acpowman
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Posts posted by acpowman
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Originally Posted By: FontyOriginally Posted By: surfarthurMamabear, you can have the Quantas flight from Perth for the same price - they throw in a free flight to the east coast, so it will take a bit longer!
Is this through a travel agency Seemore? As I am looking to book my flights at the moment but you can't book all the way through to Sapporo on the Qantas site. Thanks
Yep package airfare through an agent, can't be done online with Qantas.
Generally needs to be purchased with some form of land content, hence package airfare. -
Originally Posted By: MamabearUmm... never in my memory! I have always booked separate flights.Originally Posted By: CrunkyAlso the flight to the Northern Island is included in the price regardless, so the cost to fly to Hakuba or Niseko is basically the same.
There is a cost involved with both destinations - Hakuba it is Nex Ticket to Tokyo, Shink to Nagano and transfer to Hakuba (the way we did it anyway); and Niseko Airport Limousine Narita to Haneda, flight to Sapporo, Transfer (whiteliner) to Niseko. Much of a muchness - I would not let the cost or time of either be your deciding factor.
Both Hakuba and Niseko rock!
Yep the connecting Tokyo - Sapporo flights are only an extra $10 or so in taxes if you buy the flights as a package airfare (which should be virtually the same price as buying it direct from Qantas just to Tokyo).
The package airfare price is the same from any OZ city (Adl, Mel, Syd, Bne) to either Tokyo or Sapporo, only the taxes differ. -
Originally Posted By: PWLPerhaps the late bird gets the deals this time round......
earlybird deals are out, they won't get any better later in the year, but they may extend the current deals if no one bites. -
Some interesting factual information about current radiation levels.....unless you visit the exclusion zone around Fukushima radiation levels are twice as high (or more) in Australia than anywhere else in Japan. http://jnto.org.au/informations/index.html?id=479
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I think overall numbers will be around 85 - 90 % myself, but yeah will def depend on the news getting delivered by the western media.
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What dates are the effected by the higher prices for the Chinese New Year acpowman?
Chinese New Year is last week of Jan, some companies will just jack prices up for the 10 days over this week, others have extended the peak rates from x-mas till end of CNY.
Accommodation providers in Niseko feel the demand will be same as usual, personally i think they've got their head up their arse, they obviously haven't learned their lesson from the post GFC year. Guess we'll see as the year goes on.
I think GN is on the money, if bookings are weak at the end of the earlybird period they will just extend by a month.
The AUD is definitely looking good against the USD and CAD, but it's gone from 78 up to 90 yen in the past few weeks with no signs of it stopping, so Japan is looking pretty cheap too.
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Rates are out for Niseko apartments for next season....about a 5% increase from this year.
Early bird deals are much the same, they run until about June but limited availability so could sell out before then. Same as always, prices will get more expensive as the year goes on.
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Report is done at 6am, it's uploaded to the nadare website at 8am.
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Have they put out the updated winter forecast GN ?
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Originally Posted By: MitchPeeOriginally Posted By: MikePowIt's called an opinion, not a 'boosterism'.
I did one season in Utah based out of Park City and skied all the resorts with the exception of Brian Head. An excellent season with loads of powder days. And also hours of waiting to get up Little Cottonwood Canyon and to get on the tram at Snowbird.
I've done three seasons in Niseko.
And in my experience and IMHO the snow in Niseko is better than the snow in Snowbird and the snow on Hokkaido is better than the snow in Utah.
Exactly why I want to try out Niseko so badly. Soooooo many people here in Utah.
This place is awesome. I have been here...4...? years now. There are great people here and some amazing terrain. I think we average the same or a little more snow than Niseko and probably very similar in lightness. The cultural aspect and intrigue of another place where people love the snow is very appealing to me.
SO excited to be in Japan this winter.
True, but the bulk of Niseko's seasonal snowfall comes down in a shorter period of time than Utah, so more consistent. -
Yep, f@$! the sun, snow all the time !
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There's a store at the back of the Prince hotel that has a good range of current seasons skis from K2 - Darkside, Obsethed, Hellbents ect.
It was the only place up there i found with decent gear, i was there 2 years ago in March and the dude had next years skis already.
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I'd be looking to get something around 100 underfoot, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time on them in Japan. If your just learning to ski powder/off piste conditions the wider ski will be more stable and make life much easier, and you'll progress faster.
Also look at getting something with a bit of tip rocker in it.
They'll still carve fine on groomers, 100 is an all mountain width these days, powder skis start from around 110 and go upward rapidly from there.
Once you go fat you'll never go back !
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Originally Posted By: TexOriginally Posted By: MikePowWhen you pick up the season pass you can pay the additional cost. It was 1,000 yen last time I did it.
Thanks Mike! So only available with a season pass? I wont have a season pass but want to get the Hirafu club Membership....
Yep only available with a season pass Tex. -
Once you go fat you'll never go back !
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Resorts in Canada & America report the overnight snowfall at mid mountain, not sure about all resorts in Japan but Niseko reports what falls at the base of the mountain which is significantly less than up top.
Snowfall reporting is serious business in Nth America, have a look at Alta in Utah's snowfall history - they explicitly measure everything from depth to water content, density, temperature ect.
Japan doesn't take it quite as seriously and a fair bit of under reporting goes on.
Wind loading and drifting due to natural terrain features and aspect also account for big differences.
Also depends on whether the 40cm has fallen on a powder base from the day before.
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If your only planning on staying at each resort for a shortish period that might work against you finding work, i imagine most places would want you to work for longer than a month.
Seems you have a good stash of cash, maybe just plan on doing a sweet road trip and if you find some work along the way.....bonus.
Accommodation wise what GN said is right, stuff is heavily booked so you might need to do some moving around between Pensions & Lodges or stay away from the main village areas.
Things will fall into place, if they don't move on to the next place.
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Thursday.......your a tool !
I asked you to PM me if you wanted to get personal but you chose to keep it public, this forum is for people looking for advice, which is what i was offering, and you were not, if you have nothing useful to contribute to the thread then shut up.
No one wants to listen to your useless uneducated dribble, so lets just drop it.
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"they usually have a flat fee for excess/sports baggage" - yes and it still costs more than renting which is my point (check the airlines website info if you don't believe me)
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If you don't know what OS is then your dummer than i thought, and i can only presume you've never been "overseas" skiing ? and thus have no clue, so pull ur head in.
If you've wasted the time to read all my posts then you would also have read that i don't earn commission, and i'm def. (that's definitely for the simple minded) not trying to sell anything to anyone here....what is it i read you do, try to rip people off with real estate or something ?
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That's your opinion but your obviously not very knowledgable about the average punter that goes OS to ski 1 week a year, have you ever travelled OS to go skiing ?
My point is a valid one, if they only ski 1 week a year, and travel OS to do it, buying gear is not necessarily the best option. If they go over the 23kg weight limit on the plane the airlines excess baggage fee would be more than the cost of renting it anyway, plus they have to spend $1000 on their depreciating gear.
I think buying your own boots is a great idea but buying skis is not the best option for everyone.
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No, read my lips, BOLLOCKS, Japan Expert, oops sorry, Japan Specialist
I made some valid points to help the dude make a decision about whether he should rent or buy, so far the best you have come up with is for him to hire a car ?
Let's keep the topic to the thread title, if you want to insult me then send me a PM and i'd be happy to take it further.
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"snowboards are usually HEAVIER and more cumbersome than ski's to travel with"
Try picking up a pair of 195cm powder skis that are 160mm in the tip & 130mm underfoot, not to mention heavy size 12 ski boots - think you'll change your view pretty quick !
Snowboarders have it easy when it comes to traveling with your gear.
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the mountains around sapporo are also great, and understated
Niseko Accommodation - The Chill Lodge
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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It's def not going to be open, they haven't had enough bookings for the season to warrant keeping it open as a lodge (there was only about 5 bookings in it all season) so they're trying to lease it as a long term rental.
Whoever you booked through should have known what was going on.