Our Service
G’day,
Please make sure you read over this list very carefully. I know it is a long read, but I have put it together so you understand from the start what you will be getting when you choose to work with us.
Thanks,
Dianne.
Step 1: Initial Chat
You know you’d like to visit Australia and/or New Zealand or the South Pacific Islands, but let’s make sure we can work together! You can give us an idea of what it is you’re dreaming of, and we will let you know if it will work for you – for example, the month you wish to visit a region may be during their cyclone season. If you don’t know where you wish to go, we will brainstorm and discuss it together!
Please get in touch with us to get started. Initial chats can be done via a Phone call, Skype, or even Email, and we can schedule a time that is flexible for you – none of this 9-5 business.
Step 2: Reserve Our Service With a Retainer
We charge a non-refundable retainer of (Canadian) $500.00 per couple if traveling for under three weeks. If you are traveling for longer, there may be an additional charge for the extra time it takes to design.
We only work with clients with a budget of (Canadian) $10000.00 or more per couple for the land portion, i.e., your hire car, land transfers in the country, accommodation, and some touring. The land portion does not include any airfares, food, fuel, or spending money.
This retainer will be deducted from the cost of your trip at the final payment.
You will quickly reach this amount if you spend more than several weeks in either country.
Why do we charge a retainer?
An itinerary can often take approximately 80 or more hours of work (even longer now due to the pandemic), going back and forth with the client, then the offices Down Under, and calling suppliers.
We found that sometimes the public was having an itinerary designed and then deciding to go to Mexico instead!
We believe our clients who have paid us deserve our time and service.
By charging a retainer, we can only work with those who are serious about traveling, allowing us to dedicate real-time to you instead of dealing with inquiries from people who will never end up working with us.
Please note the following:
We do NOT book airfare-only trips.
We only work with four-star and above accommodation unless we have absolutely no choice (i.e., we need one night’s accommodation, and this is the only option in the area and available.) We work with Apartment stays, Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, Boutique properties, and Luxury Lodges.
We do NOT work with Airbnb. All the accommodation we book has either been inspected by myself, my support offices in each country, or someone else we trust, i.e., a Tourist Board contact. If you ask us to book somewhere we do not know of; then we will not attach our name and reputation to it.
Step 3: The Excitement of Watching Your Trip Fall Into Place
After we learn your preferred travel style and interests, we will start creating an itinerary for you.
We work closely with our associate offices in all countries to ensure that the places we are choosing for your trip are perfectly suited to you – i.e., do you need a walk-in shower because of a back injury, or is the hotel going through renovations when you are visiting?
Because of the important ongoing relationship we have with our local operators, they place a higher priority on working with our clients.
Once we have a designed itinerary, we will send it to you for review. After doing this for over 30 years, we generally find that we know the right questions to ask our clients to get what they are after in our first itinerary. If not, we will work with you until it’s right.
The price of your itinerary comes as one bulk package price. We receive special rates from our travel partners in the South Pacific, but our contracted rates include non-disclosure agreements; for this reason, there is no itemization on your land portion, but your flights will be quoted separately.
We have been doing this for so long that we can usually give you an idea of your expensive items and will always explain the benefits of why we have chosen a particular place for you. I.e., a central, secure location.
Then it’s time to make all required payments and get this trip ready to roll!
Step 4: Have an Amazing Holiday
Besides answering questions during the designing process, we also support you with packing tips, how to get through airport tips, and anything else that we feel will be helpful to you for your trip down to our stomping ground.
We re-confirm everything before your trip to make sure everything is as up-to-date as possible and that your flights, transfers, and tour times are all correct still. Any special requests you may have (e.g., a food allergy) are also re-confirmed with the tour supplier, so we have you protected.
Off you go on your trip of a lifetime – but remember, we and our support offices are still here for you! Before departing, you will receive the emergency contact details of our associate offices in the countries you visit, so you can call them 24/7 if you have any questions or issues. If an emergency happens, then rest assured we will all be working to assist you.
Who Is Our Service For?
– If you are serious about traveling to Australia/New Zealand or the South Pacific Islands.
– If you don’t want the headache of spending hours organizing everything only to discover you picked the wrong season or there are renovations at your hotel.
– You see the value in working with a business whose staff has been doing this for 30+ years and are born and raised in the region.
– You enjoy the stress-free peace of mind from knowing that everything is taken care of and that someone is there to assist you if something goes wrong which is out of your control.
– You trust that we know what we are talking about and only have your best intentions at all times in mind.
– You are not on a tight backpacking budget and will be spending over CAD $10000.00 total on your land portion plus airfares.
– You are departing from Canada or the USA.