Travel Review: Tour of New Zealand & Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, Daintree Rainforest, Uluru, Opera House Tour

Review by traveler

kenneth d.

6.1.2016

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Australia

New Zealand

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

The trip went well, except for a cancelled airline connection in Melbourne, but Qantas put us up in a hotel and gave us meal vouchers. I felt the agent I dealt with often needed prodding to get things done or delivered. she was often out of the office and even left incorrect information on her email about the dates she was gone. It was January and she had November dates. more questions could have been asked re type of hotels we liked. on the whole, the places were good, but in Melbourne we were booked into a huge complex with a casino, multiple lodgings, etc that was so not us. also, when we were there, the Australian TV awards were going on there and the place was a zoo. i think this is something she should have known about. i needed to remind her to send us info for our cancellation insurance re the cancelled flight to get reimbursed. otherwise, we were usually met at flight connections in a timely manner and found people friendly and helpful and went out of their way for us. several of the tours I would not do, such as the Blue Mountains from Sydney or the Phillips Island from Melbourne. We found the Red Centre to be pricey and unfortunately, very touristy. you are captive once you are there and they charge you for everything, even shuttles in the NP ($95 pp to go 30 KM). our hotel was not a 4 star experience. the only free thing was the laundry and the machine was broken! you even pay for water when for health reasons they are encouraging everyone to stay well hydrated.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Tasmania, tasmania, tasmania....go there! it is NZ without tourists. it redeemed Australia for us. seeing opera at the Sydney opera house au plein. Fantastic. highly recommend the tour in Daintree Rainforest.

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

rent a car in Uluru. stay in some different hotels and not do some of the tours. i would also rent car in Melbourne to do sightseeing outside of city.

TRAVEL COMPANY COMMENTS:

Thank you for taking the time to post your review of your recent trip to Australia & New Zealand. We were sorry to learn of your trip disruption with your flight being canceled but pleased that you were taken care of by Qantas. I apologize that you felt your Agent needed service reminders, she was out of the office for a total of 4 days since the booking of your tip in January & returning in May and does work Mon-Friday only. We did experience a technical glitch with her out of office message in February were a 2015 vacation date overode the message but I trust as all our out of office messages advise an alternative contact for assistance this did not inconvenience you too much.

We are disappointed that you did not enjoy your stay at the hotel in Melbourne - the Southbank area of Melbourne is the most vibrant area of the city and does give you a wide selection of restaurants within walking distance in the evening and easy access for all tour pick ups and exploring the city; this hotel was recommended due to its 4.5* standard & offering great value in that you stayed for 4 nights and only paid for 3 nights with our exclusive bonus. The casino is not connected to the entrance of the hotel and as such we have found staying at this hotel not to be an issue for our clients that do not wish to visit a casino, however in case we apologize that this location was not a good fit for you. Melbourne is a world class city and there are different events regularly taking place were all the city hotels will be busy and at capacity.

The Blue Mountains tour from Sydney and Phillip Island from Melbourne are usually trip highlights for our clients so we are dismayed you did not enjoy them. It is true Ayers Rock is an expensive destination, mainly due to its remote location & that everything has to be imported. The hotel is classed as a 5* hotel and should have delivered an experience as such with its recently renovated rooms. If you have any other feedback on why the hotel and the two tours did not meet your expectations we would welcome your feedback so we can liaise with our partners. Ayers Rock is a destination in that most people flying into this area are solely there to see Uluru, hence why we only book small group touring to ensure you are not with a large group - the Uluru trek and the dinner are two great options that we included in your package so you do not have to make any arrangements locally, such as the basic shuttle, as you and most clients are only there for 2 nights.

We are delighted you enjoyed your time in Tasmania and thank you for your feedback on your Diantree guide, we will be sure to pass on your comments

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Travel Review: Tour of New Zealand & Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, Daintree Rainforest, Uluru, Opera House Tour

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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