Mallee I see a TD as a coordinator. They put all the elements together to make our time rewarding & hopefully enjoyable. It's a bit like "how long is a piece of string" everyone is different & will take away a different feel from there tour.

I am sure it's a very tiring job with 40-50 people asking for something daily. so near the end I am happy to call it a day & I am on holidays What about the TD who has worked their little backsides off during the tour & some make it look as if they have done little, where the opposite is the truth.

Cheers
Spooky

Thanks Spooky.

My question wasn't so much in terms of my own enjoyment (although I'd like my expectatons to match reality, of course), but of whether or not a TD had performed above his/her job specs.

It seems that most of them do, and it's possible that abrasive and complaining personalities and logistic or other problems on a tour can show a TD in his/her worst or best light.

I'm not expecting anything but lovely people and a problem-free tour, of course, so the question won't arise with the Sound of Music, May 17th .

Having read some of the fanatastic stories, I think that were I a TD on a rough trip, I'd have hysterics!

quote:

If the former, travellers could probably mention all the crook things that happened (if any) but say that their TD ws wonderful.

If you've had crimes committed on your tour, shouldn't you be informing the police? The one occasion on which I've experienced criminal activities on a tour (viz. the coach being broken into and various peoples' possessions, including mine, stolen) the TD was wonderful in going with the people affected to the police station, translating for us, filling in the crime report forms, etc. We just couldn't have done it without him.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Marriott:

quote:

If the former, travellers could probably mention all the crook things that happened (if any) but say that their TD ws wonderful.

If you've had crimes committed on your tour, shouldn't you be informing the police? The one occasion on which I've experienced criminal activities on a tour (viz. the coach being broken into and various peoples' possessions, including mine, stolen) the TD was wonderful in going with the people affected to the police station, translating for us, filling in the crime report forms, etc. We just couldn't have done it without him.

Chris crook means many things here in Oz Crook/criminal, crook/feeling off colour,sick, crook/ things not run smoothly or as they should be. I think the post you had taken this from had meant by using crook as in bad things that have happened on tour.

Ah we are a funny lot down under LOL!!!

Cheers
Spooky

I laughed so much I felt quite crook.

I see .

We are a funny lot us Aussies Chris. I have a German friend who came out here when she was 12. It was so hard for her to speak English - she says some of the words we say don't make sense.

Chris, I'm at fault there, for not using better English. Not realising that the term "crook" was purely local, I couldn't understand your reply! Thanks, everyone, for cleaning up the misunderstanding.

Perfectly OK - we all learn things here!

One of the best words I learned from an Aussie on the BB is "gobsmacked". It fits so many things!

quote:

Originally posted by Tootsiebelle:
One of the best words I learned from an Aussie on the BB is "gobsmacked". It fits so many things!

Tootsie ~ I don't think the word "gobsmacked" is an Australian expression, I believe it originated in the UK in the 1980ies in TV programs.

Common British slang. Certainly been around as long as I can remember.

My English friend uses the word gobsmacked. Chris how do you interpret what it means.

Flabergasted, stunned, astonished, amazed, etc.

quote:

Flabergasted, stunned, astonished, amazed, etc.

Chris

Thanks Chris.