Thank you, Australia 2000. Our trip to Australia and wedding that was orchestrated by your team was everything we could have dreamed and more. From the moment we landed in Sydney, every detail of our travel was exquisite. The escort company that Australia 2000 selected, met us at the airport, took us on a tour of Sydney and transported us to airports, were professional, friendly and informative. The owner, Karen, made sure that our accommodations were top notch. Our hotel, Radisson Blue, was within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, the Rocks and so much more in Sydney. She extended our trip in Australia to include Tasmania, where we stayed at a transformed cannery, The Henry Jones, located on the bay in Hobart. The décor was old world charm with contemporary room accommodations. It was one of the many highlights of our visit to Australia.
Karen knew that we have a passion for wine and opera and incorporated this into our vacation. She arranged a backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House and tickets to an outdoor stage performance of “Turandotâ€. The evening included dinner at the Platinum Club, a moving performance and fireworks during the opera. They were many more delightful experiences in Sydney but I must move on to Tasmania and share that portion of our trip also. This is where Karen and Australia 2000 fused our love of wine and our wedding into our trip.
My husband and I had a fleeting thought of the possibility of eloping during our trip to Australia and shared this with Karen. From that thought a beautiful wedding was created and performed at a winery in Tasmania, Frogmore Creek, by a celebrant that was handpicked from many interviewed, Bridget. This was all accomplished by the expert minds at Australia 2000. The vineyard wedding was followed a 14-course luncheon at the winery. The next day we departed for our memorable rustic honeymoon on Maria Island, a beautiful National Park, for 4 days and 3 nights. I must explain that Maria Island has been reborn as a well-maintained haven for hikers and campers. Accessible only by boat, my husband and I comfortably experienced the wilds of Australia as we were chaperoned by guides that cooked, nursed and shared their knowledge of the island as we trekked across Maria. If you have ever heard the term or dreamed of “glamping†you must experience this part of our trip. Everything was 5-star from the guides, meals, rugged huts and evenings with candelabras and wine. By the way, we did “see the southern cross for the first time†while on the island! The boat picked us up after our last breakfast on Maria and whisked us off to the Hobart airport for a quick flight back to Sydney.
We had one more night at the Radisson Blue and spent the evening relaxing and discussing how soon we could come back. We were saddened when our driver arrived at the hotel in the morning to take us to the airport and send us home. I will finish with, “of all trips we’ve ever taken, this trip of two weeks in Australia is the only one that we still remember every single momentâ€.
Thank you, Karen and Australia 2000 team, for all the efforts that went into the arrangements and ensuring that every detail of our trip was 5-star plus.