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Australia 2000 Travel Testimonials
July 2007
Well, I made it back!! Thanks for all your help. The trip went off pretty seamlessly to schedule. I now believe that you can control the weather! The weather was totally clear when I was on the West Coast. The only bad weather was the first day in Christchurch, which was cold and rainy (but that was okay because the Chateau on the Park is such a great hotel!). Interestingly, once we passed through the long tunnel at Arthur's Pass on the Trans Alpine train, the weather was clear and sunny, and basically stayed that way for the rest of the trip.
The Franz-Josef all-day hike was awesome (not sure why anyone would do the half-day). The Milford Sound Flightseeing was fantastic (I understand it doesn't go 70% of the time due to weather!). Wannaka was very nice. We did the Dart River Excursion to Glenorchy and Mt. Aspring National Park, which included a 4WD excursion, forest hike, and return on jet boats. That was also great fun I would recommend the Dart River excursion for the scenery, Kiwi history (we had a great guide for the whole day), and LOTR filmsites.
Thanks again for a great itinerary!
J Cruitt, MI
April 2007
The lodge in Nelson was the nicest place I think I have ever stayed and I have not missed many. The people and service were great. I may well go back when I can stay a week or so. Give them my sincere compliments.
The last day in Cairns at the hotel in town worked well as we got our entire souvenir stuff done and had a good location with the casino and downtown stuff.
In short the trip was really well done overall and we will not hesitate to recommend your group and may well use you again in a year or two as we definitely plan on going back and staying longer .
J Bily TX
March 2007
We can't thank you enough for organizing our perfect vacation to New Zealand. During our first meeting with you, we felt confident that you both really listened and related to what we hoped to experience on this trip. We were very impressed that all the wonderful places you spoke about were based on your own personal travels. To our delight, your itinerary ended up exceeding our expectations! The beautiful lodges (Paratiho, Claremont & Blanket Bay), along w/ their food and wines were exceptional. Visiting the wineries in the Marlborough region, and experiencing the art and culture of Christchurch and Queenstown were worth the white knuckle driving on the winding, scenic roads to get there! Every driver and tour guide arrived just as scheduled---it was a compete worry free vacation. New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful country, and we hope to revisit sometime soon. We certainly will seek your services again for our next trip.
D & B Clark MI
December 2006
I want to thank you and Australia 2000 for planning such a wonderful trip for us this past December. The trip was a long time in the planning but well worth the wait! We were so pleased with the variety of places we visited and the length of time we stayed at each place. The amount of time spent traveling was kept to a minimum and went like clockwork - not a single glitch! The accommodations you selected were tops; Stranraer on Kangaroo Island was enchanting, the cabin at Cradle Mountain was warm and cozy, the hotels in Hobart and Sydney were comfortable and very convenient, We would recommend Heron Island without reservation; being in a "cashless and keyless" environment was so relaxing and enjoyable. The island staff was unbelievably helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Thank you again for all the thought you put into our itinerary. We've done a lot of traveling throughout the world and this was certainly one of our best trips ever!
M.S. Los Altos, CA
December 2006
Great job on all of your planning! You exceeded my expectations and want to thank you and your team for the wine at our hotel, great tour guides, perfect accommodations that relate to our style and just everything!
You made our trip a lifetime memory!
1st off, our lodging was perfect in Sydney and was great to have a washer / dryer and view of the harbor with the balcony. We also loved the wine that you sent our way! The staff was incredibly helpful and it felt like a smaller hotel not one that reminded me of work or being at a convention. Thank you!
Colin was fantastic! Our sailing trip around the harbor was perfect and he had a wonderful lunch of Avocado/Shrimp and sushi –YUM! And did I mention the wine? Very nice.
Angela was great from the local travel agency and our driver (who we had 3 times was just funny and kind!) was great. Love the BMW!
Suzanne was as interesting as they come and what a fantastic day we had with her. She was so knowledgeable and what a life story and could do about 4 other tours with her through the wine country, gallery tour, etc. She was a wealth of information and her secret spot in Sydney at Cottage Point was to die for! I believe Rich and I were a bit jet lagged that day, and I had to get my Christmas shopping requests in for the entire family ( at the Australian Yacht club) so I kept her waiting a bit. Hopefully she didn’t mind. The trip to the petting zoo was fun as I am an animal lover, so it was nice that she snuck that in for me!
Then on to the Silky Oaks lodge. I died and went to heaven. It was fantastic for us to be in our own little “Kangaroo” tree house in this beautiful setting. No TV, cell phones, email….. Just nature and the sound of the river. Just beautiful! We hiked a couple of days and saw a goanna which was a bit scary, jumped the big boulders after arriving at the Fig Tree falls destination and took a swim in the gorgeous water. The sound of the rapids was healing! The spa treatment was a bit different as I’m use to a bit of a different “deep tissue” rub, but a beautiful surrounding. The food was lovely and the pool was designed to look like a natural swimming hole- beautiful! IT was tough to leave, however it only got better with the best Queenstown guide in the world – Cath. She was the most passionate funny guide- just her natural personality was endearing to us all. Had a great time with her at Cape Tribulation and all over the Daintree forest.
So, what I hadn’t shared with you was when Cath took us to Palm Cove, I had no idea this was “the place” that I wanted to come back to from my trip 10 years ago. I forgot totally about it and when we started to drive nearby, I thought “no, this couldn’t possibly be that place that I loved where we could only stay an hour 10 years ago is it? “ It was!!! So fun, so gorgeous with the ancient trees and great lodging!
The Sebel Reef house was beautiful and the spa treatment even better. It was the best! We met a couple from the U.K. who we really had a good time with on our tour, and they also stayed at the Sebel. We had some drinks with them, and had a wonderful time and will see them again.
The GB reef was beautiful and the sailboat was much better than the big Cat (who’s name escapes me) The only negative I have on that trip was the island they dropped us off on to go snorkeling…………….it was a bird island and just reeked of bird poo! However the snorkeling was great!
The Bridge Walk was amazing as there was a full moon and just perfect! I did climb alone since Rich could not stomach the climb. He ran across the bridge a couple of times and just said that there was no way he could do it. I think he was right as I climbed up the first 10 minutes…. He would have killed me so I am glad I didn’t talk him into it.
The last day in Sydney was fun as we walked all through the botanical gardens and then a nice lunch to put us on our way!
Thanks again for the fantastic itinerary and your touches! All the best to you and your team. I’ll recommend you in a heartbeat!!
M.L. Reston, VA
November 2006
Many thanks for designing such a fantastic honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand for us. We had complete faith in your recommendations and were rewarded with an amazing trip. We loved every minute of the honeymoon and were constantly impressed by our accommodations, cuisine, activities and great guides. All of the travel arrangements worked out smoothly and it was great to be met at each destination by knowledgeable and friendly guides.
E.M. New York, N.Y.
June 2006
Our trip to Australia was truly memorable. Kirk, my 16 year old grandson, frequently said "today is even better than yesterday" Our days were packed from sunrise to sunset almost every day. The hotels were convenient to either attractions or public transportation. I hadn't stayed in apartments when traveling, and the 2 bedrooms with complete kitchen were a welcome break from the hotels. One even had 2 complete bathrooms !
Thanks to your team, which kept us up-to-date as we progressed through the planning stages, and our requested changes, made it hassle free.
The only time a vendor failed to pick Kirk up for a swim with dolphins, the local contact you set up for us, immediately found a substitute trip to behind the scenes at the Zoo for both of us, not only Kirk and at no additional cost.
You couldn't have improved on the itinerary, it was perfect.
D.R. Haver de Grace, MD
February 2006
What can I say about the trip other than it was the most effortless, pleasurable journey I had taken in many years? All I had to do was present myself in the hotel lobby for the tour, excursion, trip to the airport, etc, and it all happened as if by magic! Of course, I know it happened because of all your efforts and I want to thank you very much for the thought and care you all put into my holiday. The accommodations were all first rate and beyond at every stop. I had so many interesting and thought-provoking conversations with Aussies everywhere I went, including with my email friend Susan in Sydney--we had a 5-hour lunch!! I actually overcame my apprehension to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, and am SOOO glad I did! I will always remember my trip thru the Barossa Valley with Helen (even after all the tastings!)--she is just the best! All the tour leaders/escorts were so personable and well informed. I got my pix back last Wed, and in spite of a major camera meltdown and some unusual weather (at Ayers Rock, of all places), I have to say that I had very few duds, even with the replacement cameras!
A thousand thanks again,
M.D. Farmington Hills, MI
February 2006
Well, we have returned from a very interesting 8-week trip and we have wonderful memories. Actually, I have our picture book nearly finished. Thank you for the planning and the assistance from your office. The entire trip was smooth and worry free.
Again, thank you for all your efforts. We truly felt we had a personalized tour. We would be happy to give a very positive reference.
R & C R Mackinac MI
January, 2006
We recently returned from our two-week adventure of the South Island, and we had an absolutely wonderful time. We appreciate all of the things that you did to make the trip such a wonderful one for us. We were very pleased with the accommodations, the background information, the travel routes, and the suggested activities.
Thanks again for helping us to make this a memorable and special vacation!!!
S.T. & L.B. Bethesda, MB
January 2006.
As a former travel writer (newspapers and magazines), I'm very aware of "good choices" for hotels, lodgings, etc. Australia 200 Travel Ltd. was amazing in their choices for us -- we loved the convent, the fire station, the meeting house, the boutique hotels, the sheep stations -- all were authentic, all had a strong local feel (we did not want chain hotels or lodgings), and all were clean and special. Our itinerary worked for us so well! We enjoyed the driving and the flexibility of our route.
In all, it was a fabulous 5 weeks -- we will have no trouble recommending your organization to anyone who wants to go downunder -- in fact, we've already given your name to a few people!
All the best, Val
January 2006.
Karen, finding you and you company was one of the best parts of our trip, and I'm serious. We loved everything about our trip -- especially our accommodations -- the firehouse and chapel in Adelaide, the sheep stations, the convent and B&B in NZ -- we liked not being with Americans, we loved feeling we were staying in funky Aussie or Kiwi places, and that's what you set up. It was terrific!
V.M. Palm City, FL.
January 2006
We are in Christchurch awaiting our pick-up to return to the states and I thought I would take this opportunity to give you some feedback. We have had the best trip ever. Absolutely everything has been flawless---even the weather. All of our scheduled pick-ups have been on time as well as all of our flights. All of our golf times were used and the golf club rentals were just fabulous,
The Lodges are all wonderful and uniquely different. We especially enjoyed the Flagstaff Lodge in Russell and want to send a special commendation to Darryl and Beth, the proprietors. Please continue to recommend the Flagstaff to all of your future clients as Russell and the Lodge are terrific.
The Greenhill Lodge in Hastings is not to be missed. How picturesque. Neil and Greg were wonderful hosts and we would go back in a minute......don't let any future clients miss this experience, either.
I will send you a couple of "highlight" photos upon our return. The helicopter ride and then landing on the Glacier in Milford Sound was spectacular.,...we loved "over the top" helicopter service in general and Steve (from England----there are 4 Steves working there)our pilot.
D.J. Menlo Park, CA.
January 2006
I hope you all are doing well. I cannot believe it has been over two and a half years since we visited Australia. In the summer of 2004, we went around USA and Canada because we were in the middle of the new house construction. We moved to our new house in Jan of 2005. In the summer of 2005 we went on a safari to Kenya and Tanzania. It is already more than a year since we moved into the new house, it is hard to believe.
My children still say their best trip was to Aus and NZ, thanks to your efforts. I wish you were the agents for Kenya and TZ, the agent we had was ok. If you were ten, I would rate him a 7.
If you are visiting West Palm Beach area, please come and see us.
S. HS West Palm Beach, FL
December 2005
We made it home safely and appear to have reset our biological clocks back to Michigan time! That took about 5 days. Anyway, I wanted to express our thanks to you and your staff here and in Australia and New Zealand for a remarkable trip. I have never seen anything so well organized and efficient!
We are back from Australia, and just wanted to thank you for organizing the most fabulous vacation for us. Absolutely everything went according to the itinerary, an it made our time there even more relaxing. I think Jack will agree that we most of all enjoyed Lizard Island and Silky Oaks. I didn't even know places like that still existed. We'll have to go back there sometime soon. Our hotel in Sydney was the best. They even had the laundry machines in the room, which was so needed, and did some grocery shopping for us. We are thinking that our next trip should be to New Zealand.
Thank you again to all at Australia 2000 for taking such good care of us .
Y.L. Los Gatos CA
November 2005
I am finally taking the time after several months to write about our fabulous Australia and New Zealand vacation. I can’t begin to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip. It was everything we could have ever hoped for our first visit and the group at Australia 2000 made our dream vacation possible.
I remember thinking when we got the original estimate back for the cost of the trip and thinking, “How can it be that expensive? It seems like so much money.” Now I know that the trip was worth every penny and more. It was hassle free and we enjoyed so many things that we might not have been able to find on our own. Adding up the cost of each of those experiences would have far exceeded what we ended up paying.
It was so great – having someone to meet us at the Sydney airport, drivers to pick us up and take us back and forth to the airport (so that we never had to worry about how much time to leave ourselves to get there) and having only one excursion changed during the trip. Even that went smoothly – the company called ahead of time and refunded our money on the spot when we couldn’t do the entire excursion. Our biggest decisions seemed to be where to eat and what souvenirs to buy!
We were able to see a little bit of everything on this trip and now we know which places we would want to return to and explore more (definitely the South Island of New Zealand!). Karen was able to work our interests into the trip and Christine was so patient with my 712 questions and repeated emails about everything under the sun. Hilary also had to help us – because I even tried to bother Christine while she was on vacation!! Each of them was friendly, helpful and understanding about what a huge commitment it was for us to pay that much money and make certain it was worthwhile.
I could write an entire book with everything that I have to say about how fabulous our trip was. The memories will last a lifetime and it couldn’t have been possible without the help of Australia 2000. Thank you so much!!
D.W. Grosse Pointe Park MI
April 2005
We made it home safely and appear to have reset our biological clocks back to Michigan time! That took about 5 days. Anyway, I wanted to express our thanks to you and your staff here and in Australia and New Zealand for a remarkable trip. I have never seen anything so well organized and efficient!
Everything was memorable from the scenery, to the accommodations, to the food, and most especially, the people. It was indeed a trip of a lifetime.
V.M. Kewadin, MI
February 2005
Well we’re back from our trip to New Zealand and we had a wonderful time. The itinerary was fabulous and we really enjoyed all of the places we stayed and the things we did.
Now for some highlights:
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We loved everyplace we stayed (with the exception of the Stamford Airport in Sydney – my choice I know – it was dirty and even the lobby furniture has holes in it). The Glass House was a real standout; possibly the nicest “hotel” I’ve ever stayed at. David, the resident manager, was wonderful and couldn’t do enough for us including parking the balky Samurai so I wouldn’t drive it off the cliff. We even bought food and barbequed our last night there. The Awaroa Lodge was also a great experience. We kayaked and hiked and had wonderful meals overlooking the wetlands.
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Leon, our driver in Auckland, is a breath of sunshine. He picked us up for four trips and we really enjoyed our time with him.
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The Dart River trip and the Doubtful Sound trip are very well run and were wonderful experiences.
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Joan and Ross are delightful and we really enjoyed staying with them. Joan even made us lunch since we weren’t leaving until noon.
Thanks for all your help.
B.H. Vienna, VA
August 2005
Thank you so much for doing an outstanding job in planning and arranging our recent trip to Australia. We would have not changed a thing and EVERYTHING was planned and executed to perfection. Australia 2000 definitely chose the right companies to make our trip worry-free. No detail was missed, including the pillows for our camping trip. Every airline, tour bus, and limo was on time, friendly and helpful and the hotel and resort accommodations were perfect given the locations we were visiting and time spent at each place….. B T
July 2005
We could not have asked for a better vacation. All of our tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The farm stay we visited on Kangaroo Island was outstanding, the food was fantastic and the hosts were wonderful……G&C B….
July 2005
I must share with you how wonderful our trip was. From the moment we were escorted to the first destination to the very last moments of Australia each and every person we came in contact with was wonderful…. In Adelaide, the tour guide was phenomenal…the crew that took us to the Great Barrier Reef were amazing people…they made us feel just like family for that trip, they were great fun.
The tour guide Ziggy who took us through the (Far North Queensland) rainforest, just wonderful…..Your country and the people are phenomenal……The T family…..
February/March 2005
We had a great trip. Everything went well and we only wish we had more time. Don really liked watching the sheep dogs work. I enjoyed the beautiful country flora and fauna mountains, ocean, you name it, it was all a feast for our eyes. Thank you for all you did.., D&J R
January 2005
Thanks again for planning this fabulous experience. Your associates in Australia and New Zealand were very helpful and accommodating when we had to alter our itinerary, and all of the limo and guide services were prompt and efficient. It was wonderful not having to worry about taxis to and from airports and hotels…..B&A.C
December 2004
The B&B in Daylesford was superb, and the Xmas lunch in the outback was fantastic.
The wine country in Clare country - WOW!…you and Karen really did a fine job……
G&A. G
November 2004
I am happy to inform you that our trip to New Zealand was everything we hoped it to be (and more!)..... It was so refreshing to not have to worry about any of the details! And your attention to detail was really what made the trip so memorable! …………..
J R&M.K
November 2004
We had a great, great trip…. the people are wonderful, the scenery awesome, the food just great. Every place you put us in surpassed expectations, especially the lovely place on Waiheke Island. WOW!….J&D. P
March 2004
Every driver was on time. Every tour guide was punctual. They all were very friendly, informative and full of helpful suggestions…Australia and New Zealand were scenic and at times just plain breathtaking…..You and your team did an excellent job. Our thanks to all of the people involved. We had a trip of a lifetime…..M&J.N
January 2004
We had an unbelievable time on our honeymoon in Australia last December 03/January 04…..It was absolutely amazing. The 3 day tall ship cruise in the Great Barrier Reef- what a great way to spend Christmas! We saw the New Year’s eve fireworks in Sydney and the Bridge Climb was the perfect way to end our trip…..We hope to go back again someday and would definitely use your agency and recommend it to anyone who is thinking of a trip Down Under! …………..T&M.D
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