“After starting to plan an almost month-long trip to Australia, we quickly became overwhelmed. We found the Go Walkabout website and contacted Dianne. Could she design a trip for us visiting multiple areas, accessing nature and not renting a car? No problem! We had a rough idea of where we wanted to go, and Dianne figured out internal flights (no easy task with some of the flight schedules), hotels, and recommended excursions. She managed to put together an adventure packed trip that allowed for some down time as well. All the transfers and flights worked out without issue. She was quickly responsive to emails and went over the itinerary in a pre-trip call. I was so anxious something would go wrong in this trip, but miraculously nothing did; but it greatly helped to know Dianne and her team would be available if something did go wrong.

Personal highlights for us were Sydney: the Opera house tour, watching the surfers at Manly Bay and Bondi, the Blue Mountains tour, and a whale watching tour (finally saw whales breaching!), Uluru: dinner at  Tali Wiru, seeing the best night sky ever and walking around Uluru at sunrise; Port Douglas: enjoying the beach, reef, and nature parks – seeing a Cassowary in the wild!; Melbourne: the restaurants, the film museum, and best of all the Penguin Parade at Phillip island; Great Ocean road: the wonderful ocean views; and Kangaroo Island: spotting kangaroos, koalas and seeing the sea lion colony and staying in a wonderful farm stay.”

Thanks again Dianne, for a wonderful trip!

S & R Dyett, Toronto, ON, Canada

We contacted Go WalkAbout Travel early on in our Australia travel planning because we begin quickly to feel overwhelmed about accommodations and location. We are so glad we made contact with Dianne. She was able to help us with our large group that required multiple units, and she helped us better understand where to spend our time. We had a seamless travel experience because she considered details we would never have thought of. She also checked in on us to make sure flights weren’t canceled or delayed and helped us by providing important tips for navigating our travel, including hiring drivers to get from location to location. We saved a tremendous amount of time, money, and frustration by working with go walkabout travel.

The Mackey Family, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

What a wonderful trip!

We simply want to say THANK YOU

-for planning a perfect trip
-arranging awesome accommodation
-linking together all the THOUSANDS of details necessary to bring this trip to life.
From the thoughtful questionnaire that showed all of us the kind of trip we were looking for – to being available at every step of the way. We are still reliving the adventures of Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, The Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, the islands ( Phillips, Rotty,  Bruny, Kangaroo) , the National Parks and the incredible wildlife, the  unparalleled kindness of the people we met along the way, the knowledgeable guides, the innkeepers, and the lighthouses.
This trip was perfectly aligned with our age, physical abilities ( and limitations of over 70’s!), and the amount of time we had in Western Australia and Tasmania.
So for those of you thinking of planning a trip to this incredible part of the world, choose someone who LIVED there, understands the country and distances, the travel challenges for this vast continent, and has the skill and organization to co- ordinate it all.

 

Pam and Al Hempel, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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