Australia 2000 Travel

Australia 2000 Travel

Thank you from Karen and Scott Lewis

Hi Karen and Hillary,

We want you to know about our wonderful adventure to New Zealand that you planned for us.

First and foremost our trip was flawless. Upon meeting Karen on our first encounter she listened to our requests regarding what we wanted to experience in New Zealand. She executed the most perfect trip for us, putting together an adventure (a lot of hiking, biking and kayaking) that met all our expectations, including eating with a family in New Zealand! The guides were top notch and very knowledgeable.

It was the most wonderfully planned and organized vacation. Kudos to Australia 2000!

Karen and Scott Lewis

 

The Face of Australia 2000 Travel ~ Karen Hardy Hodgson. Featured this month as Hour Detroit Magazine?s Faces of Detroit 2019

Australia 2000 Travel weaves a touch of Aussie magic into every Bespoke Luxury Journey, handcrafted for the discerning traveler seeking to explore Australia, New Zealand, and remote South Pacific islands from a unique perspective.

Australia 2000 Travel was established in 1992 by fifth-generation Australian Karen Hardy Hodgson, whose mission is to help travelers discover the South Pacific through a local’s eyes; experience the vibrancy of immersive travel during stress-free journeys tailored to include each person’s specific interests and desires; and take travelers beyond the beaten path, where lifelong memories of wonder are created.

Australia 2000 Travel stands alone with recognition by Tourism Australia as Michigan’s only Premier Aussie Specialist, by Tourism New Zealand as one of Fewer Than Ten North American 100% Pure New Zealand Life-Time Gold Specialists, by elite Luxperience as one of the Top Two-Hundred-Fifty Travel Designers in the World, and by Hour Detroit as Detroit’s Best Travel Agency.

https://www.hourdetroit.com/faces-of-detroit/australia-2000-travel-karen-hardy-hodgson/

 

Thank you from Patti and Howard Taxe

Photo Credit to Taxe

Hi Karen,

Photo Credit to Taxe

We wanted to let you know how truly fabulous our trip to Australia and New Zealand has been. Both countries showed us a great time – the hotels, tours, hospitality shown by Gary and Dietske at The Manse?I really could go on and on. ??This was a trip of a lifetime. Howard and I always felt we were in great hands. Thank you again for planning such a diverse, well rounded, fun, educational and carefree vacation for us!? We are grateful to have worked with you and Wendy.? We are experienced travelers who have visited many countries on our bucket list.? This is the first trip we have taken where we feel a burning desire to make a return visit to explore new areas and meet even more of the laid back friendly locals.?

Howard & Patti Taxe

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Thank you from Mary Jo Drew

Hi Karen,

My entire foodie trip in the Lands Down Under went off with nary a hitch. The business class flights were the best splurge I’ve given myself in years!

MEL - Downtown from Mary Jo Drew
Photo Credit to Mary Jo Drew

The Hotel Lindrum in?Melbourne was well positioned with easy access to shopping and attractions.? The Lanes and Arcades tour is an absolute must for anyone visiting Melbourne for the first time. As our guide pointed out, by not knowing to look down the city?s narrow alleyways?many Americans would walk right past them and miss out on so much vibrant local culture.

There is so much colorful history in Melbourne.? At our guide’s advice, I even stopped in and had a drink?upstairs?with the famous Chloe in her namesake bar across from Flinders Railway Station!? The?Yarra Valley?winery tour was great fun. I really enjoyed seeing the Chandon Estate and didn?t realize Chandon had a vineyard in Australia!

Hobart in Tasmania was a really nice respite after the hustle and bustle of Melbourne.? The Old Woolstore Hotel was so close to the downtown area and harbor that I was able to walk virtually the entire downtown during my stay.? My private tour and lunch at the Morilla Estate was fantastic though the artwork at MONA came as a bit of a shock!?? The trip to Bruny Island was great.? The weather started out very rainy but by noon everything cleared out and I had a lovely day.

ZQN view from Mary Jo Drew
Photo Credit to Mary Jo Drew

And then came Queenstown in beautiful New Zealand. The Dairy may have been my favorite accommodation – had I not stopped at The Manse later!? The view, room, breakfasts and staff service were all superlative.? I also enjoyed the hot tub on the back deck – a great place to sip wine while enjoying the view!? Although the weather was on again, off again, I had mostly great weather for my wanderings about town, the public garden, and the narrow streets.? I also enjoyed great meals at a couple of unique tapas bars on Lake Wakatipu.? The Doubtful Sound trip was quite majestic, but as The Sound is so remote?it was a very long day. The winery tour to Otago was great and the charcuterie lunch was quite good.

NPE - The Manse view from Mary Jo Drew
Photo Credit to Mary Jo Drew

Lastly came Hawkes Bay. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the plane I?d be flying on the leg from Christchurch to Napier – a regional aircraft not unlike some I have been on in the Pacific Northwest!??After staying at The?Manse and being totally spoiled by the fantastic accommodation, the pool, the drinks before dinner, Gary’s sumptuous meals, and his and Dietske’s hospitality, I can only say that I wish I had had spent more time there!? My guide on the winery tour had spent years in the business himself, and it showed in his insights into the various wineries and producers.? My tour of Napier with Gary on the last day of my trip certainly cemented my wish to spend more time in stunning Hawkes Bay.

The trip was spectacular and I will have great memories to share for years to come.? Thanks for all your help in making this happen!

Best wishes,

Mary Jo

Experience Out-Of-The-Ordinary Adventures

Dine under the stars at the quietest restaurant on Earth. Sip champagne and listen to the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo as you watch a magnificent sunset over Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). When the sun has finally set, lanterns will AYQ- Sounds of Silencebe lit and a delicious gourmet barbecue served. After dinner the lights are dimmed to reveal a clear and bright, star filled sky. A resident astronomer introduces the magnificent constellations, stars and planets that make up the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.? Truly a night like no other.

Robinet Sounds of Silence Dinner AYQ (resized)

Thank you from Gerald Fuller & Siamak Gholami

Our two week Australia/New Zealand adventure experience was truly one of the finest vacations either of us has ever had. Karen and her Michigan office and international staffs executed a fine-tuned, action-packed, successive whirlwind that we slept dead 12 of the 14 return hour flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles. Exploring the north Sydney beaches on Harleys, flying low along the Sydney beaches in a sea plane, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, swimming in the Coral Sea with three sharks, sand boarding, New Zealand jet boating, paddling the Waka (Mori outrigger), gazing in awe walking the Milford Track, mountain biking down a 3,000 foot mountain to downtown Nelson, hiking the Abel Tasman and Heaphy Traks, climbing active volcanoes of New Zealand?s north island, and chartering 11 helicopters, 3 planes, and a sea plane are just some of the excitement included in Karen?s adventure itinerary.

Gerry Fuller & Siamak Gholami SYD (2)Now to the hotels. Wow! Park Hyatt in Sydney, Eichardt?s Private Hotel in Queenstown, Edenhouse near Nelson, Peppers Awaroa Lodge in Abel Tasman National Park are just a few of the perfectly suited for the experience and location we enjoyed. Even with walking/trekking, mountain biking, paddling a Waka, and climbing mountains, we still gained an average of 7.5 pounds each; enough said on the naturally nutritious, delicious, and extremely well-presented food.

Gerry Fuller & Siamak GholamiWe spent nearly two years working with Karen to get the trip we wanted. Gerald wanted to end his 60s with a bang and Siamak just lives life with a bang. Together we all pulled it together, but the nucleus was Karen and her staff. Thank you.

Gerald Fuller and Siamak Gholami

Thank you from Jim & Krystal Brown

Bula Karen!!!

We want to thank you for putting together yet another incredible South Pacific vacation for our anniversary! Jenny, Peter, their daughter Larra and the entire Nukubati staff made this an experience we will never forget! From the wonderful meals, beautiful grounds to the activities offered this was a wonderful way to take in both the Fijian culture as well as the luxuries of such a nice, exclusive resort. The attention to detail was like no other from all of the staff knowing our names from the moment we arrived, to the beautiful flowers placed throughout our bure and various places at the resort daily!

We especially enjoyed our time with Lote who took us out snorkeling twice on The Great Sea Reef. She was also part of the team that put on an incredible BBQ Fijian-style for us and lead us on an extremely interesting medicine walk on the island. We’re not sure how she had time for anyone else!!! Aside from the amazing snorkeling, I think our next favorite thing was the private picnic on our own personal sandbar!!

The entire trip was fantastic! So that’s Australia and now Fiji Karen. We may just have to try New Zealand in another 5 years!!! We’ll be in touch for sure!!!!

Thanks again to you and your associates,

Jim and Krystal Brown

Carleton, Michigan

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

Contact Us

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