alferg

yeah, have had a couple of replies but they're slow & not forthcoming with the info i want... i'll persevere a bit further... thanks for the smile city tip!

hmm, thanks for the feedback on NPC. i'm still waiting for them to give me a quote though....i hope they hurry up,otherwise i'll be booking through snowave. do NPC do flights as well?

i was just thinking about your dog comment (in whichever thread it was) the dog theory must be true then actually the youth hostel i stayed at during my first trip to niseko (2000) also has a cool dog, & it was a very cosy & friendly place - here's the dog >> http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~yano/setubi.html & she's had puppies! - very cute >> http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~yano/tayori17.html & they still have a pic of my first attempt at building a snow kangaroo! >> http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~yano/tayori4.html

thanks fatts! no worries re. accom in hakuba - i dont think we are going there now... but it could all change still! crossroads looks very nice i must say. nice subtle website design too. & i love the blurb on that seiki place! "This is a typical Japanese inn with homely atmosphere that is safe for women. A kind owner and a friendly dog are waiting for your arrival."

i'll assume he's got some jaded gaijin view of japan...

thanks - this is the kind of thing i need to know! my wife is an architect so she's really keen to check out temples, etc. we saw plenty of great mondern buildings in tokyo last year (how about that crazy asahi beer hall!) but i guess we are just up for seeing anything interesting. so given that we have 4 days to look around the area, & we are flying in & out of Osaka, where would the best place to stay for easy access to all the good stuff?

hey, i would be interested to see what you lot think of my latest itinerary... 19/12 - fly syd-osaka (then train to Kyoto) sightseeing in Kyoto (anyone got tips on nice, budget accom in Kyoto? possibly family-run Ryokan?) 24/12 fly osaka - aomori ride Hakkoda for 8 days, possibly stay with new friends (failing that, anyone got tips on good cheap accom in aomori?) 31/12 fly aomori-saporro Niseko for 10 days 11/1 fly saporro-syd

gee, i didnt really notice the road signage last time i was in japan... but im pretty sure niseko didnt have english road signs... i guess its pretty rural there though. its not looking likely that we'll get a car on this next trip anyway - will probably do it all by plane & bus.... but good to know for future reference

thanks woy-woy - i had already emailed those guys but they are a bit slow getting back to me with info.... what are they like? i'm guessing being a smaller operation they might be pretty cheap.... ive been looking at using snowave again but their prices seem to have gone up.

i'm looking at 20th of dec, for a week, then maybe hakkoda & hakuda after that.... but nothing is locked in yet. so where do you japan locals stay in niseko? i'm either going to book through snowave & stay at their chalet, or go for this other place "shizenkhan" - http://www.niseko-backpacker.com & just book everything myself, or perhaps try the YH at Annapuri... any tips? I've stayed at Annapuri-Kogen YH before, which was pretty cool but a 10min drive from Annapuri, & I stayed at Asuka apartments thru snowave last time.

we drive on the left in aus, & i hired a car in canada a few years back, & drove around in an old bomb in the US a bit too. it was a bit weird, but not too bad... automatic is definately a lot easier, & you just have to be careful turning across traffic - just make sure you always look both ways!! i ~nearly~ had a smash in Canada, taking a left without looking first (which of course is ok to do when you drive on the left...) i'd love to hire a car in japan if i could read japanese... does anyone drive around there without being able to read jap? how hard is it?

isnt there a public holiday in japan around the 12th of jan or something?

just found out that my department at work is closed for xmas from 20/12 to 5/1, so im thinking we might head over early, rather than waste my holidays over here in the heat, wishing i was in the cold ... so whats the score there around xmas? when do people take their holidays? is the snow any good as early as 20/12? when i first went to niseko it was 9th jan 2000, & it certainly wasnt crowded in the slightest - so what about the honshu resorts?

all my mates used to say to me "you ride like a maniac, get a bloody helmet!" & it wasnt until i nearly brained myself by catching a heel edge & slamming my head right next to about 10 small tree stumps, about 6 inches high, any of which could've gone straight thru my skull quite easily if i had fallen differently, that i finally went & bought one! since then it has saved my life at least once (head-first into an icy tree!) & saved me pain on countless occasions. (heres what i posted in another forum) here are some of the many reasons i wear a helmet, my mates wear he

yeah fatty, that backside run is awesome - only did it once, but i just love how it funnels into that giant natural 1/2 pipe! whats the avalanche danger like around there? looked like it has potential to be nasty -we only did the run cos a few others had done it safely before us, & the snowpack was quite firm. cant wait to go back... 12 weeks to go (approx)

niseko was just terrible last year... http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~alferg/niseko2002/niseko_2002.html

when exactly is the fire festival on?

yeah, I heard NZ was rockin now - weird how the season keeps getting later over there! It seems the frog & co were bit optimistic about the aussie forecast - looks like just a whole lotta rain now, so its the beginning of the end... time to start thinking a bit more about the northern season

the aussie season is still alive! apparently it was truly awesome in the high country last weekend - uncrowded, sunny & a nice layer of fresh, dry snow on top of the huge base.... sounds like heaven! Here's some pics from www.ski.com.au >> http://forum.ski.com.au/scripts/ultimatebboard/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=008643 & http://forum.ski.com.au/scripts/ultimatebboard/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=008630;p=1 This long weekend is the official end of the season, but some resorts are staying open for another 2 weeks, so its still wort

just re-read this thread - some great info here! a huge thankyou to you all for the help i'll be in touch when i know my dates. cheers!

so nekobi... want to earn yourself some extra yen this season & accomodate a bunch of pleasant, fully house-trained, early 30's aussies? not yet sure how big a crew it'll be - i expect that most of them are all talk, no action, & it'll only be around 4 of us. ...i'm only 1/2 serious - i shouldnt be asking ppl stuf like this until i have my plans fully in place huh! & nice one DB - good tips alfonse!?!? im scottish-australian, not the bloody wog-boy! & yeah, i find that 9 times out of 10, a cool dog will more than make up for a crap room.

O11, aussies are big fans of word-butchering too im afraid.... Just think: once I let every other aussie know about the snow in japan, the place will be chokkers with Dazas & Shazas from Parramatta going "Yeah, went for a f'kin slide at f'kin Nozzas t'day, 'n' it woz foolly siiick maaate! T'morra we're gonna 'ave a squiz at f'kin hakkas - woddayarekkon?" - perish the thought! & yes, i'll keep a look out for you & your red helmet enderzero, thanks for the tips! does Snowbeds have any double rooms? I'm not that keen on backpacker-style accom I mus

Ft, whats hakkers - hokkaido i guess u mean? that'd be way cool to hook up - I'll definately try & get in touch with you lot when i get over there, or at least get a good description of you so i know who to follow under the ropes we dont have any BC gear - i have only done "front country" at a few places & ducked numerous ropes, short hikes, etc... not a big fan of long hikes though i must admit! Zw, thanks for the ~would've~ offer anyway cheers guys & gals - thanks for being so friendly & helpful! great thing about snow ppl - they're all very chilled

thanks for the tips no fakie! when i actually go is still up for grabs... there are a lot of variables (the biggest one being getting the time off work!) Quote: With weather like the past few Jan-Febs, you can go well over a week with warm temps and without a significant snowfall. now THATS scary.... I'd hate to be there on one of those weeks! wonder what the odds are like? This is partly why I still want to spend most of my time in Hokkaido - at least the powder is virtually guaranteed I'm also thinking that if I did Hokkaido first, scored stacks of freshies, then wen

yeah not to worried about avoiding the snow-police - i have plenty of experience doing that also dont really care about the gaijin party scene - as you said Zw, we wont be there to party all the time - much more interested in riding first to last lifts & then early to bed! i like immersing myself in the japanese culture anyway, & would rather chat with locals. seriously looking fwd to this - you guys are really getting me amped )