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Thank you Gayle Our trip to
Lizard Island was quite amazing! All flights and transfers went just as planned and Sandy and her colleagues on Lizard gave us a really freindly welcome. There were still old friends among the staff, including Julie Ryan who took our first ever diving video in 1998, and who now manages the watersports centre. The weather was superb and the diving just magical. Five fantastic dives - three of then at the world-famous
Cod Hole. When we next come back - as we will very soon - we will be sure to book through you again Meanwhile, please find attached holiday snaps." Lynne & Tabi, London, UK (6 Oct 04)
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Dear Zoe, We had great time in Queensland, we realy enjoyed our honeymoon holiday there at
The Outrigger Beach Club Palm Cove, Silky Oaks Lodge and Green Island. Even I've suprised my husband with the organisation that he did not expect something like that. Thank you again for this very well organization you did for us." Hale T., Seol, Korea. (5 Oct 04)
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Hi Rene, Great service from you guys...thankyou -
Club Med Lindeman Island was fantastic. Why? We only spent an additional $70 and we did not want for anything. Very family orientated, good for us. Singles looking for "like" company would be disappointed. Yes we would be interested to see your specials. Also we intend to go on a ski holiday early August. Falls Creek is appealing because you ski to the lifts from the accommodation. 4 adults 5 kids. Any ideas Thanks" David M., Brisbane, Australia. (5 Oct 04)
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Tina, just a quick note at last! Firstly,
Hamilton Island was not great - the accommodation & restaurants there are really tired and in need of a good clean , especially the
Toucan Tango! Yeugh !! We asked to be moved from the
Whitsunday Apartment s as they were really grubby - the bedclothes were threadbare and there were too many cob-webs about for our liking ! We moved next door to the
Reef View Hotel which was the same price but a lot better. On the other hand
Outriggers at Palm Cove was just out of this world - absolutely beautiful . Unfortunately I doubt that we will able to afford to go back to Oz for quite a while - but if we do it will definitely not be during your winter ! Thanks for all your help" Briege J., Leeds, UK (5 Oct 04)
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Hi Jo, Just wanted to thank you for arranging our holiday to
South Molle Island. We all had a great time and everything went according to plan. It's just a pity we can't be on holidays every day. Thank you " Jen & Col M., Brisbane, Australia (4 Oct 04)
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Hi Jo This is my first day back at work. If I could kiss you I would!!! The
Dunk Island holiday was absolutely fabulous. My husband even bought me a bunch of flowers when we got home to thank me for such a beautiful holiday. I told him they should have been for you because of all the effort you put in. I think you are terrific - well done. Hopefully you will still be doing this when I go to book the next holiday. Thank heaps - again, and again and again " Karen R., Melbourne, Australia (4 Oct 04)
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Hi Gayle, Home from my
P&O Pacific Sky cruise
Brisbane-New Caledonia-Vanuatu-Sydney. Not well due to freezing air-con but will be better soon. Had a wonderful trip. I was upgraded to the next level on ship and had a 2 bed outside cabin, windows and all. Woweeee. Slept and ate and then ate and slept. Great stuff. Thank you for all your help and the wonderful attention you gave me to achieve this fantastic trip. Thanks," Barbara B., Miami Beach, Australia (4 Oct 04)
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Hi Gayle, Thank you for your welcome message! Yes, it all went well and we really enjoyed our stay in
Port Douglas at the Radissons Treetops Resort. It was very pleasant and relaxing. I want to thank you for your friendly service. You were very helpful and we were very satisfied with the outcome. It is always a bit risky doing things online but your continual communication via email and the phone made booking online very convenient and a pleasure. We have included a photo of ourselves on one of the
Port Douglas Reef cruises hosted by Calypso. Kind Regards, " Rian & Sascha B., Gold Coast, Australia (4 Oct 04)
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Zoe, we had the time of our lives in Australia!!! From
Cairns down to
Sydney everything more than we could of dreamed of. The people were very friendly and my new saying is no worries!!! Thank you for all of your hard work!! We took many pictures and will send you some. When we plan our next trip we will certainly contact you. Thanks again" Gary & Nancy B., Boston, USA (2 Oct 04)
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Hi Zoe The trip was fantastic, but way too short! The biggest decisions we made were what time to have breakfast then whether to go to the beach or the pool, then when to hit the hammock!
Peppers Palm Bay Retreat was lovely, we had one of the best Bure's (#2), and the helicopter transfer was a lovely start. The staff were great, but they were renovating the amenities room so we had some building noise, starting one morning at 7.30am, which was quite irritating (I would have thought this could have been done during winter?), and which also meant we couldn't have a shower there on the last day so there was no last minute swimming or sunbaking, and no offer of a late checkout instead.
The only other comments: o
Jetstar take forever to unload the baggage, so while you arrive on time, you wait in the airport forever o The boat transfer back we had to go Long Island - Shute Harbour, change boats then Shute - Hamilton. I believe Peppers are going to get their own launch to do Long Island direct to Hamilton transfers, but in the meantime it seems to waste a lot of holiday time transferring (and the harbour at Shute is pretty awful to wait at). o Beware that while a fairly average breakfast is supplied as part of the package, the food & wine prices at Peppers are pretty high. We spent AUD$600 for 4 nights and we only had lunch or dinner and then only 2 courses, and we had taken our own wine. An all incl, or B'fast & dinner package would be great, seeing as there are no alternatives to eating at the retreat. Thanks for all your help" Karen R., Sydney, Australia (1 Oct 04)
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Hi Sali, Thanks so much for following us up! We had a fantastic time – enjoyed both locations – but I think
Lizard Island was really outstanding – exceeded our expectations in fact. The right balance of things to do and time to relax. We both came back actually refreshed and relaxed. I’ll definitely look for your assistance again when we come to organize a future holiday – thanks for all your assistance – smooth sailing all the way. Cheers " Catriona B., Melbourne, Australia (20 Sep 04)
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Hi Zoe, we had a great holiday and all your arrangements went well, so thank you for looking after us at such short notice. The whale watching trip we did at Moreton Bay which we arranged via the
Hyatt Regency at Coolum which was fantastic with a whale breaching 103 times right next to the boat. According to the Captain of the boat, that is a record number of breaches one whale has ever made, since they started their trip several years ago. Then, as we left the area the whale just lay in the water and waved good buy to us, he/she must have been exhausted. So if you are interested in those, I can send you some photos when I get them developed. The Hyatt is a good place for a holiday and we did 3 trips to
Noosa in the bus and one to the
Eumundie Markets. We used the Spa club almost daily for the Gym and lap pool and spa, so we even stayed fit. The breakfast lounges at the resort are a great idea and we read the papers there every morning whilst having a leisurely breakfast with the bird life, of which were plenty. So that was our two weeks and now back to cold old Bendigo. Thanks again for your help, it certainly took the pressure off me having to organise everything. Thanks" Fay B., Melbourne, Australia (20 Sep 04)
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Dear Rene, It was all wonderful. Flights etc were all on time, and we didn't lose anything. All your recommendations were excellent.
Lizard Island was, as we expected, spectacular, and
Basildene Manor in Margaret River very special. Thanks for all you help, and we will certainly be in touch when we plan another trip 'down under'. Best regards" Richard H., London, UK (20 Sep 04)
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Hi Zoe Just wanted to say a big thank you for recommending
Peppers Palm Bay, it is heaven. Just wanted to let you know that maybe next time it’s better for people to fly in to Airlie beach rather than Hamilton because you have to get a boat to Airlie to catch one to
Long Island, the transfer is 4 hours with waiting times. Next time I will get the helicopter, anyway, it was thoroughly worth it and we had the best time " Jose S., Sydney, Australia (17 Sep 04)
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Hello Tosh, Thanks for your help with our Australian adventure everything went very smoothly, it is impossible to say too many good things about
Thala Beach Lodge - it was wonderful. Thanks again " Colin K., San Francisco, USA (16 Sep 04)
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Hi Kylie, We had a great time didn't want to leave.
Club Med in Phuket is called a hotel now. This gives you an idea of how they operate. We took a boat excursion to
Pan Yi and James Bond Island. I was told here at home that this was a highlight of the trip to Phuket and it cost AUD $196 for two. Not at anytime during the 10 hour trip did they inform us that we were not going ashore at James Bond Island. So that was very disappointing that being the object of the trip.
When I got back to Club Med I asked at the excursion desk if they went ashore at that point. She said no, because those on the island asked for $6 AUD more per person and Club Med would not pay it. She gave me the impression the price fluctuated from time to time. However, anyone wanting to see James Bond Island would be advised to try the larger ferries that take this trip. They take with them small canoes which you can sail to James Bond Island and through the various rock limestone islands if you choose. Will send a photograph when they have been developed. It cost 500 baht each to leave Phuket. I had a great time, love the Asian countries." Andrea A., Perth, Australia (10 Sep 04)
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Hi Kylie ; The resort at
Lindeman Island offered us the total relaxation that we had been unable to find on other trips. We really loved the beauty of the island and the resort was definitely very good value. Your service was fantastic too. I have a couple of comments I would like to mention about the resort, but I dont know if these should be directed to
Club Med or you. Nevertheless, we are already planning our next Club Med and we've recommended the resort- and your service- to family and friends." Michelle M., Melbourne, Australia (10 Sep 04)
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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)
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Hi Sali, It is nice to read from you home again. My holiday was going almost according plan. In the first part (campervan
Red Centre to Cairns ) I had plenty of time finally and could use it very good in Cairns area. Also the part you had prepared worked out very fine.
Heron Island is wonderful, but 5 days were enough (in Winter). The water is quite fresh but with the assistance and equipment I could hire we could stand snorkelling about 1 hour per day. It is definitely boring if it is raining. We had only half a day and this rewarded us with a wonderful cloudy dream sunset. After the island stay it also worked out fine.
The Kondarri is a little far from
Gladstone, so we got into night and after a query in gasoline station we found it easily. For the
Twinwaters I went to tourist info office far before and they provided nice local area leaflets and maps. This you may suggest to your customers. We enjoyed the travelling along the coastal line to come there. The resort itself is marvellous, but to stay her longer also in winter it may become boring after a few days, as the water is quite cold also in the during nights covered pool.
I will come to Australia again. But next time I will start and end my travelling from more northern or western location (Perth, Darwin) as the distances in Australia are vast and this may reduce the flight times a lot. Also in winter it makes some difference to stay in the South or North of Great Barrier Reef. The nature in warmer North is more colourful when snorkelling or diving. In total you had made a fine planning of this part and I will contact you again. Best regards " Konrad F-S., Lauf, Germany (9 Sep 04)
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Kylie, I just wanted to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to
Australia and
New Zealand. Your recommendations for
Sydney and
Dunk Island were excellent. In fact, we thought the
Saville 2 Bond Street was the best hotel room we had on the trip (great little place with all the necessary amentities, near the sites, and a great price - if you included the view, then others, like Dunk Island, were probably better). Everything we did in Australia and New Zealand seemed like a perfect choice for us.
We enjoyed many things including our trip to the
Great Barrier Reef, Manly, Whitehaven Beach, the Sydney Harbor Cruise, Daintree and Cape Tribulation, and Hartley's Crocodile Farm ; but a few things really stood out in our minds. Walking back across the Sydney Harbor bridge at night towards the
Opera House and Circular Quay was great. I am not a big aquarium fan, but the
Sydney Aquarium was the best I've seen. We loved the Platypus exhibit and went back several times to watch the little critters. A guide tour of the
Mossman area by an Aboriginal guide was especially interesting and comes highly recommended. Finally, on the
Cormandel Penninsula on New Zealand, we visited
Hot Water Beach. Show up at low tide and dig yourself a natural hot tub! It's a real blast and quite the social event. All in all, a great trip. We had great food nearly everywhere we went.
Accomodations were first rate, the people were friendly, and the weather was just perfect in Queensland this time of year. Also, our transfers and car rental with Sugarland went off without a hitch. So, I'd just like to thank you for all the work you did to help make this a great vacation. I'd certainly recommend you to others and will certainly consult you if and when we travel Down Under again." Barry O., Chicago, USA (8 Sep 04)
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Dear Tina, All our flights went like clockwork! Macair were pretty good and the resort on
Lizard Island excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and feel very relaxed and rested. Thank you for organising it all for us with such good humor and patience throughout the "Macair Shuffles"! Regards," Sheila H., Brisbane, Australia (8 Sep 04)
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Hi Kylie, thank you very much for all your help planning our holiday. We had a fabulous time. I can definitely recommend the
Thala Lodge, its lovely and very well run and I wish we were back there now.
The Lost Camel was a good place to stay for a couple of nights, if not a little basic. With thanks" Jo L., London, UK (6 Sep 04)
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Hello Zoe, Can't tell you how lovely our holiday was at
Brampton Island, we actually met there on a day trip 32 years ago, and as this was my 50th birthday, it was lovely to return there. everything was superb. The food, meeting us at the airport, Graham arranged for a lovely tea for the night of my birthday and they bought a cake and sang for me, then every day one of the girls there, Jill, asked me how I enjoyed my birthday, the cocktails were lovely, weather, it was a shame we had to come home, never mind we will definitely return there some time in the future, thanks for everything," Pam D., Sydney, Australia (4 Sep 04)
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Dear Sali, I have received the e-documents re our itinerary to
Brampton Island. Everything looks good. I want to thank you for all your help and your professionalism. You have been prompt in your resonses and given me all the information I have needed to help plan this trip. I am sure we will be in touch for other trips we take in the future, " Emily O., Melbourne, Australia (2 Sep 04)
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Dear Zoe, Thanks for your booking arrangements for
Club Med Lindeman - we had a room on the top floor with a perfect view, and a King size bed. The traveling went well and despite our suitcases going to Sydney we had no other hitches. I must add that Jet Star were fantastic with retrieving our cases. They kept us posted every hour or so, with their progress and delivered them to our house by 8 that evening. I will certainly be using you in future to book our holidays. We look to go away in about March next year probably along the Noosa Mooloolaba coast and we are planning a Broome Holiday in about August next year. I will keep in touch with you If there are any real specials that would appeal to a middle aged retired couple even in the Victoria area please let us know. My husband promises to send off a picture of us soon. Many thanks once again Regards" Lesley M., Melbourne, Australia (1 Sep 04)
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Dear Gayle, Thank you for all your help in arranging the cruise on the
Queen Mary 2 which was of course wonderful,but along with that would have to be the best transfer I have experienced it was first class and worth every cent of the query I had over the cost. We were transferred via coach from Piraeus to Athens Golf Club (I was sorry I had packed my camera) the setting at the club was unbelievable, it was all set outdoors under a huge marguee.We had use of the hospitality lounge ,light refreshments and a buffet luncheon, then at the time reguired we were transferred to the airport . My elderly mother and mother-in-law thought it was wonderful, and needless to say were well rested and relaxed for the onward journey to the UK, which was my main concern Once again Gayle thank you, will send a photo when they are developed Kind regards " Evon M., Sydney, Australia (1 Sep 04)
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Hi Zoe, we had the most fantastic time at
Heron Island Resort, it was beyond what we thought it would be. We were worried about being bored, but we shouldn't have, there was so much to do. The weather was fantastic, I think it rained once for only 10 minutes. Thank you for booking everything, the flights and the transfers went off without any trouble.
The room was great too, thank you, we could see the ocean from our room, and it had everything we needed and gladly not a phone or tv in sight. We have come back so relaxed, not happy to be back at work though. It took a few days to get used to not looking at the ocean or 3 meals a day waiting for you! Have attached a photo for your testimonials page. Thank you once again for your help, it was absolutely fantastic! Kindest regards," Janine R., Melbourne, Australia (1 Sep 04)
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Gayle, It was a vacation of a lifetime! We had a great time in each of the three venues:
Sydney, Hamilton Island and the
Gold Coast. Hamilton Island was our favorite. The weather was great, even for winter. The villa was beautiful and had a magnificent view that we just didn't want to leave! I've attached a picture that I took from the veranda of a sail boat that wandered by one morning. We appreciate all of your help in getting our arrangements setup. It made for an easy trip to a foreign country.
The only thing that we would advise others is that
JetStar has a strict baggage limit, which is less than all other airlines. We had to pay a substantial fee for the additional luggage we had when we flew from Sydney to Hamilton Island. The
Qantas flights within Australia allowed us to bring more pieces of luggage and heavier luggage. Thanks again for your help in making our trip a fantastic one!" Jan W., Nevada, USA (31 Aug 04)
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Hi Sali,
Lizard Island was everything it was reputed to be and we simply could not have enjoyed it more. All your arrangements worked perfectly, the only problem was getting up to catch the 7a.m. flight to Sydney! We were totally relaxed and have many envious friends longing to repeat the experience.
We didn’t really take too many photos but some of the digital ones are attached. #1 is the resort from the air, #2 is a lizard drinking from our footbath, #3 is a friendly frog on the shutter to our window and #4 is a seclude beach we visited for a picnic and snorkel – we also saw turtles! Best regards," Charles I., London, UK (27 Aug 04)
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Hi Kylie, We had a ball!.
Club Med Lindeman Island was one of the best holidays we ever had. I could show off and enjoy the group things and Bee could sunbake and do the individual things. We scuba dived, Bungy bounced, arched (using bows and arrows), drank a lot (using the arm bands) and met some great people.
I liked it so much I wanted to become a GO! We spoke with the Chief of Village several times and will be writing a letter of thanks to his boss Philippe in Sydney we were so impressed. The energy of the place was sensational. Everyone was friendly, there was heaps to do but you didn't have to do it if you didn't want to. We will be looking for more Club Med experiences in the future." Warwick M., Brisbane, Australia (24 Aug 04)
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