Australia 2000 Travel

Australia 2000 Travel

Thank you from Tim Heyden

Dear Karen & Hillary,

Photo Credit to Tim Heyden

Thank you so much for putting together such a great trip for us. We really appreciate all the bottles of wine, chocolates, nice cards and notes you sent.

Our birthday celebration was a terrific day all around, we loved our cruise and lunch, thanks for making it all so perfect for us (I’m telling everyone about the sparkling Shiraz)!

All our accommodations, guides and hosts were top notch. Of course, the most exciting parts were probably petting the kangaroos and seeing koalas up close on Kangaroo Island. Jackie and I also just loved the Lord of the Rings tour  it was just what we were hoping for.

Thanks for an adventure we’ll never forget!

Tim Heyden

Thank You from Dan & Erica Nye

Photo Credit to Dan & Erica Nye

We met with Karen about a year and a half before our Honeymoon trip to Australia and New Zealand. The entire process with her has been fantastic and very fun. We met a couple of times in person during the planning phase and then once more in person right before the trip. During the planning phase most of the correspondence was through email, which she did great at keeping us informed of what our itinerary looked like and what the plan was. She has been very supportive, accommodating, and had great communication (let us know when she would be travelling, how long to expect updates, etc.). She gave us recommendations of the best time to go, things to do/see, and what to expect. The activities and excursions she had us signed up for were incredibly fun and once in a lifetime experiences. All of the travelling went very smoothly and even though we were busy and did a lot of things, Karen still managed to build into the itinerary plenty of time to relax. The scenery and everything we experienced had the perfect amount of romance attached to it as it was our honeymoon.

Photo Credit to Dan & Erica Nye

Our trip started in Sydney (Botanical Gardens, Private Harbour Tour, Bridge Climb, Opera House tour and show), then up to Cairns/Port Douglas (Dive Great Barrier Reef, Rain Forest Resort, Aboriginal Tour), then to Brisbane (Night in the city), then over to Auckland (Hobbitton/Shire tour, Waiheke Island winery tour). Every stop had breath-taking views and awesome guides (majority of time was all private, which helped make everything more romantic). All of the flights, airport pickups, and excursion drop-offs were right on time and went perfectly.

Photo Credit to Erica & Dan Nye

The 2 and a half weeks spent in the land down under will be remembered and cherished forever. We’re planning on going back every 5 years to celebrate our anniversaries and as long as Karen is still doing travel arrangements we will absolutely go through her.

Thank you again.

Dan & Erica Nye

Thank you from Natalie Robinson

Karen planned the perfect trip of a lifetime for our family of 5 (kids are age 22, 19 and 16) for our 30th wedding anniversary. It had been a dream of mine to visit Australia and although I usually plan and book all our trips I wanted to make sure that I sought expert opinion for this one. I had a couple of initial meetings with Karen where we discussed preferences and options and budget and Karen then put together an initial plan. I would say our final trip consisted of 95% of Karen’s suggestions.

Photo Credit to Natalie Robinson

We stayed in 5 different locations in Australia and New Zealand and they were all superb from the flights, accommodation to the airport pick ups and drop offs to the excursions. The majority of our excursions were private with an expert driver/guide who looked after us extremely well. Our highlights of the trip were Orpheus, just paradise! Sydney harbour tour with lunch, Queenstown is a beautiful city and our accommodation at Millbrook was fantastic. Doubtful Sound is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and the tour was very well planned. The least interesting city we stayed in was Auckland but it was worth it for our day trip to Waiheke (an island 35 minutes ferry ride from Auckland) with another expert guide where we visited wineries and olive groves.

Photo Credit to Natalie Robinson

This trip slightly exceeded our initial budget but it was well worth it to have the expert planning and attention from Karen and her team in Australia and New Zealand and to have so many exceptional experiences. I would recommend Australia 2000 to anyone looking to travel to Australia and New Zealand.

Thank you from Marnie & David Balog

Dear Karen,

Our 2nd trip with Australia 2000 once again exceeded all expectations. We didn’t want to come home! You have a great gift for understanding our personalities and matching the itinerary and adventures!

Sailing in Sydney Harbor with Colin was a great way to start our fabulous trip and climbing the bridge showed us a most spectacular view of Sydney at twilight. David loved all the fishing trips but the marlin got away so he may just have to go back and try again! The Maria Island Walk was one of many highlights and we loved sleeping outdoors in a most gorgeous place.

Hiking along the Great Ocean Road and dinner at The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld made my birthday the BEST ever! Staying at Stranrear Homestead on Kangaroo Island with Lyn and Graham showed us another side of life in Australia, a working sheep farm. After dinner, Graham took us out in his land rover to spot kangaroos and wallabies. Lyn should make the list for top chefs in the world! The hospitality and gourmet meals at Stranrear made us feel very special. Actually every day of our trip made us feel happy and very special!

Our memories of the wonderful adventures you planned keep us smiling! Thank you for making our 2nd trip with Australia 2000 one we will always remember.

We want to go again!

Marnie and David Balog

Livonia, MI

Thank you from Karyn McClary

Hi Karen,

I want to thank you for planning a wonderful trip for me. I know I did not give you that much time to plan it, but everything was perfect from the accommodations to the tours. Even the weather was perfect. ( How did you manage even that?)

Out of the places I stayed, the apartment in Port Douglas was probably my favorite. The beach was only a quick walk from my apartment, but it was paradise just to sit on the balcony outside my apartment and listen to the tropical birds call.

I don’t think I could pick a favorite out of the tours. They were all fantastic. The guides were very enthusiastic, so much so that I wanted to ask them if they were hiring. The other people on tour were a lot of fun. It actually made me glad to be traveling alone, because I don’t think I would have met them otherwise.

Although I couldn’t pick a favorite tour, I will say that my sailing tour of Sydney Harbour was extra special. There was only other one passenger scheduled; they didn’t show up, and I got a private tour of the harbour. When we anchored for lunch, I waved to the paddle boarders and kayakers who went by. I was being served steak and salmon on a yacht, and I think they thought I might have been a movie star in disguise. (Very much in disguise, I had been warned about the UV and was wearing a large sun hat.)

I have been recommending your company to everyone I can, and I would love to travel with you again if I get the chance. I can’t thank you enough for what you planned for me; it was the best vacation I’ve ever been on, and one of the happiest times in my life.

Thanks again,

Karyn McClary

Thank you from The Robinet Family

Dear Karen,

We can?t thank you enough for putting together such a wonderful itinerary for us. Our trip to Australia and New Zealand was the trip of a lifetime and one that none of us will forget.

From Green Island to Ayers Rock to Sydney to Queenstown, we have memories of the most beautiful places we?ve ever seen. The adventures you chose for us were terrific.? From snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef to the Sounds of Silence dinner and camel ride at sunrise in Ayer?s Rock from Bridgeclimb, New Year?s Eve festivities and sailing on Sydney Harbour in Sydney to ziplining and bungy jumping in Queenstown, New Zealand, etc., everything was fantastic!

We?re already talking of going back! We booked this trip because we wanted to do a big family trip before our oldest son goes away to college. Thank you for exceeding our expectations. Australia and New Zealand truly are spectacular places to visit. The Aussie?s & Kiwi?s are wonderful too! They really know how to enjoy life and they made sure that we enjoyed it too. Thank you to you and your staff.

Sincerely,

The Robinet Family

Thank you from Bob & Susie Ufer

Beginning with a beautiful sail on Sydney Harbor and ending with the Sounds of Silence in Doubtful Sound this indeed was a fabulous holiday! Australia 2000 planned every detail to make our journey one that we will always treasure.

Whether arriving late into Auckland and having our ride waiting or simply getting to a destination with a ride waiting was the best. We met people that we will now have more Christmas cards to send and the accommodations were lovely. We already know we will return to the Punatapo Lodge in Queenstown, gorgeous land of the long white cloud.

Thank you Australia 2000!!

Susie and Bob Ufer

Sydney, New Years Eve Capital of the World

The countdown is on!? With only 43 days remaining until New Years Eve, one of the most anticipated nights and parties of the year, we Aussies simply cannot think of a better place than Sydney to celebrate its arrival.

Photo Credit to miquitos

Join the Sydneysiders as we celebrate the arrival of the New Year and the commencement of the Sydney Festival under starry skies.? Each year Sydney celebrates this special night with a lineup of events that begin with spectacular aerial flyovers high above Sydney Harbour and keep going until well after midnight. The highlights, of course,?are the two spectacular firework displays that take place over Sydney Harbour.

The 9 p.m. family fireworks are designed and choreographed specifically for children and feature accompanying music?in an upbeat and fun atmosphere that the whole family will love.??When the clock strikes midnight, Sydney lights up the night sky, once again, this time to ring in?the New Year. A dazzling fireworks display is launched from seven barges lining Sydney Harbour, the rooftops of seven city skyscrapers, and most impressively, from the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself.? It is truly a? spectacular display that is best appreciated?in person.

As one of the first cities to ring in the New Year, Sydney is proudly known by many as the New Years Eve capital of the world. Each year more than 1.5 million people gather to be a part of the festivities, making it one of the best times of the year to take in all that Sydney has to offer. So give us a fair go (a chance) and join us for the celebration of the year!

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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Thank you from the Berminghams and Elders

Karen, Hillary, Shelly and Wendy,

Our Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania trip was spectacular. Everything was perfectly planned and we experienced a new adventure every day. We loved Sydney – the bridge climb, sailing the harbor and great shopping. A highlight has to be the Blue Mountains with such spectacular views, the opportunity to see kangaroos jumping about it the bush and lunch on the Wollondilly River.

We were very brave and drove on the opposite side of the road for our tour of Tasmania. We experienced Bruny Island with all the massive cliffs and just incredible views on our drive on the coast to Freycinet National Park. The Park has beautiful beaches with clear water and a nice secluded feel. It seemed there was one beautiful sight of beaches, waterfalls and rainforest after another as we drove to Launceston.

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Contact Us

Phone: +1-248-647-4530
Email: cgoodman@downunderendeavours.com