Luxury Vacation Review: Australia, Margaret River, Ningaloo Coast, Kakadu National Park, Wineries

Our travel planner of this travel company helped me design the outline of my trip to Australia. For this trip, my husband and I wanted some time on our own and not a totally planned tour.  We decided to go to three areas in Australia - Margaret River, Ningaloo Reef and Darwin/Top End. Even though I could probably get some of the hotels at a discount on my own, I was convinced that the extra service provided was worth using this travel company. I was told that they would provide me information about each area, maps, suggestions for what to see etc for the places that we were on our own.
This travel company works with a local company in Australia and I think that they are more used to working with clients where they plan the whole trip whether it is a private tour or in resorts where everything is covered. We were very disappointed with the lack of information and guidance. With other trips, our agent would also send recommended reading and other hints/tips. We had worked out a basic itinerary with our planner about 6 months before we left, and we did not get the final documents from the local agency until one week before we left. There was very little new information and the itinerary looked as if there was no thought, basically cut and paste. I do not think they (either company) spent much time focused on our itinerary.  Some examples: 1) I got information on sights for one morning where we had no time to see anything - traveling to Rottnett Island, 2) One of the few directions that we got was to Bamurru Plains, and they were wrong (I got the correct direction from the internet on my own), 3) no recommendations for restaurants anywhere 4) wrong times for ranger hikes in Kakadu National Park. The most disappointing error was supposed to be a highlight - an all day tour to Arnhemland with a visit Injalak Art Center to watch the artists paint. When I got the final itinerary, I was told that the place was closed on weekends, but we could go other places. However, when we went on the abbreviated tour, the art center is always closed on Sunday, but open on Saturday - since this was recommended as a highlight, the local agency should have made the effort to note the closed times (always closed on Sunday) and book us on Saturday (or at least told us of the alternatives).
Our trip would have been disappointing or a last minute hassle, if I had not already spend MANY hours researching each place. Luckily, I researched where to go, alternatives, restaurants, wineries in the Margaret River area, places to see in Kakadu National Park, maps. Our trip was wonderful, but if I ended feeling as if I should have just planned the total  trip myself, without using an agency.
Added comment:  Whenever I sent a specific note/question to our travel planner, he was very helpful. I still gave this travel company 3 stars since our planner (and I assume the local agency) knows Australia and has the experience to plan an excellent trip. We may not have been treated as a priority client since we did not have them book and plan every activity.