Hello!!!

Anyone going on the contrasts tour that starts on the 28th June 2006?!?!

hey.... im emily  me and my friend lauren have booked on this tour!!! how exciting! where abouts are you from?
any idea when you will be arriving in london?

we are thinking about a week before the tour starts!!!

keep in touch

em

Awesome! It was starting to look like not too many people were going on this one!!! I'm from Brisbane. Where are you from?! I think i'm going to be flying out of brisbane on the 21st June - had a bit of trouble getting the time off work!!! Then probably returning home bout 2 days after the tour finishes unfortunately! Are you going to stay at the hotel where the tour starts from??

im so excited to be doing this trip!!! me and loz are from south coast of nsw, about 2hrs south of sydney... we will be flying to london around the 20th i think, not  to sure yet... we will be staying at the royal national hotel the night before the tour but somewhere cheaper for the nights before that, maybe the generator....how exciting is this... were gonna have a blast..

keep in touch

feel free to email so we can chat
emily_marsden2000@yahoo.com

Em

Hi.  I'm Aimee.  i'm from a little town called Te Aroha which is in the middle of the North Island of NZ.  my friend andrea and I just booked our tours last week for the 28th of June.  Emily, what town do you live in?  I have a brother living in Gerringong. Are you anywhere near there?
We are going to London a week before the tour and also staying in the Royal National the night before the tour.  I'm so excited, can't wait till June!!
Would be cool to get to know others on the tour before going.
Feel free to email me
Denbigh.NZ@xtra.co.nz
 

Hi All, My name is Narelle and I have just booked in for Contrasts on the 28th June with my friend Julie. Am extremely excited. We are flying to london on the 23rd June from Melbourne. Staying with a friend in London before we leave but will stay at the hostel the night before. Haven't booked it yet so should really do that soon.
My email is narellewhite@yahoo.com. Feel free to contact me. I would love to do a bit of travel after the tour before I get myself a job so if anyone has ideas of that as well drop me a message.
Cheers
Narelle

Hey Ladies,
I am going in today to change my leave date from Aug 3rd to this one I am really excited too! I was meant to be going with my friend in Aug but had to take an earlier one so i could get back to Perth in time for uni. I am really nervous about travelling alone now, it seems like everyone is going with a friend here I am 19yrs old and this will be my first time in Europe. I will be going to America for a month before the tour and then South Africa for 1 1/2 wk after home just in time for semester 2 at uni. Anyway it would be great to get to know some ppl before the tour starts so i dont feel so nervous and will have ppl to talk to in London. I will be staying at Royal Hotel the night before the tour leaves, anyone else? Maybe we could organise to meet up before the tour. Ill be in London for 3 days before tour goes.
Tiff

Hi Tiff

That's great that you are going to be doing this tour now!! I'm also travelling alone and you are the first person that i've found that is doing the same!! I'm 21 and from Brisbane. I'll be in London for the week before the tour starts and i'm staying at the Royal National for the night before the tour starts and the night that the tour finishes. It seems that a few ppls are staying there which will be great!!! Anyways, feel free to email me anytime : sleslie@riverina.com.au Can't wait till we go!! I'm so excited

Chat soon

Sal

Hey everyone!
I have great news I just changed my tour date so i am confirmed as leaving on 28th June and...i filled the last spot on our tour which means we have a full tour!!! Woohoooooo!!! Who else is as excited as i am!? Hey so this may be a very girly question but what and how many shoes are you guys gonna bring...cuz i could go nuts but i know i must restrain myself. AHHH i cant wait!
Tiff

Hi Everyone,
I just booked onto this tour on the weekend. Sounds like i just got in on time if it is now fully booked. My name's Tamara and I'm from Brisbane. I'm 24 yrs old and i'll be travelling alone as well. It is my first time overseas so i'm really excited and nervous. It is great that i now know there will be other people on my tour in the same situation!! I leave Australia on the 29th May and i am heading straight to Ireland for 3 weeks then back to london for about a week before this tour. At this stage i'm not sure where in London i will be staying as i know some people that have offered me a bed for awhile. Tiffany i know what you mean about not knowing what to pack. I always pack way too much and i think i might be taking a backpack so i'll be struggling to cut down. Are you taking a suitcase??
Hope to hear from you all soon.
Tamara

Hi Tamara,
Great of you to join us! Not many ppl know about these msg boards i think because out of 45ppl on a tour only like 8 of us know about it. I think i will be taking a suitcase only because i know i couldnt keep a backback neat and i couldnt carry 20kg. Still gonna be sooo hard to fit everything in a suitcase under 20kg.I think the trick is to pack everything you want to take...you know that bathing suit you havent worn for 2yrs but you think you might just have the op to wear it...then you go through and take out 1/3 of what you packed. If you still over you cut it again. Oh and does anyone know if the sleeping bag needs to fit in your luggage or if it can be seperate. Does anyone else hate sleeping bags as much as me? I feel so claustraphobic and hot sleeping in one. I reccon i may just bring sheets and a throw rug...hmmm donno...
Emily; are you still on this tour? cuz your departure date is 18th July?
So what does everyone do? I am working my butt off atm tryign to save like $6000 before i go...i still have to pay airfare. EEek its not easy. I work at Bunnings and Blockbuster and when im not working i just wanna go out and party and shop!
I reccon the night before the tour we should definately all go out for a few drinks
Tiff

Hey all,
Good to hear that the tour is booked. Was a bit worried that it wasn't a definite departure date but that's great!! I know what you mean about not many people knowing about the message boards. Have heard the same thing. I'll be in London from the 24th June so if anyone wants to catch up before the tour starts just let me know. My email again is narellewhite@yahoo.com for anyone who want to chat.
As with the packing. I got my back pack the other day and it is so small!! Think I'm really going to struggle but at least it's not the middle of winter when we get there. 

Cheers
Narelle

hey all... great news that the tour is full... yay!!! tiff im am on the 28th tour, not to sure why i ended up with the 18th...? me and loz will be arriving in london around the 24th, going out for a few drinks would be great...
  in regards to shoes i have finally come to a conclusion....my colorados that are real cute open sandles(very comfy) a pair of closed in shoes also very comfy, thongs for shower and a pair of going out shoes.... ido plan on buying shoes when im over there... i just love shoes!!!

Em
emily_marsden2000@yahoo.com

OMG OMG so i have to share this news....i am on tv!! I auditioned for the Bunnings adds (i do actually work there) and mine got through! My brother who lives in Sydney just told me he was me! I had no idea it even got through...it hasn't even been on here in Perth yet! But still keep an eye out for me
Ok so enough of that...Em great to know you still on this tour...and thanks for the shoe help. I was thinking of taking 4 pairs as well, a dressy pair (ill prolly end up bringing 2...just cant part with them all), thongs, walking shoes, and casual day wear.
Everyone i will be getting to London on June 24th too!!! So we should def all meet up and see the sights in London and have a few drinks before the tour. I will be staying with my aunties ex-husband and their daughter for 2 nights and then going to Royal National on the 27th.
Anyway ttyl!!!
Tiff

Hi All,

How's everyone's savings plans going? I'm trying to save so hard but i keep thinking about all these things i want to buy to take over. Like a new pair of togs and a pair of versatile comfy shoes. Aarrgg at this rate to save enough i am going to have to live like a recluse for the next 3 months. I'm travelling for 4 months in total so i need a s**t load of money. Might have to temp in London in between tours!!

Tiff what to you study at uni and how long till you finish your degree?? I finished my degree in 2004. I studied advertising and am now working in an advertising agency. Full-time work does no way pay as well as casual work. I worked at a pub through uni and was earning heaps more. I guess this way my accumulated holidays work as a little savings account. My work doesn't know i'm going yet so i have to organise everything under the radar!! And it's hard not to say anything to work colleagues when i'm just so excited.

Seriously starting to consider the suitcase option cos i just went away for 3 days over the weekend and took heaps and still kept thinking 'i wish i brought this or that'. I don't think your sleeping bag has to fit into your luggage either!!

I reckon meeting up the night before the tour is a great idea. I'm trying to find a cheap hostel near the Royal National Hotel to stay in the night before cos the Royal National is too expensive for me especially for a singe room.



Tamara



P.S. Tiff i saw a bunnings ad that might have been you. What are you talking about in it??