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Dear Zoe, just wanted to say thanks for all your arrangements for our Hol. in
Hamilton Island. First Class. Will not hold you responsible for cyclone Benny which added some excitement but did us out of visiting Barrier Reef. Will now have to come again and will try to see more of Queensland this time." A. C., London, UK (16 Apr 03)
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Hi Kylie, We had a most wonderful trip in
Australia. Everything turned out fine. No hassles, no worries! You prepared everything till the smallest detail. We'll be certainly in touch next time we come to your beautiful country. Some pictures of
Lindeman Island, and the most beautiful hole #8. Kind regards," Raymond & Liliane C., Antwerp, Belgium (17 Apr 03)
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Hello Kylie, I'm finally home after my extended travels in
Australia. I just want to tell you the trip went great! I couldn't have done it without you. I'm still so impressed that you could put together a detailed, seamless month-long itinerary in just 3 days - given my last minute decision to travel to Australia.
Not only was your advice indispensable to me but I shared many of your suggestions with fellow travelers. They all asked how I came by such"inside" information being a first-time traveler to Australia. Of course I took all of the credit (kidding.) I said I have a Travel Agent in the know.
Here are some trip Highlights --
1)
Sydney - The Russell Hotel was the perfect location. I'd stay there again.
2)
Wilson Island Experience was the best. Without any hesitation I would recommend this resort 150%!!!!!!!!!!!
3) I was able to travel stand-by on a Helicopter to
Heron Island for a little more money than taking the ferry. That one really impressed people. It worked just like you said it would.
4) Renting a car in
Tasmania and buying a National parks pass is the only way to go. Americans not used to driving on the left will find Tasmania a great practice ground.
5)
The Autopia - Great Ocean Road tour was perfect for me. It cost less than the"fancy tour" and actually covered more sites.
6) I did get a few free room upgrades I'm assuming for being a Globenet traveler at the
Cairns Queens Court and
Cradle Mountain Lodge.
I plan to return to Australia in June or July 2003 and will call you to arrange my next trip. This time I will try to give you more than 3 days notice. Thanks for everything. I'm your Biggest Fan!" Marcelle S., USA (13 Apr 03)
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Hi David : I had been meaning to do this sooner but have been a bit scattered since returning home to LA.
Thank you so much for coordinating our wonderful holiday to
Port Douglas last week. Amy and I had an incredible time diving on the reef with
Quicksmart (Amy wants to get certified now!) and also enjoyed our trip to
Kuranda. The arrangements you made from the air tickets to transfers to baggage storage at
Sydney and tours all worked beautifully.
The Kuranda day we were soooo touristy it was almost disconcerting but we had a blast. The diving was by
far too amazing -- we loved it. We did eat at
Nautilus which was in a magical spot but the food did not quite live up to its reputation -- good but not great. We really liked a place called
Michaelangelo's for Italian food. The
Break Free Port Sea (which I think I picked out) was nice hotel with an incredible"lagoon pool" that winds through the entire complex -- I would highly recommend it. Also its proximity to town and the beach is ideal.
We returned to Sydney on Saturday (
Qantas is my new favorite airline), picked up our bags with plenty of time to catch our flight back to the land that"forces freedom" on the rest of the world. (Amy and I both secretly want to become Aussies -- at least until Bush is removed from office.)
Anyway, thank you again for all your attention and extra effort you put forth on our behalf. Be well and should you ever make your way to LA be sure to let me know so I can buy you and your singing wife dinner in Hollywood. All the best, Ken W., Los Angeles, USA (11 Apr 03)
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Hi, Jo, We had a wonderful time in
Tangalooma. Thank you for your help and as a person who is in customer support business, I am impressed by your professional services. Please keep up the good work. :-)" Reiko S., Sydney, Australia (9 Apr 03)
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Hi Jean, Thankyou so much! I have just had the fortnight from hell in work and this was just the news I needed! We really appreciate all your help in booking
the Queenslander Train. Who knows - we might even call and say hello when we're in Brisbane!" Alison M., Sydney, Australia (9 Apr 03)
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Hi Jo, Everything went well with the arrangements you made for us. All that you planned went according to plan, and we thank you for the fine time we had at
Heron Island. Attached are some pictures for you. I guess every guest filters their experiences through expectations and past vacations. For Heron Island it is a mixed bag. We definitely enjoyed the time there, especially the snorkeling, nature talks, and viewing the turtle egg laying. The dive crew and marine center are really first rate.
However, a few things to be aware of:
This is a bulk resort, so individual attention and service are minimal. Didn't see the GM once during the visit. Would have thought that he/she would make the guest rounds. This attitude permeates the place.
It is a pay as you go kind of place. Everything costs extra. While fine in and of itself, given the inability to really see much off the beach, I found that the charges for things like daily snorkeling could have been handled better on a package basis, or all-in basis.
For corporate visitors who need daily email connections, this is not available except through an internet terminal that will hook into the WWW. For those of us that need a phone line to access corporate systems, this is a real draw back. Little interest in solving this by the staff.
Food was adequate, but again could have been more creative and less buffet-ish. Really, with only 200 guests, I fail to see why they can't run a menu based restaurant. Maybe a limited menu, but menu the same. It just would take some creativity.
You've got to realize that the number of birds on this island is a defining point. One cannot sleep at night without ear plugs!
I still don't understand why the resort feels the need to have a nightly band that no one listens to. Because we had a room nearer the bar, we were graced with band sounds until 11pm at night. I would guess that most people go to the island for nature and quiet (at least the number of people listening to the band at night seems to show this). The movies under the stars drew many more people. I am really tired of fighting thumping bass into the evening.
If you are serious about watching the turtles at night, a red light or LED flashlight is a must. Something that is not highlighted anywhere, but is the difference between stumbling around the beach and actually seeing something. Anyway, all said and done, we had a fine time, and thank you again for your help. Warmest regards," Eric Z., Shanghai, China (8 Apr 03)
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Hi Jo (ahem, G'day)- The travel arrangements could not have gone any better. Everything went smooth as silk! Thank you for your assistance. I loved
Australia and will be back! I'll see what I can do about getting you some pics... ," John G., Antarctica (8 Apr 03)
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Hi Jean, THANK YOU SOOOOO much for all you're help with our trip to
Club Med Lindeman Island!!! You have been a great anchor during the easy booking phase and difficult coordination during the war and visa application for my mother. Thank you again Jean," Sylvia C., Melbourne, Australia (8 Apr 03)
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Hi Sonia, Thank you SO MUCH for all your help on our
Kingfisher Bay Fraser Island trip. It was fabulous and everything was perfect. We will certainly be making another trip there sometime in the future. We're hoping to go with another family of 5 that lives in Shanghai. Please feel free to send me your specials. Actually, I am hoping to become Australian in my next life, but my Australian friends here say I have to get a better attitude about Vegemite first! Typical American, I guess!! Thank you again." Susan G., Shanghai, China (8 Apr 03)
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Dear Kylie, Thanks so much, we had a lovely time. Your country is a beautiful place ! Sydney was great and the Saville is a lovely hotel, very close to the harbour and trains, ferries etc. which was great as we didn't have a car. Our suite had a kitchen, fully kitted and a lovely room and lounge. Very plush. Well worth the money.
Pick up and drop off were very good too. Everything just worked on time, right first time , all the time !! something we miss so dearly in Africa !!!! Attached is a photo of me with my 18month old daughter, Sabrina, on the ferry cruise around the Sydney Harbour. Thanks again and we hope to come back to Australia in the future. I have passed your name and email to others and hope you generate some business from us. Fond regards," Lisa M., South Africa (28 Mar 03)
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Hello Sonia, We are back and we had a wonderful time at
Orpheus Island and
Ayers Rock. The
Sunrise tour of Uluru was wonderful, one of the highlights of our trip. We were the only passengers and our guide was excellent. Thank you for making this such a wonderful trip. Regards," Renee K., Los Angeles, USA (27 Mar 03)
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Hi Tosh, Just a quick thankyou for your help organising our trip this weekend to the
Palazzo Versace - We had a fantastic time. It certainly is a superb place to stay! The trouble is the next place we go will seem a bit tame. Anyway thanks for your suggestion & for sorting it at such short notice! ," Steve R., Dubai (18 Mar 03)
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Hi Tina, The trip to
Club Med Lindeman went very well. All of the travel arrangements went smoothly and we were grateful for good weather while we were there (apart from threat of a cyclone at one stage).
I was very happy with the service provided by Globenet Travel - while you were on leave I was always looked after by personnel from Globenet Travel and our arrangements were never delayed at any stage - I would say the efficiency and result were very good. Thanks very much, kind regards," Jacqui A., Mascot, Australia (11 Mar 03)
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Dear Sonia, I can't believe what a wonderful trip we had. People have asked us what was the best part and I couldn't answer them. Everything that we did was special. All the hotel accommodations where great. All our connecting flights went off without a hitch. We even survived driving on the WRONG side of the road in New Zealand. We just want to thank you for making our trip what it was. If you want we can send you a detailed breakdown of all the special places we were. You would love
Kangaroo Island ; it's beautiful and the company that took care of us was very special. The guide was terrific!
New Zealand was wonderful; we ran into alot of Auzzies there. Your family would enjoy it and it is such a beautiful country. I don't think there is a straight road there only very windy and curvey. Again, Sonia many thanks. Fondly," Bonnie & Marshall, Utah, USA (9 Mar 03)
•"A very Good Morning to you
Sonia, Thank You SOOO much for getting me to
Great Keppel Island!!!!!! It was the absolute BEST holiday of my life to say the least! I've been to many places around the world over and this was fantastic!!! I could not have had a better time than what I had in the 5 days I was there. UNBELIEVABLE. Words could not possibly explain how exciting, fun, party going and social it was.
I'll be giving a few friends your details so they can get in touch with you for a trip to GKI. If not I will be making a booking through you for a trip to NZ in the end of April. I'll be in contact on that one. Might even pass through to Keppel on the way back.
I met soooo many great girls and guys. The girls were lovely and the guys were top mates whom I will be keeping in touch with for sure. I am so grateful that you told me about Contiki GKI. Thank you again! Mind you, I think everyone that was on the island knew about the Little guy from PNG or they got to know me. I had a ripper. I took some GREAT photo's so if you need any for your file to show others how good a time can be had, I'm more than willing to email some over to you. Just got to get to a scanner and scan them. What else can I say but THANK YOU. Sincerely," Gary L., Madang, PNG (28 Feb 03)
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Dear Ms. Tobin, Wife Christa and I have returned from an unforgettable trip to
Australia. Car, hotels, water taxi and the resort that Globenet had organized for us were all expecting us without glitch, making our tour of Australia even more enjoyable. You delivered the kind of service that assures repeat bookings with Globenet.
Returning to deep snow in upstate New York we were seized by moments of homesickness for the sun in Australia and for the 'peace and plenty' of
Dunk Island. We are so glad that we took your suggestion to select the Bayview suite, which was lovely. We left the balcony doors open at night, listening to waves rolling ashore and to the downpours of tropical rain.
The Bed and Breakfast in
Sydney, Tricketts, which I had found via a former student of mine, offered an old world elegance with modern comforts beyond our imaginations. The owner, Liz Tricketts, is a delight to have you join the breakfast table. She has a beautiful mind and is a rich source of Sydney's history with many personal anecdotes in the world of big affairs. Staying at Tricketts for nearly a week was like visiting the inner world of Australia, as opposed to the outer world of the big inner city hotels run by international chains. We highly recommend Tricketts to your more discriminating clients. Tricketts has a website.
We are sure to return to Sydney which has become our favorite city. We would also like to see other cities in Australia, Melbourne and Perth. When the time comes you will be sure to hear from us. Cheers, Klaus B., Ithaca, USA (22 Feb 03)
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Hi Tosh, I recently made inquiries into a holiday in the
Whitsunday Islands. I was surprised to find real time contact with Shelley who was absolutely fantastic and of great assistance. I will be reccomending both her and your service highly to others. Thank you for making shopping for a holiday both an easy and enjoyable experience. Top marks !! Keep up the good work. I will be using this service for any further holiday requirements. Thank you and cheers." Pam R., Melbourne, Australia (22 Feb 03)
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Hi Tina. Alma, John and Hoppy (sp?) (Katherine) at
Florence Court were so wonderful to us! We loved staying with them, it was a great way to spend our last few days of vacation.
Auckland is an absolutey beautiful city; we definitely plan to return to NZ someday and spend more time there and elsewhere in the country. It was great fun to be there during the first few days of the America's Cup, and this from a couple of nonsailors. You should definitely recommend Florence Court to others, it was wonderful. Needless to say it is gorgeously appointed and well restored.
But the thing that really made the experience so wonderful for us was the Sax family and Hoppy and her husband, Bruce, all of whom were great, as noted above. They treat you as part of the family, and seem to genuinely enjoy themselves doing so. We also really enjoyed the other couple that was staying there at the same time. For sure, Florence Court and Auckland were a highlight of our trip!
We had a wonderful trip and thank you so much for all you did for us. As far as how it went after we met up with you in Sydney, here goes. As you predicted, we LOVED
Hayman Island. What a great place! A gorgeous resort and gorgeous island. We loved all the birds -- a zillion cockatoos, plus ducks, swans, gallahs, tons of others. There were also a bunch of fruit bats that came out at sunset every night which was actually really cool. The reef trip was fantastic! The reef itself is unbelievable, so well preserved despite what the environmentalists say, an amazing variety of creatures and corals. We were treated beautifully by everyone, we had a fantastic room (I think it was 201 Lagoon Wing), and we just loved every minute we were there. We even had two days of serious rain, and we still loved it. The spa was fabulous, excellent masseuses. I hope you get to go on the next travel agent excursion there -- don't miss it.
Bedarra Island was also absolutely wonderful. We had crystal clear blue skies there, even during rainy season, and the villas are fabulous as is the service, food, pool, natural beauty etc etc. You can use all the facilities at
Dunk Island, i.e. hiking (the island is much bigger than Bedarra so many more trails), bigger spa, two pools and go on all the same side trips. The accomodations at Dunk were very basic, especially considering the price. However, the food was very good. We loved our Reef trip there too. It was not as"luxurious" as the Hayman Reef trip, but the actual portion of the Reef we saw was even cooler than what we saw in the Whitsundays in terms of variety of coral, fish, other stuff, and the amount of time that we got to spend in the water. Next time (and there will be a next time though probably not for a few years) we would want to stay only at Bedarra I think and just use the Dunk facilities. Its only a 12 minute boat ride between the two islands.
Truthfully, the
Cook Islands was disappointing. The people did not seem particularly thrilled to have tourists despite the fact that tourism would appear to be their only thriving industry. It was a less friendly place than
French Polynesia or
Hawaii. Lots of things did not work and people were disorganized about many things. I would not recommend either the Pearl Beach or the Roratongan Beach Resort to anyone else.
For
Aitutaki, you might want to check into the
Pacific Resort. That is the one that you also offered to us that it is not fully finished yet. (Remember we couldn't figure out which one was the Pearl Beach for a while?) We had lunch there a couple of times and it looked like it was quite nice, though of course we didn't see any of the insides of the villas and can't vouch for the service or anything else. But the setting was pretty and the resort is brand new so hopefully it can't be too bad. Not sure about the price. The food was ok, not great, but then again it was better than the Pearl Beach. I would definitely not encourage anyone to spend the money for the overwater bungalows at the Pearl Beach. It was STIFFLINGLY hot, NO BREEZE on that part of the water where they are located. Not worth it.
For
Rarotonga, you might look into a place called
the Little Polynesian. It looked great and we were told by the local vet there (a woman from US that we met) that it is considered to be the best on the Island. It's small and may not have a restaurant, but there are lots of them close by. There are also several small places to rent, like condos and such. The best part of the island is the Muri Beach area which is where these places are. The best restaurants are Sails, Da Carlos and the Flame Tree.
The Roratongan Beach Resort was too touristy for us. Actually, the beachfront room was better than the Junior Garden Suite because it was virtually the same size and appointed the same way but had a much better view and was in a much quieter portion of the resort. The food there was very basic, we ate out. Next time, we will spend more time in NZ -- haha. I should say that it rained virtually the entire time we were there which no doubt colored our view, but then again it rained at Hayman and didn't affect our view of that. I can't believe I wanted to go to the Cook Islands so badly -- oh well, you don't know if you don't go, right?
And I already told you about Auckland, which we loved. We had a card from Peter and Val with pictures of our stay when we got home; what sweeties!
We have not gotten it together yet to get our pics developed, but would be happy to send you one for your website. Thanks again so much for all your help. We recommended you to a couple we met at Bedarra, did they get in touch? ," Lamar & Louann, Alaska (21 Feb 03)
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