OVERVIEW OF MY AUSTRALIA TRIP - Lee J., Manchester, USA (2 Aug 04) Dear Kylie, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! What a marvellous trip you planned for our family! It was wonderful. The Quay West Suites in Sydney was definitely worth the splurge. Heron Island was fabulous, even if the water was cold. (I would advise others visiting there during the winter to bring their own wetsuits, as Heron's own supply was deplorable. No wetsuits for children, etc.). We also took the glass-bottom boat where we all got a good view of the fish without shivering. It is an exceptional locale. Cairns was great. Went to Kuranda & kids had their pictures taken w/ koalas. (This operation is now owned by the same people who took over the Cairns wildlife park, which they have renamed Cairns Zoo.) We took the skyrail both ways to save time, as we were told the waterfalls were at a dribble and recent train riders were disappointed. Cape Tribulation and the boardwalks and the large self-guided observatory w/ the raised walkways , and the wattle-seed flavoured ice cream at the Daintree Ice Cream were all fun. We did end up taking a night walk which we arranged through the hotel. It was fabulous!!! The first night's walk was full, so we took the walk the second night. Had we been able to take the walk the first night, we would have also taken the day walk the next day. The walk was in a privately owned part of the rainforest, much older than what you see off the road. A lovely woman named Pru owns the grounds... The hotel was a nice, the food very good, but by the second night we felt a little stranded... Perhaps we would have been better off spending 3 nights in 3 different places (Cairns/Cape Tribulation/Mossman Gorge or Port Douglas). The third day we left early to go to "Breakfast with the Birds" in Port Douglas. It was delightful. (The advantage of arriving early is that you get to feed the wallabies while they are still hungry. It was a thrill for the kids to have them eating out of their hands.) The Park also does a nice job of explaining the different ecosystems. Off to Darwin. The hotel (Saville Suites) was great. Nicely located and washer/dryer in the room. Can't beat that. The camping trip was the highlight. We all loved it. The day at Manyallaluk was educational and very well done. (The plight of these aborigines is hauntingly similar to our Native American Indians...). Katherine Gorge was beautiful, but Kakadu was awe-inspiring. I would highly recommend this Odyssey Tours & Safaris company. Although the price of the tour was dear, the tour guides were the best, the adventures magnificent, the food delicious, and we all had a wonderful time. It was a perfect "10!" At our airport layover at Alice Springs, we discovered it would be less expensive to rent a car for the day than take the "Alice for Hire" service. (They charge a whopping $A66. an hour.) All the roads to all the requisite tourist attractions were well marked, so we didn't get lost. The car rental was a better choice than waiting out the whole morning at the airport. Uluru & the Olgas were nice. The Lodge was an excellent choice. (The pool was closed at the Outback Pioneer so we all able to use the facilities at the Sails.) We walked around the circumference of Uluru, and did the 2 hikes at the Olgas. It was beautiful, but I can see how it would be monotonous to stay any longer. The BBQ you recommended at the Lodge was fun, and the Sounds of Silence trip was well worth it. We all were fascinated by the astronomy lesson given about the sky in the Southern Hemisphere. (We had never seen the Southern Cross, or Jupiter!) The Stanford Hotel at the Sydney airport was lovely. Their pool was also closed for renovations, so we were in need of an early evening activity. We took your advice and went to Brighton Beach for the evening & had a wonderful seafood supper at the Lazy Lobster restaurant. (It was also a treat because it was BYOB, with a large bottle shop around the corner.) Thank you for the splendid suggestion! Needless to say, the Trans-Pacific flights were long, then we still had to traverse the U.S. We are happy to be home. One last word of praise. The voucher system went without a hitch. (Very few institutions even asked me for them.) Thank you for working with such reputable firms. Kylie, you have definitely picked the right field of work! We cannot possibly thank you enough!!! You are wonderful!!!