Vacation Review: Australia, New Zealand & Fiji Trip, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef & Phillip Island Tours, Auckland, Wildlife & Views

Review by traveler

Kevin M.

3.17.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

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

Australia

Fiji

New Zealand

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

Our trip planner at this tour company is a gem! Over all our trip and experience was the best my wife and I have ever experienced. From excursions to prompt and courteous shuttle pick-ups, everything exceeded our expectations. The resort in Fiji was outstanding!

There were a few unfortunate issues that were promptly and professionally handled.

1. In Melbourne at the apartment hotel our original room was not cleaned upon our arrival and was a handicapped room. We were immediately moved to a clean room.

2. In Sydney at the hotel we experienced our worse evening stays. On Saturday March 9th a wedding party carried on until 4:00 AM in the morning. The following evening Sunday March 10th was awful. A disruptive party in the room above ours kept us up all evening. This was even after I contacted the reception desk. The hotel staff did their best to calm the disruptive party down without success. I spoke with the hotel Duty Manager upon ending our stay and she agreed to compensate us for our last evening's stay.

3. The Leisure Tour in Christchurch was a total waste of time. The driver/tour guide would drive for miles and say nothing. When he did talk the information he provided was boring. The tour agency initially wanted to change our departure time and we declined. We should have simply cancelled the tour altogether.

All the other tours were simply awesome. We opted for a glacier helicopter ride at Milford Sound. We also took in a snorkeling day trip in Fiji. It was wonderful.

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

1. Auckland - This tour was great.

2. Queenstown - Milford Sound excursion was nice although the bus ride was long. We opted for the helicopter return.

3. Melbourne - The Phillip Island tour. This was a wonderful and educational experience. Great guides.

4. Port Douglas - The Great Berrier Reef tour. Very profession staff. The weather was great and snorkeling was fun.

5. Sydney - Sightseeing tour was a nice pleasant day trip. Very knowledgeable tour guide. Stunning views.

6. Sydney - The cruise was very nice although didn't occur at sunset we were back at 6:30 PM and the sun didn't set until 8:15 PM. We went to the Sydney Opera House to view the sunset. The following evening we took the ferry to Manely Beach, had dinner on the beach and saw a spectacular sunset.

7. Sydney - Blue Mountain excursion was please but long rides on the bus. Spectacula views in the Blue Mountains.

8. Fiji - The day was not scheduled on our trip but we opted to take in a day cruise. What a wonderful experience. Feeding baby sharks, holding jellyfish, snorkeling and have a very nice brunch. Wine and beer was included.

All of our flights were very pleasant. Much smoother than traveling in the United States.

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

We would spend more time in Sydney. My wife retires in 4 years and would like to spend 4 weeks there. Auckland was nice and we don't regret staying there, but would probably pass on going there. We definitely would add a day or two in Fiji. Absolutely beautiful.

Travel Company Comments:

Thank you for taking the time to post your review and your kind comments regarding your booking experience with your trip planner. We are delighted you enjoyed your time in Australia, New Zealand & Fiji and it was a pleasure to put this trip together for you. We were disappointed to hear of your experiences at the hotels in Sydney & Melbourne and that the Christchurch city tour guide was not engaging, and we sincerely apologize and have processed a refund for the night in Sydney.

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