Australian Traveller Reviews #22 from GlobeNet Travel Australia

•"Dear Tosh, Just wanted to let you know we had a great holiday. Everything went smoothly and Peppers Link Resort at Port Douglas was really good. The way the villas are set around the golf course is really good for young kids to roam and as the 2 families were right next door to each other, the kids could go from villa to villa. The pool area was nice also and good for kids. I am glad I found you on the internet and will be recommending you to my friends.I will also be in touch with you soon as we are already thinking about an end of year Gold Coast holiday. Regards and Thanks," Vanessa H., Sydney, Australia (23 Jul 03)

•"Dear Sonia, Our visit to Australia was terrific, especially the Billy Can Tour in Darwin. We really enjoyed Dunk Island and Palm Cove. Thanks for all your help. Kind regards" John G., Boston, USA (22 Jul 03)

•"Hi Kylie, Ross and I got home yesterday from our six night holiday on Brampton Island. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Car storage was smooth and hassle-free with the car waiting for us at the Marina on our return.

Weather on the island was perfect for the first two days but strong winds blew for most of the week (although it still remained sunny). Luckily the main beach was sheltered with the south easterly winds blowing up the channel between Brampton and Carlisle Island.

We did all of the bushwalks (ran the 8.7 circuit before breakfast most days) and we did one if not two of the organized activities each day. We found the staff excellent, friendly and helpful. Boat trip over was calm but unfortunately with the big winds it was very rough on the way back. (I was not the only one with my head buried in the white paper bag!) Thanks for you all your assistance in arranging this holiday for us. (Might try Dunk next time) Regards," Leonie G., Brisbane, Australia (24 Jan 03)

•"Hi Mary, I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you that we had a great time at Hamilton Island and on our entire trip. I snorkeled at the reef while we were staying on Hamilton Island; it was thrilling. Thank you for your work and your assistance after we arrived, I truly appreciate it." Richard H., Florida, USA (3 Jul 03)

•"Hi Mary......what can I say....absolutely magnificent!...most likely the finest holiday I have experienced from a variety of perspectives. On multiple levels, my family truly had a grand time. It was both pleasurable, informative, and enlightening to visit your country. As expected from contact w/you, the people were cordial, friendly, and gracious in all our encounters. Indeed, I felt a sense of congeniality and honesty throughout our entire trip, especially when our identities were revealed as"yanks".

I especially enjoyed meeting several couples and discussing a variety of issues concerning global events and the universal affiliation Americans feel w/other English speaking peoples. It was wonderful and we have several people w/whom we plan to correspond w/via email. The trip itself was excellent. The food everywhere we went was outstanding, albeit somewhat pricey in Sydney and Melbourne, especially for breakfast in the hotels, but we balanced this w/strolling about the areas and were fortunate enough to locate eating establishments w/the locals.

This proved to be not only markedly better financially, but offered the opportunity to mingle and mix w/local people. It's amazing how people everywhere who are getting to work need that early hit of caffeine and danish! The intercountry travel was fine and pick/ups and transfers were done professionally. The accommodations were all very good in all cities, w/the exception of Le Meriden in Melbourne. The booked rooms were not quite what I expected, and I needed to upgrade to the next level.

By contrast the rooms at the Palazzo Versace were a"bit over the top" for my taste, but were interpreted as fabulous by my children and afforded them the opportunity to mix w/the"beautiful people". Overall the best for my taste and comfort was the Stamford Plaza in Brisbane. This hotel had genuine class,"old world" charm and a very professional staff to boot.

Next in preference for me was the Observatory in Sydney. Again here are consummate professionals serving in a classy but unpretentious hotel. Dunk island was also very enjoyable. Remote enough to gain some solitude, yet had access to a variety of activities and events, should you choose to do so.

Port Douglas was also pleasant, but seems to be caught between wanting to accommodate tourism and maintaining a remoteness and environmentally shrouded barrier towards development. It was quite interesting to speak w/the locals concerning this dilemma. The Sheraton Mirage was very lovely as well. A bit large for my preference, but much to do for my family.

In summary the arrangements were very good. The sights and places seen were wonderful. (Sydney Opera House, Aquariums, Manly Beach and the Military Museum, the zoos at both Sydney and Melbourne, Yarra Wine Country Tour, Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane River via City Cat, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Surfers Beach in the Gold Coast, and so on.

I thank you Mary for your patience and flexibility during our interactions. Without a doubt I will endeavor to get back to Australia again in the future. The only flaw was trying to see everything in the limited time. I felt we lived out of the suitcases and never unpacked! But the trade off was exposure to many different parts of the eastern coast.

Without reservation I will recommend your services to my colleagues at the Hospital. You are the consummate professional and it was a genuine pleasure in dealing w/you. I bid you well in your future endeavors. Sincerely," Francis B., USA (22 Jan 03)

•"Hi Jo, Back in Sydney and back to the grind! Just a quick note fo thanks for all your help with that getaway. The Beach Club on Hamilton Island was all you said it would be. Lovely weather, great R&R. Cheers," Nic Y., Sydney, Australia (23 Jun 03)

•"Dear Gayle, We had a great time! Thank goodness Australian airlines do not run such a tight check-in time as ours do. We arrived in Cairns with 25 min's to spare. Pete said I had him on a death march to get to the gate. We did not realize what a small airport Cairns has.

The flight over on Macair was fine. We arrived at Dunk Island and were asked to wait in the Bedarra waiting room. It was stocked with all kinds of goodies. The boat arrived just a few min's later for our trip over. I must say that unless you have been to Bedarra Island, it would be hard to explain that kind of luxury. Everything was perfect. They seemed to think of anything we needed before we did. I swear they watched for us to leave our room so they good go in and leave fresh towels, a thoughtful note, fresh flowers spread around the room or a fresh fruit tray and cheese in the refrigerator.

We even had a gift in our room on the day we departed. I can honestly say it was the most relaxing vacation we have ever had. We ate, drank, slept and went swimming. That was the extent of our days. We had Villa 5 and it was one of the best two story villas. Your private beach chairs were just out the door right in front of the villa. We had cocktails with some people that were staying in the pavilion villa and it was magnificent. But I don't think it was worth twice the money.

We took a boat out one day for a picnic on a private beach. Our basket was even packed with china, silver and wine glasses. They truly do think of everything.

Even though you didn't plan the first part of our trip, I will tell you that we fell in love with Brisbane. The people are so friendly. It was a great vacation. I will try to get you some pictures. Thanks for all your hard work, and holding my hand when I panicked. We will certainly recommend you to our friends and would call you again on our next trip to Australia. This trip rates right up there with the best we have ever taken." Sherry S., USA (19 Jun 03)

•"Hi Sonia, Thank you so much - the Griffin's had a wonderful trip to Lizard Island, Palm Cove and Queenstown and a wonderful time. They said that everything went as planned and there were no problems encountered what so ever. They all wish to thank you for doing a superb job! They are all very impressed with you. They especially enjoyed the Milford Sound portion of the trip and said the plane ride was spectacular and one of the best experiences of their lives! Please do send me emails with your specials, as we'd be interested in knowing what is available. As always, Sonia it is a pleasure to work with you! Best regards," Michelle R., USA (18 Jun 03)

•"Hi Gayle, We enjoyed our honeymoon immensely! We were extremely pleased with your services and would highly recommend you in the future and to any of our friends/relatives. Here's an overview of the hotels and services that we enjoyed while in Australia. I hope it helps you with your future planning:

Four Seasons, Sydney

The lobby in the hotel is gorgeous. We particularly liked enjoying a cocktail at the bar at the end of the night. The concierge was so helpful, he arranged for our laundry to be picked up and dropped off for us. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to try the restaurant out because there were so many choices in Sydney, with so little time. We upgraded our room to an Executive Suite and it was well worth it. When we mentioned that we were on our honeymoon, we found champagne in our room, shortly thereafter. The bathroom was huge with a very large shower. The suite was located on the corner of the building with a full panoramic view of Sydney Harbour. The spa was amazing. We only used the gym facilities, but we peeked into some of the candle-lit rooms where they do massages, etc. and they looked amazing. While working out in the gym, an attendant would pass around cold towels. The hotel was ideally located and close to everything possible, in Sydney.

Quay West Suites, Brisbane

Very nice and clean hotel with a smaller lobby bar and restaurant. Bathrooms in the lobby were very clean and included hand cream. For some reason they do not have a car valet and sometimes have to wait for a person to come back to the lobby desk area, which is sometimes vacant. The room was very nice with a very large balcony overlooking the gardens. The washer and dryer were definitely a nice touch. Unfortunately, the shower was so tiny and shaving your legs was almost impossible. Otherwise, we were pleased with the hotel and location.

Stamford Plaza, Brisbane

Very charming hotel with an old-world feel to it. We were only there for one night but we were very impressed with the decor and size of the room, considering it wasn't a suite. The bathroom was quite large that included a small TV on the counter. The river view room is definitely the way to go.

Sheraton, Noosa

The hotel lobby is beautifully decorated. The valet and front desk were very helpful and prompt. We were extremely impressed with the accessibility options for the handicapped. Paul's father is in a wheelchair and was able to zoom around everywhere on the grounds, in the elevator (with 4 other people) and in the hotel itself. Again, we found champagne in our room after mentioning that it was our honeymoon. The size of the room could be mistaken for a suite. The bathroom was huge and the living/sleeping area was enormous. The room also included a mini-kitchenette. We got the river view, but I would have preferred the pool view (just my preference).

Hayman Resort, Hayman Island

As soon as we stepped off the plane in Hamilton Island, we were whisked away on their private yacht and our luggage was all taken care of. They served up beverages including champage and beer for everyone. During the trip, they arranged for a full check-in of our room, including the room keys and reservations at a restaurant if we wanted. So, all we had to do was step off the boat and go to our room. We inquired about an upgrade ($150 extra per night) and when they showed us the Pool Wing Suite, we were floored as to how beautiful and large it was. There was a half bath in the foyer and in the living room was an enormous glass table. The bedroom was also extremely large that led into the bathroom area. This suite is double the size of the Pool Deluxe room. I absolutely loved the view because not only did you get a pool view, but you got the full frontal view of the mountains and the ocean.

I am convinced that we had the best room in the whole resort. A couple that we met upgraded to a beachfront room that they said was somewhat outdated in decor and very small. Also, while we were there, it was very windy for a few days, which made the beachfront rooms uncomfortable to step outside. The service at Hayman was impeccable. A couple of times we ordered ice to be delivered to our room and 5 minutes later they delivered the ice with an orchid in it.

One thing I was a little surprised about was that the La Fontaine Restaurant was hardly ever opened for dinner. However, the food at the resort was very very good. the Italian Restaurant was the most lively restaurant because they have live music there every night.

We did a seaplane tour and arranged a picnic lunch for the day. All we had to do was tell in-room dining when our trip was and they had a cooler waiting for us at the take-off launch. The tour was amazing and included being dropped off at a small boat to do some snorkeling. It was pretty funny watching the pilot step out of the plane and then become a captain of the boat. When finished snorkeling, he provided champagne, cheese and crackers. After that, we scooted off to Whitehaven beach to enjoy our picnic lunch and the beautiful white sand. I was so relaxed that I ended up falling asleep on the beach.

Because the island was so remote we felt the need to go and venture out. Thankfully Hayman provides a decent amount of hiking trails. We went hiking two days in a row and did a hike to Blue Pool Beach. The views along the way were spectacular.

Surfers Paradise, Chevron Towers

Extremely clean and well-designed hotel with famous prints of artwork throughout the lobby and every floor. Since it's more of an apartment building, there's no restaurant or bar, but we were perefectly entertained in the city. We were surprised as to how extremely tight the security was at the hotel. A key with a smart-card was given to us and is used to access everything from the elevator to getting in and out of the building. The room was very nice and a decent size. Since they are still constructing the second tower, we were admist all of the construction when on our balcony. Otherwise, we had a nice view of the city.

Rental Cars : The rental cars were nice and all seemed pretty new. On our first leg to Brisbane, they gave us a car without power windows, etc. So, we made sure to ask for that from then on.

I didn't go into detail about the individual cities, but that will be in a separate email :-) Regards," Susan M., USA (12 Jun 03)

•"Hi Ann, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you for booking my mother and myself to go on the Super Star LEO Cruise from Sydney on Monday 26th May. We had a great cabin in a good location and throughly enjoyed everything that the cruise had to offer. Please keep me informed of any good deals that you have in the future. As a person who has travelled a lot in the past it was a pleasure to deal with a professional travel consultant and I do sincerely hope that we are able to do business again. Many thanks again." Nola P., Sydney, Australia (10 Jun 03)

•"Hi Gayle, We wanted to share some pictures from our trip - We had a splendid time! I think our favorite was the Billy Can camping trip in Darwin you booked for us. There were 2 other couples on the trip. One from Denmark and one from England (usually this trip has 10 couples) and we had a really good time. The tour guide (Andrew Shaw) was very fun, friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, great cook, musician and made a big difference! If you ever get a chance you must try it (we went during the perfect time as far as we’re concerned!) We would recommend this to ANYONE!!

The snorkeling and scuba trip from Mission Beach was incredible as well. THANKS FOR SUGGESTING THAT! We used Quick Cat III – very professional and well worth the money( Sunday was discount day! Yee Haw! ) Enjoy the photos! (these will come with another email) Take care," Eileen & Rollin, USA (6 Jun 03)

•"Sonia, Our hockey group trip was fantastic and all accomodation wonderful. All the locations were well situated where the team members had easy access to transportation and things to do.

The Crown Plaza was great despite the rain(our only rain) - all were very impressed with the breakfast and comfortable rooms!

The Holiday Inn was in a perfect location as well being right next to the Harbour and all transport. The bell boys/concierge in both those locations were great about holding luggage until our departure/check-in. Although, not all in our group were the outdoor/ranch type - the Cherrabah Resort was perfect and very hospitable the couple days we were there. Most enjoyed the riding experience and a chance to watch a real Rodeo! The view is spectacular out there - what a shame it is for sale...the guys were great and it provided just the experience we were looking for.

The Illuka on the Gold Coast was perfect as well. They were very nice and hospitable. The rooms were outstanding and access to the beach couldn't be simplier.

Kathleen and I were so impressed with how much public access to the shore line/beach there was where we were in Australia - unfortunately in the states - much has been sold to private holders - that access is not as simple! Either the hotel is smack on the beach or a private individual has built right to the edge so all have to walk 5 blocks to get acccess and there are less bike/walking trails avaible to the public.

The tour of the Blue Mountains was a good day to just sit back and let someone else do the driving and talking. The players loved the opportunity to have the chance to get up close to a kangaroo and koala! So the Sanctuary was enjoyed as well.

All drivers were good and our driver, Tom, to the Cherrabah and out to our game in Toowoomba was very good and safe.

I think the total number of pictures taken was approx. 107 rolls of film! so we will be sure to forward as we find the best! Thanks again for everything. Sincerely," Mary M., Syracuse, USA (5 Jun 03)

•"Hi Kylie, We enjoyed our trip to Cable Beach in Broome, everything went smoothly and a good time was had by all. The attached pic we managed to snap as we approached the beach one day, caught our fancy. The ease with which our family holiday was arranged was great, thanks again." Karyn H., NSW, Australia (24 Jan 03)

•"Hi Kylie, The trip is exactly what we wanted, well except for the rain in Sydney, but you couldn't have predicted that. We got to complete all of our activities except the skydiving and the zoo because of the weather. We'll have to save it for our next trip to Australia. The Four Seasons was absolutely wonderful. Everything was within walking distance.

Our flight out to Cairns was fine as well. Qantas sent our scuba diving gear case to Brisbane, but had it back in the airport for us within 10 minutes. The private charter was wonderful as well The SkyTrans pilot, Bob, met us and took us to their lounge and went back for the missing diving gear. Bob did some extra turns so we could get some great pictures.

Lizard Island was spectacular. The food was wonderful and the staff was very attentive. The only major complaint we both have was the island burning on Lizard. It was really bad. We landed on Tuesday and then on Tuesday we received a letter about 30 minutes before they started burning. Evidently Park/Marine services had worked out with the resort a certain area that needed the underbrush burned in case of a fire. Instead of the resort closing for a few days they made the guests that were there deal with it and gave us a warning of a whole 30 minutes. It was a bit of a nuisance because you couldn't open the doors or go out on our veranda due to the smoke. When you went to dinner you came back smelling like smoke/charcoal. We had 2 nights of beachside dinning and our clothes, hair, etc smelled awful and you didn't want to stay outside.

The sunsets were hazed over due to the lingering smoke and winds and pieces of debris were all over the veranda everyday. Well despite the smoke we made the most of it and snorkeled and went diving and got very nice tans. Do you have a point of contact at P&O resorts that we can discuss this with?

Other than the island burning we had a great time. Australia is a wonderful place, we will be back hopefully in a few years!! Thanks again and we'll forward you those pictures! Thanks for a once in a lifetime honeymoon! Warmest Regards," Bruce & Mary W., Washington DC, USA (3 Jun 03)