Doreen McMillan recently returned from Champagne Travel’s 17 Day Highlight Tour of New Zealand Group Departure with Grand Pacific and has shared her thoughts and photos of the whole experience.
OVERVIEW
From the first enquiries and excellent service from Champagne Travel, and no matter how trivial my questions, my 2nd Grand Pacifc Tour was greatly anticipated for the eight months it took till ‘take off’. As far as the tour went the only real disappointment for me was the cancellation of the Dreamliner, to be replaced by an inferior plane. Being upgraded to Business class helped a lot though.
LIKES
Airport transfers from Mandurah to Airport and return
2 night stays in some places
Good and careful drivers, especially in difficult weather conditions
Shower cubicles
Frequent toilet / coffee stops
Feeling safe
DISLIKES
The ONE person on the coach who seems to think the world revolves around them and who tries to manipulate the system to have a ‘front’ seat all the time instead of taking their rostered seat.
Showers over the bath, making you feel unsteady
‘Extra-long’ travelling hours (which could not have been avoided) even though the coach was very comfortable
SPECIAL
The whole trip was very special to me, having been to most places on a previous Grand Pacific Tour – it also reinforced the fact that no two trips are the same. Two cyclones did their best to disrupt the trip and although some things were cancelled, not once did I feel that I was in danger. The drivers on both islands were top notch with a wealth of knowledge to help us understand the country. The only causes of ‘cancellations’ were weather induced and not attributable to the Tour Company who did their best in very difficult circumstances. The folk on the tour mixed well and we had a lot of fun, quite sad when saying our last goodbyes. Photos were ‘different’ due to weather conditions FANTASTIC TRIP.
RECOMMENDATION – GO! (and don’t forget the travel insurance)
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