A trip to New Zealand and Australia was our retirement celebration trip. Our number one priority was to hike the Milford Track so we went ahead and booked that a year ahead of time.
Outside of the hike we weren’t sure where we should go, so we started looking for help, and we were very lucky to find Dianne and Go Walkabout Travel.

The process started by meeting with Dianne to discuss the planning process, budgets, our travel requirements, and interests. From there Dianne prepared a very detailed preliminary itinerary for us to review and tweak until we had exactly what we wanted.
We spent 4 weeks in New Zealand, including the Milford Track time, and 2 weeks in Australia and it was the smoothest trip we have ever taken. Just before we left, we received a very detailed itinerary that included: contact names and numbers of local support staff, contact info for every tour and accommodations, descriptions of each location, car rental details, vouchers, and driving information. All we had to do each day was look at the agenda and go have fun.

We did a self-driving tour around New Zealand, and the driving was planned out very well. We were supplied with background info on driving in New Zealand and each day’s drive was planned so there wasn’t too much road time without a break and the trips were incredibly scenic.

The accommodations were all top notch and arranged so that we had access to laundry facilities, very important on a 6-week trip. Dianne also supported us with logistics issues such as: visas, sim cards for our phones, and very fast support for any questions we had in our travels.
Basically, all we did was book our flights to and from the US, make dinner reservations and follow our itinerary and had the trip of a lifetime.
We have done a lot of international travel and I don’t think we have ever worked with a better travel agency. If you are considering travel to New Zealand and Australia we highly recommend that you contact Go WalkAbout Travel to discuss your plans.

Dave and Deb L, MA, USA
We simply can’t say enough wonderful things about Dianne Hall and her New Zealand team. From the moment we committed to the trip, we felt heard, cared for, and supported through the entire journey. Our visit fell between some of the biggest storms and flooding Aotearoa New Zealand has seen in decades, and even though I know Dianne was busy managing all the weather impacts on the ground, she still seamlessly took care of our planning and getting us back into California afterward. ANZ was a truly magical place to visit, and part of what made it a trip-of-a-lifetime was leaving all our travel stress behind because we knew Dianne and team had us taken care of with wonderful and memorable experiences, hotels, and suggestions. We can’t wait to plan another trip with Dianne and highly recommend you do the same!
K and S Wichmann, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Dianne planned a wonderful trip to New Zealand and Australia for our family. We had not traveled to this part of the world before and Dianne was so helpful in making recommendations for areas to visit, activities and hotel stays. We also appreciated the attention she put into the pacing of the trip so we could really get a sense of both countries but not feel overwhelmed. Dianne is extraordinarily organized – she kept track of us throughout our travels and was responsive and accessible. We hope to be able to visit again and would not hesitate to enlist Go Walkabout Travel!

 

The Payne Family, NC, USA

Dianne is the absolute best!  We are a group of five discerning ladies, all of us seasoned travellers, and we all agree that she’s the best travel agent we’ve encountered.  Her attention to detail is unparalleled and she never seems to sleep.  We travelled in New Zealand during a cyclone, but there was never a cause for worry as our hard-working travel agent was diligently planning an alternative itinerary so that we would remain safe.  Dianne was always just a phone call away.  Thank you for keeping us on track and for planning such an amazing experience, Dianne!”

The Scott Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This was our first trip Down Under and had little to go by. Go WalkAbout Travel (or Dianne Hall) made it easy. They formulated a detailed itinerary in close consultation with us. They found spectacular hotels in each city we visited, and signed us up for activities each day that perfectly met our wishes. And they made it extremely easy: literally every detail was taken care of, and all we had to do was enjoy. We loved our two weeks in Australia and would enthusiastically recommend Go WalkAbout Travel to ensure that you enjoy your time there too.

Eric and Susan, New York, USA

The Trip of a Lifetime! Go WalkAbout Travel is OVER the TOP!

My husband and I made the decision to travel to New Zealand to celebrate our 30 year wedding anniversary.  With no knowledge of the country other than the internet and the beautiful pictures, I set out to find the best travel provider I could for what we were looking for.  That in itself is a big decision; finding someone you can trust and who will really, really work for you.

I found that with Dianne and Go WalkAbout Travel.  She is “OVER THE TOP”! After researching travel providers online, I made the decision to join Dianne, and I am SO thankful that we did.  Every detail was nailed down ahead of time.  She spent numerous hours investing in us, asking about what we wanted to see and do, and then applied that knowledge to coordinate our trip.  It was outstanding.  We had zero issues with customs or proper documentation because she had us complete everything weeks in advance. We traveled stress free! We literally just got to show up and look for the sign with our name.  What a warm welcome we received as we landed.  How awesome is that!

We were in country for 17 days and it was flawless.  Superior lodging, excellent customer service at each location and Dianne stayed in contact with us the entire trip. If we had questions or concerns, she and her team provided answers so quickly, we never had to worry.   We did have two excursions cancel due to Mother Nature, and within 4 days of being at home, she had taken care of the refunds for us.  We didn’t have to do a thing.

On our way home, we had two personal items go missing from an airline mishap.  She has been instrumental in helping me get the proper documentation so I could file a personal claim. This is all AFTER our trip.  She did not have to do that; her contracted duties were up. This is just how she is, a cut above.

I would recommend Dianne and her team for any of your trips!  Attention to detail, conscientious, welcoming, and solid ethic.  What more could you ask for!

Take your trip – and have Dianne help you!  I can’t wait for our next adventure; and you can be assured, I will be giving her a call.

 

 

Angie Long, Iowa, USA

My wife and I had agreed to go to New Zealand with another couple who are old friends. We each wanted to also spend some time in Australia. Our friends asked that I take the lead on planning the trip. I did two things: 1) gather itinerary ideas from experienced traveler friends who had been there and 2) search for a travel specialist knowledgeable about both New Zealand and Australia. I was lucky to find Dianne Hall’s Company, Gowalkabout Travel, on the Internet.

Dianne and her in-country teams took my rough ideas for a three-week trip and the two slightly different schedule priorities of the two couples and created two overlapping itineraries that had my wife and I in New Zealand for two weeks and then in Sydney, Australia for nearly a week. Our friends had a tighter schedule and were only to be in New Zealand for 10 days and in Sydney, Australia for one week. Our itineraries were designed to overlap for 13 days, mostly in New Zealand.

Dianne and her team did much more than help us plan two overlapping fun filled itineraries. They also supported us on a real-time basis to help manage the challenges we encountered. The largest one of these challenges was created by landing in Auckland as Cyclone Gabrielle was hitting the area. This historically severe storm impacted our flights, hotel arrangements and itineraries. Faced with this extreme situation, Dianne and her team provided both couples with the critical support we needed to get our travel plans back on track as quickly as possible.

Not only did the two traveling couples deal with a severe storm, but we also met other challenges that Dianne and her team helped us manage. We were among the first wave of tourists to enter New Zealand after its reopening after being closed due to Covid and we were going to be in Sydney during World Pride which was expected to attract over 500,000 attendees. Even after overcoming the Gabrielle challenges, we would have not been able to successfully manage the well-planned overlapping itineraries without the real time support we received from Dianne and her team.

We consider ourselves seasoned travelers that seek to enjoy the experiences of traveling. As a photographer, I also seek to capture some of the beauty of those locations. Dianne and her team helped me achieve both of those goals on this trip of a lifetime with friends and for that I am forever grateful.

 

Mike Cromwell, Great Falls, VA, USA

Our trip to New Zealand started as a credit with Air New Zealand from a European trip cancelled by the pandemic in 2020. Since the travel restrictions were lifted and the credit was expiring soon, we decided to change destinations and head to NZ instead! We quickly realized that we were in over our heads trying to plan our trip. With a little research, we found Go Walkabout, and instantly felt that we had made the right choice. Dianne was such a pleasure to work with from start to finish, and almost all of the stress of planning our trip melted away.

She was very proactive in determining what we wanted out of the journey and what our preferences were. From there, she really delivered on crafting the itinerary! I can only imagine some of the logistical strategizing that must have taken place securing lodging and activities after a 2-year national lock down, as we sometimes were able to get the last room or ticket available!

Our 16-day visit to both islands was the bare minimum amount of time I would recommend to anyone wanting to explore New Zealand. Dianne deftly made it all work somehow, though! We never felt rushed or crammed with too many (or two few) activities, and the whole trip had a wonderful flow to it. We also felt her choice of accommodations were perfectly inline with what we were looking for. We wish we could have stayed longer and done even more. There’s always next time, and we would love to work with Dianne and her support team again someday (special thanks to Nienke as well)!

Joanne & Justin, Worcester MA, USA

Thank you for all the work Go WalkAbout Travel did for me on my recent trip to the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Australia and California. All the airlines and seats requested were right on. Reservations at the Park Hyatt in Sydney with an unobstructed view of the opera house was awesome and chauffeur service to and from the hotel couldn’t have been better! Thank you.

Gayle L, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Our Itinerary was great. Really addressed what we wanted to do. Excellent organization and detail – this alone relieved us of having to make decisions and maximized our time during our trip. Very early on the 4 of us came to the conclusion that we wouldn’t have wanted to organize a trip of a lifetime like this ourselves.

We loved our small group Sydney Harbour cruise with BBQ Lunch – superb! The 4 of us love being near the water. The boat, crew and food were excellent. Definitely a must do.

The Aboriginal Cultural Park was excellent. I wasn’t convinced that this should be on our agenda until we got there, and I saw how awesome it was. They actually had a schedule designed for the 4 of us – and we had to stick to it! Throwing the boomerangs and spears was cool but learning about the history and culture from this very proud group of people was well worth it.

We absolutely loved Tasmania! It was beginning to remind us of our Maritimes, particularly Newfoundland. Beautiful rugged scenery, quaint towns, nice people!

Hotel transfers, limos, etc – all of them were great, showed up early, pleasant, often acting like tour guides.

Thanks again for organizing our party of 4 on an amazing once in a lifetime trip!

Cheers!

Kirk and Sue P, Toronto, ON, Canada