pilotchute,
My apologies if I've offended you. Word of mouth is worth a million dollars in this industry, and I've had both other pilots, plus operators, tell me to avoid the place. I have no personal experience there, but I tend to stear clear of places when multiple reports say the same thing. However, I hope your experience is positive.
I agree, Ansett are probably charging way more than they need to be. And I've been to the US instead of spending my $$'s here as well.
morno