Looking for a home exchange in Australia

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Richard D
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Looking for a home exchange in Australia

Post by Richard D »

We're looking to stay in or around Sydney for a couple of weeks (early Dec 08 or early Jan 09). Also looking for a couple of weeks in another East Coast location. Can offer a non simultaneous exchange for either our 3 bedroom thatched cottage in Yetminster, Dorset or one of our gites in Charente-Maritime, France (link below). We're a family of four: 2 adults + 2 children aged 5 and 3.
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Wol
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Post by Wol »

Richard

I've emailed assorted friends and relatives in Australia to see if they would be interested. I don't know too many people actually on the coast, but my BIL's brother lives on the northern NSW coast and my aunt lives near Lorne on the south-east coast (near Melbourne). She was talking about coming to Europe, so might be interested.
Wol
Not the Wizard of Aus - that's MOH

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Fraise
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Location: Charente Maritime and Middle England

Post by Fraise »

Just to get in on the act- we too want somewhere in Oz autumn/winter.One offspring in Sydney,another in Melbourne.Think there will just be 2 of us, altho maybe 4? Our exchange would be Charente Maritime too ( France) .Mind you the Oz location could be coast between the 2 or in a wine region. I asked this last year I think, but no luck :-(
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Hey Fraise (sorry for thread creep) my two kids are in Aus at the mo. The son was going to look for work in Sydney but after a week decided it was expensive so went down to his sis who had not long been in Melbourne. Mind you, they are being lightweights and reckon it's still hard to find work so will probably be home ALOT sooner than anticipated :roll:
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
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Richard D
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Post by Richard D »

Hi Fraise,
I just put at ad on HomeExchange.com ($US 50/year) - this is probably the best place to try. Worked really well for us last couple of times we went to Oz as we lunched up on a couple of great exchanges - one in Sydney ( a lovely mansion overlooking the river ) + an apartment right on the beach in Queensland.
Fraise
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Location: Charente Maritime and Middle England

Post by Fraise »

Hi. Thanks for the tip Richard :lol:
Party- mine LOVE it, Sydney isn't cheap but one's got a job there and a fab appartment overlooking the harbour, the other is a VERY poor student but STIll manages to get an appartment in Melbourne in a swanky neighbourhood- one loves Melbs, the other Sydders,both seem keen to stay over there, think my holiday home may have to move !! :wink:
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Ooh wonder if they are near eachother, will pm you, save hijacking the thread :lol:
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
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Wol
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Post by Wol »

My aunt has replied that house swapping sounds good, but she can't convince my uncle to go further than New Zealand :roll:
Wol
Not the Wizard of Aus - that's MOH

http://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

LOL :wink: Mind you, if it's only 2 of us, hotels might be the way !!
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Richard D
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Post by Richard D »

Just to update/terminate the thread, I managed to organise 3 excellent exchanges for Oz for Nov/Dec - all through our $50US ad on www.HomeExchange.com (I'd highly recommend this site). We still have one extra Sydney week we'd like to sort out and then all the holiday is covered. Flights now booked on the A380 Horray ! (Now we just have to get through the Summer letting season and Australia here we come) :D
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

Richard D wrote:Just to update/terminate the thread, I managed to organise 3 excellent exchanges for Oz for Nov/Dec - all through our $50US ad on www.HomeExchange.com (I'd highly recommend this site). We still have one extra Sydney week we'd like to sort out and then all the holiday is covered. Flights now booked on the A380 Horray ! (Now we just have to get through the Summer letting season and Australia here we come) :D
How did you get on? Was it fab?
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Richard D
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Post by Richard D »

Hi Fraise,
We're still here (in Australia) !
The exchanges have been great; no problems at all so far and all the owners have been lovely. We've done 7 home exchanges in Australia now in total (three this trip) and each time we've had a lovely experience. One family actually moved into their basement while we stayed in their house. They laid on parties for us, took our kids for walks on the beach and fishing etc. They really couldn't have done any more to make our stay perfect. The home exchange thing is really a lot more than swapping accommodation, it's equally about making new friends.
Fraise
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Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:25 am
Location: Charente Maritime and Middle England

Post by Fraise »

Wow- that sounds like a brill experience :lol: Thankyou for keeping us up to date, I'm envious but maybe that's just the spur we need :lol:
Fraise
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Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:25 am
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Post by Fraise »

Me again ! Well, we did Asia rather than Oz this spring BUT next spring middle daughter graduating from Uni in Melbourne ( yes, she's actually, at long last , completed ...almost...her masters! ) so we'll be looking for somewhere nice next April - just the 2 of us but if it were big enough for the offspring to stay too for a short while that would be a bonus. Rather nice house exchange in Charente Maritime offered, can be either same time or different. Thankyou :lol:
Fraise
Posts: 2079
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:25 am
Location: Charente Maritime and Middle England

Post by Fraise »

:lol: This is 2 1/2 years on from my last post. Daughters 2 and 3 loved Oz but returned to UK a year ish ago :-) Daughter 1 has got permanent right to remain and is getting married in Oz Nov 2013, so , planning ahead...we hope to swap almost anywhere in the eastern part of the country Dec/Jan as we plan to stay on for a while. Forward planning :D
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