We rarely use travel agents, but decided to consider one for our trip to a very distant country, New Zealand, during the holiday season. Little did we know that finding Australia 2000 Travel and Karen Hodgson to design our itinerary would be such a lucky move.
Karen and her staff are Australia/New Zealand specialists, with years of experience Down Under and a well-developed set of contacts. As a result, incredibly, there is not one aspect of our 3-week travel to and within New Zealand that did not go smoothly. All the bed and breakfast hosts and hostesses were charming and helpful, all the activities were run by people who knew exactly what their participants wanted and needed, drivers were prompt and courteous, even the “days at leisure” were well-scheduled to provide relaxing breaks from preplanned days.
It helped tremendously that, before suggesting our itinerary, Karen spent ample time with us to discover our interests and learn what sorts of things we would enjoy doing, rather than just plugging us into a one-size-fits-all package. For example, thanks to her assessment of us and personal acquaintance with the numerous options available in New Zealand, we participated in a guided 3-day kayaking/walking trip in a beautiful national park. It was a major highlight of our trip, and if not for Karen, we would not have known enough to consider it. Hers is a travel service with the emphasis on service! Thanks to that, we had the time of our lives.
Ruth and Bryan Pfingst
Traveled to New Zealand December 2008
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