October 5, 2007

The flight over was fantastic, those beds make all the difference.  Really was a cool way to kick off the trip, and I even saw Hugh Jackman in the airport to boot!

A Castor, Manhattan Beach, CA

January 8, 2007: My Travel Agent and Down Under Answers Saved My Life

Here is my story: Before our recent wedding I promised my bride that I would completely handle arranging the honeymoon, and she would do everything else. Well I had the best of intentions but somehow time passed quicker than I had imagined. Before I knew it our wedding was just six weeks away and aside from looking at a few tropical destination magazines, I hadn’t done anything oops.

Enter Down Under Answers. I contacted my travel agent who in turn contacted Kirk Demeter at DUA, explained the situation, and within 2 hours had a spectacular outline of a dream honeymoon. They arranged a trip that took us from Maui, where we were married, to the marvelous city of Auckland, New Zealand. (if you go you must stay at Mollies!). After 4 fantastic days in New Zealand, they booked us for a week in Fiji, with part of the time spent on what can only be described as a breathtaking destination, Castaway Island. This is the sort of place you see on postcards or advertisements and think “that cannot be a real place” well it is. For days we felt like the couple on the Corona advertisements just us, our room on the beach, white sand, blue, warm water and nothing to do but relax. In the end I was a hero because of my travel agent and Down Under Answers, and my wife’s friends marvel at what a “thoughtful” husband she has for putting together such a trip of a lifetime!

Howie Barokas, Seattle, WA

December 20, 2006: Amazing Time in Australia

Words cannot adequately describe the spectacular trip you planned for us in Australia. It was truly amazing! We were so grateful that we were able to visit, tour, and explore so many places… I loved Australia and I know that I will definitely return and possibly fit in a trip to New Zealand...Please know that my daughter was absolutely thrilled to show us her life in Sydney… You didn’t put us ‘down under’ but rather you put us over the top! It is a pleasure to know you.

Evelyn Spector, Stony Brook, NY

November 13, 2006: I love Down Under Answers

Knowledge, expertise, efficiency, a great staff with positive attitudes, travel agent support and willingness to help and, most of all, integrity, are the reasons I have worked with Down Under Answers for the past 14 years and why I will continue to do so. From the owner and President, Kirk Demeter; to Vice President of Marketing, Jillian Barrow; Accounts Executive Sue-Ann Hime; our DUA rep, Larry Covell; to everyone in reservations and their efficient support staff, they are the very best. Down Under Answers have received many, many well deserved awards and accolades along the way. They have gained great respect from both suppliers and agents and I am very proud, indeed, to be a part of the Down Under Answers “family” of Travel Agents.

Mary E Backous, Aussie Specialist Premier Agent

September 12, 2006: If I didn’t work for Windstar, I’d apply at Down Under Answers..

The tours we went on were perfect. Your recommendations worked great. All the tour guides were full of personality and knew the tour inside and out, adding little notes along the way. We had lunch with our tour guide in Auckland (Don Bickerson). I have to say that the High Country Tour in Christchurch was my favorite - I HIGHLY recommend it, especially with “Captain Rod” as we called him at the helm.

The 3 cities, the people, the flights, the scenery, the hotels (especially the Sofitel - which was amazing), the tours, the shopping, the fun! “Wildfire” in Auckland, which is in the harbor area, has the most amazing food and ambiance, plus you’ll have to go to the the “Under 5 Degrees” bar which is made of ice.

Kristina, it was the best! I am so thankful to have won the trip - we took it all in and appreciated every minute that we were there.

Down Under Answers is the way to see New Zealand!

With warm appreciation and thanks.

Janet Anderson, Seattle WA

September 10, 2006: Thank you for a vacation of a lifetime!

We just got back from our trip and I thought I would send over some pictures. We had a really great time, diving (Sofia our 9 year old included) with sharks (6 ft.) and lots of big stingrays! Sofi completed the whole thing like a real trooper and was never tired!

We would like to thank Down Under Answers, we had a really great vacation...it was really a vacation of a lifetime...we can’t get over Woodwark Bay, Roger the host was amazing and just such a wonderful person...Woodwark and Bora Bora was a personal favorite of Sofia...as for me...well, it is hard to choose...I loved every minute of it! Woodwark is still on top for me too…

I don’t know what I loved more...maybe, the coolest thing was taking a helicopter from our room at Woodwark and landing on a 10 meter landing pad in the middle of the ocean in the Great Barrier Reef to be picked up by a boat and go scuba diving, then being whisked off to land on the Whithaven Beach for a walk, then back to Woodwark...That was really over the top!

The colors of Bora Bora were indescribable and underwater in Tikehau was out of this world! I loved it. Thank you!!

Maggi family, United States

August 24, 2006: Australia was sensational, thank you.

The trip to Australia was sensational. The kids voted it their favorite trip ever. I wanted to write and thank you for doing a terrific job of putting the whole thing together. Our favorite part of the trip was Heron Island. All of the vouchers, travel arrangements, etc. worked out beautifully, so many thanks to you and Down Under Answers.

Fran Solmor

August 18, 2006: Thank you for the magical trip!

Just got back yesterday and trying to get caught up on 3 weeks of mail, emails, etc. but had to take time to write and tell you how perfectly you arranged this trip and how smoothly everything went. You have to be in the business to understand how much time and effort it takes to negotiate air, hotels, pick-ups, tours, etc. and I told Marie more than once how fantastic I thought our arrangements were under the circumstances - 2 planes a day 3 days in a row so that we laughed about having been in Adelaide twice, for example, although we knew we had never been anywhere but the airport, our hotel for one night, then more airport. The flights were terrific, the weather was magnificent wherever we went - the rain seemed to know we were coming and took off for other parts so that even in Melbourne we had sunshine. I’m in love with Kangaroo Island. No one should be allowed to go to Australia on vacation and not see Kangaroo Island and Uluru Sounds of Silence dinner. The march of the penguins, the kangaroos eating out of my city hands, I don’t know what thrilled us more. Most of all, thank you for your superb arranging - everyone who was supposed to meet us did so at the right time; the flights were all on time (amazing); New Zealand business class puts every other airline I’ve been on to shame; Queenstown in the all-suite hotel for the last three nights was brilliant - gave us a chance to catch our breath and get ready for the flights home. Looking out at those snow covered mountains was unforgettable. You really did a fabulous job and as an agent and a traveler, I am most appreciative, as was Marie who travels constantly, usually on tours, and was thrilled by how many private and semi-private tours we had besides the usual large groups, all of whom were very nice. You know we will be recommending DUA to everyone - I’ve already started! The places you chose were ideally located so that we were able to walk the city of Melbourne and probably saw more of it than most people who live there. The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant was special. We loved it. The best meal we had was on Kangaroo Island in the bush as part of the tour - barbecued lamb and all the trimmings in a magical setting. All in all, a magical trip and you were the magician who accommodated our desire to see as much of Australia and New Zealand in 21 days. Thank you so much.

Mona Scheraga, Travel Agent