The right agent makes all the difference on a trip Down Under

Jeanette Mell; Menlo Park, CA

The perfect travel agent for a trip to New Zealand or Australia has been found! Once again, International Travel News has given me a wonderful agent for travel. This time it was Wendy Schatz of Travel Downunder (Bellevue, WA; 866/258-1629).

After seeing her ad in ITN, I contacted Wendy and asked her to plan a 3½-week trip for two 80-plus-year-old couples, each celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Wendy and I exchanged more than 150 emails to finalize this trip for myself and my husband, Joe, and our friends of 50 years, Alice and Forrest Anderson. Her efforts were what made the trip so special. 

She always responded immediately; I never had to wait and wonder. She designed a trip that stayed within our budget of $11,500 per person, including round-trip airfare from San Francisco to New Zealand.

New Zealand

We chose to go in April (2013) as this would be autumn “Down Under” and moderate temperatures could be expected. We were adamant that we did not want to drive ourselves (on the “wrong” side of the road), so we joined MoaTrek New Zealand Limited’s small-group tour, bringing the total number of travelers in the group to 18. 

For six wonderful days we took in the awesome scenery of New Zealand, including snowcapped mountains surrounding plains that were turning yellow and orange with the fall. We started in Wellington, crossing the Tory Channel on the Interisland ferry to Picton, on the South Island, where we toured the premier wine region of Marlborough. 

Our stay for two nights in the beach hamlet of Kaikoura was restful, and we enjoyed the camaraderie of our fellow travelers. The tour continued from the coast through Christchurch and on into the mountain area. 

Our fabulous tour leader, Ian Murray, was a fourth-generation New Zealander, and his knowledge was enormous and so entertaining. We were hosted by friends of Ian’s, Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, in their lovely 110-year-old home. A delicious lunch, which came from Mrs. Mackenzie’s large garden, was served, and Mr. Mackenzie shared with us the pros and cons of owning and operating a farm. 

By evening we found ourselves in the small village of Mt. Somers, where we again savored a home-cooked meal at our lodging. 

Into the mountains

The next day, Ian took us up to Lake Pukaki in the Southern Alps. Then we continued our alpine adventure and visited more friends of Ian’s, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.

We were served homemade scones and tea and coffee by Mrs. Taylor, and Mr. Taylor gave us a demonstration of sheepherding with his trusty dog, Bo. We could tell that those sheep knew that Bo was in charge. 

That evening our accommodations were in Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Village at the Hermitage Hotel, which was lovely. Aside from beautiful rooms and delicious food, they offered a movie that told the story of Sir Edmund Hillary and his ascent of Mount Everest, shown in the 126-seat theater of the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre located on site. The hardships that the climbers endured was shocking.

Our final two days in New Zealand were spent around Queenstown, which was truly breathtaking. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, it sits like a diamond in a gorgeous jeweled setting.

We saw the craggy Kawarau Gorge, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range. Our grand finale was a boat ride on the gorgeous Milford Sound to view dolphins, seals and birds. An additional thrill was a 35-minute plane ride through the Alps back to Queenstown.

It was very hard to say good-bye to Ian and all of our newfound friends. However, Wendy had more pleasures in store for us.

On to Australia

We flew to Melbourne, Australia, for two nights there. We enjoyed spending time in that beautiful city before our next scheduled tour, which was to be another small-group tour. However, no one else had signed up for Natural Treasures Tours’ trip from Melbourne to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road. Therefore, Jeremy Redmond, the owner, became our private guide for three days. This turned out to be a real bonus. 

We loved being with this young man, and he showed us such care. When he learned of our love of football, he found an Australian football game on a Saturday for us to attend. 

Our accommodations were excellent, and our food (included) was delicious. Jeremy’s great humor and fun-loving spirit just added to all of the beautiful sights we were seeing. It made it very difficult for us to say good-bye in Adelaide.

Alice Springs to Sydney

The next day we boarded the famous Ghan train. Wendy had arranged for each couple to have a Gold Service Superior cabin on the overnight train. These cabins are each double the size of a regular cabin and are a real bargain for the price. The train trip to Alice Springs was pleasant, and the next few days were focused on seeing Ayers Rock (Uluru). 

Our accommodations in both Alice Springs and Ayers Rock were wonderful. The weather was on the cool side, which meant that we were not bothered at all by the pesky black flies. Our visit to Uluru was most poignant in the early-morning light. As the sun grew brighter, the rock seemed to come alive, and I could understand why the native people consider it sacred.

From the middle of the Outback we flew to Darwin, where we found very hot weather. We took refuge in Kakadu National Park, a fascinating place. Seeing the birdlife, crocodiles, kangaroos, wallabies and emus all coexisting was incredible.

Thanks to Wendy, we had decided on Sydney for our final destination. We saw all of the popular attractions there, including the gorgeous Opera House, the city’s beautiful architecture, the elegant harbor and the parks, beaches and gardens. We also enjoyed great restaurants and loved the beautiful Langham Sydney hotel and all of its luxuries.

After 3½ weeks of pure enjoyment, the four of us returned home feeling satisfied that we had celebrated our 60th wedding anniversaries in such a glorious fashion.