Hi Dianne

I don’t think I can even properly express how much I appreciated your efforts on our behalf during the MacDonald/Clarke expedition to OZ & NZ. Perhaps that’s why it has taken me forever to write to you about it.

Your attention to detail was something I have never experienced before and my career from 1972 through 2017 was in the travel industry!

I have always admired travel agents for the knowledge you must have as well as your ability to understand clients’ preferences and tastes in order to offer experiences suitable to a myriad of personalities. But you took that to a whole new level.

I loved the beautiful places you selected for all of our stays – many with unique characteristics. I always loved just relaxing and knowing that all of our transfers, tours, travel days and lodging arrangements were arranged and everyone showed up to look after us or expected us – it was all so smooth.

But, the piece de resistance was your handling of our alternate arrangements due to Cyclone Gitta. Honestly Dianne, I have heard the travel agents’ mantra so many times – “Without a travel agent, you’re on your own” – but didn’t fully appreciate it until you stepped in.

We were oblivious to the fact that the cyclone was washing out roads, creating flooding and causing disruptions to the train service we were to have taken across the north end of the South Island. We were monitoring news and visiting with friends in Queenstown but everyone was so laid back about the whole encroaching storm because they weren’t directly in its path and the newspapers and TV weren’t focusing on it either.

When we heard that 2 coaches of tourists from China had been stranded overnight on their buses our jaws dropped and we did the “Dianne” cheer! That could have been us. Thank you so much for stepping in and rearranging our itinerary to ensure we avoided running headlong into that storm.

We so appreciated you finding us alternate accommodations in Queenstown during peak season. We witnessed others not as fortunate as ourselves scrambling to find a place to stay when everything was fully booked. Our house rental was a dream and despite missing part of our trip – we didn’t regret it for one minute!

You are amazing.