Australia 2000 Travel

Australia 2000 Travel

Thank you from Bonnie & Scott Morton

Dear Karen,

We are pleased with our custom trip to Australia and Tasmania. We enjoyed our excursions ? Davidson?s Safari Camp, Flinders Range, Kangaroo Island, and Tasmania.

Morton - Flinders Ranges 2015
Photo credit to Bonnie & Scott Morton

We enjoyed Davidson?s Safari Lodge a lot. We had excellent meals. The cabin was comfortable and the guides were excellent. We enjoyed seeing the aborigines? art and the billabongs. We saw a number of birds, alligators, and wallabies.

Mick is an excellent guide. We enjoyed his sense of humor and knowledge of the area around Flinders Range. We learned a lot from him. It is a beautiful area. We saw the wildflowers in full bloom.

Steve was our guide on Kangaroo Island. He is a farmer and works as a guide part time. Steve and Scott enjoyed talking about their farms. Steve gave us a tour of his farm which we thoroughly enjoyed. Mandy and Paul, the owners of Seascape were excellent hosts. Mandy is a great cook and the meals were delicious.

Morton KI 2015
Photo credit to Bonnie & Scott Morton

Adelaide was the perfect place to be our jumping off point from Flinders Range to Kangaroo Island to Tasmania and the Adina Apartment Hotel served us well. The hotel is within walking distance to Chinatown which has a very good selection of Asian restaurants, and Rundle mall for shopping.

I found some very warm merino gloves for the forecasted cooler weather in Tasmania. Having a washing and dryer in the unit was very helpful. We started our 6 days in Tasmania with a full load of clean clothes.? Also having a small kitchen in the unit allowed us to purchase food for a continental breakfast.

Cradle Mountain (photo credit Morton)
Photo credit to Bonnie & Scott Morton

Karin was our guide in Tasmania. In addition to being very knowledgeable about the area, she is very thoughtful and helpful. She surprised us with a gift for our 25th anniversary. I just happened to mention it to her. We didn?t want to publicize the event, but we appreciated her thoughtfulness.

We enjoyed Sarah Island, Cradle Mountain, all the walks, Cataract Gorge, the Walk to Wineglass Bay lookout, seeing and learning about all the rock formations.

We felt the organization and coordination of the drivers and guides were excellent. We enjoyed the adventures, learning about the history and seeing the beautiful views of Australia.

Thank you for such a nice job.

Bonnie and Scott Morton

Customize a Wedding or Honeymoon to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti or Fiji with the Down Under Specialists at Australia 2000 Travel

Our customer service, extensive local knowledge of each destination and twenty three?years spent developing relationships with our hand selected tour guides and unique boutique accommodation owners and hosts set us apart.? Nothing about Australia 2000 Travel is cookie cutter.? Dreams come true. Memories are created that last for a lifetime.?

Jim Krystal Brown - OZ Wedding
Photo Credit to Jim & Krystal Brown

“Thank you to the staff of Australia 2000 for making this a trip of a lifetime for our wedding/honeymoon.? We couldn’t have asked for it to be more perfect!? The attention to detail was phenomenal and we can’t wait to contact you again for an anniversary trip!” Jim & Krystal Brown

?Hi Karen, We?re back! You put together a wonderful itinerary for us. The honeymoon was fantastic, wonderful and spectacular!!! Did I mention that we really enjoyed ourselves??? Everything went off without a hitch. Your staff we met throughout our journey couldn?t have been any friendlier! We felt relaxed and at ease our entire trip. We hope to come back some day!? Thank you so much for a wonderful and unforgettable three weeks.?? Dan & Erin Garfin

Dave & Crystal Geiser OZ DEC 2014
Photo Credit to Crystal & Dave Geiser

?Australia is such a large country and we had no idea how to start the process of planning a honeymoon that would cover all the highlights.? The Australia 2000 team took over and created us the most phenomenal, carefree honeymoon we could ask for!? They really?took into account our active lifestyle and personalities to make sure we were busy rafting, scuba diving, hiking, etc. while getting to see several of the diverse ecosystems around Australia.? All in one trip we were able to see Cairns, Ayers Rock, Kangaroo Island, and Sydney!? It was a perfect mix of city and nature with no worries for us as far as logistics of transportation (air, land and sea)!? It was the best decision I could have made to put the planning of this trip in the hands of these talented professionals and I would definitely go to them again for our next adventure (New Zealand is looking pretty awesome?)!? Crystal & Dave Geiser

Greg & Ashley Walker Honeymoon #2 - Fiji & OZ May 2014
Photo Credit to Greg & Ashley Walker

?Hi Karen! Passing through the Adelaide Airport and just wanted to let you and the team know we are having an amazing adventure. Everything has been perfect.?? Greg & Ashley Walker

?Much appreciation on the hard work of setting up our honeymoon. We had such a great time and felt that Australia became a part of us. We just did not want to leave. We will have memories for a lifetime.? Aaron & Anna Spork

Aaron & Anna Spork Aussie Honeymoon - April 2010
Photo Credit to Aaron & Anna Spork

“We had such an amazing trip to New Zealand that we didn’t want to come home!?? The food was great and the atmosphere everywhere we went was so hospitable and inviting! Everyone was very nice and gave us well wishes on our recent marriage. We definitely want to go back and see some of the places we didn’t get to this time.? Thanks again for organizing this trip for us. It will truly be something we will never forget.”? Mike & Jess Wiley

Thank you from June Fasang

Dear Karen,

My trip was wonderful!? A big THANK YOU to you and your associates for your help in planning it.

I never really thought I would take this trip until I found out about your agency from the write up in the Sunday Detroit Free Press.? I had to keep pinching myself that I was really there after wanting to go for 60 years!

I am very glad you advised me to spend the extra money to upgrade my seat on the Air New Zealand flight to Auckland.? I cannot say enough good things about Air New Zealand and the flight attendant you alerted ahead of time to watch over me.? She was incredibly kind to help me through immigration and customs.

Auckland was lovely, the personal tour guides, Pete and Christine, were so helpful and went out of their way to welcome and show me their part of New Zealand.? City Life Hotel upgraded me to a suite and it was very comfortable. I only wish that I had more time there.? My last day in Auckland Pete showed up at 7 a.m. all spiffed up in suit and tie to transfer me to to the airport for my flight to Australia.

A friend was waiting for me in Adelaide and I really think that was my favorite part of the trip. Adelaide is a beautifully laid out city and the surrounding country is gorgeous. I loved Kangaroo Island.? It was perfect weather wise and it was there that I first saw kangaroos and koalas. Other places I enjoyed were the wineries at McLaren Vale and Granite Island where we hopped aboard a horse drawn carriage tour.

On to Melbourne on Virgin Australia, where I was upgraded to business class for the short flight and yet another reunion with friends.? After resting for a couple of days at their lovely home, their mother, who is my lifelong friend, arrived.? We visited the wonderful botanical gardens and enjoyed viewing the wild life.? Joanne made a Kangaroo supper one night and it was surprisingly good. The next day we set off to Canberra where we toured the new Parliament building and the War Memorial.? They were both amazing.

On to Sydney… The Sydney waterfront was all that I expected and that is where we met my sister and husband. I parted with my Melbourne friends and spent the rest of the day with my sister and family over in Manly Beach. I walked to the Quay to explore the Rocks and took a tea time harbor cruise.

I enjoyed the food but found Australia very expensive both in restaurants and grocery stores. Lamb was cheaper than here and I brought back Vegemite which I love (like British Marmite).

The Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles that you arranged for me was just fine.? I took advantage of both the lovely accommodation and the limo transfers you arranged for me.

Thank you again, Karen, I could not have done it without you.

Regards,

June Fasang

P.S. I will not hesitate to recommend your agency.

Thank you from Dave & Nona Church

Hi Karen,

We wanted to send you a note to bring you up to date on the progress of our trip. We arrived in Hobart this morning (Sat., Feb. 9) and had the good fortune of this being the town’s Market Day with lots of activities in the town center. It is also the occasion of the World Wooden Ship Festival in Hobart Harbor (3 days every two years).

We received your wonderful fruit basket upon our arrival in Sydney after our cruises to New Zealand and New Caledonia Islands. We have enjoyed some of the fruit each day. Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated.?? (Our tour guide) Suzanne was a most delightful, informative and personable guide on our tours of the environs of Sydney and the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park north of Sydney. She sends you her greetings.

Each link of our trip has flowed perfectly, thanks to your planning and arrangements. An unexpected delight has been the friendliness and helpfulness of strangers asking if there is anything they can do to help us when we look confused or lost.

We really appreciate having the Grace Hotel as our center of operations in Sydney. This Hotel is first class in every way….great staff people, available laundry, wonderful breakfasts, luxurious atmosphere, walking distance to places of interest. We really enjoyed our tours of the Sydney Opera House yesterday morning and attending the Verdi opera last night.

We look forward to our 3 day walk on Maria Island beginning tomorrow, and the experiences waiting for us at Port Arthur and Adelaide. We are grateful for this adventure you have organized for us.

Best regards,

Dave & Nona Church

Thank you from Dr. Gunta Wheeler

Hello Karen,

Our trip to Australia & New Zealand was absolutely a dream come true.

Sydney was everything you told us to expect. We thoroughly enjoyed our luxurious hotel and all of the wonderful tours planned for us, especially the small group city orientation tour. Our guide was totally awesome, he even brought us to the market so that we could do a bit of shopping and then to the Yacht Club for a fantastic lunch.

Lizard island was as we dreamed it would be ?out of this world? with absolutely the best food and service. The weather was as we ordered, sunny when we needed it to be and cloudy when we had a slight sunburn. Adelaide, the wineries and Kangaroo Island were also just perfect.

Our favorite part of New Zealand was Queenstown. On arrival we enjoyed a hot springs spa treatment and then headed into town where we joined in a Bar Crawl at the Ice Bar. That was the best night ever. My friends were trying to remind me my age, but I could not care less.

I must tell you that there is a new restaurant in Queenstown called Flame Bar and Grill where the ribeye steak is to die for. Also the Irish pub, Pog Mahones Stone Grill, has the best cuisine next to Lizard Island. Our favorite tour was the jet boat ride on the Dart River. It was thrilling fun and we had the best captain. I have to admit that I am totally ready to drop everything and move to Queenstown if I am ever offered the opportunity.

We also thoroughly enjoyed our chartered boat tour in Nelson. The captain was great and the Tasman Sea was at its best with lots of sun and seals, penguins and very artistic jelly fish. We sun tanned, swam and enjoyed our lunch tremendously. A highlight of the day was the terrific driver who told all about the Nelson area and even stopped at the local market so that we could purchase fresh fruit.

WOW was as wow could be, we were shocked out of our pants, that Nelson has a magnificent museum. After visiting the museum our private guide took us to the wineries where we savored the best ever smoked salmon. Paired with a prized Chardonnay, the salmon was simply splendid. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed Nelson thanks to the tours and fantastic tour guides.

Now the toughest part is to get back to ordinary food and work. I truly feel that New Zealand is calling me to return as I felt so very much at home there.

Thank you so much for a truly glorious trip!

Dr. Gunta Wheeler

Journal Entries from Down Under Travelers

Wednesday, April 04, 2012 9:30 PM

Hi Karen,

So our stories continue….yes, yes we found room for Vicenzo’s….it was an outstanding dinner and Lara & Heath were wonderful in their service. But the quality of the food, flavor, and presentation were truly remarkable.

Mollydooker….OMG…we spent 4 1/2 hours there! Russell, the production manager, provided us with a more than 1 hour tour thro the vineyards, and through all the stages in processing. They were harvesting so we saw that, the grapes coming in, the crushing, followed the juice through the winery, tasted out of tanks, saw barrel filling..and then…we were invited to lunch (which they provide to all the winery workers). Big deal because the food was amazing (lamb shanks, Helmut’s favorite) and we were invited by Janet, Sparky’s (owner) mother. With lunch, a bottle of Velvet Glove, their flagship wine. It was an amazing day. We went to no other wineries. Even Mary Anne said that nothing else would top this. So off to Adelaide, the Firestation and Vincenzo’s.

I thought I would die when we returned to our room.

So off to Tassie!!!

Till later,

Marlies

Thank you from Colleen Berry

G?day Karen,

What a wonderful trip to Oz! You and your staff did a fabulous job in helping to make my second trip to Australia wonderful and helped me see new?and exciting parts of the country.

I loved Tasmania, Adelaide and the Margaret River area. Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was just amazing, a once in a lifetime experience, and so wish I had stayed a third night. The small group tours across the itinerary were perfect.

Thank you for your patience in putting together a trip for someone visiting for a second time and my traveling companions visiting for a first time. The only downfall was not having more time or more money!

Thank you for making so many wonderful memories for me, Marianne and Rose.

Best,

Colleen

Adelaide’s Cellar Door Wine Festival

If you are like us, you may enjoy a glass of Aussie wine now and again. If you do, now is the time to tantalize your taste buds and join wine aficionados and enthusiasts alike as?you explore 12 iconic wine regions of South Australia at Adelaide?s Cellar Door and Wine Festival.

John Duval Wines at Boneta
Photo Credit to Megan Mallen

Over 150 wineries join under one roof at the Adelaide Convention Center for 3 days only, February 24-26, 2012, to swirl, taste, smell the boutique aromas and enjoy unlimited samplings of the regions finest wines.

Among the many reasons to attend are the Master Classes where you will learn the secrets of wine and cheese pairing and the ever-popular ?Varietal View? where those interested in a particular varietal of wine learn the ins and outs from the wine makers themselves.

South Australia is the perfect host for this wildly popular event, as it is the world?s 7th largest wine producer and 4th largest exporter of wines. With an international reputation for producing refined and distinctive varieties, grown from some of the oldest grape vines in the world, Australian wines are sold to over 100 countries and are savored in the finest restaurants.

Whetted your appetites, have we? Lift your glass high Mate and let us personalize a once in a lifetime journey for you to the GLORIOUS South Pacific where we will?weave your dreams around this well loved festival and you?ll toast to the beginning of an amazing adventure.

Australia’s Capital Cities

Sydney ~ Copyrighted Image: Tourism Australia

SYDNEY

Since 1996 readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines have voted Sydney, the World?s Best City for sixteen years in succession.? Whether you visit for one day or a week, we’re sure that you’ll enjoy this cosmopolitan city with its impressive harbor foreshores, glamorous homes and coastlines dotted with jagged sandstone cliffs and golden beaches. With its Mediterranean climate, arcade shopping, restaurants, parks, gardens, museums, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge – you will find Sydney a gem.

Adelaide ~ Copyrighted Image: South Australia Tourism Commission

ADELAIDE

The wine and festival capital of Australia, Adelaide in South Australia is one of the most vibrant, stylish and innovative cities you’ll ever visit. With rolling hills, pristine beaches, a lively nightlife, galleries, cafes, pubs, bookshops, fashion houses, antique stores, cellar doors and National Parks (all within Adelaide’s boundaries!), it’s a city you’ll want to come back to time and time again…

Brisbane ~ Copyrighted Image: Brisbane Marketing

BRISBANE

Brisbane, capital city of Queensland is Australia’s third largest city. It has been built around the Brisbane River that snakes its way through the downtown. Be sure to check out the Botanic Gardens and the unique Customs House that have become part of Brisbane’s heritage icons.

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Email: cgoodman@downunderendeavours.com