I've leveled four different characters to lvl 80 in both Mining and Botany. The first three took two full days 12 hours each day to get both Mining and Botany from 70 to 80.

I did the fourth character after the patch. I'd set two days aside and thought I might get it done in one with the changes. I was finished by 10am on the first day. I did collectibles only from 70 to 80 on both Mining and Botany - between them I got barely enough scrips to buy one of the Folklore Gathering books.

Gathering is far too easy to level now, as is crafting. I suspect they've done it to pander to the influx from WoW.