iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Expressions of interest are sought for the Yirdaki Masterclass for 2009, details are a bit different to 2008.

The dates are 4-8 May 2009 (5 days, start 8:00 am 4 May 2009, ends 5pm 8 May 2009).

Stop Press!! There has been a sudden change in dates, it is now 18-22 May 2009.

Location will be at Gikal' outstation.

Food and accommodation will be provided for. We will be sleeping in cabins on a luxury 17.0 metre, air conditioned, steel hulled cruiser, see pics below!

The cost will be AUD$2500 per person, limit of 10 people.

Message me to book yourself in, strictly first come first serve. With the Australian dollar plummeting, might be a good time to visit Oz in 2009.

Guan

It is expected that there will 2 of these during 2009, and depending on the level of interest, there may be more.

Guan

Hi Guan I take it the boat is just for accomodation?

Accommodation, meals, shower, toilet etc. All the time will be spent on land at Gikal' outstation except during those times.

Guan

This is what you can expect in terms of meals, yum yum...

Guan

The boat looks fabulous. I'd love to attend a Masterclass with that accommodation. I hope you get a lot of interest Guan.

Hey Kyle,

How ya doin' dude!

Yeah, the boat is pretty exciting, quite luxurious for those who like a bit of comfort, but there is also the option to camp if people want to rough it out. Having the boat means a lot of the work and organising is done already so I can attend to other things.

Guan

Hello every one and Guan

I want to go to the tour in 2009 and I am looking for flight prices from Europe (I'm from Portugal) to Australia, has anyone found something interesting, any of the previous participants for example?

Best regards
Rodrigo

Most of the 2008 participants are not on this Forum though... actually, I'm not sure if any of them are here!

But if anyone has come to Australia and has information to share about travel, please share.

Guan

Rodrigo - I would suggest you look into getting a 'round the world' ticket as this is often cheaper than direct flights to Darwin and can include your flight to Gove and any destination of your choice. One year my wife and I got flights from London to Darwin then Gove and then Sydney for £20 less than a return flight to Darwin!

Good luck.

Kyle

Hi Rodrigo

Yes Kyle is correct. Also you are not going during any peak period that I know of so prices should be a bit cheaper than other times of the year it will be coming into their winter but that won't matter up there near Darwin as it will still be warm and their dry season. I have been to Australia a few times and have found that BA/Qantas who fly from the UK to Singapore and then on to Darwin via Jetstar airways (A budget off shoot of Qantas) to be one of the best for price. Cathay pacific and JAL (also often have deals going)but the problem is that many Airlines do not go to Darwin. The best optoin is to get on the net and check out some of the airlines and routes. 6years ago I went to Cairns (northern Queensland) with JAL for £600 in early December(just before the peak time)3 years ago it cost £742 with BA. This year(I am going in 2 weeks time)with Qantas it has cost £940 and this was the cheapest we could get, the flight price was virtually the same as 3 yearsago but around £300 of that are fees, airport taxes and fuel surcharges. Hope this has given you some idea??? you could always hang around at the airport for a few days and try to buy an empty seat at bargain prices!!!!Don't forget to get a Visa!!!

All the best and good luck

Paul

Hi Rodrigo,

(are you the Rodrigo I know, portuguese but living in Barcelona?)

what I usually do, and considering the dates it might be a very good option, is to get a ticket, the cheapest one, to Bangkok or to Singapore, and once from there I catch a low cost flight with Tiger to Darwin. All Tiger flights stopover in Singapore, which means that even though you catch in in BKK, it'll stop in SIN...
If you're the Rodrigo I know, living in Barcelona, there's a direct flight now to SIN with Singapore Airlines, probably the best airline but not cheap.
I like to interrupt the travel and staying some 2 or 3 days in southeast Asia. It makes jetlag much easier to bear... But if you do so, I recommend Bangkok before Singapore... there's much more to do in BKK than in SIN...

Tiger airlines is a very decent lowcost airline, now operating with many airports in Australia, including Darwin of course. You can buy your tickets online, and might find ridiculous prices when buying with time... I'm talking about AU$ 20 or even less, plus taxes... altogether, if you find good deals and considering it isn't high season, it could cost you around 900 €... There are few major airlines operating with DRW airport, which means that many times you have to fly in Sydney, or Brisbane or Cairns and from there catch another flight to DRW, making it quite exhausting if you travel with short stays and tight dates... so this option isn't bad, at least it's the best one for me...


Guan!!

wow man, luxury!!!! It might definitely be a good idea, makes things much easier to organise and to keeop under a certain control. I totally see your point. And maybe it even keeps the sandflies away!!!!How did that idea come out?? smart!

M

I've never flown with Tiger through I hear it is really cheap. When they first launched their operation in Australia, there were AUD$1 flights from Melbourne to Darwin. Yes, AUD$1! I'm not sure if they still fly Darwin to Melbourne but it is worth checking out.

The other thing for international travelers worried about jetlag is an over-the-counter product called melatonin. You don't need a prescription or anything. Melatonin works wonders by helping your body clock adjust to the new time zone wherever you are, so you can sleep normal rather than being bright-eyed and restless at 3 am in the morning. It comes in tablet form and all your have to do is pop a couple during the flight, again when you arrive at your destination, and then when you want to sleep at your normal sleeping time (make sure not to sleep during the day when you have the urge). When you arrive at your destination, make sure to get sun exposure, sunlight also helps your body clock to adjust. I've taken melatonin on the few overseas trips I've done and can vouch for its effectiveness

Marcos, the cruiser is usually used for fishing expeditions but this time the owner has kindly agreed to bring us to Gikal' and to help Rripangu Yirdaki with tours.

Guan

Hi Guan,

When would you expect to plan the second Masterclass in 2009?
You know that I am interested, but May seems to be closest to me. The form of the second one will be like the one you talking about in this thread (i.e. at Gikal' with a boat)?

Hi Anthony,

I think the 2nd one will be like the first, that is, with the boat and being out at Gikal'. But it depends on how the 1st one goes. As for time, no sure but around July-September?

What is best for you?

Cheers,

Guan