"HomeChat" newsletter - June '11
HomeLink News
The thrill of the unexpected
Home swapping is all about
the thrill and adventure of new, authentic
travel experiences. Often, these experiences bring with them some
quite unexpected surprises.Many HomeLinkers tell us that it is these unexpected surprises that linger so pleasantly in their memory, long after their holiday is over. And very often, it is the thrill of “expecting the unexpected” that brings our members back for new exchanges, year after year.
If you would like to liven up your life with the thrill of expecting the unexpected, then we're here to help make that happen!
Join HomeLink today ... there's a world of happy surprises waiting here for you.
An unexpected upside of the
strong Aussie dollar
Why would you choose to save money by home swapping, when the Aussie
dollar is so strong? After all, overseas travel is cheaper now
than it used to be ... right?Not if you are European, or British, or American, or Canadian it isn't! Quite simply, our strong dollar means that coming to Australia for a holiday is much more expensive than it used to be. And that's why there is increased demand from overseas for cheaper ways to holiday in Australia.
Meaning ... more opportunities for a home swapping holiday abroad for you to enjoy.
It's the unexpected upside to the strong Aussie dollar that you may not have considered.
Escape this winter at short
notice
Would you like to escape this
winter’s chill, but despaired that you’d left it too late this year?While most HomeLinkers do prefer to begin arranging their exchanges well in advance, there are always lots of great opportunities to swap at Short Notice (ie, a start date within 8 weeks). So if you are blessed with the freedom to simply take off whenever you wish, then HomeLink’s “Short-notice List” is a must visit.
Of course, the Short-notice List is very active, so it’s a great idea to check in as often as you can to find the latest offers before they are snapped up… or run out of time!
FrontLine – stories from members
Falconing in the Black
Forest
We recently had an exchange
to Ettlingen in Germany which is on the edge of the Black Forest and
wonderful walking trails.
Our exchange family didn't come to Australia as they had a holiday
booked in the USA so we headed off to our home in Germany for 4 weeks
complete with a 6 year old male dalmation called Falcon and a couple of
cats to care for. He was a beautiful, boisterous very spoiled dog.
Our building consisted of 3 apartments all owned by our exchangees
and all the domain of Falcon. Their mother Erica lived in the lower
floor apartment and while she loved the dog, she couldn't walk him as he was
too strong, but he stayed in her place each day.
Each morning we would be up early, as us Aussies are, and as soon as
he heard us he would try to open Erica's door downstairs as he knew it
meant a couple of hours in the forest walking and sniffing every bush
growing. We would be coming back by 9am tired but feeling great, just
in time to get a fresh pastry from the bakery nearby.
This became a daily ritual along with a shorter walk most evenings,
and sometimes Erica would come with us enjoying the company and the
beautiful environment.
We were invited into Erica's apartment on several occasions for a
meal and the dog would take his place on the bench at the table hoping
for a taste.
When she opened her apartment door Falcon would rush up the stairs to
us, open our door (he had that all worked out ) and either sit on the lounge chair behind me or climb on the bed and rest his head on the
pillow. It didn't ever interfere with our exploring the area and we
even were able to have a couple of days away with the help of some
family friends to walk him.
This was not your usual exchange but was a very rewarding experience
as we were like family. Leaving was a bit tearful saying goodbye to
Erica and the dog but we have some great memories.
Chris and Peter
Desperately seeking
Australia!
There are always plenty of short notice opportunities with
HomeLink. For example, as of 2 June there were 89 offers in the
Short-notice List, specifically seeking an Aussie exchange. And a
further 2,921 listings that were “Open to offers”!Here's a small selection of Short Notice Listings seeking an exchange to Australia for you to ponder.
Argentina
Canada - British Columbia
France - Bretagne / Pays de la Loire
France - Ile de France
France - Provence / Cote Azur
Aix-en-Provence
(Seeking Sydney)
Germany - Berlin
Germany - Lower-Saxony
Great Britain - North
Great Britain - Scotland
Great Britain - Yorkshire & Humberside
Hong Kong
Ireland - Northern Ireland
Ireland - West
Westport
(Seeking Sydney & Sunshine Coast)
