Hi Joanne, I've been meaning to write to you ever since we came back from our wonderful trip. It couldn't have been better!! We had the time of our lives and the plans you made for us just worked out perfectly. We loved the hotels and the tours that you chose for us. The Hilton in Surfers Paradise was "over the top," the Mandolay in Port Douglas was outstanding and in such a great location, and the Holiday Inn in Sydney was just perfect also in its location. We were thrilled to be able to walk through the Rocks section of Sydney, head down to the Harbor, and have everything be so close to the hotel. We came back from Australia not only feeling that we had seen a beautiful country and had a wonderful time, but that we had learned so much from the Rainforest and Mudflat expeditions, in our time with the Aborigini artist, and through the great Reef adventure. Honestly, I will always remember this trip. It was worth every penny!! Thanks so much!
Barbara, CT - May 2012

Joanne from Aspire Down Under was God-sent. We had the best time on our New Zealand trip. It was laid out with the most intricate detail and professionally crafted to out needs. I highly recommended to anyone who is planning to visit New Zealand.
Saurabh C. Tampa, FL - May 2012

Shelley, Shelley, Shelley, the trip could not have been better!!! Jim remarked at least every other day how wonderful the accommodations were, how remarkable the people are, and how smoothly the days went by. We talked about you quite a bit. There were a few points that were exceptional that I wanted to point out. The Rees Hotel in Queenstown was fantastic. The Grand Mercure Monnaco in Nelson was to die for (we upgraded to a one bedroom apartment which was fabulous--very English Country style. We went to the Wilson's Abel Tasman Kayaking which was fantastic. Toured the Doubtful Sound on our own with Real Journeys. I could go on and on. Suffice to say that it was fantastic. Thank you for putting our dreams into a reality.
Nancy K - Feb 2012

I want to thank you for arranging for us possibly one of the best trips I have ever taken. I had never used a travel agent before but knowing so little about this area of the world I thought I had better. To be very honest, I wasn't sure how things would go and if the extensive itinerary you had planned for us would go smoothly. There were so many flights, shuttle pick ups and tours that I was sure that something had to fall apart somewhere. Well, much to my delight I was proven so very wrong! Everything happened like clock work and exceeded our expectations.moon experience for us. I will remember it always. 
John & Erica, FL - Dec 2011

The tours were amazing, other than the few large tours (which we knew would be on the larger side, Sounds of Silence, Philips Island and Milford Sound-they were great too) the largest tour we had was 7 people! How wonderful was that! The tour guides were professional, knowledgeable, friendly and very, very accommodating. Seit tours in Ayers Rock told us they were new to the business but you never would have guessed it by the way the conducted the tours, we felt like friends were showing us places that they loved. My daughter was so thrilled with everything we did. The hotel in Palm Cove was lovely and we were thrilled not to be in the hustle and bustle of the city of Cairns. The wine tour in New Zealand was fantastic and the bush and beach tour led by Kevin was such a pleasure, it was too windy to eat our picnic lunch at the beach as planned so he drove us to his home and we ate on his deck overlooking the Tasman Sea, a memory my daughter and her friend will never forget

I could go on and on with stories of the wonderful tours, tour guides, lovely hotels and smooth transportation transfers. I just had to thank you from the bottom of my heart for providing for us the perfect vacation!
Tammy, NJ - Dec 2011

We just returned from our honeymoon on Wednesday morning, and I wanted to THANK YOU for all of your hard work. We had a wonderful time. Everything was handled meticulously. Thank you, especially, for encouraging us to stay at the Four Seasons in Sydney despite the Trip Advisor reviews. We absolutely loved the hotel and do not understand how anyone could criticize the service. Their breakfast was incredible, and it was such a pleasant surprise to learn that it was already included.

Royal Davui was the most relaxing, romantic, luxurious place I have ever been AND John was in heaven with the diving and snorkeling. If you have any other honeymooners in the future, please feel confident highly recommending Royal Davui to them.

John and I plan on returning to Australia again to revisit Sydney and see Melbourne and Kangaroo Island in the future. When we do--even if it's not for a few years--I will certainly be contacting you again. Thank you for creating such an outstanding honeymoon experience for us. I will remember it always.  
John & Erica, FL - Dec 2011

Hi Phil, Hope all is well! The honeymoon was amazing! Every location and hotel accommodations were perfect. The car services were great and very reliable. They also had so much information to share as well as travel tips. It was a trip of a lifetime. We will definitely encourage others to utilize Aspire should they ever have the opportunity to visit your beautiful homeland. Hopefully we can make it back one day to visit the areas we missed. Thank you for a great honeymoon. It was spectacular.
John & Meg, NY - Nov 2011

Joanne, My wife and I wanted to thank you for helping plan out such a great trip for us. Our only regret is that we did not have enough time to explore all of Australia or stay long enough for the Rugby World Cup. However, that gives us an excuse to go back again. Thank you so much for working with us. We will definitely recommend you to our friends. You are the best! Best Wishes 
Geoffrey & Jane, CA - Oct 2011

Thank you Phil. We had a wonderful, memorable trip. Fiji was absolutely wonderful and exactly what we were looking for. We absolutely loved Matangi and the staff. Tom, the wedding coordinator was great to work with and he did a wonderful job, and had a beautiful wedding. It was really sad to leave because it was so beautiful and we had grown so close to the people. It was really nice to have such a big trip go stress free and smoothly. We really appreciate all your help in planning and creating such a wonderful trip for us. 
Jacqui & Ross, CT - Oct 2011

Dear Shelley, please put me in your next commercial.  I'd love to sing your praises.   When we had plane trouble because of Volcanic ash which was beyond everyones control it was comforting to know your associate cared. Our itinerary was perfect.  Through your careful orchestration we saw as much as possible in the limited time we had without being soo over booked that we wouldn't have enjoyed it. I would love to see more of each place we visited but would not have left anything else out to do so.  Someday I would just love to go back. The hotels and transfers were all great!!! Each hotel had a great location and great service. The Queenland hotel view was spectacular.  We were able to fly both ways to Milford sound. Pleas contact me as I am serious about a commercial!!!
Ava & David, New York - Aug 2011

Joanne, Cory and I wish to thank you for what was, without question, the most spectacular vacation of our lives. From the moment we arrived in Savusavu and put ourselves in Aspire Down Under's fully capable hands, to the moment we touched down at LAX on December 18th, we were in heaven. The entire itinerary was seamless, and every detail was just as you said it would be. We didn't have a single hiccup, and that's due entirely to the professionalism, courtesy, and attention to detail that you have exemplified from day one of our interaction. I know I'm not always the easiest customer to deal with (I believe that my name and photograph are in the dictionary right next to "obsessive compulsive"), but you never made me feel anything other than cared for, and that manifested itself on the journey itself, which was simply tremendous. Should we ever venture back to that part of the world, and with any luck we will, you and Aspire Down Under will be our first point of contact.
Cory & Stark, New York - Jul 2011

This is a thank-you for arranging a fabulous trip to Australia for my wife and me. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The accommodations were wonderful -- we had a view of Uluru from our room at the Desert Gardens Hotel and had a grand panorama at the Shangri-La that included Sydney Harbor Bridge on the left and the opera house on the right. All of the drivers were knowledgeable, courteous and prompt; we had no complaints. Yes, we did have a bit of rain on our trip to the Blue Mountains, and the sea was pretty choppy on our way to the Great Barrier Reef, but it was a wealth of new experiences. We won't hesitate to recommend Aspire Down Under to anyone who's planning a trip to that part of the world 
Fred & Mary, Colorado - Jul 2011

June 18, 2010 - Australia > Port Douglas > Mandalay Luxury Beachfront Apartments

"Arrived in Port Douglas to the best surprise of trip so far. The Mandalay Luxury Beachfront Apartments are great.  20 yards and you walk through the dunes and onto 4 mile beach. 4 mile beach is the perfect N Queensland beach, endless sand, great surf and plenty of winter sun. Compared with some of the larger resorts which are set quite a way back from the beach, quite a bonus. The ground floor beach front apartment we have is spacious, modern, fully equipped kitchen, day bed and outside dining patio. Tough to ask for more. Macrossan Street is less than a 5 min walk and endless dining options, boutiques and of course a bakery for the best meat pies."

Shelley, our honeymoon was amazing, thank you so much for all your help! We absolutely loved everything we did, and owe a lot of that to you. I've already passed your name along to a friend that was on the fence about going to New Zealand. Since we came back, she's decided to take the trip, and i passed along your name saying you were fantastic. Thank you again, and I'll keep passing along your name to anyone else that we convince to go to New Zealand. I'm in love with Queenstown especially, what a fantastic little city
John and Courtney, Atlanta - June 2010

June 10, 2010 - Australia > Hamilton Island > qualia

"Qualia meet and exceeded all my expectations. The reality for once matched the buzz. It's setting at the far end of Hamilton Island ensures privacy and once you enter the gates, peace and tranquility is all around. Great landscaping and nature gum trees abound. The Leeward and Windward pavilions are both impressive in their right, however I would strongly recommend anyone considering qualia to go with the Windward pavilion. Not only do you get the personal plunge pool, the pavilion design just feels superior. With a new pricing plan for accommodation and breakfast only imminent, it will make the Windward pavilions pricing more attractive. The dining is exception, the lunch I experienced was a pleasure, food, service and a great view over pebble beach. Impressive."

Hi Shelley: We just wanted to let you know how our trip to New Zealand went. We had a fantastic time. Thank you so much for the big part you played in it. All the hotels, tours and shuttles went as planned and we enjoyed them all so much. Our favorite place was Queenstown and the Brown's Boutique. What a wonderful three night stay. The room was great with a beautiful view. The hosts Donald and Jillian were perfect. The other hotels were good too. No complaints. Our only complaint is that we didn't spend enough time in New Zealand. There is so much more we want to see. Maybe someday. We did arrange for a tour to kiwifruit country. Our concierge in the Auckland Hyatt lined it up for us. We hired a trip by van. It was expensive but we had a great time. Since I am a kiwifruit farmer it was especially meaningful. The drive alone through the countryside was worth the trip and the drivers were so friendly and informative. We had a great time on the rest of our trip to Australia too. Thanks again
Mark and Deb, California - June 2011

May 19, 2011 - Australia > Palm Cove > Angsana Resort & Spa.

"Palm Cove is considerably small than Port Douglas and most of the accommodation is directly on the sea front. The Angsana is the only resort to have direct beach access (i.e. no road or mangroves/dunes to walk over/through). The Angsana rooms are impressively large and the whole resort is relaxed 5 star. Very easy to unwind - kick back in a hammock under the palms and listen to the waves. The location is superb and varied eating choices within 5 min walk along the sea front. Thoroughly enjoyed my stay."

Hi Phil, The trip that was planned for us was almost perfect. We had magnificent weather, only one day of rain and got to see Mt Cook and the Franz Josef without clouds. All of the places where we stayed were great especially the Orari (Christchurch), The Dairy (Queenstown), Franz Josef Glacier Retreat (Franz Josef), The Resurgence (Riwaka), Bay of Islands Lodge (Opua) and the Waipoua Lodge (Northland). I would suggest that the Pancake Rocks, while very nice do not require an overnight stay. I would suggest flying into Whangarei and then driving on to the Bay of Islands. It is a longer drive than from Kerikeri, but it is a very nice drive and you wouldn’t be hit by these Remote Location Fees which are strange since a lot of tourists drop off their cars at Kerikeri after being in the Bay of Islands. Finally the two tours we had were wonderful. The Jet Boat up the Dart River and the one to Abel Tasman National Park were most enjoyable. All in all we had a wonderful time and would recommend your agency without any reservations. 
Barbara and Larry, Massachusetts - Feb 2010

February 15, 2011 - Australia > Cairns > The Lakes Resort

"Just spent 3 nights at the Lakes Resort in Cairns. Great size apartments, blocks of apartments based around landscaped gardens, pool area and BBQ. Location is ideal for day tour pick ups. This is the thing about Cairns accommodation, you spent nearly all of the day out on activities, whether reef, rainforest, town, etc, so you want the accommodation to be easily accessible and reasonably priced. The Lakes offers both. If you want to explore downtown, the walk is approx 20 mins, the bus is simple or a cab takes less than 5 minutes. Would recommend dinner along the esplanade with a lot of options. The Lakes does have a dining bistro on site or of course you can buy in and cater for yourself with the full kitchen and dine outside on the apartment terrace."

Sharon and Joanne: I thought I would pass this on regarding the Air Pacific trip my wife and I just completed. The flights with Air Pacific were great (business class - Tabua).

Air Pacific a real bargain for business class (Tabua - pronounced tambua) and economy, giving an opportunity to stop over in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) for a day or so en route to either New Zealand or Australia. Great service in LA at the Los Angeles Club. The flight was very nice - good, courteous service; plenty of food. The 747s have been refitted earlier in the year and are very nice. Business class seating very open and comfortable. Inbound clearance at Nadi with baggage pick up very quick and courteous. Taxi's plentiful

I did a lot of reviews of Air Pacific before booking the trip; virtually any negative comments were unfounded based on our experiences. Negative comments concerning "old aircraft - worn interiors" have been fixed by refurbishment of the aircraft in 2009. 
Greg & Jill, Los Angeles - Feb 2011

February 17, 2011 - Australia > Palm Cove > Kuranda Rainforest Day Tour

"Took the scenic railway to Kuranda which was really pleasant.  Had a wander round the arts and crafts shops and market then headed to the Skyrail and took the gondola back down, this was just spectacular for me. So green and suspended in mid air like that with the carriage to myself was just special. At the bottom went to Tjapukai, the Aborginal culture centre. I threw a boomerang (which came back both times!) and launched a spear which didn't fare so well."

Hi Joanne, We wanted to send you a special "Thank You"!!!! Our trip was wonderful. Everything you put together went absolutely "perfectly"!!! We loved Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The people were friendly, warm and so helpful. Our favorite hotels were Sebel Reef and Spa in Palm Cove and the Amora Hotel in Sydney. The outback hotels were fine and what we expected in that area. The Grand Chancellor in Melbourne was centrally located and clean. All the Qantas flights were great and they provided wonderful service. We loved the Radisson on Fiji. Again the hotel and people were great. "Sounds of Silence" was an amazing experience, as was the Great Barrier Reef. All the day tours you put together for us were will worth it. Thank you Joanne. 
Betty & Don, Connecticut - Feb 2011

Hi Shelley, Just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our holiday to Australia and the New Zealand cruise. Sydney was amazing and we loved the Grace Hotel...rooms were big, buffet breakfast a great way to start the day, and super location. We found the companies that did the Hunter Valley wine tour and Blue Mountain tours very professional. The tour guides were amazing in their knowledge and we learned so much. Only wish we could have stayed longer and seen more of the country. Thanks you so much for all the travel arrangements. Everything went very smoothly and we have wonderful memories. 
Nancy & Barry, Toronto - Feb 2011

Wonderful! Aspire Down Under was very easy to work with and would make adjustments as I requested. Through this company I had planned 2 tours in each city, where we spent 4 days in Sydney, 4 days in Cairns, and 3 days in Melbourne. From snorkeling and kayaking in the Great Barrier Reef to watching the Little Penguins on Phillips Island, it is hard to choose the most memorable. We covered a lot of miles and experiences in just 12 days. All of it was fantastic, seeing the Sydney Opera House, Daintree Rainforest, Blue Mountains, Yarra Wine Valley, Melbourne, the list keeps going. 
Judy, California - Dec 2010

Aspire Down Under worked with us to create an itinerary that really met our specific goals for this trip. Very professional travel company. Standing in a rain forest and looking up at the Franz Josef Glacier. The Yellow-eyed Penguin Reserve (Otago Peninsula). Tranz-Alpine train trip. The Siberia Valley tours: Fly-Hike-Jetboat and the Milford Sound flight and cruise. The Mitai Hangi Concert and Feast in Rotorua. While all of our accommodations were good our favorites were the Bayview Chateau Tongariro (quite grand) and the Makarora Wilderness Resort (rustic). 
Anne, New York - Nov 2010

November 11, 2010 - Australia > Hayman Island 

"Hayman is just a fantastically located island, the natural beauty of this part of the Whitsundays is hard to beat. The resort has been considered the premier spot for many years, true it may have lost some of its prestige, but it is still a great place. I had a lagoon view room and the birdlife and fauna of the lagoon is quite a contract to the pool view rooms and the large wrap around pool. The beach at Hayman is great and the sand bars at low tide provide endless walks. The dining options I experience were first class and the breakfast tables overlooking the water is a great way to start the day."  

Shelley and Aspire Down Under were absolutely wonderful. Every piece of the itinerary ran smoothly - airport transfers, flights, hotels, tours...we couldn't have been more satisfied. Aspire was extremely helpful in selecting destinations and tours that suited our personalities - and we had a blast for the entire 30 days. We had an amazing time - it was the trip of our lives (so far!). Australia was fantastic! We loved the Sydney Bridge Walk, the Blue Mountains, the Gold Coast and Hamilton Island. It was the perfect honeymoon. What we loved even more was New Zealand. What a gorgeous country and people! Our favorites were the Fox Glacier heli-hike, Christchurch, and especially Queenstown. Honestly, we loved every bit of our trip. 
Vanessa, New York - Sep 2010

Hey Joanne - Scott and I just got back from the trip of our lifetime. It was amazing. Thank you so much for putting it together. Everything was just as we wanted and much more. Fiji was so great and the Amora Jamieson was a lot of fun. Everything went so well I just wanted to thank you. Talk to you soon 
Jo Ann and Scott, New York - May 2010

Thanks Sharon. My wife and I returned from our honeymoon on Friday and we had such a great time! Just wanted to say thank you for your services - I will be referring you to everyone I know interested in traveling to the other side of the world. 
Micah and Nicole, New York - Oct 2009

October 21, 2009 - Australia > Palm Cove > Sea Temple Resort & Spa.

"Moved along the beach to the Sea Temple. Separated from the beach by small stream and mangroves and the resort is lushly landscaped. The Sea Temple is relatively new and has a very cool, calm and minimal decor and feel to it. The rooms are spacious and modern with full kitchen facilities and a cool shaded outdoor seating area or balcony. I really liked the location compared with the Sea Temple in Port Douglas which is considerably further out from the main street/dining. Of course with the resort's dining choices etc you may not want to venture out. Again very impressive and would highly recommend."

"Thank you for arranging the welcome wine/champagne at both hotels. Also, I must say that the car pick up arrangement and coupons upon arrival were really helpful. Overall, I must say that I've never used a travel agent/agency and was REALLY pleased with the overall service and organization. I would highly recommend your company and think you did a fantastic job. We really enjoyed every moment of our honeymoon" 
Christine and Sean, Los Angeles  - Los Angeles - Oct 2009

Thanks Joanne
Finally put together the files from our trip.
http://edobermeyer.com/Australia09WebSite/Australia2009.html
Enjoy!
Ed  - Washington DC - Jul 2009

Our trip was absolutely PERFECT!! I cannot thank you enough for arranging everything. When we arrived at Sea Temple, the documents were waiting for us, we had no problems whatsoever. The tours were booked and buses showed up on time to pick us up for the Poseidon Reef trip and for the Kuranda tour.

Thank you for recommending the Sea Temple and the Intercontinental, we loved them both. The Sea Temple was beautiful - we loved the modern, trendy décor and the pool was huge. Our room was a studio so we assumed it would be tiny. Well, when we walked in, we couldn’t believe the size of the Jacuzzi tub. It could have fit 4 people! The room was a nice size, everything was clean and the bed was especially comfortable. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it to others.

We did the introductory dive on the Poseidon, that was exciting. The crew and the lunch on board were fabulous. The Kuranda tour went smoothly as well. The views from the train and the sky rail were incredible. Both tours highly recommended.

Next was Hamilton Island. I can’t put into words how spectacular Qualia is. The view from the Long Pavilion as soon as we walked in left us speechless. Yes, the place is super-expensive, but it is worth every penny. The Windward villa with the private pool is a MUST. We were in that pool every day. It’s bigger than an average plunge pool, it’s 5 feet deep! There are amazing views from every room. We woke up every morning to the blue sky and blue water and trees blowing in the wind. We enjoyed the same view from the outdoor day bed. The golf buggy was great and the helicopter tour to Whitehaven is a MUST. Guest services were especially wonderful. They couldn’t do enough for us, they were extremely friendly and helpful. When we left, they gave us a book about Hamilton Island that most of the staff had signed to congratulate us on our wedding. It was very special. Needless to say, I would encourage anyone to stay at Qualia.

We were a bit depressed when we left Qualia, but were so glad to stay at Intercontinental in Sydney. The location was perfect and of course the executive lounge was awesome. We really made good use of it – ate breakfast there and enjoyed the free tasting plates from 5-7pm. The views were fabulous. Our room was a nice size and everything was comfortable. When the front desk person found out we were just married, he offered to send up complimentary champagne and a cheese/fruit plate. That was a nice touch. We did the Harbour Bridge climb!! We chose the twilight tour and it was awesome!! There were fireworks at Hyde Park when we reached the summit, even the guide didn’t know about them so that was a pleasant surprise.

Again, thank you for arranging this wonderful trip for us. We really have nothing to complain about, everything was really amazing and made our wedding that much more special and memorable. 
Christina & Gamal - New York, NY - Nov 2008

I’m sorry it has taken so long for this e-mail to come, things didn’t slow down much after the wedding. I just wanted to thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job planning our Fiji/Australia honeymoon. Everything was PERFECT from the locations to the hotels to the activities…it was everything we wanted and things ran so smoothly! We had an amazing time! We will definitely recommend you to anyone! Hopefully we’ll be making a trip back in the future. Thanks again! 
Megan & Joe - New York, NY - Oct 2008

My husband and I had a little more than a month to plan our belated honeymoon to Australia and were wondering if we'd be able to pull it off in so little time. So, although I generally like to plan vacations on my own, this time we decided to go to Aspire Down Under. We met with Sharon who immediately put us at ease, letting us know that we still had time to plan a great vacation. During out first meeting with her, we described the places we'd like to see, the activities we were interested in trying and also gave her our budget. A week later, we met with her a second time and she had a draft itinerary of our trip that included everything we had asked for plus some activities which we would never have thought of on our own (like surfing on Bondi Beach and a safari in the Red Centre). She also got us a great deal on airfare. In the end, we had an amazing time in Australia! It was even more enjoyable because we didn't have to stress out about the details of planning a trip -- Sharon did the leg work for us. At Aspire Down Under, they have a wealth of information about Australia and New Zealand and are able to zero in on what you want to tailor a trip just for you. They're also simply a pleasure to work with--very personable and friendly. If I were to plan another trip to Australia (as I hope to), I would definitely go back to Aspire Down Under. 
Jim Michael & Michelle - New York, NY - Oct 2008

Sharon, Your assistance really added to the quality of our visit to New Zealand. Your guidance about where to go and your help in arranging domestic flights within the country made a big difference. We liked the Brothers Boutique Hotel in Dunedin that you selected: it had been a Christian Brothers residence until remodeled 7 years ago.  A far more elegant lodge is in Nelson, the Te Puna Wai Lodge, which was beautiful and the two owners similarly helpful and friendly. Thrifty Car Rental was excellent. We discovered on Air New Zealand that what it calls "premium economy" is in fact the same as Business Class, with all the advantages that means. What they call Business Class is really first class (a category they do not use) and differs from Premium Economy only in having flat beds. Same flight attendants, same excellent food, china, linen, wine etc. So it's helpful information to know what the labels translate to. Thank you for your help 
Judith & Richard Rabkin, New York, March 2008

Shelley, This email is LONG overdue! I just wanted to say thank you for planning our Australia trip last August! We had the time of our lives! Everything was fabulous from our seats on the plane to every hotel we stayed in and tour we took. The best part about the excursions you planned is that so many of them were so small. It was like we had our own personal tour guide everywhere we went. I also felt like everything I had mentioned to you was addressed, the whole vacation was exactly what we wanted. I definitely want to go back someday and when we do, Aspire Down Under is who we will call! Thanks for making the celebration of my husband graduating law school a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your advice and knowledge! Thanks again!
Christie Tinker, Dallas, February 2008

Shelley, as you are aware Linda and I have just returned from our trip. We had an excellent time and in no small measure it was due to your assistance, planning and efforts. The rooms and all the services that you arranged for were great. We would not hesitate to recommend your organization to others. Thanks again for all of your assistance and guidance. It was greatly appreciated.
Ken and Linda, New York NY, October 2007