"HomeChat" newsletter - April '10
HomeLink News
More UK holidays
In last month’s “HomeChat”
we mentioned that it is a great time to visit the UK because the Aussie
dollar is at a 25-year high against the Pound sterling. But that’s not
the only reason, of course. There’s also the fact that our membership
numbers in the UK have been growing steadily. And that means even more
opportunities for you.
This growth is partly thanks to the good publicity that HomeLink often
receives, thanks to our cherished reputation as the world’s oldest and
most trusted home exchange community. Here’s a recent example, from the
UK’s Sunday Express newspaper:
The challenge, in these straitened times, is how to secure the trip of your dreams without squeezing the piggy bank so hard it squeals.
Of course, you have to be realistic. If your home is a tiny cottage, it’s unlikely you’ll be spending a fortnight rubbing shoulders with the beautiful people at a Malibu beach house.
But for those with sensible expectations, who do their homework, the benefits stretch beyond the thousands of pounds saved on accommodation.
Caroline Connolly, of the agency HomeLink International, says: “While the financial benefits are obvious, this is often not the principal factor for those choosing to exchange. Not only do you get the comforts of someone’s home but also their friendship, help and local knowledge (and sometimes that of their friends and neighbours as well). You may have access to their bikes, tennis rackets and sometimes even their boat.
“You can swap cars too, so you need pay only for your travel. These savings allow people to take more holidays, travel further afield and make the most of their holiday.”
The challenge, in these straitened times, is how to secure the trip of your dreams without squeezing the piggy bank so hard it squeals.
With the festive season nearly over, many of us are reaching for next summer’s travel brochures in order to banish the winter blues.
Read the rest of the article by clicking here.
Your dollar has never gone
further in Europe
The Aussie dollar is presently at a record
high against the Euro. So if making your dollar go further is
important to you, then now is a perfect time to plan your holiday in
Europe.
You can subscribe online by clicking here, or give
Lisa a call on 1800 85 35 35.
Keen Walk to Kosciuszko
On April 15 – 23, your intrepid “HomeChat” editor will be participating in the “Keen Walk to Kosciuszko”, raising money to support the wonderful charity, Swags For Homeless.This 224km charity walk, from Parliament House to Mount Kosciuszko, came about as a result of a bet between Associate Professor Steve Keen of the University of Western Sydney, and Macquarie Bank economist Rory Robertson. Professor Keen was one of the few economists worldwide who predicted the Global Financial Crisis, and his warnings about the dangers of private debt have made him a public figure in Australia.
The KeenWalk is intended to raise public awareness of the short-sighted public policies that have contributed to the present state of Australia’s housing affordability, while at the same time, raising much-needed support for the Swags For Homeless charity.
The topics of housing affordability and homelessness are of keen interest (pardon the pun) for your editor. Quite naturally, we at HomeLink wish to see all Australians able to enjoy a home of their own.
For more information on the KeenWalk, please visit the website here.
If you feel that you would like to support this epic trek – or, if you would simply like to encourage your “HomeChat” editor to push through the pain and make the distance! - then please do consider making a small donation, and refer my name (Colin McKay) in the ‘Comments’ section.
More importantly, if you would like to help provide practical shelter for a homeless fellow Australian, then please do consider making a tax-deductible donation to Swags For Homeless here.
Here’s hoping that my dicky left knee and right ankle can both hold up!
Planned Server Upgrades
On the afternoon of Wednesday the 14th of April we will be making
some major upgrades on our server. This will mean that the HomeLink
site will be unavailable from 2pm to 5pm Eastern Standard Time. In the
next "HomeChat" newsletter we
will detail the new features in the system.
Desperately Seeking
Australia!
With the European summer just around the corner, and the Aussie Dollar
at an all time high versus the Euro, now is a perfect time to get
active in arranging your holiday in Europe in 2010. Now, I don’t know about you, but France in particular has been on my mind of late. My favourite CD right now is the soundtrack to the wonderful French movie, “Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain” (The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain); or just “Amelie”, if you’re looking for the English-subtitled version.
To tickle your ears and delight your eyes for all things French, please enjoy this short video clip from “Amelie”. And below, you can browse a few great examples of listings from French Homelinkers who have listed Australia as their first preferred destination:
Aquitaine / Poitou / Charentes
Bretagne / Pays de la Loire
Centre
Ile de France
Languedoc / Roussillon
Midi / Pyrenees
Provence / Cote Azur
Rhone Alpes
Spotlight On - travel features
France
"This is, after all, that fabled land of
good food and wine, of royal chateaux and perfectly restored
farmhouses, of landmarks known the world over and hidden landscapes few
really know. Savour art and romance in the shining capital on the River
Seine. See glorious pasts blaze forth at Versailles. Travel south for
Roman civilisation and the sparkling blue Med; indulge your jet-set
fantasies in balmy Nice and St-Tropez. Ski the Alps. Sense the subtle
infusion of language, music and mythology in Brittany brought by
5th-century Celtic invaders. Smell ignominy on the beaches of Normandy
and battlefields of Verdun and the Somme. And know that this is but the
tip of that gargantuan iceberg the French call culture. Yes, this is
that timeless land whose people have a natural joie de vivre and
savoir- faire - and have for centuries..."
- lonely
planet
Now may well be your best opportunity to enjoy a trip-of-a-lifetime
to France, thanks to the record-high exchange rate. If you’ve
travelled in Europe in the past – or simply know someone who has - then
we’re sure you will be very pleasantly surprised to see how much
farther the strong Aussie dollar will go right now. Not only in
France, but right across the Eurozone.
France really is all that it's made out to be, and more. For
HomeLinkers, France truly offers a wealth of exchanging
opportunities. Lilli and Blake are your local HomeLink Organisers
in France. They have been very successful in growing our French
membership into the biggest HomeLink community in all of Europe, with
around 1700 members! They are both friendly and
professional, fluent English speakers, and always there to offer advice
or assistance should you need it whilst enjoying the infinite pleasures
of France.
Soyez le bienvenue