area are you looking to move to? I would be keen to visit Melbourne for a Lion King dismeet. Agree we should look at dates when a lot of us have got back from our trips in Sep/Oct

Hi Caroline.

Wanaka is our top choice, but based on the price of housing, we are also quite keen on Cromwell. What I love about Cromwell in particular is it's central location to the likes of Wanaka, Arrowtown, Alex, and Clyde which are all an easy day trip away. Places like Aoraki, Fiordland, and Dunedin are all an easy weekend trip away.
We also aren't opposed to Nelson and Dunedin, which despite being busier, would have more job opportunities. For the price of an average house here in Auckland, we could get a beautiful property in Dunedin with floor to ceiling views of the ocean.
The Auckland property market has become a joke. With all the overseas buyers, us average joes just can't keep up.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

That would be awesome if you guys could make it for a DisMeet too!

I agree. It sounds like it's turning into a bit of a party

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm not sure what my work situation will be by then, but I'm sure it will be no trouble to get a day off We also took that into consideration. Although, it is less of an issue for me because my family are already on the other side of the country. And we have no kids so the grandparents thing isn't an issue either. We worked that if we lived close to the right airport in Tassie, we could actually get to SIL in about the same time it takes us to drive from our current location At the end of the day, we decided against it because of DH's business. If we moved too far, he would have to basically start again establishing a client base and new network of builders etc. We will have our anniversary trip at the end of Feb/early March. Not sure on exact dates yet, but if we can stick with early/mid Feb or late March, I should be safe. I'll keep everyone updated on dates once we've booked our flights.

Yay, hopefully you can get some time off on the 17th as it would be great to finally meet. If not, Feb/Mar is also not that far away. I'm happy to work the dates around your anniversary trip.

It is difficult to pack up and move when you are so established in your job. I am happy to relieve/temp teach anywhere in the country, but DH is an engineer who works in a very niche market. There wouldn't be anyone needing his specialised skills in small Sth Island towns. He can do some general mechanical engineering for the first year or so to keep money coming in, but the long term ideal would be to establish a small business of his own.

 

[zanzibar138]

Yay, hopefully you can get some time off on the 17th as it would be great to finally meet. If not, Feb/Mar is also not that far away. I'm happy to work the dates around your anniversary trip.

It is difficult to pack up and move when you are so established in your job. I am happy to relieve/temp teach anywhere in the country, but DH is an engineer who works in a very niche market. There wouldn't be anyone needing his specialised skills in small Sth Island towns. He can do some general mechanical engineering for the first year or so to keep money coming in, but the long term ideal would be to establish a small business of his own.

I'm like that too. I can do admin anywhere. And technically, DH can be a tradie anywhere too. It's only because it's his own business that he's worked hard to get established, it seems silly to move somewhere else and have him have to start all over again

I can say from experience that having your own business is a lot of work (and stress at times), but the payoff in flexibility is worth it. DH and I don't need to worry about leave entitlements, or having to work around someone else's schedule to take time off. We can decide to make a long weekend for ourselves whenever we like, and take advantage of last minute travel specials. We don't have to miss out on sale airfares because we have to wait until the next day to check with the boss

Of course, there are also a few down sides. Being a casual, I don't get paid when I'm not working. DH isn't comfortable spending more than 2 weeks away (but is comfortable to do several smaller trips throughout the year, so that makes up for it), although he has gotten to the point now where his employee can keep working while DH is away so the business still has money coming in. I will have to set aside an hour or so once a week while we're away to do the weekly pays and keep on top of the accounts as best I can.

It's all worth it to be able to pack and go away whenever we feel like it

 

[Caroline NZ]

Fingers crossed you get to move to Wanaka, such a beautiful spot. My brother lives at Lake Hawea, and it is a wonderful place to go and stay. We were there in the school holidays just gone ( ski trip) and had a lovely break from work and school. For us it will remain a holiday destination though, as both our jobs (long term) are in Christchurch and I can't see us ever wanting to leave them voluntarily. Good on you for wanting to make such a big lifestyle change though, I am sure you won't regret it

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thank you PIO, that is very kind. I am really looking forward to it.

By the way, it will just be just me and DH on this trip - DS is staying home with his grandparents.

Oooh! Okay. Did I miss that? I was sure it was the 3 of you. But then, it's been such a busy year for me so far, if I didn't write things down, I'd forget my own name!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Fingers crossed you get to move to Wanaka, such a beautiful spot. My brother lives at Lake Hawea, and it is a wonderful place to go and stay. We were there in the school holidays just gone ( ski trip) and had a lovely break from work and school. For us it will remain a holiday destination though, as both our jobs (long term) are in Christchurch and I can't see us ever wanting to leave them voluntarily. Good on you for wanting to make such a big lifestyle change though, I am sure you won't regret it

It's wonderful that you and your DH have job satisfaction. I've always admired people who have found jobs they would be happy to do for many years to come.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Oooh! Okay. Did I miss that? I was sure it was the 3 of you. But then, it's been such a busy year for me so far, if I didn't write things down, I'd forget my own name!

Lol, I barely remember my own posts let alone anyone else's.

This cruise was a miracle of sorts as it was DH who suggested the holiday, not me. He decided that we should cash in our rewards dollars towards a trip for just the two of us. I wasn't going to give him anytime to change his mind, and had booked the cruise within a few weeks

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm like that too. I can do admin anywhere. And technically, DH can be a tradie anywhere too. It's only because it's his own business that he's worked hard to get established, it seems silly to move somewhere else and have him have to start all over again I can say from experience that having your own business is a lot of work (and stress at times), but the payoff in flexibility is worth it. DH and I don't need to worry about leave entitlements, or having to work around someone else's schedule to take time off. We can decide to make a long weekend for ourselves whenever we like, and take advantage of last minute travel specials. We don't have to miss out on sale airfares because we have to wait until the next day to check with the boss Of course, there are also a few down sides. Being a casual, I don't get paid when I'm not working. DH isn't comfortable spending more than 2 weeks away (but is comfortable to do several smaller trips throughout the year, so that makes up for it), although he has gotten to the point now where his employee can keep working while DH is away so the business still has money coming in. I will have to set aside an hour or so once a week while we're away to do the weekly pays and keep on top of the accounts as best I can. It's all worth it to be able to pack and go away whenever we feel like it

I fully understand your DH's reluctance to make changes when things sound like they are running smoothly.
It's great that you have some flexibility when it comes to deciding when you will travel. There are definitely perks to setting your own hours.

The problem with relieving work in teaching is that there is basically a 2 month stretch over Xmas when no money comes in. The plus side, however, is way less paperwork.
I think I'm just going to have to become much better at budgeting and saving because less paperwork is sounding very tempting right now.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

I agree good for you WanderlustNZ on your life-changing decisions. It's a big step to take but can have amazing rewards. Zanzibar - I thought you lived on the city fringes at least? (though that's not Tasmania or the Sth Island of NZ!) We have compromised living on acreage on the fringe of the city and the local community still has a lot of country community values. I am grateful every day when I wake up and look out at the birds and the views. I was also able to make changes to my work life around 8 yrs ago so that most of the time I work shorter, part-time, fixed term or casual contracts which gives much more balance to our lives than my former frantic long days with added work from home, lifestyle. We hope though that DH can retire in 3 years so we can enjoy the lifestyle together. Have to bite the bullet then and significantly cut back the travel so I am making the most of it now.

I think the holiday just you 2 together is great..also think I might have to get PIO to pm me with the link to your blog presuming you are not allowed? thought I had it bookmarked but can't find it on the new pc and what I thought it was called can't find now on a quick internet search.

 

[zanzibar138]

Zanzibar - I thought you lived on the city fringes at least? (though that's not Tasmania or the Sth Island of NZ!)

Yes, we do. We love where we live, we just wish it wasn't such an effort to get into the city (especially DH, who has to fight the city traffic regularly). It would be nicer to be somewhere with a similar feel, but closer to our nearest 'city' and not have to deal with so much traffic or waste so much time on public transport. In Tasmania we could live 15 minutes out of Launceston and still be in the middle of the country!

And don't even get me started on the airport... We really do have to move closer to that

Our compromise was to make our work situation more flexible, so I guess we're in a similar situation to you guys (except we're nowhere near retirement ).

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I agree good for you WanderlustNZ on your life-changing decisions. It's a big step to take but can have amazing rewards. Zanzibar - I thought you lived on the city fringes at least? (though that's not Tasmania or the Sth Island of NZ!) We have compromised living on acreage on the fringe of the city and the local community still has a lot of country community values. I am grateful every day when I wake up and look out at the birds and the views. I was also able to make changes to my work life around 8 yrs ago so that most of the time I work shorter, part-time, fixed term or casual contracts which gives much more balance to our lives than my former frantic long days with added work from home, lifestyle. We hope though that DH can retire in 3 years so we can enjoy the lifestyle together. Have to bite the bullet then and significantly cut back the travel so I am making the most of it now. I think the holiday just you 2 together is great..also think I might have to get PIO to pm me with the link to your blog presuming you are not allowed? thought I had it bookmarked but can't find it on the new pc and what I thought it was called can't find now on a quick internet search.

Thanks Wendy. It's wonderful that you and your DH have found a work-life balance.
I'm not allowed to add my blog to my signature, but as far as I know it will still be okay to message it too you. Just be warned that I still haven't got around to finishing my entries from last year. It's looking a bit sad.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Even though I hate Mondays, I am so excited about waking up tomorrow, ripping August off the calendar, and announcing that we are going 'this month'.
Still 3 1/2 weeks to go, but with the way time is flying at present that will arrive in no time.

I have made a few additions and changes to my trip this weekend which I am excited about.

For a start I changed our cabin at Lake Yellowstone Hotel to a larger one at Lake Lodge. We were booked to stay in one of the Hotel's yellow cabins, which despite being quite cute on the outside, are tiny on the inside and have 2 double beds. Short of paying hundreds more for an expensive room inside the hotel, we were resigned to being pretty much stuck with this option. Up until a week ago, the only other Yellowstone lodges open at the end of September were a considerable drive away.

Xanterra (the company in charge of Yellowstone lodging) obviously realised that there was demand to provide another option for the end of the season and decided last week to extend their opening dates on some Western cabins at Lake Lodge. Lake Lodge is about half a mile down the road from Lake Hotel and will have no facilities open other than the cabins. So we will still need to check in at Lake Hotel and drive there for meals. But what the Lodge will lack in open facilities, it makes up for in much larger cabins with 2 queens instead of two doubles. Plus the cabins have been recently renovated with some charming rustic Western furniture. I'm very happy about the change.


I changed from this... (Photo courtesy of Xanterra Yellowstone Lodging website)


to this. (Photo courtesy of Xanterra Yellowstone Lodging website)


Even though the main lodge is closed, I'm hoping they might still have the rocking chairs out. (Photo courtesy of Xanterra Yellowstone Lodging website)

I made a lunch reservation for the Mural Room in Grand Teton NP because it has the most stunning views outside the windows and some lovely murals inside (hence the name). I'm a bit worried about setting a schedule for our drive through the park, but I really would like to eat lunch here. Worst case scenario we turn up late and they hopefully find another table for us. There is no financial penalty if we need to cancel altogether, but hopefully it won't come to this.

Mural Room (Photo courtesy of The Grand Teton Lodge Company website)


I also booked Big Thunder Ranch BBQ for an early dinner on the night of MHP. It's the only ADR I have made for Disneyland and there is a small chance I might make one more.
I'm still a bit torn between Fantasmic and WOC. The Mark Twain is out of action, so Fantasmic won't be as good as usual. WOC will be super busy due to the Gay Days schedule. I'm kind of thinking that we should flag them both and enjoy quieter ride queues instead.
Next weekend I will ring to book the Discover the Magic Tour and then everything that can be paid in advance will be. We have also paid off our December cruise, so I'm feeling good that all our big travel expenses are now behind us.

Lastly, I just wanted to share a cool bargain I grabbed the other day. Does Australia have Kathmandu stores? If not, they are a store that sells clothes and equipment for travelling and outdoor living. They often have massive clearance sales. I went into my local store last weekend to grab some beanies and gloves for Yellowstone and saw a special on these cute little travel airplane packs. They are a small bag with a pair of slippers, earplugs, an eyemask and a blow-up travel neck pillow. The stuff in the bag is surprisingly good quality, especially the pillow which is covered in a soft cotton fabric. Anyway, at full price the bags are $80. At that price they are daylight robbery, but I got 2 for just $4.95 each. Bargain! Even though I'm not traveling first class, I will feel like I have my own little bag of first class amenities.

 

[PrincessInOz]

YAY for Xanterra opening up the bigger rooms for you. That's a fantastic change. It'll be so much more comfortable for everyone.

And congrats on the ADR for the BBQ.
Hard pick, if the Mark Twain is out of action and Gay Days are going to make WoC super crowded.

Yes. We do have Kathmandu here. I'll have to go take a look and see if the same stock is on sale.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

YAY for Xanterra opening up the bigger rooms for you. That's a fantastic change. It'll be so much more comfortable for everyone. And congrats on the ADR for the BBQ. Hard pick, if the Mark Twain is out of action and Gay Days are going to make WoC super crowded. Yes. We do have Kathmandu here. I'll have to go take a look and see if the same stock is on sale.

Thanks PIO. I am happy about the change. These cabins get good reviews about being really spacious and have a sink outside the bathroom, so it will be much nicer for sharing with my MIL.

I explained the WOC and Fantasmic choice to DH last night and he thinks we should just flag both. So I think that is what we will do. We both agree that my MIL is the sort of person who will like shows and a lot of sit down breaks during the day. She is very susceptible to motion sickness, so faster rides like a Space Mountain won't appeal to her. With that in mind I'm going to schedule as many day shows (parades, Aladdin, Mickey and the Map etc) into our itinerary and leave some of the faster rides for the Sunday evening when Fantasmic and WOC is on. (I'm half expecting MIL to head back to the hotel early).

Can't wait

How are your trip plans going? Have you found time for DL?

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Oh I am getting excited for you Wanderlust NZ! Yaay on bigger rooms being available and you meal bookings.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks PIO. I am happy about the change. These cabins get good reviews about being really spacious and have a sink outside the bathroom, so it will be much nicer for sharing with my MIL.

I explained the WOC and Fantasmic choice to DH last night and he thinks we should just flag both. So I think that is what we will do. We both agree that my MIL is the sort of person who will like shows and a lot of sit down breaks during the day. She is very susceptible to motion sickness, so faster rides like a Space Mountain won't appeal to her. With that in mind I'm going to schedule as many day shows (parades, Aladdin, Mickey and the Map etc) into our itinerary and leave some of the faster rides for the Sunday evening when Fantasmic and WOC is on. (I'm half expecting MIL to head back to the hotel early).

Can't wait

How are your trip plans going? Have you found time for DL?

Perhaps.

You might have to wait to read all about it.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Oh I am getting excited for you Wanderlust NZ! Yaay on bigger rooms being available and you meal bookings.

Thanks Wendy