Hayman Island Resort Reviews from GlobeNet Travel for Hayman Island

Thank you for your reviews of Hayman Island Resort for the benefit of fellow travellers. Included here are some of your responses and we update regularly.

• "Dear Tosh We had a wonderful Hayman Island experience. We really enjoyed a great holiday and we would like to thank you for doing a great job in making all our Hayman Island arrangements in the nick of time and with the utmost of professionalism. Thank you for a job well done!

Please find attached a picture of our youngest son (7 yrs old) having a lovely time in the Great Barrier Reef. Kind regards, " Giel-Jan V., Saudi Arabia (2 Jan 06)

• "Hi Sali, We had a fantastic time! The boat trip to Hayman Island was a dream come true. Such a great start to a holiday.

The rooms unfortunately were quite dirty ie. dust and cobwelbs everywhere and chocolate wrappers under the beds, left from previous guests (not what you would expect from a five star resort). The room size and facilities however were excellent.

Simon sent a brand new $200 shirt to the laundry. They obviously didn't follow the washing instructions and put the shirt in a dryer, so it came back a size smaller. He can't wear it again. We were very disappointed with this. Perhaps Hayman needs to improve on their washing facilities and provide a washing room for their guests.

The variety of restaurants and food was exceptional. We tried all the restaurants and enjoyed each one. The quality of food is fantastic.

Hayman certainly offers a great variety of water activities for the family which we all loved. The theatre was also a huge success with our children. Especially the popcorn! I think ten days would be ideal next trip. You made organizing the holiday a breeze. Thank you once again Sali." Audrey H., Melbourne, Australia (20 Jan 06)

• "Dear Zoe: We are now back in Europe. We had a great time in Australia - visited Sails in the Desert, The Lakes Resort Cairns, Hayman Island and Lillianfels Blue Mountains. Everything went as planned. When we have to give a more specific remark, than it is that the Palm Rooms at Hayman are a little bit shabby for that rate. Kind regards" Markus W., Germany (17 Jan 06)

• "Hi Zoe, Thanks for arranging the trip for us. The properties we stayed at all had their own individual charm.

Peppers Palm Bay was lovely and relaxing, the food was pretty good, and as there is only really the one restaurant it is worth including dinner in your package. The food was fresh and there was always a choice of three items for each course. The staff were generally lovely and it was a good place to relax. I would recommend it to overseas guests as there are a lot of wallabies that graze on the lawn at dusk and all over the place on bush walks as well as a few interesting birds and geckos.... I recommend Peppers Palm Bay generally, especially for the price but don't expect anything out of the ordinary.

The Beach Club at Hamilton Island was very good. The pool was fantastic and the staff great, as was the breakfast. The chauffer driven buggy to wherever you want to go on the island 24 hours was great and all restaurants etc call the Beach Club for you to arrange your pick up. The vouchers for the sunset cruise and Beach House dinner were a waste of time and money as they were not available on any nights we were there and we had to upgrade to a dinner cruise and go to Beach Club instead at major surcharges and I really wish we had not bothered. The dinner cruise had very good food.

Beach Club is nice for food but we would have been better off doing our own thing as they did not present us with a bill and when we checked out we just had all these additional charges from our dinner despite not seeing any breakdown. It may be Ok if you are there a week as the services may be available then, but for a short stay it is just frustrating to include services which were not available, especially as we ended up spending more money than if we had done our own thing and were doing things we didn't especially want to do. Beach Club is a nice property but not really 5 star, maybe 4.

Hayman Island was lovely. We had a helicopter transfer which was brilliant and the launch transfer on the way there was pretty good too, champagne and nice snacks made the trip feel part of the holiday and we were already given keys on the launch so could go straight to our room. A very smooth check in and transfer.

The restaurants were pretty good. The Hayman pool is fantastic as is the service and facilities. There were a few too many kids but generally the place was brilliant. The buildings are a little dated but the rooms have been refurbished, the spa was fantastic, we really enjoyed sailing, their water sports were good and La Fontaine, their silver service restaurant was worth the splurge, but keep an eye on the drinks they serve you as ours were not what we ordered and were always more expensive.

Unfortunately there was a small fire the night we dined at La Fontaine (a candle/lamp was set alight) and so we ended up with ash in our drinks which were not replaced, which at $19 a glass of wine was disappointing... The degustation menu was fantastic, the staff very helpful and a great wine list. There are lots of different services including a welcome talk telling you about facilities, kitchen tours, massive cocktails at the Plantation lounge, a cinema with free popcorn and a huge pool table and nice club lounge. The chocolates are stored in a chocolate rooms and are fantastic.

Hayman was definitely the most up market, with prices to match, Peppers Palm Bay the most relaxed and Hamilton an island for all tastes and budgets. On the whole we had a fantastic time. The properties were far from the opulence of some of the overseas properties we have stayed at but the laid back yet professional manner of the Australian staff was good and the gorgeous reef and Whitehaven Beach made this well worth a trip." Michelle D., Melbourne, Australia (9 Dec 05)

• "Hi Sali We had a wonderful time at Hayman Island. The standard of food and service far exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be coming back!" Tiffany S., Brisbane, Australia (12 Oct 05)

• "Dear Michelle Our holiday was fantastic. Hayman Island was great and the service was second to none. We loved it so much we are likely to return there. The only disappointing thing was our dinner at The Trattoria restaurant on the second night (the pizza was soggy and expensive).

We attended some fantastic day tours and the snorkling around Hayman was superb. Watersports were really helpful and the room and room service was great too. We give the whole experience 9 out of 10. Thanks for your help arranging our lovely break and speak with you again (soon lets hope)." Deborah C., Sydney, Australia (11 Oct 05)

• "Hello Zoe Thank you for making our experience on Hayman Island a very memorable one. We were thoroughly impressed with everything that had been organised. We made sure that we had the vouchers that we had printed out, with us at all times. The staff and personnel were extremely friendly and made us feel at home.

The flight to Hamilton Island went well and being taken to the Island aboard a seaplane was a highlight to the beginning of our honeymoon . All connections had been made aware of because we were continually greeted by our first name or surname which made us feel at home." Diedrie & Herbert, Melbourne, Australia (3 Sep 05)

• "Hi Gayle, The six night break on Hayman Island went extremely well. The place had changed a lot in 23 years. We had our honeymoon there. We were fortunate enough to get an upgrade to a Lagoon Suite. A very nice pad !! Its an excellent island, all dining options were great and we were lucky enough to go to the "Chef's Table " on 2 occasions in the one week. Superb snorkelling also. The staff are very attentative and well trained in what they do. Its obviously very popular with North Americans at the moment. Thanks for your help in booking this for us. Until our next short break." Mike and Margo D., Sydney, Australia (15 Jun 05)

• "Sali, We had a fantastic time at Hayman Island Resort, everything was taken care of wonderfully. Everything went smoothly and according to plan. Thank you for all you help and we will certainly be contacting you for our future travel needs." Vanessa W., Melbourne, Australia (7 Mar 05)

• "Hi Zoe, Hayman Island was magic! Thanks for your suggestion and assistance with the booking. Our hectic schedule was as follows: sleep in, outdoor shower, buffet breakfast, pool, lunch by pool, pool, afternoon nap, dinner, sleep - repeat and rinse 5 times! The launch was fun, the Hayman staff totally obliging, the fresh food at every restaurant divine and our Retreat Room was heaven! As you can imagine, Yves and I loved every minute and didn't want to leave. We hope to return in the very near future and would love your assistance again so keep us in mind for any hot deals! " Odile S., Sydney, Australia (10 Feb 05)

• "Hi Sali, Thank YOU for a wonderful holiday! We absolutely loved Hayman Island and everything about the resort was wonderful. We would like to thank you for all the arrangements you made and everything went perfect, all as scheduled and on time. Thank You again for your great help in arranging our perfect anniversary holiday, the chocolates and champagne we received were an added bonus. Kind Regards" Mike and Belinda O'R., Brisbane, Australia (24 Jan 05)

• "Hi Gayle I would like to thank you very much for your help with all the bookings, everything worked out perfectly including the wedding. The travel arrangements were very smooth which surprised me as usually they're a few problems but your work definitely reflects your award. Hayman Island Resor t upgraded us to a Lagoon Room, that was fantastic, luxury all the way! Thanks again, I have attached a picture of the wedding, it was such a beautiful way to get married and would recommend it to anyone! Kind regards" Tarek & Shirley N., Sydney, Australia (1 Dec 04)

• "Zoe, Hayman Island was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Thank you so much for all your help. Our one year anniversary couldnt have gone smoother! The staff on the island were amazing, very friendly. The pool was huge, and the beach, even better! The food was awesome, we had our own butler and waiter for one night to wait on us until we completed our candlelit dinner on our balcony, we felt like royalty.

Scuba Diving was great and we were taken to Whitehaven Beach for a picnic lunch together. Thanks once again Zoe, I will be in touch early in the new year to book another hayman island holiday. You have been a great help. PS. If your wanting a relaxing and exclusive holiday where the only thing you have to worry about is which poolside lounge you are going to be sunbaking on, then Hayman is the place to go. With thanks," Tom & Ana D., Sydney, Australia (25 Nov 04)

• "Gayle, A quick thank-you. Yes Hayman Island was lovely and you did a great job of organization" Alan M., Sydney, Australia (23 Nov 04)

•"Hi Tina, Hayman Island was absolutely fantastic, accomodation and food was just great - It's paradise! We're planning to go back next year. Thanks for organising the holiday for us. I'll be in touch when we're ready to go again. Regards," Mark L., Sydney, Australia (27 Oct 04)

•"Sonia...., The trip to the Sebel Noosa and Hayman island was beyond my expectations!! Chris and I had a wonderful time. I promise to share some pictures when we get them downloaded. Your help and patience on helping to plan the trip were really appreciated. No rain the entire 2 weeks." Kelly C., Los Angeles, USA (19 Oct 04)

•"Hi Sonia, We really enjoyed ourselves at Hayman Island, Silky Oaks Lodge and Four Seasons Sydney, what a beautiful and diverse country. We have absolutely have fallen in love with Sydney. Thank you for everything you did, it went smoothly and nicely. If we ever make another trip to Australia we will use your services again. When I do my photo album I will send you a picture. Thank you again " Adeleh R., Los Angeles, USA (6 Sep 04)

• "Hi Sonia I was excited to plan this trip to Australia and my expectations were running very high. Sonia, your expertise and help with the planning of my trip exceeded my highest expectations.

Hayman Island Resort is outstanding but what made it even more so was your experience and input in choosing my room. You told me the Lagoon Wing rooms were larger but my best choice would be the Pool Wing. How right you were ! I had asked you to try and reserve an upper room on an end at Hayman....Sonia, we were provided an upper room on the 3rd floor with an absolutely incredible view of the pool and on to the ocean. The room was the first room off the center of the wing. Your advice on the food and other details was perfect and if your ears were ringing last week it was because we were singing your praises. We took a helicopter to Whitehaven Beach and then to The Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling.

I loved the trip and we are already planning to return again next year. This terrorist news is a little disconcerting but life must go on. Sydney was a lot of fun....we took the ferry to Manly, a train to Hornsby and enjoyed the Sydney Opera House on Saturday night with a wonderful opera. Please keep me posted on activities in Australia. More later along with a picture or two to follow. Best always and thank you again, you were wonderful!" Al P., Los Angeles, USA (27 Jul 04)

• "Hi Zoe We had a great holiday and the accommodation etc was exactly what we wanted, we were very impressed with Hamilton Island, the choices, food, service and facilities were all above our expectations, trully a great getaway island.

Hayman was an experience and one that didn't live up to the expectations that we had, I think the service was a little slack on a few occasions. Other than that, we will keep you in mind next year, when we decide to take another break (off to USA and Italy in September this year). Kind regards" Debbie G., Wellington, New Zealand (30 Jun 04)

• "Hi Rene... Our trip was lovely... We received a complimentary room upgrade to a beach front room which was beautifully positioned. The Hayman Island staff were wonderful & accommodating - we couldn't fault their service... Right from the beginning at the Hamilton Island airport...

They took care of everything, with our luggage delivered to our rooms from plane, the relaxing trip on the stunning Hayman yacht - with complimentary refreshments. The food on the island was a1 - delicious & plentiful. In all, Hayman is a beautiful island, peaceful, lush & well worth the treat. Thanks so much for your service rene & yes we'd like to hear about any "specials" in future. Kind regards, " Narelle K., Melbourne, Australia (10 Mar 04)

• "Zoe, it was great in the Retreat Room at Hayman Island - and all the travel arrangements went off without any worries at all. Thanks for your help - I'll be contacting you again soon for another holiday" Art C., San Francisco, USA (18 Feb 04)

• "Dear Jean, Just a short note to thank you for the superb service that you provided in booking my trip to Hayman Island. I really appreciated your efforts and particularly your responsiveness in making all the arrangements so efficiently and at such short notice. And to top it all - Hayman was absolutely mind-blowing. Best regards," Allister W., London, UK (1 Dec 03)

• "Hello Zoe, Given it was my first time booking a long haul trip using the internet/E Mail instead of using my travel agent in the UK I obviously had some initial anxiety that there may be some difficulties. But having now returned I can say that everything went very well and all the arrangements you made were excellent.....I would definitely use GlobeNet Travel again.

I would also particularly recommend Kangaroo Island - the scenery and wild life was spectacular and flying to the island and hiring the car was definitely the best way to see the island in a very short space of time.

Some additional feedback that you may find useful for others...

Hayman Island is a lovely resort - the room was great (deluxe pool view was the right choice vs lagoon in case anyone ever asks you for advice). The only downside was the fact that at the week-end it is very busy so if you arrive then you will find booking a restaurant for a reasonable time (ie before 9.30PM) difficult even if you book as soon as you arrive. My advice would be to make restaurant bookings before you get there if it is a week-end so that you do not end up with a late night dinner or room service.

I must admit I enjoyed it so much that I had even thought about going back for the New Year (Dec 28-Jan 4) to Noosa and Melbourne (just me this time given my partner's work commitments) however I have today checked flight costs from Brussels via the UK to Australia and they are just too expensive for that period of time so my next trip will have to wait!!!! Thanks again for all your help.....will definitely be in touch again for my next trip to Australia." June H., Belgium (17 Nov03)

• "Dear Gayle, We're back now and eventually over the jet lag so I thought I'd let you know what we thought. Overall there is no doubt that Hayman Island is an excellent resort but some parts aren't all they are cracked up to be. I'd go for the Lagoon Wing every time with the Pool Wing as a second choice. I'd avoid the central part for a room. The rooms in the Lagoon Wing are looking a bit tired but I understand that they are upgrading them starting with the Penthouses on the fourth floor (great views from these and probably a cost effective alternative for a family that would otherwise need two rooms)

I'd give the vouchers a miss next time. Firstly they encourage you to over eat as you've paid for it, secondly the hotel 'forgets' to deduct them from the bill so check the final account. As for the restaurants la Fontaine is over rated, I had to send my main course back as it had obviously spent too much time under the heat lamp! You should have seen the astonishment on the waiters face, send it back?!?! They are trying for French formal but this doesn't really work with Australians, not arrogant enough, as a result it lacks atmosphere and the food isn't that special, same goes for the chef's table.

The Oriental was great, get a table hidden in the garden, not just outside. Azure and Trattoria are also good. Wine is extortionate at all of them! The staff are all brilliant, by the end of the week we had figured out that the best thing to do was let them (or the chef) recommend the dishes and wine, they seemed to appreciate the responsibility! All the restaurants food prices are similar, La Fontaine only serves really expensive wine Au$100+ but the one we had was really good.

As for connections they are obviously set up for Qantas flights from Hamilton Island, so we had to wait a long time at Proserpine on the way back, as the boat left early to make the Qantas connection. The boat is OK, nothing special. The seaplane is really noisy, as Saskia said "no like it", so for fast connections, I'd recommend a helicopter. The Whitehaven beach helicopter excursion is a must, unbelievable!

Finally to enjoy it you have to forget the value of money, if it was Au$10 to each £ it would have been reasonable, but life's too short not to enjoy it and in Europe the top hotels really rip you, Hayman wasn't that pricey! Do not go there on a spending budget of less than Au$750 per day if you are wanting to let rip.

Would we do it again, you betcha! Thanks again for all your help. All the best.

P.S. The kids club and baby sitting (you get the same person each night) are both really good and very reasonable price wise, well worth it to let Mum and Dad have some quality time together." Andrew C., London, UK (16 Oct 03)

• "Dear Sonia: Thank you for the wonderful Australian and New Zealand experience visiting Hayman Island, Angsana Palm Cove and Queenstown! Everything you planned was just perfect. These days were really unforgetable. You can see on the pictures how happy we were down there in your incredible country. See you some day!" António C.," Portugal (25 Aug 03)

• "Dear Kylie: I just want you to know that we had an absolutely marvelous time on Hayman Island. Not only did they upgrade us to a Pool Room but they even gave us a Suite! I was so impressed with everything and on behalf of my husband and friends, we want to thank you for your excellent service and help. You're absolutely the greatest. We do plan to visit Australia again (this time we want to spend some time on Bedarra Island ) and if you are still working in this capacity, you'll be the only one we will contact. Thanks again for making this all happen. Warm Regards, Joan, Clark, Gary & Marie S., California, USA (16 Sep 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:.....

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.. Regards," Susan M., USA (12 Jun 03)

• "Hi Kylie, We are back on London, arrived back late March. Honeymoon was fantastic, everything was absolutely wonderful. Hayman Island was spectacular, we did nearly all of the activities. ( Water plane rides, scuba, diving, snorkelling & cruises - to name a few). Food was brilliant, although rather on the pricey side (25 dollars for a steak burger!!) I think maybe they've slightly overdosed on the pricing of food. Apart from this, everything else was perfect, and our room was excellent.

It was wise to go to Hayman for 10 nights, as many of the activities were booked days in advance, so if your only there for a couple of days, you could quite easily miss out on some of them.

Qantas flight was great, and the launch service was fab, champers from the minute we arrived, fab!!

That's about it really Kylie, we just wanted to say, thanks for arranging our honeymoon for us, you did an bloody fantastic job, it's probably the best Travel Agency service I have ever received. Thanks also for the extra little goodies we received. (Bags hats etc.) Anyway hope you have a great easter and maybe speak to you when we book our next holidays. I'm sure you'll hear from us again soon. Take care and thanks for everything. Regards," Damien F., UK (21 Apr 03)

• "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.

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)

• "Dear Jo, We had a great time at Hayman island and thanks for getting us a poolside room - it was fantastic! I don't have any good photos for you at the moment, but thanks for all your help and great service. We'll definitely be in touch for another holiday later in the year! Thanks again, Barb & Paul S., Melbourne, Australia (17 Feb 03)

• "Kylie, Thanks so much for organising such a fabulous holiday for us - everything went like clockwork (and Hayman Island was really amazing). Your help was so very much appreciated. Great country!" Ian W., London, UK (28 Jan 03)

• "Hi Kylie... Our trip to Australia was beautiful. After 6 trips to Oz it doesn't take much to make me happy when i'm there. Noosa 's weather was superb. Daily morning ritual of walking through the national park along the rocky shore and down to the white sand beaches. Afternoons over at Sunshine Beach lazing about and our ritual swims.

Your help in getting things organized was superb. I even referred a former qantas co-worker,d d, to you for her trip Downunder. I had lunch with her friday but I neglected to ask her to what extent she made use of your services.

Reviews about Hayman Island. . .it is a lovely island and accomodations were great. I must say to you though that it is boring at night. It offers nothing for entertainment and those feelings were shared by all the aussies we met including a young newly wed couple from Melbourne and a lively group of aussies there for a wedding who invited us into the pre wedding party. For such a beautiful property to ignore the socializing aspect of bringing people to a property and neglecting nightlife is really too bad.

It really is a tropical paradise and it could be even more so if they really concentrated on providing entertainment and an atmosphere where people could mingle and mix. Everyone said the same thing. I wouldn't go back because of that but I loved the physical beauty of the place. Two days is more than enough. Restaurants serve excellent fare, albeit at a price, wait staff are young,friendly and courteous. After dinner though everything just kinda lulls to nothing.

Sydney accomodations at le Meridien were very good. It is conveniently located within a short walk to Circular Quay and the staff are very helpful. My mate Tony who unlike me is used to 5-star accomodations said he would stay there again. This was his first trip to Oz and he came away with a big smile. When we got to New Zealand I wiped that smile off his face by going to Waitomo for a caving experience called "lost world" where the adventure begins with a 100 metre abseil into a mist shrouded cave from a platform suspended over a river below and the bottom of the rope isn't even visible! The smile faded but returned when we touched down. It was beautiful.

Thank you again for all your efforts. You were superb." John L., San Francisco, USA (26 Jan 03)

• "Hi Jo, Eric and I had a wonderful time on our holiday and appreciate all of your assistance with our trip. The only feedback that we have is that we felt that the flight from Cairns to Hamilton Island was a little too early. We had to be picked up at Silky Oaks at 3:30 a.m. by the car service... It wasn't that big of a deal, but would have allowed us a little more sleep.

Overall, we felt that you did an outstanding job and were very pleased with our trip. We loved Ayers Rock the Sounds of Silence dinner (a real highlight) and the Harley Davidson tour (I know that I scheduled this one, but thought I'd give you positive feedback for future customers).

We also had a great experience on Hayman Island resort and would recommend the Seaplane for snorkeling at the outer reef, the sunset drop-off, and The Chef's Table. Thank you for all of your help. " J.S., Wilton, USA (13 Jan 03)

• "Hello Gayle, Happy New Year to you and I hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine. Everything went just as you had arranged. The Four Seasons in Sydney was a great location as it was very close to the ferry and The Rocks. Hayman Island was beautiful and the room was fantastic. Just as nice was Silky Oaks in relaxation, 5 star food and presentation, and spa treatments were to die for.

Please find a picture of my wife holding a 2 month old orphaned baby Wombat during our VIP tour of the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. A day or two later the princess of Japan was holding the very same Wombat. Thank you so much for all your help it was a wonderful 30th anniversary celebration. Regards," S.F., USA (14 Jan 03)

• "Hi Kylie Had a great time at Hayman Island and everything went smoothly even managed to get the faster connection to Perth via Sydney from Hamilton island. Had a great time in Perth also catching up with friends and family - I really miss the Indian Ocean sunsets!" D.O., USA (12 Jan 03)

• "Hello Gayle. We're finally settling back into our daily grind and so I wanted to take a few moments to give you some feedback on our trip. Overall, it was truly a wonderful honeymoon. We enjoyed every leg of our journey!

First, Sydney...The Four Seasons was beautiful and the service impeccable. Thank you for telling them (and all of our hotels) that it was our honeymoon because every time we checked in to a new hotel, we had a A complimentary bottle of wine or champagne brought to our room. We REALLY enjoyed the Harbour BridgeClimb. The night climb is definitely the best time to do it, because the climb starts while it's still daylight and then the sun goes down during the climb and then we had incredible night views of the city.

Sydney's a lovely city to explore.highlights for us were Darling Harbour, The Rocks, a harbour ferry trip, the Opera House and Botanical Gardens, and the Paddington weekend bazaar.

Next stop was Hayman Island which was simply luxurious, starting with the launch that took us from Hamilton Island to Hayman. It's a beautiful yacht and they greet you with champagne and afternoon tea. The Pool Deluxe room was perfect. The room was very large and faced the pool and the ocean. The décor of the room was just lovely and the grounds of the resort are stunning. It is VERY expensive to do activities there but we were prepared for that before we arrived. The only free activities are to take out your own small catamaran sailboat or canoe. We did a paid kayak trip to another part of the island called Blue Pearl Bay 2 and did some great snorkeling there.

We also took an exhilarating seaplane ride over the reef which then landed on Whitehaven Beach for a couple of hours, perhaps the most pristine beach I've ever seen. That was a highlight! One thing about Hayman that surprised us a bit was the food -- the restaurants were expensive and all had beautiful décor, but the quality of the food was not 5 stars. The food was good for sure, but it was not the exceptional quality I would have expected from such a luxury resort. We spoke with several other guests who shared that opinion. But don't get me wrong -- we overall really enjoyed our stay there.

You may remember that we had to leave Hayman very early that morning to fly to Cairns... you may want to remind your clients, especially international clients, that the weight limits on luggage for Qantas domestic flights on regular size planes is 32 kg per piece and for the smaller Qantas planes (and Rex) is 15 kg.)

So overall Gayle, our honeymoon was unforgettable and we really appreciate all of your help! I will surely recommend you to anyone I know that is planning a trip to Australia! Have a very happy holiday and new year! Warm regards" S.F., New York, USA (18 Dec 02)

• "Hi Gayle, Boy, being back at work is no where near as much fun as travelling on Holiday !! Thanks again for your help. All of the arrangements you made for us worked just great. The Crown Tower is really an amazing complex. We were given a complimentary upgrade and the suite we had was fabulous.

The Hyatt in Adelaide was fine. I had expected more of the town of Adelaide itself, but we really enjoyed the day trip to Kangaroo Island and on our other free day we rented a car and drove through the Adelaide Hills and through part of the Barossa Valley. We enjoyed both of those very much.

The connection at Cairns to Port Douglas was fine and we enjoyed both the Sheraton Mirage and Port Douglas. The connections to and from Hayman worked perfectly as well.

We had a very relaxing time at Hayman Island and had an opportunity to do the diving or snorkeling that we wanted. So all of the pieces you handled for us were just great.

We found both New Zealand and Australia to be very easy places to travel. I think the hospitality of the people is what made is so easy and fun. I know we'd both enjoy traveling there again. I will certainly recommend you to any friends who travel to Australia in the future. Thanks again," G.T., California, USA (26 Oct 02)

• "Hello Zoe, The trip was great but not long enough ! Your recommendation for the Hayman Island Resort lagoon room was great. Leigh & I both enjoyed it very much & would like to return someday. I see what you mean about the food prices - this is obviously where they make their money! Thanks once again & I have let all my friends know about GlobeNet Travel Cheers " B.W., Melbourne, Australia (14 Oct 02)

• "Hi Zoe, just a note to say thanks, all went wonderfully, no problems at all, all rooms were excellent- I must state that Hayman Island is exceptional- in addition, the people wherever we went were friendly and helpful- Ii only wish it could be that way here- Barbara was a little disappointed in Silky Oaks accomodations, but the food and setting more than made up for that- as for me if I could find a way to move to Sydney I think I might do it very quickly- once again thanks" D.H. Chicago, USA (13 Sep 02)

• "Dear Tosh, Michael and I made it back safely to California from our visit on Hayman Island, Sydney and the Australian Open in Melbourne. Thanks for all the travel suggestions. We got to do some but ran out of time, which gives us more incentive to return. While we were at Hayman Island a "small world" story occurred. We met a couple (Liz F. and husband) from Houston, Texas who could not stop talking about and praising the price and service provided by GlobeNet Travel. They were at the resort for 4 nights and were at the "Chef's table" with us..." L.K. SanFrancisco, USA (22 Aug 02)

• "Hello again Jo, I would say that overall the trip went well and all the arrangements went smoothly at Hayman Island. You might want to note that pre-paying dinner at $120/night was not a good idea. The one restaurant where you could spend that amount was hardly open at all.

Also, not really suitable for small children with all the open access to water. I heard that they are doing up the beach units (they were empty) and it sounds like they will be the ones to choose soon. I really enjoyed the treatments - no problems at all there. We skipped the body wrap and I had a second massage instead - very professional and she does Reiki as well!. Thanks again and best regards," K.M. Melbourne, Australia (17 Jul 02)

• "Hi Tina, We just wanted to tell you how much we love Hayman Island. It is fabulous here. Thank you for helping us choose this island. We only wish we could've stayed longer than we did. Thank you again, Best wishes," E.&S. P. California, USA (1 Jul 02)

• "Gayle.... Dunk and Hayman were spectacular. We had a great time at each. Hayman was definitely the best resort we've ever been to, although Dunk was great, too. We took 2 reef trips at Dunk and one in Port Douglas. Everything at Hayman was wonderful, although they get a little out of hand with overcharging for some things. By the way, we made the right decision not to pay in advance for meals, the prepaid prices are more expensive than pretty much everything on the menu. You should tell future clients to avoid pre-paying for meals. Thanks for all of your help." E.S., USA (2 Jun 02)

• "Zoe - I can't thank you enough for your help with all of our trip arrangements...you have saved us time and money and your expertise and knowledge of Australia is second to none. - everything has been superb, in particular the Deluxe Lagoon Room at Hayman. Thanks again!" W.L., Los Angeles, USA. (25 Jan 02)