Budget Trips to Oceania

My husband and I had a fantastic time. Chris, our tour guide, was very knowledgable, informative and accessible for anything we needed on advice, suggestions, or just to chat. We had plenty of personal downtime to rest and recover. I loved that Chris stated “This is your vacation, do as you like.” So we felt more freedom to explore independently.

Pay Wayne more. The places we visited were great, but you are somewhat limited by conditions not under your control. The guide makes the trip. There are plenty of things to see, and all are good. It was interesting that the sound systems were never up to par. The bus companies probably control this. Since Wayne is the best guide I have been with, make sure we can hear him. Talk to Bose or other vendors. There has to be some way to improve the sound. Oh yeah, pay Wayne and the drivers more.

Our tour guide Joshua was personable and very knowledgeable. He made great recommendations for restaurants and things to see during our free time. Our bus driver Benson in New Zealand was a great driver. A trip of a life time. The breakfasts had quite a variety and were yummy. We enjoyed seeing the Kiwi, Tasmanian Devils, koalas, feeding the kangaroos and watching the penguins marching in from the sea to fee their babies. Riding the camel at dawn at Ayers Rock was fun. We learned about the Moari people.

Overall, a great trip visiting 6 cities in Australia and 5 in New Zealand. Pace was right with great places to visit as well as free time. Some great additional excursions also. 25 people in group was also a plus.

I highly recommend this trip if you are an avid hiker. This country was one of the most beautiful I’ve been to. The guides both on the north and south Island were amazing. The group dynamic was top-notch. I was unsure about this trip, but I’m so glad that I committed and went on it. I would highly recommend this trip to anybody considering it.

Cam was wonderful, knowledgeable, kind and considerate! He cared about each person on the tour and went out of his way to ensure that everyone was safe and happy. 😃. The concierge Tony, at the Rendezvous Grand Hotel Melbourne was the best. The bus driver the morning of departure from Melbourne was a jerk! Our driver in New Zealand, Jaden, like Cam, became part of us. We love him and his driving was amazing. He and Cam were on the same wavelength and worked so well together that they were reading each other’s minds. All excursions were great fun and you should add the captain cook tours in Fiji to your options. The flights went off perfectly and the airport folks were great. The Compass mobile app was awesome and easy to use. Our tour guide in Hobart, Zoe, did a fantastic job. Loved her sense of humor. Thanks Cam, Jaden, and Zoe for being part of our family and sharing your homes (countries) with us. There are so many wonderful memories that it would take pages to share them all!