Perth Holiday - Any Suggestions/Advice/Tips?

[athlete]

Hihi,
Ryatie, I took Jetstar to Perth last year, and I must say it was quite good. No delays, and the flight was very smooth.
Brought my then 6mth old baby boy, and even though they don't have a bassinet, they gave us an extra seat, so it was more comfortable. The timing worked for us too, cos my boy sleeps well at nite, so he slept all through the flight.

A few months later, we took SQ, and I didn't like the fact that you had to take the baby out of the bassinet at the slightest turbulent. I know it was for safety reason, but baby's sleep was disturbed.

Our next trip is this Oct, and we're going by Jetstar again,cos of their promotional fare. 2 adults + 1 infant we paid about $770 total.

Re: Formula milk.
I just declared it and the customs officer didn't even look at the tins.
As long as for baby its ok.

 

[lwg26]

Mngo,
Worth going to Raeburn orchard to see the orchard? Can try fresh fruits there.

My bb drink Mail Gold, milk origin Aust/Nz but pack in Msia. Will check on the cereal.

 

[sputnik]

Hi,

I took jetstar to perth last year, paid abt $240 per adult. Was pretty ok, no complains.

Mngo - wow, luggage never arrive? Oh dear...tiger is abt $1100-$1300 for 2 adults 1 child and SIA is $1900+. Quite a big difference in price lor..... but hv heard quite a lot of bad reviews abt tiger so still considering.

 

[mngo]

athelete
not all officers behave like yours.
very double standard. see heng suay.
better play and be safe!
my friend's 3 in 1 coffee mix got confiscated even though there is no dairy milk. mine went through easily.

 

[chloe_mum]

jun
the Oz customs are quite strict with diary products. i bought FM & frisocreme cereal & they did check. like what mngo mentioned, they just want to make sure its from singapore. generally for baby products as long as u declare they will let u thru.

u can try to ask SQ for extra jar food, i'm sure they will give if they hv extra. for me, they gave me all the remaining jars after choosing what i want. they will be happy to give u, afterall they will still discard them when they reach oz.

 

[sparklingcrystal]

Hi mummies,
I was wondering how we declare the food like milk powder we bring in to Aust? We need to stated country of origin in the form? If so, i'll need to jot down all the country of origin of my food item before i fly there.

 

[mngo]

Sparkling crystal
you have to bring the original tin.
One open tin, the rest has to be unopen

 

[lwg26]

Athlete / sputnik
Jetstar fare - is the fare before or after tax? I look at my SQ fare, half is tax and handling fee etc.

Mngo,
What brands of milk is there in Oz? Seems like so leh ceh to declare the milk. I remember last time I have to Q so long.

 

[sputnik]

Jun - the $237 i paid last year is after tax per person.

mngo - can i pack the milk powder into those milk powder dispenser (a few portions) for use on the flight? If not used finish, will oz allow it in? Or they only allow in if it is still in the original tin? Any idea if can bring rice in? Thinking of bringing a small packet.

 

[mngo]

Jun
Milk brands here (if i can remember) is Nestle, S25, Bellamy's Organic Mil, Pediasure. What i am sure is we do not have Dumex, Friso, Enfalac, Similex.
Also, there are not many levels.
They have 3 types of FM here.
0-6 months. 6-12 months. And 12 months and abv.
I remembered in Singapore, they have up to level 4 or 5.

 

[mngo]

Sputnik
Those in dispenser are ok. If unfinished, it's ok also. They allow you to bring in. Anyway it's just one or two feed. I've brought before.

You can bring rice, but why bring it ? There are so many types of rice here! Abundance of them. Long grain, short grain, indian rice, jasmine rice etc etc.

 

[sparklingcrystal]

mngo,
if i bring biscuits (ex: gerber puffs) or coffee powder (unopen), do i need to declare as well?

 

[athlete]

Jun,
My fare is after tax.

Sputnik,
Yup, they allowed me to bring in. As long as its for baby, is ok, but must remember to declare and show them.

Sparkling Crystal,
Yes, its a must to declare all and any types of food.
Like what mngo said upthread, better play it safe.

 

[sputnik]

mngo - oh, i just thought of bringing a small portion of rice just in case for my gal, dun want to buy the whole bag in Australia. Must the rice be sealed as well or can I put it in a container?

 

[mngo]

Sputnik - rice is non dairy. So anything.
Do you know the rice here is small packet too?
It's not like 5 or 10kg.
They sell in like 250 g or 500 gram sort of thing.
Small packet.

 

[ryatie22]

just an advice to all comin to oz...as long as u bring in any food or medicine, u muz declare it as not to be probe further by immi. Cos my cuzzi forgot to tick on the declaration form n the immi will try to find fault wit u....for me usually, i'll pack all the food in a bag or a box n tell them all this r foods, they r heppi if we r truthful to them, n i even manage to bring prata in....hehheh..n all kinda of spices....as long as to declare to them

sputnik
if ur doin marketin when r here, no nid bring the rice..children food easy to get here...n they also have fresh toddler milk.....my doters love it..

 

[philanopsis]

Chloe,
Is it safe to travel to West Aust in winter if there are weather reports of tornado? Or is that a usual occurrence? There were tornadoes reported in Perth in June 2009 the day before we were to leave Singapore and we forfeited our air-tickets because we were scared to go! We had planned to drive to Southwest, Denmark & Albany.

 

[sparklingcrystal]

sputnik,
Initially i was planning to bring small portion of rice over too, but when i search on the rice price in the supermart, i think i wud buy there. you can just buy a small pack at 2kg @ AUD4+
I find all the custom declaration is quite troublesome, so try to minimise all the food items to bring over.

 

[chloe_mum]

sctan
all my previous trips to perth were in winter & i was there last year in june too but dont quite remember there's tornado.

 

[mngo]

sctan
i dun remember the tornadoes . Which part of WA is that?

 

[philanopsis]

Chloe & Mngo,
Read about tornadoes on the internet version of the Australian newspapers for early Jun 2009, just at the start of the SIngapore school holidays. Only Perth is mentioned. After the dates the tornadoes are supposed to have struck, there was no further write-up in the newspapers. That's why I'm curious to know how "bad" these tornadoes are: thinking of visiting Perth & Southwest again this June!

 

[lwg26]

Out of curiosity, anyone knows why is Perth known as Oz?

For long car trips, what could be the ways to entertain kids? Offhand, paper + pencils for drawing, travel game set, electronics game (but bad for eyesight).

Mngo,
Toddler fresh milk, is it for 1 yo and above? Many year ago, when I was in Perth w my gal (18mth), she had diahrea after drinking the milk. Not sure if my baby can take fresh milk by then. He will be 13 mth.

 

[sputnik]

Thanks everyone for the tips on the rice! Ok, will not bring any, and will buy if i need. I definitely doing marketing there, me and hubby usually cook our dinners when we go Australia. We love to go to the supermarkets which are so big and spacious! If i decide to go, this will be my 6th trip to Oz!

 

[mngo]

Jun
The Toddler Fresh milk is for 1 and abv. But you can buy the Nestle Toddler Milk (Gold). It's normal Formula milk and for kids abv 12 months of age.

The best thing is to bring your FM from singapore.

 

[mngo]

Oh SCtan,
I remembered now. It's down south at rockingham.
I think it blew away their roof.

 

[shanmum]

Seeking feedback and comments on accommodation in perth:

1) Monte Clare Aptm @190 Hay St
2) Aarons All suits (different frpm Aaron Hotel Perth???)
3) Perth Ambassodor Hotel
4) Criterion Hotel Perth

Which one should I go for? My budget for perth city stay is S$200(max) ie around A$140.

 

[sputnik]

Hi,

Would like to ask if winterwear in Australia is nice? Thinking of buying another jacket for my 2 yr old gal, and thought I saw some nice ones at target when I was in Perth last year, but can't really remember. Not sure if they are expensive tho. Anyone can advise?

Also, if I were flying SIA and my gal is more than 2, I understand that she will be given a seat, but can we choose those seats which comes with a bassinet in front of it, or are the basinnets strictly for those who pay infant fares?

 

[mngo]

Sputnik
I think is ok only. I find that the singapore ones at the Winter Shop is nicer.
The winter wear design here i find is limited.
Most of them are hooded jacket with fleece.

 

[sputnik]

mngo - any idea which shops in spore sell nice jackets then? Cos i dun really notice winter wear when i go shopping.... haha... maybe u notice more even when you are here even tho u stay in oz!

 

[mngo]

the winter wear shops in sg.

 

[athlete]

Sputnik,
Mngo is right, winter wear in perth the designs are more practical rather than fashionable.
For kids winter wear, you can find v nice stuff in at Zara kids , Gap kids and even Mothercare, BUT it depends on the season. Now, they might be selling summer stuff.
Or you can buy online (or join sprees) and get winter stuff from gap.com or oldnavy.com
Very nice winter wear for kids.
We go to Aust quite often, so I've been stocking up from there for my boy.

 

[athlete]

Oh, and I mean Zara, Gap and Mothercare in Singapore, hor.
Perth don't have all these brands.

 

[mngo]

hahaha u r right athlete

 

[ryatie22]

Sputnik
i use to buy fr this shop at Bt Panjang Plaza, they sell nice cut-out lables like gap, mothercare, old navy etc...at a very cheap price n their collection r not bad either..cos find wasteful to spend so much for toddlers cos the ones at winter shop canbe very expensive unless it's on sale...but the shop had closed down but there are still similar shops like SONG SONG at jurong east, amk n lucky plaza..Zara ones r nice n cheap when theyr on sale...

i bot sum fr big w and target too but tat was on sale too

 

[shanmum]

Mummies who booked mont Clare boutique apt, do u get it directly from the website or via discoverwest.com?

 

[kwong]

Hi mummies

I just went to check with the travel agents over the weekend for 6 days Perth farmstay and realised it is really quite expensive to go with guided tour. Sept's price is around $2K plus per adult (but fly by SQ)
I actually prefer to go F&E. Can I check with the mummies here, how much did you spend roughly for a 6 day F&E for a family of 2 adults and 1 kid for air tickets, medium range accomodation and rental of car?

 

[shanmum]

Hi kwong

I am doing a 9 days Perth F&E. My airtickets with qantas are already $2k for 2A + 1C. Car rental is around S$800, accommodation ( haven booked yet) estimated S$1.5k for 8 nights. Factoring the F&B, entrance fees, other miscell etc, estimate will spent at least $5k-$5.5k.

 

[ryatie22]

hi there...u can also tak tis package as reference:
Price per person in S$ 1A 2A 3A CHD(2A1C) CHD(2A2C) CHD S/T
1Apr'10-Mar'11 ^ 2338 1348 1168 638 458 1258
^ Refer to important notes below for high season surcharges.
Price includes:
~ Return economy class airfare on Qantas Airways (Booking Class: 'N' both ways)
~ 5 days Hertz Car Rental based on Hertz Car Group S - Toyota Camry Sedan or similar (pick up from ariport, excludes AER).
~ 5 nights accommodation as per itinerary
~ Option to extend stay

 

[lwg26]

Is winter at Perth really that cold? If I put my kids in fleece jacket + jeans, is it sufficient? How about gloves

 

[mngo]

Jun
It is not that cold during the day.
Night time would be colder . Mid night even more cold.
The temp difference between day and night can be as much as 15-20 degrees.

 

[kwong]

Thank you mummies for the info

 

[sputnik]

Any idea if i can bring diaper rash cream on board the plane? Thanks!

 

[lwg26]

Mngo,
I seldom travel during winter so can't visualise how much is enough. If I bring 2 thick jackets + jeans, tights, long sleeve for kids should be enough right? They keep taking off the gloves so maybe no point. Better to get leg warmers to wear on the arms and legs.

I read from internet that the record low during winter is minus single digit in degree. Hopefully the weather won't be so wacky when I'm there.

 

[chloe_mum]

jun
u are there in the beginning of winter so wont be that cold. dont worry.

 

[mngo]

Jun,
alamak! u ask me? i cant help cos not my kid lah.

 

[sparklingcrystal]

Xuan,
I booked Mont clare on coming May trip via discoverwest. one thing good is they give discount voucher which i think quite useful as got discount for same places which i intend to visit.

 

[sparklingcrystal]

mngo,
My collegue just told me that sauce like chilli, tomato and thousand island need to pay additional charges when eat at resturant? is it true?
I'm a super chilli lover. hehe...

btw, i spotted this website where it provide some free map which i find quite helpful.Can take a look.
http://rac.com.au/Travel/Self-drive-holidays/Free-WA-driving-maps.aspx

 

[chloe_mum]

xuan
if u book via discoverwest, they provide free one way transfer to your apt too. but if u picking up car straight fr airport then wont be applicable to u.

sparkling
u not renting GPS? which car rental are u taking?

 

[hidora]

sparkingcrystal,

Yes need to pay. Unless you are eating at chinese/ viet restaurant where chilli is free. If you are eating at fish & chip restaurants, chances are you hv to pay 20cents - 50cents for each packet of sauce. Unless your restaurant is super expensive type, then they will serve it to you.


sputnik,

Diaper cream and baby items including water flask and ointment all ok to bring to flight.

As opposed to the other comments, I like the winter wear here. Cheap and good. Winterwear in SG is too overpriced.

Kid's winter wear from Cotton On, Best & Less starts from $10 onwards. Pumpkin Patch has nice, cheap kids winter wear too. Not Zara kinda nice, but not ugly. In fact my elder son's cotton on winter wear are more worn often than the zara's winter wear I bought for him. It had since passed down to the younger brother. Yes, they are practical. But practical clothings will last you a long time. And you don't even need to take extra care. Just dump inside washing machine to wash.

You can even get 1-2 size bigger for jackets so you can still use it next time you fly in winter.

Bassinet on SIA are for infant and below the weight of 14kg. You will not be able to request for bassinet if your girl has her own seat. But you can always call in and try, that's if your girl is below 14kg.

 

[hidora]

Jun,

Beginning of winter is not that cold, but I think it will still be cold for you/ your kids. Bring a set of thermal wear for each of the kids so that they won't be cold at night as temp drops a lot. For day time, socks, shoes, long pants, t-shirt or long sleeve shirt and fleece jacket w pockets (to hide their hands when cold) will be sufficent.

As winter tends to be rainy, you may like to hv raincoat or windbeaker w hoodie to stand by.

Bring Vit C to boost the kids immune system too. Winter is when the cold bugs run around.

For your older kids, drink the UHT milk here. Taste better than the fresh milk which often feels diluted to me. And with UHT, there's no risk of diarrheoa for your kids.

I don't recall Perth to be known as OZ.. OZ is a short form for Aussie. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_oz