Lizard Island Archives - Australia 2000 Travel

April 16, 2015

Lizard Island Reclaims its Position as One of the World’s Leading Premium Resorts

Known for its unrivaled Great Barrier Reef location, natural beauty, exceptional service and diving experiences, Lizard Island reopens its doors after a full year of restoration and rebuilding following the impact of Cycone Ita to welcome discerning travelers wishing to create their own unique experiences.?

Truly secluded from the rest of the world and located directly on the Barrier Reef, the resort features 40 luxurious suites with stunning views of the Australian seascape, 24 private powdery white sand beaches fringed with colorful coral reefs, five star cuisine and exclusive spa care from La Biosthetique.

Lizard Island is truly like nowhere else!? To discover the wonders of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef right outside your doorstep contact us today.

Shang-Ri La — Photo Credit to Lizard Island

March 26, 2014

Thank you from Lois Carley

Hi Karen!

What an amazing adventure! It was first class all of the way! We truly made memories as a family that will last a lifetime! I can’t thank you enough for all of your planning and preparation that went into this amazing journey. Everything was meticulously arranged in advance and it was absolutely wonderful to have this assurance throughout our vacation.

We stayed in 5 different locations in 3 weeks and they were all so different and so wonderful that we all felt like we had experienced the absolute “best” that Australia had to offer! That was really cool. The resorts that we stayed at were nothing short of spectacular! And the staff at each resort were the best we have ever encountered. We received such unbelievable customer service – it was truly a joy!

Wolgan Valley was so beautiful! Steve was able to relax in a day?s time (which is unheard of for him!). God’s country for sure! The kids did the Glow Worm Cave tour and thoroughly enjoyed that! A must see, in their opinion. Our time spent there was to die for!

Next was Southern Ocean Lodge – what an amazing place that was! So remote but so beautiful. Again – the staff were so accommodating and made us feel so comfortable. A spectacular experience all around.

On to Lizard Island??and the only word that could explain that resort is “WOW”! I could have stayed there forever! We are world travelers but we’ve never been to a more beautiful resort! The staff was unbelievably accommodating and the beaches are unsurpassed in their beauty and privacy. On Christmas Day we took out 2 dinghies and had picnic lunches packed and found our own little private beach! It was a Christmas totally unsurpassed in every way. We will never forget our time spent there. And the weather was just perfect!

The rainforest was so different from the places we had just been to! Silky Oaks Lodge was very special. We loved our rooms and the peacefulness of the surroundings.

Sydney was a very fun and interesting city. We all enjoyed our time there. The Sydney Bridge Climb was amazing and we’re glad that we did it. And the day spent with Colin on the sailboat was grand! He is such a nice man and totally took great care of all of us. It was so interesting to hear all of the stories he shared with us. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed it immensely. He really prepared quite the feast for all of us too! He’s quite the chef! Very fun.

New Year?s Eve was enjoyable as well. Steve and I were invited on the roof of the Shangri-La Hotel by the GM there – so we had a front row seat for the spectacular fireworks! We’ve never seen anything like it and will remember it always. I think we’re ruined for life as far as fireworks go! And last, but not least?.the Pub Crawl was AMAZING! Truly the exclamation point of our journey! Our pilot was fun and informative and we got to see parts of Australia that we’d never seen! It was great to experience the local culture of the smaller towns – we absolutely loved every minute of it! What a great day that was!

I also wanted to express to you how flawlessly our transportation worked throughout our trip. Drivers were prompt and friendly and everything went off without a hitch.

Karen, I really want you to know how much we all enjoyed this “once in a lifetime” experience! You are truly the ultimate professional and for that I thank you! You organized and planned a vacation of a lifetime for us that suited our family to a “T”. We will all remember this forever and the time and work you put into this for us was apparent at every turn. 5 stars!

So many people have asked about our magical trip to Australia and what a dream it is of theirs. You will be the first and only agency that I will recommend to anyone who asks!

All the best!

Lois

February 6, 2013

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

June 8, 2011

Australian Islands

ORPHEUS ISLAND

Orpheus Island is a true Great Barrier Reef island, located fifty miles north of Townsville, one hundred and twenty? miles south of Cairns and fifteen? miles offshore. ?It is fringed by sheltered bays and seven unspoiled sandy beaches, wreathed in spectacular coral gardens and invigorated with native flora and fauna. While snorkeling guests will view giant clams in their natural environment and? look for over a thousand species of tropical fish and more than three hundred varieties of reef coral in the underwater gardens surrounding the island.

The entire island, 3380 acres was declared a National Park in 1960.? ?Guests are likely to see echidnas and bandicoots, harmless brown and green tree snakes and green tree frogs in the rainforest, woodland and around the resort.? Many native birds can be found on the island including the orange-footed scrub fowl, brilliant yellow-bellied sunbirds, friar birds, boobook owls, sulfur crested cockatoos, ospreys, spangled drongo, brahminy kite, reef heron and rainbow lorikeets.

KANGAROO ISLAND

One of Australias true wilderness areas, Kangaroo Island is a place of rugged cliffs, roaring surf, pristine beaches, vivid blue ocean waters, dramatic caves, beautiful bush land, national parks and home to an abundance of wildlife.?Its natures paradise with unique flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

To derive the greatest pleasure and value from any visit to KI we always suggest?exploring the island with one of our specialist guides who know just where to find the timid Aussie wildlife and where best to observe the?spectacular scenery along the South Coast.

LIZARD ISLAND

Situated right on the famed Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island is an exclusive island; with 24 soft white beaches and fringed with coral reefs. Guests are limited to just 80 at any one time. This is an island where you can enjoy a wide choice of activities or simply take a break and luxuriate in the peace and solitude of the islands delightful natural environment.

LORD HOWE ISLAND

After flying over 370 miles of empty ocean from Sydney you will be in awe as you approach the breathtaking World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, formed when a volcano erupted 6 million years ago. Snorkeling on the most southern coral reef in the world that teems with marine life of over 500 species of fish and 90 species of coral is a popular past time. World-class bush walks through the natural forests of spectacular Banyan trees and Kentia palm range from easy level-ground walks to challenging hikes to the peak of Mt Gower. In order to maintain the islands pristine environment and uniqueness the number of visitors is limited to 400 at any time.

MARIA ISLAND

Get off the beaten path on an award winning four day guided walk on historic Maria Island where peak hour traffic is a line of little blue penguins emerging from the sea.

During your four day hike you?ll see world-rated fossil cliffs and tread softly through a refuge of rare wildlife and plants.? You?ll trace the history from the era of convicts back to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana.? The entire island is a national park, surrounded by pristine beaches and secluded coves.

Maria Island is a wildlife haven for mammals, birds and marine creatures and home to many rare and endangered species found nowhere else on earth.? The meeting of the warm and cold ocean currents surrounding the island provides a rich source of food for bait fish, seals and sea birds.?? The island lies on one of the great whale migration paths.? Maria Island has long been a prized destination for the keen birdwatcher with 11 of Tasmania?s 12 endemics and over 130 recorded species.? There are almost too many animals to take in.? Rare Tasmanian mammals that hop, climb trees, burrow underground or even lay eggs, seals and dolphins splashing happily in the sea are all to be found during your adventure on? Maria Island.

October 8, 2010

Thank you from Barry and David

Hi Karen,

As you know, we just returned from our amazing trip to Australia. It was good to talk with you yesterday.

Some more about our experiences:

The harbor views from the Grand Quay Suites were wonderful. We had a picnic dinner on the terrace one night, enjoying the views of the city and the Harbour Bridge at dusk. Sailer’s Thai was great, as was Hugo’s Pizza in Kings Cross. The service was wonderful at the GQS: one morning our breakfast was particularly slow to arrive, so they comp’ed our meal. Our guide on the Rocks Tour pointed out that another advantage of staying at the GQS is that when you are in your room, you don’t have to SEE the GQS (and the other towers that have been allowed to be built along the eastside of Circular Quay), which are an over-development eyesore on the harbor. There are also a large number of great restaurants strung along the quay.

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Lizard Island Reclaims its Position as One of the World’s Leading Premium Resorts

Thank you from Lois Carley

Thank you from Dr. Gunta Wheeler