Kimkim Trip Reviews for Australia

We really enjoyed our trip greatly. The planning and execution were very good overall. We enjoyed many of the places we stayed at, especially Amora Jamison in Sydney and Mandalay apartments in Port Douglas. read more

We really enjoyed our trip greatly. The planning and execution were very good overall. We enjoyed many of the places we stayed at, especially Amora Jamison in Sydney and Mandalay apartments in Port Douglas.

Hotel Reviews

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

The location and overall experience were great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Ocean Villas

Port Campbell

The location of the hotel was great and it was very spacious for our family of 5.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We did not interact with any staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Melbourne Airport

Tullamarine

Overall the hotel was OK but did have a restaurant next door.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mandalay Luxury Beachfront Apartments

Port Douglas

Excellent all around!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adabco Boutique Hotel

Adelaide

This was a good hotel in a central location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge

American River

Nice hotel in a good location on Kangaroo Island.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

Very nice and posh hotel in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Phillip Island Private Tour

Melbourne

We very much loved this experience and our guide took excellent care of us. He was a wealth of information.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

This was a great experience that was enjoyed by our whole family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Classic Kuranda Tour

Australia

We truly enjoyed this experience. The skyrail and train were great! The experience at Kurranda was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We purchased a costumed designed independent trip to Australia with Springboard Vacations, and we ended up having great vacations on April 2023. We have to thank their trip specialist, Connie, with whom we started communicating in late Dec. 2022. Connie worked with us for over three months prior and during our trip, clearly understood our priorities and wants, and ensured that our two weeks filled with activity and tours-cations in Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns and Sydney would be unforgettable.... read more

We purchased a costumed designed independent trip to Australia with Springboard Vacations, and we ended up having great vacations on April 2023. We have to thank their trip specialist, Connie, with whom we started communicating in late Dec. 2022. Connie worked with us for over three months prior and during our trip, clearly understood our priorities and wants, and ensured that our two weeks filled with activity and tours-cations in Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns and Sydney would be unforgettable. Overall, I will work with Connie again if we plan other trips to destinations covered in her portfolio. Springboard Vacations, can certainly create good travel packages to please any traveler, and at good price.

Overall experience with tours included in our itnerary per our requests and interests: Very satisfied 5/5
Also, all of our tour guides were knowledgeable and courteous. We were glad that with a customed designed trip option, we went to the specific locations and attractions that we were interested in, joining different small groups and being more independent.

Melbourne:
• Great Ocean Road Day Trip- great full day tour with multiple stops including various National Parks)
• Adventure Philip Island & Penguin Parade Excursion - First stop was at the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park where we enjoyed seeing koalas, and feeding/petting wallabies and kangaroos, and the last stop was the super amazing treat by over 1400 small penguins that got out of the sea and paraded in front of us on their way to their burrows; I really recommend this tour and an upgrade to the Penguins Plus option seating.
• Morning Lanes and Arcades Tour - 3 hour tour was very educational and enjoyable.
• Note: We had 1.5 free days in Melbourne to visit museums, gardens and other points of interest. We highly recommend some free time for these activities.

Uluru:
• Kata Tjuta & Sunset Over Uluru tour- a few hours tour to enjoy very pretty views of the big rock
• Sunrise Over Uluru Culture and Sightseeing tour - very enjoyable sunrise with colorful views, and a good hike that brought us close to the huge rock formations.
• Sunrise Field of Light Tour is a good exhibit with good natural backgrounds (sunset option is available)

Cairns:
• Full-Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef – this was priceless to us, as we spent approx. 2 hours each in the morning and afternoon snorkeling in two different coral reef areas with very abundant sea life. On board, we purchased the bio-snorkeling 30 min tour that led us to about ½ dozen spots where we saw (otherwise have probably missed), and learned about clams and some fish and coral species.
• Note: On our free day we enjoyed a morning on the boardwalk area, and the afternoon was awesome too, as one of us went to the Botanical Gardens and Tanks Art Exhibit, and the other one went white water rafting.
• We wished that we would have spent a third day in Cairns to spent another outer Great Barrier Reef snorkeling.

Sydney
• Sydney Opera House 1 hour tour was very informative, and at the end we bought tickets for a night performance which was worthy.
• Morning Panoramic Sydney Sights tour (informative 3 hours drive around the city and to Bondi Beach)
• Afternoon ferry ride that took us to the Taronga Zoo – excellent with a wide variety of local birds, koalas kangaroos, dingo dogs and many more interesting/exotic animals.
• Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day – we first stopped at a farm for about 1.5 hrs to pet a koala, watch many kangaroos, wallabies and emus, and then we arrived at the National Park where we enjoyed the views at different stop points, a 2 mile hike, and its garden.
• Note: We had free time in Sydney to walk on the bridge across the Harbour, go for the Saturday Night fireworks on Darling Harbour, do a little shopping, and eating at various restaurants of choice. We wished that we had a free full day to visit museums and gardens around Sydney.

Transportation from/to all airports: Very satisfied
Transportation was consistently excellent: On time, top notch and vehicles, and the drivers were friendly and respectful.

Hotels: Very satisfied.
Mantra on Russell, Melbourne: Good option because location of hotel was convenient, e.g., close to free light rail, to lots of stores and good restaurants in the predominately chinese area. The room appeared to have been recently remodeled, it was well appointed, super clean and with all desired ammenities (including a kitchenette). I enjoyed the swimming pool too. Good service. 

Desert Garden Hotel, Uluru: Great option
It was super close to the "town square" of the hotel, there is a small but well appointed grocery store, free laundry facilities (dryer/washer), many stores and restaurants (very good food), and opportunity for various presentations and for walking around hotel between tours to the National Parks. All tour companies covering the area have representatives in an office in the "town square", so if necessary, we could ask detailed questions about tours in our itinerary. Good service. 

Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside: Very satisfied with this hotel
Very good location with access to boardwalk and restaurants. Pretty lobby, gardens and restaurants and the large room was clean. Breakfast was good too. Good service.

Mantra, Sydney: Excellent a 6 out of 5 if possible to rate it that way.
Location is to die for, with the light rail station being in front of the hotel. Hotel is surrounded by malls, stores, grocery stores, many restaurants and within walking distance of key tourist locations as you described in our itinerary. The hotel was very clean, the suites are very well appointed, and it was great to have a washer/dryer in our suite. Very good service with friendly and helpful personnel. On two out of the three mornings during our stay in the hotel, we had to leave prior to their small restaurant being opened for breakfast at 7:00 AM; the chef prepared us to go breakfast boxes with delicious/good content on the first day with less than 30 minutes of my request when he had just arrived, and appeared to have a semi-ready to go box on the second day, as he handed them to us at his official start time of 6:30 AM.

One of the best things we ever could have done was worked with Liz to organize our trip to Australia and New Zealand. The process of organizing our trip (hotels, transfers, events) was so much easier working through Liz as it narrowed down the millions of options and she kept us within a reasonable amount of our budget. What really stood out was when our flight to Australia was completely canceled. Between Liz and Leslie in Australia, they helped reorganize our trip, working with the tour... read more

One of the best things we ever could have done was worked with Liz to organize our trip to Australia and New Zealand. The process of organizing our trip (hotels, transfers, events) was so much easier working through Liz as it narrowed down the millions of options and she kept us within a reasonable amount of our budget. What really stood out was when our flight to Australia was completely canceled. Between Liz and Leslie in Australia, they helped reorganize our trip, working with the tour companies to ensure our trip was still amazing. They were both so helpful and we would have been so much more stressed without them during that time. Also, Liz was able to coordinate our tours so that all but maybe two tours picked us up at our hotel, eliminating the need for a rental car everywhere we went.

A couple highlights for others planning to go to Australia and New Zealand who love the outdoors:
Sydney
- Explore the Gardens
- Do a harbor cruise at night, the views are worth it!
- Full Day Blue Mountains Tour -> One of the top things we did, the most amazing day and most amazing guide
Cairns
- Great Barrier Reef is a must, Passions of Paradise was the company we took and the experience and what we learned was amazing!
- Wait-a-while Evening Rainforest Tour was amazing! The guide was so knowledgable and friendly!
Brisbane
- We rented a car and did the Australia Zoo ourselves which was perfect because we got there right when it opened and left just as is was closing. You need a whole day!
Auckland
- Afternoon Wilderness Experience
- We did a shared tour to Hobbiton that dropped us off in Rotorua, cutting down on travel time which was great!
Rotorua
- Mitai Maori Village Cultural Experience was a must to learn about the culture and the history of New Zealand
- Loved the Regent of Rotorua Boutique Hotel, it was central and near tons of places to grab a bite to eat!
Queenstown
- The Rydges Lakeland Resort was stunning and made it easy to walk to places in Queenstown
- Full Day Routeburn Hike --> Absolutely stunning!
- Milford Sound
- Full Day Funyak Safari Trip --> So much fun! JJ led our group as we kayacked down the Dart River and was just so much fun to chat with and explore!

We loved our trip to Australia and Connie was very patient and helped to plan the perfect trip for us. She responded immediately to any questions I had . We had wanted a trip to see more " nature " and she suggested Tasmania. She advised that we rent a car ( which we were hesitant to do ) . But, it was perfect and fun going out of our comfort range. The driving turned out to be so laid back and easy , and such beautiful scenery ! We visited Cradle mountain first and then on to Hobart. Thanks... read more

We loved our trip to Australia and Connie was very patient and helped to plan the perfect trip for us. She responded immediately to any questions I had . We had wanted a trip to see more " nature " and she suggested Tasmania. She advised that we rent a car ( which we were hesitant to do ) . But, it was perfect and fun going out of our comfort range. The driving turned out to be so laid back and easy , and such beautiful scenery ! We visited Cradle mountain first and then on to Hobart. Thanks Connie !

Hotel Reviews

The Grace Hotel

Sydney, NSW

Location

Walking distance to Barangaroo/ The rocks - Perfect !

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cradle Mountain Hotel

Cradle Mountain

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ibis Styles Hobart

Hobart

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location. Within walking distance to many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Taste of Sydney Private Tour

Sydney

Loved this tour ! It was perfect for us especially since we had only 1 day in Sydney. We started at a nearby hotel within walking distance. Our guide was very informative and fun and we were able to experience foods that we probably would not have if we were on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exceptional guide. Very fun and knowledgeable. He seemed to genuinely love what he was doing.

Devils @ Cradle After Dark Feeding Tour

Cradle Mountain National Park

Great experience if you love animals . Not only do you get to see Tasmanian devils, but Quolls which are endangered species as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Bruny Island Tour

Hobart

So much fun and the food tastings were fantastic ! Cheeses, honey, beer and lunch !

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My 17 year old son and I went to Australia for a belated Birthday trip. We only planned the trip 8 weeks prior to going and Gary was very thorough and helped guide our short trip. We did a half day Sydney tour, a full day tour out to the Blue Mountains (with a hike and botanical gardens stop) flew to Carins and did a full day Great Barrier Reef snorkeling trip and a few days there and ended with a day at Cogee and a day at Bondi Beach. All of the tours and our transportation to and from... read more

My 17 year old son and I went to Australia for a belated Birthday trip. We only planned the trip 8 weeks prior to going and Gary was very thorough and helped guide our short trip. We did a half day Sydney tour, a full day tour out to the Blue Mountains (with a hike and botanical gardens stop) flew to Carins and did a full day Great Barrier Reef snorkeling trip and a few days there and ended with a day at Cogee and a day at Bondi Beach. All of the tours and our transportation to and from the hotels and airports went perfectly, our rental car on Carins also was also easy to rent and return. The hotels Gary booked were fine, especially Mantra Amphora in Palm Cove. (highly recommend) Our final hotel in Cogee, Adina Apartments, was very small and had canceled our reservation at check in. We had to call Gary and he answered immediately and took care of the problem which was not his fault, and he made sure Adina checked us in and gave us our room as originally planned. We were very pleased with Gary and his prompt response to all of our questions. If I could give any future travelers advice I would say be very specific about what you want to do, the type of accommodations you expect and the bed sizes and if you prefer large or small group tours. The more specific you are the more tailored your adventure will be. The cost was reasonable for all that we did. We will us Kikiman again!

Hotel Reviews

Mantra Amphora

Palm Cove

Great hotel complete with separate bedroom, spacious bathroom, balcony and living/kitchen area. Very clean and lovely grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Coogee

Coogee

Authenticity & Character

No character

Location

Staff

Weren't very friendly at check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but cramped

Holiday Inn Darling Harbour, an IHG Hotel

Haymarket

The hotel is clean and the room is a normal size for a city. We had a terrible view of an alley and brick wall and couldn't take advantage of the free breakfast because we were scheduled for tours before the restaurant opened.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunlover Reef Cruises Pontoon - Moore Reef

Australia

The staff were great but it was very crowded and the lunch not very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pick up your rental car at Cairns for your trip to Undara

Canberra

Quality of Experience

L

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Liz for our recent adventure in Australia. The Sydney Harbor Bridge walk was phenomenal. Very intimidating when viewed from afar, but quite achievable and exciting when being done. Once in a lifetime experience. The Sydney City tour with Graham was awesome, very knowledgeable. The Blue Mountain tour was excellent with many beautiful views. The Sydney Opera House tour was unforgettable. Our side trip to Cairns with the snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef as the highlight was... read more

Thank you Liz for our recent adventure in Australia. The Sydney Harbor Bridge walk was phenomenal. Very intimidating when viewed from afar, but quite achievable and exciting when being done. Once in a lifetime experience. The Sydney City tour with Graham was awesome, very knowledgeable. The Blue Mountain tour was excellent with many beautiful views. The Sydney Opera House tour was unforgettable. Our side trip to Cairns with the snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef as the highlight was exceptional. Floating and hiking the Daintree River and Rainforest was the ultimate experience. The raucous birds and traveling bats were like nothing we had ever seen. Again, thank you for helping us to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Australia.

Activity Review

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

Although intimidating at first sight, the bridge walk is a must do for anyone traveling to Sydney. Once on the bridge, the views are breathtaking and with all the safety gear and excellent guides, we never felt unsafe. We were accompanied by a 90 year old woman celebrating her birthday with her daughter and she MOTORED through it. Put the rest of us to shame. Easily the highlight of our entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gary was awesome helping us out. He went above & beyond our expectations. We were very pleased with the flight, car service & hotel he organized for us while visiting Australia from the States. He was able to also give us some insight on the areas we planned to see. Would definitely recommend him & the KimKim team, thank you all! read more

Gary was awesome helping us out. He went above & beyond our expectations. We were very pleased with the flight, car service & hotel he organized for us while visiting Australia from the States. He was able to also give us some insight on the areas we planned to see. Would definitely recommend him & the KimKim team, thank you all!

Activity Reviews

Pick up your rental car at Cairns for your trip to Undara

Canberra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beach & Dune Tour with Sandboarding

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drop Off Your Rental Car at the Airport

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Terry was my initial guide) but Liz Neal replaced her. I liked the set up financing for the payment for 5 monthly payments. Liz gets all the compliments as Terry could not take care of that billing. Liz gets all the credit.

All suggested tours were accepted as Liz was the specialist and I had little to know or what to Expect.
Liz did an amazing job and treated me superbly. Melbourne we loved the breakfast at Batman's Hill on Collins 3.5 star. for the hotel though small rooms. Best... read more

Terry was my initial guide) but Liz Neal replaced her. I liked the set up financing for the payment for 5 monthly payments. Liz gets all the compliments as Terry could not take care of that billing. Liz gets all the credit.

All suggested tours were accepted as Liz was the specialist and I had little to know or what to Expect.
Liz did an amazing job and treated me superbly. Melbourne we loved the breakfast at Batman's Hill on Collins 3.5 star. for the hotel though small rooms. Best breakfast bar none. Vegemite, rasch bacon, many fruits oatmeal. Delicious. Phillip Island was a 5 star tour for us. Those Blue Penguins were so cute and the dinner included was good for a tourist venue. On the way to the island we visited a reserve for injured wildlife and saw our first up close Kangaroo, Wallabys, Koalas and Sooty Owls.
Monday Day 4 we picked up the AVIS rental and I got a Toyota Corolla Hybrid the we enjoyed. I drive a Prius so it was a good fit. We stopped At Warragul on the way. Tuesday Day 4-5 stayed at Bellevue on the Lakes at Lakes Entrance. A nice motel but the breakfast was closed for something private. We discovered Woolworths that day. Woolworths was a 5 and Dime when I was a kid. Shocking to see a nice grocery store. We ate at Nicks restaurant and Sodafish locally. Sodafish would be a 4 star and Nicks was very busy Asia food. 5 star for Nicks. Day 6 Gipsey Point Lakeside which is
spacious and had a functioning kitchen. Amazing views for sunset, birds, Rainbow Lorikeets, Parrotts, Wallabys, Kangaroos as the owner feeds the birds and allows the others to eat his grass. Appreciated the beauty around and the animals. The owner got us a reservation for the Gipsey Point Lodge dinner. the dinner was great 4 star. Day 7 Central Tilba ate at the Sweetwater bar and grill. One of the best hamburger for the whole trip. Slices of BBQ brisket with cole slaw. Delicious & 4 star. Visisted the Tilba Creamer tried different cheeses so delightful. that night at Tilba Tilba lake House. Beautiful grounds. 4 star. Was missing hand towels or paper towels to wash dishes. We had dish soap but no way to dry the dished easily so we gave up a clean hand towel. Sunset walk outside was beatiful. 4 Star accomodation. Day 9-10 Paperbark camp two nights 5 star glamping. Shower, toilet and comfy bed. "sugar glider unit". Best part was Gunyah the restaurant. Zinzi and Loreen were working there and very nice girls from Netherlands. Best salads ever and great food 5 Star for Gunyah and the restaurant. Gunyah would be a 6 Star if there was such a rating. We hit Nelson Beach and it was great. Huskisson as highly interesting. My spouse got Mango gelato. She was happy. Good time had by all. Breakfast was good as well and we got a packed lunch. Our Daily schedule said Pepperbark Camp but they have Paperbark trees there so it is Paperbark Camp. Day 10,11,12 & 13 we stayed at Ibis Central Sydney. this Ibis would be a 4 Star as we enjoyed the central position and we could do our laundry with $2 Aussie coins as they had laundromat huge Washier and Dryers. Chin Chin Asian across the street from Ibis is a 5 star food restaurant. We were seated at the bar watching all the action as the cooks worked so quickly and everything was perfect. AEA Tour was 4 star by Paul was fun. He did the south Harbor area. He had been a guide a long time. Sydney Opera House 5 Star was fascinating. I knew the opera house had been around a while but since 1973. Heartbreaking to hear the Architect Utson did not get to finish the project. AEA Dain 5 star tour for the blue mountains. So beautiful. Fog stole a chance to see the 3 sisters but natures does her own thing. Dain was so knowledgeable. Wed 15th was the maritime Museum (Australian National) which is a 5 star. Met Emily(oceanographer) who is from Twisp, Washington the county next to where I grew up and met curator Agatha the conservationist. We had no idea we had a private behind the scenes tour. We spent 10AM through 4pm at the museum and we left when they closed the door. It was fabulous. So much to enjoy. LIZ you did a good thing with that tour. We appreciate it. That night we walked back toward the Ibis and were tired and hungry. Stopped at Amarro a 4.5 star Italian restaurant. It was great. Near Hyde park on Elizabeth. Day 14 we flew Cairns Virgin Australia. Royal is a good Limo service. No problems what so ever. We gave $50 tips usually for them. Day 14-15 Bay Villa Resort Port Douglas 4 Star. Huge rooms with good kitchen and a pool. On the go both days but we slept fine and made our own breakfast (Coles food). Tour Full Day outer Reed Mackay coral Cay and Sand Cay by Sailaway 5 star easy. Nice catamaran and friendly crew and the sun was shining. I snorkled and my spouse Jan more than once with the glass bottom boat. Some of the best snorkeling along with Grand Cayman, Anse Cochon of St Lucia and Shoal Bay of British Anguilla. appreciate the rash guard suit. Beautiful fish and coral. A dream come true 5 Star. Next day was the Karanda Railway and Sky Rail. A 4.5 star venue. the old rails are shake worthy but they go slowly. We got seats going backyards but it was beautiful with Barron Falls and the tropical rainforest. Our only issue was the driver who picked us up said we were supposed to be at another pick up point but have shared that with Liz and Liz was correct as it turns out. the drive was incorrect. Day 17 Jetstar whom I do not recommend but I picked it. The charges for luggage were scandalous. Carry on luggage was higher priced than for 7 kg than the main 20kg bags. John from Royal picked us up and was very nice. 5 star. BMW has such soft big seats. My cell phone fell out of my pocket leaning back. John got it back to me within an hour. Great Service out of Royal Limo all the way around. Day 17, 18, 19 at Mantra Sun City, Surfers Paradise Beach near Southport. 5 star. they only missed on paper towels. the breakfast was not worth $20 for an American but the room was huge and had washing and dryer and kitchen. Discovered Dilmah Berry Ceylon tea there.
We did a lot of walking. March 21st Day 19 we met Christine from Eco Safaris Queensland who is a free lance guide who picked us up. We were treated to the most knowledgeable guide. She had us walking and we saw many beaches and she took us near to the New South Wales and a look back to Surfers Paradise. We had tea at the Viking by Elephant rock and after 4 hours of great information she dropped us off for lunch at the Southport Restaurant (a life saving restaurant). Christine 5 star plus -was this amazing guide and she had been born in Britain and raised in New Zealand and lived other places. She knew so much history about Australia and I was amazed. Day 20 march 22 Royale again picked us up as we traveled back to Sidney from OOL Coolangatta Virgin Australia. Spent the night resting at the Rydges Sydney Airport hotel. 4 star for us. A bit small but access to the airport. Breakfast there would have been $60 each. Nice hotel and good position for leaving the country. Day 21 we got on Fiji airways flight 910 and started the trek back.
Fiji was reliable but at LAX Alaska Air changed our direction. I was at the kiosk and my flight said Spokane from LAX and Jan's flight said Anchorage, Alaska from LAX. Neither could get us home that night March 23rd. The 737 was broken and needed fixing and as were in the air over the Pacific everyone else had changed their flights to Seattle.
We ended up both in Spokane and home at 2AM after we borrowed Jan's brother Mustang.

LIZ, this was a memorable trip and Christine's tour was a good surprise and the Maritime Museum in Sydney. Royal Limousines never let us down. The follow up on the Corolla turned in on the Sunday where all the Avis's in downtown Sidney were closed helped a lot. So many extra touches that you added to our trip. You are simply wonderful. If rating was 1 to 20 you would get a 20 star with us. Dan and Jan Slagle 3/25/23

Hotel Reviews

Pepperbark Camp

Paperbark Camp

We have the name wrong on this Glamping site. https://paperbarkcamp.com.au/ It is full of paperbark trees so really it is Paperbark camp not "Pepperbark " The restaurant Gunyah which in the Aboriginal language means a safe place to wait out a big or serious storm. the food is gourmet and different. this is glamping at its best. Graveled trails and soft bed and the canvas tent is from Africa. there are toilets and showers and a tub. LED lighting is an added benefit. Sam is the lady in charge and she is agreeable(Samantha). Loreen and zinsi are from Netherlands and delightful. Everything is so organized and one does not need bug repellent as they provide it for you. You can have tea anytime you wish pretty much. We enjoyed our two days there very much 5 Star Near Jervis Bay, Nelson Beach and Huskisson. Should be on every one's radar.

Authenticity & Character

African tent on stilts

Location

Food & ambiance of glamping

Staff

Every employee is pleasant and the food is to die for

Cleanliness & Comfort

A clean bed in a tent seems an oxymoron but they have clean sheets and service daily if you wish it.

Mantra Sun City

Surfers Paradise

this hotel is one of many Mantras. The way it it is layed out with lot's of space reminds us of a timeshare with a Washer and dryer and full kitchen. We were on the 9th floor and saw window cleaners coming down all 39 floors. Good position to Surfers Paradise Beach. I do not recommend the $20 breakfast but the rooms have so much storage. Great views. Easy walk to many restaurants. Many tea options from Dilmah.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly but not all were knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean all over and with a kitchen

Batman’s Hill on Collins

Melbourne, VIC

Not a huge room but has a great breakfast even with Vegemite. Central location for many things.

Authenticity & Character

Nice 5th floor room that has an incredible view

Location

Good location for South Bank & North Bank if the Yarro River

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ibis Styles Sydney Central

Sydney

4.5 star. Breakfast was expensive and we had a minimum size kitchen so ate there after visiting Coles for food. Central location and there a washer/dryer on the premises that needs $2 gold colored coins. 2 for wash and 2 for dry. Bathroom was really odd. The door hits the toilet and the shower sticks out and one hits the corner ( small bathroom).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Few dishes

Activity Reviews

Morning Private Hidden Gems & Historic Artefacts - Australian National Maritime Museum

Sydney

Got to see many things with a High End tour with Emily and Agatha behind the scenes. that was really appreciated. Was in the Museum from 10 AM to 4PM. More to see about Australian history than I could have done in one day. Fascinating and original. Stories of immigration and circumnavigation by Sailboats. Bombing of Darwin WWII Onboard a real Destroyer the Vampire. Exhibits of old sailing ships on the water. too much information but interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Phillip Island + Penguin Plus with Dinner

Melbourne

Where else does one get to see Koalas and Kangaroos and Wallabys and Sooty Owls and Dingos and Eagles along with a penguin parade? the Penguin parade is worth the trip and yet one gets the animal shelter for survivors of the 2019 fires. We even fed young Wallabys as $3 donation gets them some of their favorite foods. Penguins are a major thing in North America it would never be seen. OZ all is possible!

Quality of Experience

Penguins in parade is impossible for an American to see

Food

Tourism restaurant was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

alex was great

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Much forest beauty and saw 3 kangaroos hopping and running in the wild. Many wonderful lookouts to see great distances. Dain was a master with information and details.

Quality of Experience

Food

Hydro Majestic food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Best coral and colored differently fish. Sand Cay visited also + a glass bottom boat. Sea plants were amazing. One wears a "rash guard" to prevent stings with jelly fish. Also friendly crew with an expert on board

Quality of Experience

Variety and warm coloful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Expert on the catamaran

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Beautiful and huge and lots of history. 1 hour tour is not long enough but it is a working Opera house and houses more than Opera.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail - Gold Class

Australia

Skyrail above the rainforest with great views & Barron Falls. Kuranda Railway back. We had a gold ticket which is car 8 with almonds, cheese & crackers and wine and beer and juices. One stop for photos. Make sure one faces forward to get best photos on the railroad.

Quality of Experience

Unique venue

Guides, Drivers and Staff

1 issue with driver

Transport

Beauty of it all

Full Day Outer Reef Mackay Coral Cay

Port Douglas

We traveled by Catamaran out to the reef. We were within 300 meters from the reefs edge. One knows the reef is there as big waves come in and are minimized by the reef. Coral of many colors and a plethora of fish.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long time out and back

Welcome to the Gold Coast

Gold Coast

Much knowledge given. Life saving club with teenagers that move up the ranks. Waves are big at Surfers Paradise. Can swell to 2 million people on a holiday

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Much traffic let the experts drive

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or... read more

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or conflicting information that led to confusion. Not sure how information is entered into app but should be proofread a little more closely before being published to clients.
Overall very satisfied and would recommend Vickie to friends or family looking to travel to Australia or New Zealand.

Hotel Reviews

Pacific Hotel Brisbane

Spring Hill

Clean, really good breakfast included, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Patient and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Park Regis Sydney

Older building with smaller rooms but had lots of charm and can't beat the central location. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to popular downtown neighborhoods and public transit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Clean, spacious, modern. Beautiful rooms with lots of amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Harbour, The Rocks Walking Tour and Bondi Beach

Sydney

Rocks walking tour was very informative and enjoyable. Easy pace, tour quide was fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mirimar - Koala Cruise (Return River Cruise & entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary)

Brisbane

Both the cruise and the sanctuary were fun and informative. Animals were well cared for. Seeing the neighborhoods of the city from the river was very fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day beach cruise to Moreton Island

Brisbane

Tangalooma Island was great fun. So many activities to choose from, you need more than one day to experience them. Resort and restaurants were high quality. Beach was beautiful. Snorkeling and feeding wild dolphins were experiences not soon to be forgotten.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heart reef and Whitehaven Flight

Airlie Beach

Took helicopter flight tour around the islands, was very thrilling with stunning views. Guide/pilot gave brief but informative blurbs of the major islands and answered our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not terribly talkative but answered all our questions

Transport

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway + Kuranda Scenic Railway

Cairns

An absolute must-do. Both the train ride and the skyrail had views to die for. Both felt very safe and were clean. Kuranda had a lot of cool shops and activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

Possibly best experience of the whole trip. Scuba diving is a must do. The reef and fish are stunning and breathtaking. Saw sharks, sea turtles, rays and many others. Wish stay at pontoon was longer to squeeze in more activities and snorkeling time. Memories for a lifetime.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lots of options and they'll save you a plate for later upon request!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spirit of Cairns - Dinner Cruise

Cairns

Delicious food but cruise aspect left a bit to be desired. Just slowly ran up and down same side of harbor 2 or 3 times. Saving grace was the night sky when the stars came out and the lit up harbor skyline, especially the ferris wheel.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pasta was 10/10

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daintree, Cape Trib & Bloomfield Day Tour

Cairns

Full day experience. Lots of hours being jostled in 4wd tour bus but views and locals were worth it. Especially enjoyed seeing rare insects in their native habitats and swimming in the river. Provided lunch was tasty. Tour guides were jovial and knowledgeable. Saw lots of wildlife despite being off season according to guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Camel Ride

Uluru

Fun and educational experience. Camels were friendly and tame, loved head scratches. Beautiful views. Only move at a slow walk, very easy ride. Guides were clearly very passionate about the plight of the feral camels in Australia and educated us on the topic. Snacks after tour were tasty. Recommend mesh fly mask. Transport to and from resorts/experiences always provided, very convenient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

French female guide was hilarious and passionate, loved chatting with her throughout tour

Transport

Kings Canyon & Outback Panoramas

Uluru

Kings Canyon rim hike is intense, almost grueling, but well worth the views and sense of achievement. Guides were fun and informative and also very serious about our safety. Lots of stairs, elevation changes, loose/rocky terrain. Trail clearly marked and included a few shaded stopping points for brief breaks. Views were stunning. There was an easier/shorter hike for those not physically able to do rim walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AAT Kings Day Tours Aus - Uluru Aboriginal Art & Cultural Experience

Uluru

It felt very meaningful and special to have an anangu guide show us around the sacred sites of Uluru. She also was an artist and showed us traditional painting symbols and we all got to make small canvases alongside her as she made a large one. Cultural center was very informative and educational. Be respectful of when and where to take photographs, the guides will let you know when it's ok.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sacred Sights and Sunsets Tour with BBQ Dinner

Uluru

The sunset views of Uluru and the stars/astronomy discussion were lovely. However, they did run out of almost all the food with 2-3 tables still left to serve. We were second to last table and had only about 2 dishes left to choose from.

Quality of Experience

Ran out of food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astronomy discussion was great

Transport

Our trip coordinator, Liz Neal (Springboard Vacations), who we connected to through the KimKim website is OUTSTANDING!!!
- spent considerable time with us planning the trip, making changes, and building an itinerary just for us
- very perceptive and creative in suggesting activities that dovetailed with the family's interests
- excellent ideas and recommendations, both on and off the beaten path
- very knowledgeable
- great communication, very responsive
- very easy to work with
-... read more

Our trip coordinator, Liz Neal (Springboard Vacations), who we connected to through the KimKim website is OUTSTANDING!!!
- spent considerable time with us planning the trip, making changes, and building an itinerary just for us
- very perceptive and creative in suggesting activities that dovetailed with the family's interests
- excellent ideas and recommendations, both on and off the beaten path
- very knowledgeable
- great communication, very responsive
- very easy to work with
- during the trip, easily reachable and available for needed re-jigging due to weather, closures etc.
- great support team in the country to help us navigate changes and accommodate unexpected requests
- always felt like we were in excellent hands – reducing the stress of the trip immeasurably
- a thoughtful, interesting and caring individual
- went above and beyond to ensure the trip went smoothly

Australia favorites
Philip Island and the Penguin Parade
Exhibition at Adelaide Library on Aussie Rules Football : )
Melbourne
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
Great Barrier Reef (Seeing Hammerhead Shark!)
Kangaroo Island special shout-out to Dan (!!!), Exceptional Kangaroo Island
Mossman Gorge and River Drift Snorkeling Tour

NZ favorites
Southern Alps – Flight!
Mount Cook, hiking to glaciers
Queenstown & Rees Hotel
Driving through the Southern Island
Zorbing
Zip Lining
Auckland Central

I don't really know where to start! We had an amazing time, thanks to Ruth. Our accommodation was always in the best locations for activities and tours that had been booked for us. It was always interesting and elegant with wonderful staff. We were treated like royalty everywhere we stayed.
We thought that we had the perfect balance between activity and leisure. The tours were fun and only as active as you wanted to make them,the tour guides were passionate about their work and were keen... read more

I don't really know where to start! We had an amazing time, thanks to Ruth. Our accommodation was always in the best locations for activities and tours that had been booked for us. It was always interesting and elegant with wonderful staff. We were treated like royalty everywhere we stayed.
We thought that we had the perfect balance between activity and leisure. The tours were fun and only as active as you wanted to make them,the tour guides were passionate about their work and were keen on sharing their environments.
We honestly couldn't choose a highlight of the trip but visiting Bonorong wildlife sanctuary and holding a baby wombat would definitely have to be one of them.

Hotel Reviews

The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins Melbourne

Melbourne

Wow! Elegant and stylish, absolutely beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

This place is stunning,the interior looks as though it belongs in a much more refined time. Definitely not a place for children

Location

Great location for the railway and free trams. Easy walking to the riverfront and ferries

Staff

The staff are definitely some of the friendliest and such an asset to this hotel. From the housemaid to the receptionists to the bar staff in the lounge, everyone was just wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The huge comfortable bed, the spacious room and gorgeous bathroom. And the housemaid do a wonderful job of keeping the whole place spotless.

Ovolo Laneways

Melbourne

A quirky and fun style hotel

Authenticity & Character

Quirky with fun art and interesting light filled bedrooms

Location

A great location for around the lanes of upper Little Bourke Street

Staff

Always friendly and helpful with local recommendations for dining

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless and very comfortable rooms

MACq 01 Hotel

Hobart

Fabulous in everyway

Authenticity & Character

Loved everything in this hotel. Would absolutely recommend it

Location

Easy walking around the waterfront and into town

Staff

Always friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless and so very comfortable

Brickendon Estate

Longford

A very interesting place to stay. Although the cottage felt old and very in keeping with the estate it was only 26 years old.

Authenticity & Character

I loved that the accommodation was inkeeping with the rest of the estate. Internally and not just the exterior was lovingly created

Location

Loved that it's set in the country with beautiful views but still only a few minutes drive to the nearest village for dining or supplies

Staff

We meet Louise, who with her family owns the estate, took some time to chat to us about the place. We found her very down to earth and just lovely. And the dogs are so very friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

I cannot think of a single thing that I would change or add.

Curringa Farm

Hamilton

What a stunning place to stay! I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to stay here

Authenticity & Character

the elegance and style, can't think of anything that I would change

Location

Loved the views and it's only a short drive to the closest village if you need supplies

Staff

Jane and Tim are wonderful hosts, they make everyone feel as though they are really special

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed, amazing bathroom and absolutely spotless

Activity Reviews

Morning Cafe Culture Walk

Melbourne

Lynn was a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. A great way to get to know some of the lanes and area around the top end of Bourke street. The finish of lunch in the little Italian Cafe was a really nice end to a fun morning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Great Ocean Road Day Tour (Shared Tour)

Melbourne

A long day but worthwhile doing. Stopped at lots of interesting beaches and historic little towns.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kevin was a knowledgeable and humorous driver and guide. He had stories and information about the places we stopped in. He picked us up on time and even at the end of a very long day he was still helpful

Transport

The bus clean and comfortable

Full Day Bruny Island Traveller Tour (Shared Tour)

Hobart

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip and can recommend it if you are interested in seeing bruny Island and sampling some of the islands treats.

Quality of Experience

Lots of little extras like oysters, honey, fudge and spiced apple mead samples to take home. Could be quite active if you want to walk a bit but if you don't you can take it easy.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan would have to be one of the best guides we met on our holiday. He was informative and funny, included everyone effortlessly and was an all round good guy.

Transport

Bus was a good size, clean and comfortable

Evening Old Hobart Pub Tour

Hobart

We really enjoyed this tour of old Hobart. Tales of convicts and dirty deeds, settlers and soldiers all told with passion by our guide. A fun way to spend an early evening before dinner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Farm Tour and Lunch at Curringa Farm

Hamilton

Jane and Tim are delightful, down to earth hosts of this farm. The food is BBQ and salad and plenty of it. The tour lasts about an hour or so and is really informative and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Tour of the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Hobart

A wonderful opportunity to visit this sanctuary and I'm glad that we did. We arrived too early but we were allowed to roam the park by ourselves until everyone else had turned up. It was really good being the only people there so that you could see the animals in their enclosures without a lot of people around. Our guide Nikki was bubbly and very passionate about the sanctuary and the role it plays in saving wildlife. One of the highlights was being able to cuddle a baby wombat and feed the Tasmanian devils, albeit with a grasping aid and not fingers, we still wanted those!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Depart Australia

Australia

Departing from Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne is easy. It seems well laid out, so it's easy to navigate your way around. Staff are helpful and courteous. We spent most of our time in the Air New Zealand lounge and enjoyed the facilities there.

Quality of Experience

Liz Neal at Springboard Vacations worked closely with us over several months to help us select the schedule, locations and tours we preferred. She promised that everything would be of the best quality and on time. That is exactly what we got. Over a twenty-eight day trip we had about thirty-five different pre-arranged events (flights, tours, hotels, etc). Every one was right on time and as described.

Gary did an amazing job planning and organizing our trip!!!
We got where we wanted to go, we saw what we wanted to see, logistics were perfect- actually amazingly so, locations of accommodations were unbeatable, and the timing sequencing of our itinerary was excellent!!!! read more

Gary did an amazing job planning and organizing our trip!!!
We got where we wanted to go, we saw what we wanted to see, logistics were perfect- actually amazingly so, locations of accommodations were unbeatable, and the timing sequencing of our itinerary was excellent!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

Desert Palms Resort

Alice Springs

Discovery Kings Canyon Resort

Petermann

Dining is limited and the food sucked

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

Limited staff, no food or coffee available. Very tired, old hotel but excellent location!

Waves Port Campbell

Port Campbell

Incredible room, amenities and staff!

Quality Hotel Melbourne Airport

Tullamarine

Small room, but great staff, bar, and restaurant

Byron Bay Hotel & Apartments

Byron Bay

Very cool spot, great location!

Sails Port Macquarie - By Rydges

Port Macquarie, NSW

Excellent ambiance!

Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens

Pokolbin

A little tired! Very cool grounds, bar and restaurant. Staff were great except for receptionist

Hyatt Regency Sydney

Sydney

Great staff, room and location!

Activity Reviews

Pick up your rental car at Cairns for your trip to Undara

Canberra

Uluru Astro Tour

Uluru

Did not go, to late after a long day!

Sounds of Silence Dinner

Australia

Did not go, Wind storm created what we thought would be a miserable experience

Drop Off Your Rental Car at the Airport

Australia

Easy, no problem

Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

Highest kudos to the guide and experience! One of the highlights of our trip.

Uncork the Hunter Full Day Tour

Australia

Too long, got tired of ta s ting the same wine and hearing the same story. Driver and host at Two Fat Blokes was great, excellent guide!

Explore the Blue Mountains - Scenic World

Australia

Total bust! Directions were unclear! Still.no idea what we were supposed to do.

Drop Off Your Rental Car in the City

Australia

Challenging to find the drop off spot/parking space.

The Rocks Walking Tours

Sydney

Clearview Glassboat Cruises Dinner Cruise

Sydney

We skipped this event . It was supposed to be a 3-hour dinner cruise but was actually a one- hour sunset cruise that was scheduled to get back well before sunset. Boat also looked crowded and uninviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I really appreciated Gary because he listened to what I was asking for in terms of hotels to stay and the types of experiences that I was interested. in””His work was somewhat stressful because I only had a few weeks before departure to plan the trip and the planning time included Christmas in between those weeks so I really appreciate his stepping up to the plate so quickly. I also learned myself that when I use Kim Kim in the future, I need to really look in detail at the options that they... read more

I really appreciated Gary because he listened to what I was asking for in terms of hotels to stay and the types of experiences that I was interested. in””His work was somewhat stressful because I only had a few weeks before departure to plan the trip and the planning time included Christmas in between those weeks so I really appreciate his stepping up to the plate so quickly. I also learned myself that when I use Kim Kim in the future, I need to really look in detail at the options that they are offering me and really explore them in depth to be sure that I’m asking clearly for the things that I want. I only had one real issue, and that was not being able to go on a scuba diving tour because of a physical limitation, and Gary was very helpful trying to address that at the last. Minute. It was also great to have someone I knew I could call in-country and a similar time zone if I needed assistance - that really helped.

Gary put together a fantastic itinerary that allowed us to see a lot of things in very little time. Having someone figure out transportation, accommodations, and activities was extremely helpful and saved us a lot of hassle. read more

Gary put together a fantastic itinerary that allowed us to see a lot of things in very little time. Having someone figure out transportation, accommodations, and activities was extremely helpful and saved us a lot of hassle.

Activity Reviews

Classic Kuranda Tour

Australia

Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Punctual, friendly, with clear instructions.

Food

Food at the park was sorta meh.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly guides.

Transport

I mean, whaddya expect from a bus? It was a nice bus, though. USB ports included.

Sounds of Silence Dinner

Australia

The food was phenomenal, the view was spectacular, and the setting was intimate. I enjoyed the astronomy lesson, but I wish the digeradoo player hung out longer (maybe for the duration of the dinner!).

Sunrise Tour of Uluru (Ayers Rock) & Kata Tjuta Hike

Uluru

Hot and tiring, but the guide made it a good experience. The fanny packs with snacks and water were great. The toilets at the rest stops are ---- ummmmm..... an experience. I'm not sure if that could be upgraded since it's a government run thing. I would like to have had a more meditative experience of just "taking it in" when it was still cool first thing in the morning.

Day trip to the Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Well organized, food was great, equipment was excellent quality, supervision was top-notch, and the views were spectacular.

Small-Group Uluru Sunset Tour

Australia

I was expecting better food. Otherwise it was a nice view.

Liz was wonderful. She booked me the most amazing tour in quick turnaround. I loved Australia and being able to see the different animals indigenous to the area was really neat for me. I loved sailing to the Great Barrier Reef, I could spend a whole week there. The sky tram and train rides were so much fun. I loved Sydney and the bustle of the town. The penguin parade at Phillip island was also a must see. My trip was packed full of adventure and fun. I will definitely use Kim Kim in the... read more

Liz was wonderful. She booked me the most amazing tour in quick turnaround. I loved Australia and being able to see the different animals indigenous to the area was really neat for me. I loved sailing to the Great Barrier Reef, I could spend a whole week there. The sky tram and train rides were so much fun. I loved Sydney and the bustle of the town. The penguin parade at Phillip island was also a must see. My trip was packed full of adventure and fun. I will definitely use Kim Kim in the future.

Hotel Review

Bay Village Tropical Retreat & Apartments

Cairns, QLD

Very neat space just outside of the city. Easy walking to the warf and night market. Birds and small animals are heard instead of cars and urban noise. The room was tidy and big for just one person. The fridge was nice for keeping my drinks cold. The restaurant was there and I had breakfast included which was very good. Including hot and cold foods.

Authenticity & Character

Great restaurant attached with authentic delicious food from Bali

Location

Away from everything, but not too far.

Staff

Very helpful with all questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Homey feeling.

Activity Reviews

Sydney Guided Bike Tour - Shared Tour

Sydney

So fun. And not really too physically taxing. Great way to see the city and big sights. The rain was no fun, but we all laughed anyway!!

Quality of Experience

Personal attention and small group size.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was very helpful. Guide grew up there so he knew his stuff.

Transport

I walked to get there.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Cool rich history of the project and udon. It was fantastic to see it all up close.

Quality of Experience

Learning about the iconic place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I’ve met has been helpful.

Transport

I walked to this tour.

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Amazing trip into the blue mountains. The worst part was the drive, but the guide gave us some interesting information. The hike was amazing and a bit strenuous but not too hard.

Quality of Experience

Lucy was good the hike was fantastic. And I just love the mountains.

Food

The restaurant was a neat place rich in its own history. The food was good and filling. Nice choice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice and explained a lot

Transport

Small group

Welcome to Cairns!

Cairns

My favorite city. But yes it’s hot!!

Quality of Experience

Small town. Lots to walk around and do

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I met was very nice

Transport

The airport driver included an extra tour of the town layout on the way to the hotel.

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef - to pontoon

Australia

Top ten best days I have ever had.

Quality of Experience

The crew was great. The places were beautiful. And everyone was nice and friendly.

Food

Good lunch on board.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and nice.

Transport

The fist driver didn’t show up. I was worried I would miss the trip. But a new driver came after a few calls and I made it.

Morning River Drift Snorkeling

Cairns

Canceled due to too much rain flooding the river.

Full Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail

Australia

This was sooooo amazing. Both methods of transport were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the treetops of the forest. Seeing the underneath thought the train.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No one specific. But everyone was nice and helpful.

Transport

Getting to the place.

Full Day Phillip Island Tour with "Penguins Plus" Viewing

Melbourne

Such a unique and special treasure of a day. Seeing the animals would have been more fun if it wasn’t sooo hot, but again Mother Nature wins.

Quality of Experience

The staff at the penguins were great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our small tour driver was very very nice. And knowledgeable.

Transport

Bumpy ride. But overall great

We went to five different places and everything from tours to accommodations was flawless. We had a wonderful time and I can’t say enough good things about Liz and KimKim. Thank you! read more

We went to five different places and everything from tours to accommodations was flawless. We had a wonderful time and I can’t say enough good things about Liz and KimKim. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Coco Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba

Amazing location, apartment and people. This was our favorite!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gary, our tour agent planned for us a very good 6-day trip in Australia. We went to most of places we wanted to be. And we're very satisfied with his arrangements. The fact that we couldn't make local phone calls made things difficulty but when there're changes during the trip Gary responded very fast to meet our requirements through other communication channel he could find.

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We... read more

Gary, our tour agent planned for us a very good 6-day trip in Australia. We went to most of places we wanted to be. And we're very satisfied with his arrangements. The fact that we couldn't make local phone calls made things difficulty but when there're changes during the trip Gary responded very fast to meet our requirements through other communication channel he could find.

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We couldn't get in after 5pm because we didn't get the code to get the key and their emergency phone didn't work at all. Thanks the restaurant next door who helped us to got the key. Then we found there're no elevator, no microwave oven, very hard to get into shower tub (aged people could fell and hurt themselves easily), the toilet seat doesn't stay up at open position unless you use your hand to stop it falling down. One of the bed lamp didn't work, TV remote controller out of battery, There're bugs in the closets. Couldn't find the switch for the ceiling fan (hiding behind the bed board) and nobody to ask after 5pm. Other than that, Palm Cove experience was still very good.

We missed the part of Rainforest program (because we stay at Palm Cove?), still wait for the refund Gary promised for that part.

The experice in Gold Coast is super! Stay in a great hotel (Hilton) at a great location!

After we fly back to Sydney we found no transportation arranged from the airport to the hotel. And we're not told that we need to take a taxi to get to the hotel. Asked Gary, he probably is on vacation so still waiting for the reimbursment from kimkim for the taxi.

All in all kimkim is a very good and trust worthy toure agent! We believe it'll improve their work from our experience to make it better.

Hotel Reviews

Alassio Palm Cove

Palm Cove

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We couldn't get in after 5pm because we didn't get the code to get the key and their emergency phone didn't work at all. Thanks the restaurant next door who helped us to got the key. Then we found there're no elevator, no microwave oven, very hard to get into shower tub (aged people could fell and hurt themselves easily), the toilet seat doesn't stay up at open position unless you use your hand to stop it falling down. One of the bed lamp didn't work, TV remote controller out of battery, There're bugs in the closets. Couldn't find the switch for the ceiling fan (hiding behind the bed board) and nobody to ask after 5pm. Other than that, Palm Cove experience was still very good.

Authenticity & Character

after hour attendant

Location

the environment

Staff

more friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

shower tub layout

Hilton Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise

Convenient, comfortable, friendly!

Authenticity & Character

like it very much

Location

so close to everywhere

Staff

so friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

No shuttle bus to the hotel from airport after 5:30pm.

Authenticity & Character

we arrived late so didn't see too much

Location

close to airport

Staff

tried to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean

Activity Reviews

Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

The Great Adventure arranged everything for us, including Green Island visit, Great Barrier Reef, (we took semi-sub), lunch buffet, afternoon tea/coffee snack, transportations to and from the hotel...

Quality of Experience

Went to Great Barrio Reef

Guides, Drivers and Staff

all people were very friendly and helpful

Transport

On time and professional

Kuranda Rail, Rainforestation, Skyrail

Australia

We like the Skyrail and Kuranda Rail experiences! We missed Rainforestation program. kimkim promised to refund that part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

smooth ridings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

all people are friendly and helpful

Transport

On time and professional and friendly!

Our family of 5 (including 3 sons ages 19, 17, and 13) had a fabulous Australian vacation over Christmas and New Years! Liz was instrumental in the planning, ensuring that we got to see all of the sights, but not over-scheduled. Highlights included: watching evening migration of penguins on Philip Island in Melbourne, visiting Bruny Island and MONA in Tasmania, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, and the Bridge Climb in Sydney. The trip culminated with taking in the fireworks... read more

Our family of 5 (including 3 sons ages 19, 17, and 13) had a fabulous Australian vacation over Christmas and New Years! Liz was instrumental in the planning, ensuring that we got to see all of the sights, but not over-scheduled. Highlights included: watching evening migration of penguins on Philip Island in Melbourne, visiting Bruny Island and MONA in Tasmania, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, and the Bridge Climb in Sydney. The trip culminated with taking in the fireworks and ringing in the new year in Sydney harbor. We all agreed that we can’t wait to go back to experience more of the wonders of Australia. Thanks, Liz for planning such a memorable trip for us!

The entire trip was just wonderful! It amazed us that each excursion was planned so far in advance and yet went off without a hitch. We were particularly impressed with the blue mountain guide, we learned so much. The other guide that was wonderful was our guide to the Daintree Rainforest. Greg was available to us all afternoon and there was no question that he could not answer. We loved the Sky rail to Kuranda and also the train back. The walking tour of Melbourne was terrific! We had one... read more

The entire trip was just wonderful! It amazed us that each excursion was planned so far in advance and yet went off without a hitch. We were particularly impressed with the blue mountain guide, we learned so much. The other guide that was wonderful was our guide to the Daintree Rainforest. Greg was available to us all afternoon and there was no question that he could not answer. We loved the Sky rail to Kuranda and also the train back. The walking tour of Melbourne was terrific! We had one excursion where the driver didn't show, but the kimkim team had us back on schedule within 2hours and that trip to Kuranda turned out to be one of the best. The fishing trip with an aboriginal native was a hoot and challenging. I wasn't able to catch anything with my spear. Having a light meal at his home was an honor.

Hotel Reviews

Villa San Michele

Port Douglas, QLD

We loved this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

the tile floors, little kitchen and the balcony. Right one the main street of Port Douglas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney

Sydney

More than we expected!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The entire staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

What an amazingly place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Loved our guide, we learned so much

Quality of Experience

the guide made this so special

Food

the food was lovely and elegant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

same

Transport

same

Morning Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

This was a terrific tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we walked to this excursion

Full Day Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Plus Upgrade

Melbourne

Frankly, this was too far a trip for the short time we had in Melbourne. We should have planned something closer

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the driver needed more training, he made 3 wrong turns and was not very knowledgeable about the places we were going.

Transport

See above

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Our villa was amazing and Port Douglas is a delightful resort town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Outer Reef Mackay Coral Cay

Port Douglas

This was an amazing trip. I only wish we could have snorkeled longer

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Ngana Kulkinga Dungay Sightseeing Tour

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Kuranda Rail Gold Class, Rainforestation & Skyrail

Australia

Loved both the Skyrail and the train. Gold class was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport