Once upon a time I used to roam around the world and travel to various cities and ports.

Nowadays I am mostly travelling from Malad to Valad

and back in the evenings from Valad to Malad

Such is  Life !! -  the twists  and turns it takes you on  in its rollercoaster ride ………

Hello Roamers,
V Australia, Virgin Blue’s premium long-haul airline, took off from Brisbane International Airport at 10am on Sunday 22 November with a full load of Guests on its inaugural flight to Phuket.
From now travellers will enjoy V Australia’s Boeing 777-300 aircraft, which boasts a three class cabin including 33 fully lie-flat beds in International Business, 40 International Club seats in Premium Economy and 288 Economy seats, which offers Guests the only direct route between Brisbane and Phuket and a range of services to suit both business and leisure travellers.
The direct flights depart from Brisbane to Phuket every Friday and Sunday.
Queenslanders have been waiting sometime for a direct service to Phuket and V Australia is filling that gap.
Whether travellers are seeking a budget or premium product or somewhere in between, V Australia has got it covered and best of all, no matter which cabin you are travelling in, the service will always be first class.

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

When traveling abroad beware of renting a phone from Amigo, they rent nextel like phones for overseas.

They make their money by charging you 3 x the money you dont use it then they do for the days you use it.

Heres the game:

You pay $1 a day for the phone rental and insurance, you get a bug old clunky phone that is so obsolete, you can buy a slimmer lighter more feature loaded phone for $20 at any target, walmart etc.

When you return it late they charge you $3 a day, that’s more then your clunky phone rental and insurance cost you.

If you want to use your own unlocked iDEN phone (boost/nextel/mirs/amigo compatible) in the first place they will tell you it wont work with their service so you must rent their overpriced outdated clunker.

Your probably better off losing it then returning it, just check what their deductible is on the insurance, its probably more then buying a new phone.

Amigo-US Phone Rental

718-258-5200 (Office)

718-258-2572 (Fax)

1-888-264-4687 (Toll Free)

www.amigo-us.com

I’m putting this article in both my blogs-some people only read one. I believe this is great value. I have stayed in the Adelaide city YHA and found it very good and I would believe the new Sydney YHA will be of the same standard.

The best budget accommodation in Sydney from $42* per night
The new Sydney Harbour YHA in The Rocks is now open, bringing quality budget accommodation in an outstanding harbour side location, to Sydney.
With overnight accommodation priced from just $42.00 per night in 6 bed shared room ($37.50 for YHA members), budget travellers can finally stay in the heart of Sydney’s premier tourist precinct and enjoy its many attractions and stunning Sydney Harbour views.
“Sydney Harbour YHA makes quality accommodation in Sydney’s highly sought after The Rocks area available to everyone. The variety of room types ensures it is perfect for couples, families and groups travelling on a budget,” said Ross Lardner, Manager, Sydney Harbour YHA.
“Communal recreation, dining and lounge areas encourage guests to mingle and share stories from their travels which creates the strong sense of an international community that YHAs around the world are known for. On our first night open, we welcomed guests from six continents,” Mr Lardner said.
Sydney Harbour YHA offers twin, double, family and shared 4-6 bed rooms, all with an en-suite bathroom, while some rooms and the expansive rooftop terrace boast Opera House views.
Facilities include a self-catering kitchen and dining area, laundry facilities, state-of-the-art Internet cafe, coffee bar, lockers, bicycle storage, lounge, tour booking desk and convenience store.
Individual lockable cupboards include a power point for charging a phone, IPOD, camera or laptop.
The Rocks offers museums, restaurants and great shopping. Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, BridgeClimb, The Rocks Markets and the Museum of Contemporary Art are within walking distance.
Sydney Harbour YHA is situated on the remnants of some of Australia’s earliest European settlement. The remains of houses, pubs and laneways as well as thousands of household artefacts dating back to the First Fleet were uncovered during archaeological digs and have been incorporated into its design.
Standard rates are from $42.00 per person, per night in a 6 bed share room or from $159.00 per room (harbour view), per night for a double/twin room. YHA members save at least 10%. Bookings for Sydney Harbour YHA can be made at www.yha.com.au or on (02) 8272 0900
Sydney Harbour YHA is located at 110 Cumberland St, The Rocks and is a 5 minute walk from Circular Quay train station. A shuttle bus operates between Sydney Airport and Sydney Harbour YHA.
Sydney Harbour YHA is the ninth Sydney property for YHA which also operates three beach YHAs, two remote bush lodges, two award-winning properties in central Sydney and a cosy hostel in Glebe.

Cheers
John
See Australia Slowly!
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://roamersclub.wordpress.com

Hello Roamers,

The best budget accommodation in Sydney from $42* per night
The new Sydney Harbour YHA in The Rocks is now open, bringing quality budget accommodation in an outstanding harbour side location, to Sydney.
With overnight accommodation priced from just $42.00 per night in 6 bed shared room ($37.50 for YHA members), budget travellers can finally stay in the heart of Sydney’s premier tourist precinct and enjoy its many attractions and stunning Sydney Harbour views.
“Sydney Harbour YHA makes quality accommodation in Sydney’s highly sought after The Rocks area available to everyone. The variety of room types ensures it is perfect for couples, families and groups travelling on a budget,” said Ross Lardner, Manager, Sydney Harbour YHA.
“Communal recreation, dining and lounge areas encourage guests to mingle and share stories from their travels which creates the strong sense of an international community that YHAs around the world are known for. On our first night open, we welcomed guests from six continents,” Mr Lardner said.
Sydney Harbour YHA offers twin, double, family and shared 4-6 bed rooms, all with an en-suite bathroom, while some rooms and the expansive rooftop terrace boast Opera House views.
Facilities include a self-catering kitchen and dining area, laundry facilities, state-of-the-art Internet cafe, coffee bar, lockers, bicycle storage, lounge, tour booking desk and convenience store.
Individual lockable cupboards include a power point for charging a phone, IPOD, camera or laptop.
The Rocks offers museums, restaurants and great shopping. Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, BridgeClimb, The Rocks Markets and the Museum of Contemporary Art are within walking distance.
Sydney Harbour YHA is situated on the remnants of some of Australia’s earliest European settlement. The remains of houses, pubs and laneways as well as thousands of household artefacts dating back to the First Fleet were uncovered during archaeological digs and have been incorporated into its design.
Standard rates are from $42.00 per person, per night in a 6 bed share room or from $159.00 per room (harbour view), per night for a double/twin room. YHA members save at least 10%. Bookings for Sydney Harbour YHA can be made at www.yha.com.au or on (02) 8272 0900
Sydney Harbour YHA is located at 110 Cumberland St, The Rocks and is a 5 minute walk from Circular Quay train station. A shuttle bus operates between Sydney Airport and Sydney Harbour YHA.
Sydney Harbour YHA is the ninth Sydney property for YHA which also operates three beach YHAs, two remote bush lodges, two award-winning properties in central Sydney and a cosy hostel in Glebe.

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

I had always taken it for granted that if you sent and paid for a text message to be delivered that it would be, regardless of which mobile subscriber number it was sent to. At least that’s what I would expect at least 99.99% of the time, allowing for the occasional technical hiccup which would be fairly representative of a “best endeavours” clause.

So I was surprised to realise that sending a text message from an O2 to a Yoigo subscriber did not work at all; ever.

When I first started to look at the issue, I thought it might be a technical routing problem that perhaps had not yet been ironed-out, but it seems, from what various people have posted on the Internet, that this most likely is what can best be described as a deliberate act on the part of O2.

My surprise turned to irritation when I realised that O2 are happily charging for the cost of the SMS text message, irrespective that it doesn’t stand a bat’s chance in hell of ever getting to its recipient; moreso since sending a text message from a Yoigo number to an O2 number does indeed work as it should.

Hunting around the ‘net a little, reveals various posts suggesting that O2 does not guarantee delivery of SMS text messages to non-roaming partners. In the light of the additional experimental evidence that I have accrued, that would more properly seem to translate to “We only deliver to who we want, but we’ll take your money anyway if you are fool enough to give it to us”.

Victims of this policy, aside from the originators of such O2 text messages, include Yoigo and Hutchinson 3G (H3H), the latter who are Yoigo’s roaming partner in the UK and neither of which have a partnership with O2.

Some of my initial surprise subsided somewhat after I realised that O2 were nearly 70% owned by Telefonica (España), but this did little for my irritation. Telefonica (aka Movistar) may be forced to “play ball” with Yoigo in Spain itself (by having to participate in the appropriate virtual network sharing agreements), but there doesn’t seem to be an over-riding anxiety to do so from the UK – at least on the level of providing a decent two-way text messaging service.

Overall that’s a pretty shoddy state of affairs, especially considering that other networks do deliver SMS text messages between themselves even without roaming partnership agreements (for example Orange-Yoigo-Orange) – not to mention the fact that sending a text message from Yoigo to O2 also works without issues.

Unfortunately unless enough O2 customers complain directly to O2 (since they are the ones charging for, but not delivering a service), then I doubt that anything will get done about it anytime soon.

On the other hand all it may take is a single complaint to OFCOM.

Finally, whilst touching on the subjects of Yoigo and roaming, the current UK roaming partner for Yoigo appears to be “3” (H3H). A number of people have reported an inability to get any roaming service in the UK, with a Yoigo SIM handset. It is worth checking “3″s current coverage here. It looks like “3″ are in the process of upgrading their network and are stating that their coverage, in and around London, will be much improved by the summer of 2010. See here for details of this “regional” upgrade. Elsewhere, the coverage looks like it’s more than a tad spotty, with lots of “need to try outdoor” holes in it, so you might want to try that if you’re having trouble locking onto their network.

So all is not roses if you’re going to go roaming in the UK with a Yoigo SIM. On the bright side though, Yoigo tariffs are still pretty damn reasonable.

Additionally, it does seem that, prior to making the trip, you need to phone Yoigo on 622 each time you go to the UK to make sure that there is no restriction on roaming for your SIM. You can find the Yoigo FAQ on Roaming here (in Spanish) with links to countries, etc.

Hello Roamers,
Virgin Atlantic have introduced a new service-only on the London – New York run at present. It is a service to share taxis thus saving costs.
The following is from the Virgin Atlantic site.
TAXI2
The Taxi2 web site enables passengers to link up easily with other travellers who may be on their flight and travelling to a similar part of a city, so they can share the taxi ride.

The scheme is not limited to Virgin Atlantic customers, passengers on other airlines can share rides also.

How does it work?

Virgin Atlantic’s customers and passengers of other airlines simply:
• Log onto the site
• Input your flight and destination details
• The system will match you with suitable travelling companions.
• You are then sent the details to contact the matched traveller and can decide whether to agree to the match and make arrangements of where to meet following your flight. Easy !!!
Please note: Your contact details will not be shared.
• Print off the easy to make Taxi2 sign from the website so you can locate each other at the airport.
The system will also match female travellers who only want female travelling companions.

As it is a Beta service, for the first few months we are just offering it on the London to New York routes.

Share a taxi from the airport now at www.taxi.to

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Mumbai: After dropping the call tariff to woo customers, the telecom majors have extended their war to the national roaming rates.

In response to the decision of Reliance Commun-ications to reduce national roaming rate to 50 paise per minute, Bharti Airtel on Friday slashed its roaming charges by 60 per cent at 80 paise per minute for all outgoing calls to another network.

According to the experts, the other operators also would follow suit in the next few weeks.

Asserting that the next level of the tariff war has started, Mr Nitin Soni, a telecom analyst at Fitch Ratings, said: “To maintain the existing market share, other telecom operators also will have to slash the rates. Since October, this tariff war has been intensifying and the magnitude of its impact on the revenues and the margins of the telecom companies would reflect in the third quarter results.”

In the long term, the impact of the tariff war would be more severe for the new players than for the existing players, as their break-even would be extended by about two years, he added.

A top official of Bharti Airtel, however, feels that the reduction in national roaming rates would increase the talk time and in turn it would increase the revenue for the company.

Hello Roamers,
Do you know you can travel comfortably on cargo/freighter ships?
Freighter Ships are the perfect way to enjoy your journey by sea at a more relaxed pace than the big cruise liners. You call into ports that others never see, you experience life on-board a cargo ship, mixing with the Captain and Officers every day. You can go onto the bridge to see your daily progress across the oceans of the world and enjoy being at sea without the distractions of conventional cruise ships and certainly not having to dress up for dinner.
Interseting!

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Hello Roamers,
Eight Hotels Australia
Eight Hotels Australia was launched in 2004, and owns and operates hotels in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Offering a unique blend of contemporary design, personalised and professional service, outstanding locations and budget conscious rates the group has rapidly expanded to become Australia’s leading boutique hotel operator.
Eight Hotels Australia continues to rapidly expand in key gateway cities and has announced that Limes Hotel Brisbane has become the eighth hotel in the collection.
Limes Hotel is located in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
You can make bookings at any Eight Hotel on the Roamers Club site by clicking on the accommodation button.
Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Currently, I am surviving. My dear friend Amy has taken me in, this is the view from the alley of where I currently live…it’s in the basement…it has no windows, no heat, and is really a little sad. But, living as a squatter for a few month of my life is helping me get back on my feet, so it isn’t that bad. So, mainly, thank GOD for amazing friends, that daily, adds value to my survival.

Hello Roamers,

I came across a reference to Tobruk and the following information is from their website.
TOBRUK Sheep Station, the most beautiful and most authentic rural
and outback experience in the Sydney region. An exciting, fun and interactive farm experience for all ages.
Set on over 150 acres (70 hectares) on a high plateau above the Hawkesbury River, Tobruk is surrounded by State Forests and bushland, with amazing views to the Blue Mountains. You will feel 1,000 miles from anywhere but in reality you’re only 70 minutes from Sydney (10 mins short of Wisemans Ferry).
Tobruk is ideally suited for families through to corporate groups, seniors groups, international tourists and incentives who are looking for something unique or wanting to get out of the city and experience rural and outback Australia for the day.
Everything at Tobruk is authentic – our warm and friendly staff dedicated to showing all our guests what it is that makes Australia a special country, the charm of the rustic buildings, blacksmiths shop and farm machinery, the warmth of the open campfire in Drovers Camp with billy tea and baking damper, the hearty country meals, the friendly animals and the beautiful sunsets high above the Hawkesbury River and Blue Mountains.
The program is exciting, entertaining, educational and encourages participation, no matter what your age.
Our philosophy is to provide a clean, safe, authentic environment, which all guests can enjoy. So get out of the city and come and enjoy country hospitality and outback authenticity at its best.
Tobruk Specialises In
Individual, Family and Group Day Programmes – Family Farmstays
- Jackaroo and Jillaroo Camps – Day or Extended Programs for Schools and Student Groups – Australian and International Tour Groups Incentives, Corporates and Packages – Seniors Groups – Bush Dances – Weddings – Private Functions

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Hello Roamers,
Hotels Combined, the world’s leading hotel price comparison search engine, now has a new “total cost” for hotel searches .
Travellers can now compare
(1) the base hotel room per night rate;
(2) taxes and fees per night
(3) the total cost of their hotel room stay
all on one easy-to-read screen

The complexity of hotel taxes in different destinations, calculating the total cost of stay can be quite a challenge. When comparing offers from multiple sites it is often not clear what taxes and fees are additional and what are already included in the displayed price. This leads to incorrect choices and disappointments on arrival. ‘Total cost of stay’ tackles these issues and better serve the needs of users.

Click on the Accommodation button on the Roamers Club website

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Alors qu’Orange, fait durer le suspense sur le pronostique vital du cafetier qui s’est pris une facture de 46 000 € dans la tronche à cause d’un roaming sur la frontière belge.

Alors pourquoi « l’Internet by Orange » est il mieux que « l’Internet by le reste du monde » ?

C’est simple, je vais vous expliquer… Pour vous fournir tout ce merveilleux contenu auquel vous accédez sur Internet, Orange utilise ce qu’on appelle un « fournisseur de transit » (Rien à voir avec la news du monsieur à la télécommande de ce matin).

Le fournisseur de transit d’Orange n’est rien d’autre qu’une filiale de France Telecom qui s’appelle OpenTransit. C’est son fournisseur exclusif et unique d’après ce que j’ai pu lire.

OpenTransit gère donc les gros tuyaux (dont ceux qui passent sous la mer)… Jusque là, rien de bien obscur. Maintenant, ce que vous ne savez peut être pas, c’est qu’OpenTransit, pour fournir du contenu en provenance des US a passé un accord avec un autre fournisseur de transit américain cette fois qui s’appelle Cogent. Ces 2 partenaires, via des accords commerciaux de peering échangent donc leur trafic internet, le tout dans la bonne humeur.

Inutile toutefois de vous expliquer que s’il y a une merde technique chez OpenTransit ou Cogent, c’est l’abonné Orange qui trinque. (Logique…)

J’attaque maintenant la partie délicate.

Si vous êtes abonné Orange, vous avez peut être remarqué qu’à certaines heure de la journée, les débits sur les sites de streaming ou de téléchargement comme Youtube, MegaUpload, MegaVideo, RapidShare… etc (serveurs aux US) ne dépassaient pas les 30 Ko/s… Oui je sais, c’est la loose quand on paye de l’ADSL à 18M

La raison ? Une spécificité de l’internet by Orange ? Euuh non bien sûr. Une censure, un bridage ? Euh non… Enfin, pas exactement. Je m’explique…

Cette situation infernale qui dure depuis bientôt 2 mois est le résultat d’un problème purement commercial entre OpenTransit et Cogent. En effet, ces 2 là sont d’après ce que j’ai lu ici et sur FrNog, en pleine re-négociation de leur contrat ce qui expliquerait le bridage partiel du peering afin d’économiser des petits sous. (A confirmer bien sûr)

C’est donc l’abonné internet Orange en bout de chaine, qui subit ces baisses de trafics qui sont purement du ressort d’Orange/FT/OpenTransit. Ce n’est pas très respectueux des abonnés qui payent bien gentillement leur dû tous les mois pour un service ADSL dégradé à certaines heures de la journée. Et bien sûr l’ARCEP s’en contrefiche…

Du coup, la seule solution pour sortir de cette impasse, est de se plaindre massivement auprès d’Orange et de communiquer un maximum sur le sujet afin de faire bouger les choses.

Enfin, moi je vous raconte tout ça, mais au final je m’en fous car j’ai découvert l’Internet by Free Je souhaite quand même bon courage aux abonnés Orange.

Mes sources :

* Le forum Orange
* Le blog de Jean Marc
* Le forum de DLFP
* FrNog

Hello Roamers,

V Australia has been given permission to launch direct daily flights between Australia and Fiji.

The International Air Services Commission formally granted V Australia’s requested capacity.

The new, three-class V Australia flights will commence on 18 December,
and will operate new 361-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the route, replacing existing Pacific Blue flights that currently service the route for the Virgin Blue Airlines Group.

To celebrate the announcement, V Australia is offering special launch fares, including: International Economy from just $199* one way online (inclusive of taxes); International Premium Economy from $469* one way online (inclusive of taxes) and International Business from $649* one way on the internet (inclusive of taxes).

* The sale is on from now until midnight 30 November 2009 for specific travel periods.

All fares are for flights booked on the internet or $50 more when booked by phone. Fares are inclusive of all taxes, fees and charges and subject to availability and may not be available on all flights or peak times. Flights are subject to regulatory approval. www.vaustralia.com.au

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

45 932,61 euros ! Voilà le montant dont doit s’acquitter Eric Gernez, patron d’un bar dans le Nord de la France, pour régler sa facture du mois d’août dernier : “J’ai reçu une facture de 45.923,61 euros (…) alors que j’ai un forfait illimité de 95 euros hors taxes avec une clé 3G pour l’internet et la téléphonie fixe” a-t-il déclaré.

Même si les raisons  de ce dépassement  ne sont pas encore établies, plusieurs points sont à retenir :

- Un forfait data illimité (abonnement à internet par les réseaux mobile 3G, 3G+ ou Edge) ne l’est que dans le temps : un tel abonnement permet de se connecter au Net quand on veut 24h/24, 7j/7. La plupart du temps, le volume de données autorisées à être téléchargées n’excède pas 1Go par mois. Une liberté toute limitée qui permet toutefois de surfer confortablement sur tous les sites sans risquer de dépasser la dose. Le dépassement est en revanche risqué dès que l’on télécharge des données lourdes (photos en pièces jointe de mail, musique, vidéo,…). Et même lorsqu’on profite du streaming (écoute ou visionnage de contenus qu’on ne rapatrie pas sur son appareil), le volume de données téléchargé est important ! Morale de l’histoire : se méfier du terme “illimité” largement galvaudé ces derniers temps. Sur un mobile ou sur un portable (netbook, notebook), se contenter de naviguer normalement et éviter si possible de télécharger les fichiers joints lourds qui accompagnent parfois un mail. Ne pas confondre avec le Wifi ! En Wifi, les données téléchargées le sont sur le forfait de la Box qui fournit le Wifi. ces box sont associées à des abonnements vraiment illimités.

A ma connaissance, les forfaits data limités en volume sont en général ralentis en débit une fois la limite atteinte. Comment alors en arriver à un telle facture ? [MAJ : Le débit limité est appliqué sur les mobiles mais pas sur les clés 3G. Pour ces dernières, un tarif au volume est appliqué au-delà du forfait]. Une autre piste peut elle faire exploser les factures internet :

- Il est possible que l’homme ait utilisé un réseau étranger. Comment est-ce possible ? Soit en se servant de sa clé en voyage, soit en captant sans le savoir un réseau étranger tout près. Cette dernière possibilité est envisagée par Orange car M. Gernez habite tout près de la frontière belge. Si c’est le cas, l’abonné a profité sans le savoir du roaming. Concrètement : A l’étranger ou bien près d’une frontière, son appareil (smartphone, clé 3G, peu importe) ne capte pas le réseau auquel il est rattaché; il va alors se connecter à un autre réseau qui prend le relais… Le problème c’est qu’il s’agit d’un service facturé très cher par Orange et tous les opérateurs d’ailleurs. M. Gernez n’est pas le 1er à se faire avoir !

Le pire c’est qu’Orange et sa mécanique administrative ont enjoint l’abonné de payer sa facture ! Selon M. Gemez, on lui aurait même proposé un échelonnement sur… 40 ans !! Avant d’en arriver là, Orange n’aurait-il pas dû avertir son abonné ? L’abonnement dont il s’agit étant à 95€  mensuels, j’imagine qu’une facture atteignant 500€ doit déjà alerter l’opérateur qui pourrait au moins prévenir son abonné…

L’histoire peut sembler embarrassante pour Orange mais je pense que l’opérateur a là l’occasion de mener plusieurs opération de communication :

- Trouver un terrain d’entente très favorable à l’abonné

- Reconnaître qu’il a commis une erreur : ne pas avoir prévenu l’abonné d’un dépassement sérieux de son abonnement.

- Mieux informer et guider le consommateur dans les arcanes linguistiques des abonnements mobiles : 3G, 3G+, Edge, data, illimité, limité à 500 Mo, 1 Go,… Tous ces termes sont tout à fait barbares abstraits pour une bonne part des consommateurs.

D’autres infos à la Source (2 min de lecture)

Hello Roamers,
Parcel2ship
November and December are the busiest times of the year for parcel carriers. Just think of all those presents going to Granny in Aberdeen or Australia. Parcel2ship affiliates can take advantage of this seasonal peak by promoting Parcel2ship and to make it even easier this year we are pleased to announce that we are now able to offer fantastic UK parcel delivery options through our new courier, Home Delivery Network(HDN). UK 48 hour standard parcel delivery up to 30kg is an amazing £6.45+vat and 48 hour oversize parcel delivery is only £19.49+vat.

Home Delivery Network have 90 years combined experience and are fast becoming one of the UK’s leading parcel delivery couriers delivering an estimated 300,000 parcels every day. But don’t just take our word for it,Sainsbury’s have appointed Home Delivery Network Limited as it’s primary courier of parcels to home, in line with the launch of it’s non-food online business.

Parcel2ship’s Managing Director Howard Hughes said “We are delighted to have Home Delivery Network on board with us offering our customers even better deals on UK deliveries. Parcel2ship have in recent years been a leading supplier of European Courier and Worldwide courier services and now with Home Delivery Network we are able to offer one of the cheapest United Kingdom parcel delivery services. Home Delivery Network are a recognised and fast growing company and you can be sure of a friendly reliable delivery service from their dedicated team of professional, uniformed drivers“.

To help affiliates even further Parcel2ship are offering £5 of all orders over £100. Customers simply need to quote discount code P2SHDNLNOV09 when ordering before the 20th november.

About Parcel2ship: As a UK registered parcel delivery and courier service Parcel2ship is able to provide a practical range of solutions to both members of the public and those in business who require a door to door parcel delivery service from addresses in the UK to most destinations in the world. Parcel2ship uses only the best international parcel courier firms such as Parcelforce, DHL, FedEx and Home Delivery Network.
You will find a link on the site-click on the luggage button.

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

 

Open Toaster by Roger Lancefield

My toaster at home

I use my toaster at home.  I’m on the Genesis Energy network.    My toaster only works with the Genesis Energy network.  It cost me 2 cents to make some toast.

My toaster around New Zealand

I took my toaster with me, when I flew to Auckland to visit my sister.   Genesis Energy aren’t in Auckland.

I travel quite a lot around New Zealand and toaster coverage is a real issue for me.   Why can’t I plug my toaster into the other networks?

I had to borrow my sister’s toaster.  It cost her 2 cents to make my toast.

I think I need a Mercury Energy toaster, because they seem to have more coverage, particularly in Auckland.

Unfortunately the strength of their service in my home town is quite poor – it takes ages for my toast to cook.  Plus my existing toaster plan offers free toasting on the weekends.

I think the answer is that I need two toasters.

My toaster overseas

I took my toaster on holiday to Australia.   Genesis Energy activated toaster roaming for me.

When I got off  the plane, I really needed some toast.  I plugged it into the nearest power point.   It cost me $7.50 to make some toast.  WTF, thats 375 times as much as at home?

The Serious Point

Why can’t we have mobile phone networks that work like electricity networks?

The findings of a Finnish study (Marilanta and Rouvinen, 2006) suggested the potential for productivity gains from technologies as:

• portability +32%
• wireless connectivity +6%

If we can improve wireless connectivity for portable devices then we can reduce costs and increase productivity (because people will use their “toasters” more often).

Hello Roamers,

The Australian Reptile Park is located at Somersby on the Central Coast, New South Wales in Australia. The park is home to a variety of reptiles, including snakes, lizards and crocodiles, as well as other Australian animals, such as kangaroos, cassowaries and Tasmanian Devils.

The park is heavily involved in snake and spider venom collection for use in the production of anti-venom and is credited for saving the lives of thousands.
The park was founded by Eric Worrell in 1949. Its original location was at Umina Beach Aquarium. It moved to a failed orange orchard in 1959 to become Australian Reptile Park Wyoming, New South Wales.

To this day it still remains the sole supplier of snake and funnel-web spider venom to the CSL (Commonwealth Serum Laboratories) for the nation’s anti-venom program. Over its 59 year history the park has assisted in saving over 15,000 lives!

Just past midnight on 17 July 2000, a faulty electrical connection led to a devastating fire that consumed most of the main building of the Australian Reptile Park. Fire crews were initially joined by park staff in a brave, but hopeless effort to stem the spread of the blaze. Overnight, the future of the world-famous attraction – which had been a national tourism award winner for the previous two years, became uncertain.

The fire destroyed the main building and wiped out Australia’s largest collection of reptiles, amphibians and spiders.

But to the credit of park staff and management the Reptile Park survived and reopened just two months later, in time to capitalise on the tourism surge generated by the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Australian Reptile Park is 60 this month. The Reptile Park has twice been named the Best Regional Attraction in Australia and was the NSW winner of the Decade for Best Regional Attraction between 1989 and1998.

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Hello Roamers,
If you are in London on Saturday November 14th
you can celebrate the annual election of the new Lord Mayor of London in a three mile parade set to involve 6,000 people, including 1,550 servicemen and women.

The Lord Mayor’s Show is in its 820th year and the parade will include 202 horses, 24 marching bands and 71 floats featuring people from a huge variety of London communities.

Mansion House will see the beginning of the procession at 11:00 GMT with an aircraft flypast. It is then to weave through the historic streets of the Square Mile, via many London attractions, including St Paul’s Cathedral, where the Lord Mayor will receive a blessing at 12:10 GMT.

At 12.30 GMT the procession will arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice where the new Mayor will swear his allegiance to the Sovereign, just as Dick Whittington did in 1397.

The return procession starts at 13:00 GMT, arriving back at Mansion House at 14:30 GMT and a fireworks display will take place at 17:00 GMT from a barge moored between Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges.

Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia! ….and the world
http://roamersclub.com
http://grey-nomads.org
http://aussiejack.wordpress.com

Hello Roamers,
If you are going to Melbourne for business or pleasure then have a look at the club website under the Accommodation button and click on to the Corporate Keys link.
Corporate Keys Australia is Melbourne’s premier provider of corporate accommodation.

Apartments start from only $51 per night for a 4.5 star standard room.

Our apartments:
• are typically 40% cheaper than hotels or serviced apartments;
• are located in over 50 buildings across Melbourne;
• are typically 50% larger than a hotel room
Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia!…..and the world
www.roamersclub.com
www.grey-nomads.org

Hello Roamers,
You can now book top shows throughout Australia from the website by clicking on the Lifestyle button
Cheers
John
Go-Roam Australia…… & the world
www.grey-nomads.org
www.roamersclub.com

Showbiz is Australia’s leading premium ticketing and packages provider. Working closely with show promoters and producers, Showbiz provides outstanding live entertainment experiences.

Showbiz takes clients behind the red curtain and into the world of musicals, concerts, theatre, opera, ballet and more.