Thank you for your reviews of Wilson Island for the benefit of fellow travellers. Included here are some of your responses and we update regularly.
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Hi Sali, Our east coast island hopping was fantastic. Thank you so much for booking the accommodation, your service provided was excellent & we have already recommended GlobeNet Travel to several other people. Our trip highlight was
Wilson Island, it was heaven & there was only 1 other couple there with us.
Great Keppel - lovely beaches & rugged island, accommodation & cleanliness very average....but I think they are trying to improve it, however it was cheap.
Dunk Island - we love everything about Dunk, jungle walks, quiet beaches, afternoon storms, excellent service & luxury accomm.
Brampton Island - we loved it almost as much as Dunk, unfortunately the staff weren't as efficient, we think the reception staff were not cut out for their job.
Hamilton Island - We had a spare night, so we popped in, it felt like the Gold Coast on an island after being on the other islands.
Heron Island - birds & birds & more birds...lots of international guests.
Wilson, our dream island, wonderful host couple, amazing wildlife pristine beaches, a very special place. All the islands had their own point of difference, it was interesting to compare them.
We had a fantastic 4 weeks, everything ran very smoothly, next year we are doing central australia..although tempted to go back to some of those islands first chance we get... Thanks again Sali" Christina & Rod L., Melbourne, Australia (27 Dec 05)
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Dear Kylie, We cannot tell you how much we enjoyed our holiday to
Heron Island and Wilson Island. As you predicted, Wilson Island was pure magic. We had a wonderful time getting to know the island (dodging the birdie "bombs") and snorkelling right off the beach.
Two unforgettable experiences were being able to snorkel within 5m of a pair of mating turtles and watching a turtle laying its eggs late one evening (they really do look like ping pong balls).
We are very grateful to our hosts Jacinta and Heath who really looked after us - special mention must be made of the fantastic culinary delights Heath cooked up - and of the other guests who were there (2 other couples) who were as chilled out as we were and happy to make the most of some pretty persistent rain at times.
We were sad to leave but are now determined to discover other equally amazing holiday experiences (which may just mean returning to Wilson Island in the not too distant future). Thank you again for all your help in planning our holiday. Please find attached a couple of our photos from our time on Wilson Island." Samantha H., Sydney, Australia (6 Dec 05)
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Hi Sonia, The trip to
Wilson Island was absolutely fantastic. Everything went off without a hitch, and the island was just amazing. They put us in the tent which you intended.
I think the other tents might have been a little less in the heart of the nesting birds, but they are not one the beach, and we much preferred where we were.
The turtles were starting to nest when we went (early November), which was an experience in and of itself. One nested not 15 feet away from our tent. The hosts were wonderful, the food excellent (fresh coral trout for dinner one night -- see the attached photo), the beach pristine and the snorkling unforgettable.
We were fortunate in that the other guests (there were only 8 of us) were a really fun group of people, but had that not been the case, it would have been very easy to keep to oneself and enjoy surroundings just as much. My only regret is not taking along some kind of telescope, as the stars and planets were vivid and included constellations that we don't get to see in Seattle. But all in all, an anniversary (10 years) that we won't soon forget.
Also, taking the helicopter to and from
Heron Island was a great idea, notwithstanding the expense. I think Heron would be a great trip with the family, but for a couple, nothing could top Wilson." Keith P., London, England (29 Nov 05)
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Hi Kylie, Thanks again for organising this trip, we had a great time and it was just what we needed. As usual your advice was spot on and we really enjoyed
Wilson Island. In terms of feedback, we did have a few comments: - Wilson Island was beautiful with great snorkelling and wildlife. Almost every time we went swimming we saw turtles, sharks, octopus etc. The coral is in wonderful condition, at least as good as the reefworld platform I visited from Airlie Beach.
The standard of accommodation there was great. Waking up with the ocean in front of you is a great experience and the limited numbers makes for a really restful experience. Our hosts, Matt and Kat, were excellent. Matt's cooking was wonderful and Kat's knowledge of the reef and the island's wildlife really added to the fun. I can't praise them enough, very hard working, good company and couldn't be more helpful." Chris G., Sydney, Australia (24 Oct 05)
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Kylie, except for the crossing to
Heron Island, which was very rough, the weather was excellent. We thought everything about
Wilson Island was fantastic. We saw everything, whales, turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingray and of course birds. The whole set up is excellent and our hosts, Jacinta and Heath did a brilliant job. Heath's cuisine is top class." Norman and Mary W., London, UK (20 Oct 05)
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Hi Kylie, A big thank you for persuading us to go to
Wilson Island! It was just a paradise on this earth. We saw lots of turtles as well as a whale. And of course, let's not forget the birds and fish. The weather was magnificent every day. There was us and Norman & Mary (who you organised too). We were the "old married couples". And then there were FOUR pairs of honeymooners!! But everyone got along well.
Heath is a great cook and Jacinta is a gem. They couldn't do enough for us. We liked that tent right on the beach. I will send you photos later.
We had a wonderful time and would recommend Wilson to anyone who likes snorkeling (and eating!). But don't tell too many people!! Regards," Tassie H., Melbourne, Australia (17 Oct 05)
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Hi Kylie, Just wanted to say thank you for helping organise our honeymoon. We had a great time on
Wilson Island. Heron was good also but pretty windy but the weather was perfect while on Wilson. Thanks for getting us the "RIGHT" Tent which was great and ended up taking the Heron Island chopper on standby both ways in the end as with the strong wind it would have been a very rough boat ride. Anyway, thanks for everything." Helen W., Maryborough, Australia (16 May 05)
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Hello Sali, First and foremost, thank you very much for all your help.
Wilson Island, which was the aim of the trip, was brilliant even though the weather and tides could have been a little kinder to us. (There's a challenge for you.....) Woke up one morning thinking I was being stung on the face by something and when the head cleared a little more, realised the turtle covering its nest right at the front of the tent was spraying sand over me! What more can you ask for!
Heron Island, on the other hand, needs to work harder. Good suite on the way out, distinctly lesser accommodation on the way back. Their kitchen needs serious attention, which was all the more disappointing because everyone we knew who had been over the past 5/6 years said the food was good.
Their luggage handling could be improved - sending ours by sea when we were on the chopper caused some anxiety although, in fairness, they all worked very hard to get it back on track once the error was discovered. It was a great relief to see it being walked across the tarmac just before we were about to taxi off the apron. Thanks again for your help - 10/10 for you guys." Brian B., London, UK (26 Jan 05)
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Tina, Thank you. Your arangements went perfectly. We had a great (exhausting, but great) time. Most especially enoyed
Wilson Island, Uluru and the rainforest." Randy & Kathy C., Anchorage, ALASKA (3 Dec 04)
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Hi Kylie! Peter and I had absolutely the best time we could have imagined on
Wilson Island! It was so much fun! Thanks for arranging the 'RIGHT' tent for us! It was by far the best tent being right on the snorkelling beach and so secluded! The other great thing about that tent is that the mutton birds don't nest there so we had peaceful sleep each night while most of our fellow campers had to use their ear plugs cause the birds were nesting right underneath them! All we had were beautiful bridal terns watching their nests, butterflies and stacks of turtles nesting each night just on the path infront of our tent which was very exciting!
We had a couple of turtles come up the beach early at sunset drinks which was amazing to watch and by the time we had eaten our dinner they were ready to lay so it was fantastic. I would recommend that any future guests buy a red light torch before they go cause we couldn't go out alone to watch with the big regular torches, they stun the turtles, you can borrow the hosts though (or go at full moon for a good view without artifical light). The stars were amazing from Wilson too, Peter and I couldn't even find the southern cross cause there were so many more other stars up there to confuse us!!! It was beautiful. The food was second to none and there was so much of it! We have never eaten so well before, it was soooo good.
The snorkelling was tough the first two days cause the wind was blowing from the NE which is unusual but on the third day it swung round to the south so we had perfect snorkelling and the highlight.....I was on the beach mid afternoon in front of our tent and saw a massive turtle right in close checking out the beach so I quickly got the snorkelling gear on and swam with her! She was so calm and we just eyeballed each other as we floated along with the current. It was fabulous!!!! (Pete was scared of the reef sharks so he didn't snorkel at all).
Heron Island was OK but really no comparison to Wilson. We had welcome champas in our room and congratulations on the first night which was nice and the final night was even better as we got upgraded to a
Beachside Suite which was like a 1 bedroom suite rather than a studio which was sooooo much nicer! They even had music playing in the room when we arrived! It was great. Anyway, all in all a great honeymoon, great weather, great food and great location. Thanks Kylie for all your help in organising it for us. We will definitely go through you for our next holiday, whenever that may be! I don't have the photos with me but will scan one or two on Monday and email them to you. Thanks again,
PS - If anyone is going to
Gladstone and driving up but doesn't want to stay right in Gladstone. I highly recommend
Agnus Waters. It is about an hour and a half south of Gladstone which works out well with launch times and it is beautiful. We stayed at '
Sunbird Gardens ' which was a self contained villa with BBQ and Spa bath on the balcony $95 a night. FANTASTIC!" Lisa & Peter G., Sydney, Australia (26 Nov 04)
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Hi Zoe, well I've been back for 2 weeks in what is now officially the 3rd wettest July since records began! As you can imagine - not impressed - even Sydney's winter was better than this! The attached pictures are from
Wilson Island. Everything you arranged for us was fantastic, the helicopter ride to Heron was out of this world, the pilot flew in really low over the reef, so low you could see turtles and rays in the water. I'd definitely recommend it to your customers, at least one way.
The launch back to Gladstone was also very good - a really modern boat with all facilities. The Wilson Island Experience was better than any expectations I could have had, from the moment you arrive on Heron you're made to feel very welcome and special. I don't know if you've ever been but there were so many little touches that we didn't expect that just made the experience fantastic. The photo I've attached of the sunset is as good as it looks, the hosts on Wilson (Rob and Theresa) were excellent, we watched the sunset with oysters and champagne and they couldn't do enough for us. I can't recommend the place enough, imagine watching a sunrise and then walking around an island and the only footprints you see are your own?
As you can see from the second photo there were only 6 of us on the island, including the hosts, I'm SO glad we went out of season. I'm the one in the beige stripy shirt (looking a bit worse for wear - not surprising with top class wine on tap!) and Jon is the one in the blue stripy shirt. The other couple were also from England and we got on so well we went for dinner together when we got back to the mainland.
With regard to everything else you arranged, it all went without a hitch - the hire car, the flights, (especially the
Virgin Blue, what a fantastic airline - we have e-mailed them and personally thanked them, it's not often you get cabin crew who sit with you for a round of cards! I hate to say this but there was one part of the trip which was really disappointing -
the Mercure Hotel in Ultimo, Sydney. The hotel was shabby and the staff quite rude. As it was 7pm on a Sunday night we stayed anyway and still had fun in Sydney. I appreciate that you booked the hotel based on the budget I gave you, however I would suggest you don't use this hotel in future for your customers Zoe, the rest of the trip you planned for us was nothing less than first class.
On that note, I met a guy through a friend of mine in Sydney who works for Queensland Tourism. He asked me about my plans whilst I was in Australia and when I told him I was going to Wilson Island and I had booked it through GlobeNet he ranted and raved about how fantastic you were and how you had just been voted the number one. I'm not surprised in the least, I would recommend you to anybody I know who was thinking about a holiday in Australia, I'm waiting to win the lottery to take all my friends to Wilson! Thank you once again Zoe for making the trip of a lifetime so EASY. With regard to the minor criticism, it was 2 nights out of 35, so it certainly didn't spoil things, the reason I mention it is so that you can avoid it in future. Many thanks" David F., London, UK (20 Jul 04)
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Hi Kylie, Just wanted to let you know we had a great holiday at
Heron Island. Thank you very much for your help. The birds were no problem, we saw turtles (all whales gone) and did do the trip over to
Wilson Island. We also caught the helicopter over on standby which was fantastic.
My only gripe would be the dive school not informing where you are diving until you are on the boat. Consequently they took us to the same dive site on the same morning (at 9 and at 11) due to the snorkeller's on board and not wanting to waste fuel on another boat. A real rip off and was not worth the high prices they charge. It would be nice to know where they are going so you can plan when you would like to dive.
Aside from that it was all great. Thanks again," K.M., Melbourne, Australia (11 Nov 03)
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Hello Rene, We had the most beautiful holiday. We will definitely be heading back to
Wilson Island. Heron is beautiful but Wilson is heaven on earth. Just 6 couples and your 2 hosts on the island makes your stay too good to describe. The food, accommodation, views from your tent, the islands fauna and the crystal clear waters that are the most gorgeous of blues filled with abundant sea life and coral." Don B., San Francisco, USA (2 Nov 03)
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Hi Gayle! Jepp - everything worked Great - even all our stand by trips went very well. We arrived to Gladstone - Monday the 15th and stayed over night at City Plaza. The Bus picked us up and took us to the boat and after 2hrs we arrived to Paradise!
The stay at
Heron Island was a success - we enjoyed it VERY Much - especially the snorkelling and ALL the things you can find in the waters - such as: - rays, sharks, turtles etc ...... I will send some pictures with this Mail, so that you can see yourself!
The resort was nice as well, good food, nice staff and a very relaxed atmosphere! We missed the 1 day visit to
Wilson island - which had been very nice - overbooked and a lot of people on stand by - even after an extra tour! If I have the opportunity to go back - I would like to take the combined package with Heron and Wilson Island - that would have been something.
Congratulations for the award and Best of luck in the future. I will pass the word around about your company! Thanks and Brgds," Christer on behalf of my selves and Gunilla, Hans and Ulla, Sweden (30 Sep 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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