All our guides were excellent. Really enjoyed the sailing cruise with David and the Barossa valley wine tour. Also the Phillips island penguins.
If I plan this trip again, I would make a few changes. I would still fly into Brisbane and stay three days and then go to Port Douglas. However, we ended up spending the night in Port Douglas, and then returning the next day to Cairns for a tour and then going back to Port Douglas again. There should be a better way to do this. Also, I would fly...
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All our guides were excellent. Really enjoyed the sailing cruise with David and the Barossa valley wine tour. Also the Phillips island penguins.
If I plan this trip again, I would make a few changes. I would still fly into Brisbane and stay three days and then go to Port Douglas. However, we ended up spending the night in Port Douglas, and then returning the next day to Cairns for a tour and then going back to Port Douglas again. There should be a better way to do this. Also, I would fly from Cairns to Adelaide and spend a couple of days there and then go to kangaroo Island. I would drive along the great ocean Road and spend time in some different cities. I would skip Melbourne and spend a few more days in Sydney. Also, when planning the wine tour, i would rather have gone to the white wine regions than the red wine ones.
Overall, the trip was amazing. We really enjoyed having the rental cars and being able to drive around and see stuff on our own. Somehow we missed part of the great ocean Road because we were following the GPS and not following signs for the great ocean Road. I think we would rather have stayed in Apollo Bay then Port Campbell although the apartment in Port Campbell was very nice. There’s not much in Port Campbell. We had a bad experience in robe, which is where I booked my own hotel that turned out to have mice. Never really saw anything in robe. I wish we’d had a little more time in Sydney.
Hotel Reviews
The Inchcolm by Ode Hotels
Brisbane
The Inchcolm had a lovely 2 bedroom suite with a sitting area and nice bathroom. The 2nd bedroom lacked a place to sit suitcases and a closet . The hotel had a nice small restaurant, a free continental breakfast and a free laundry . It was historically interesting because it had one spin a physicians office clinic and small hospital. The hotel is located close to the central train station but if one is walking, it can be difficult to get there because it’s a maze of little streets. Overall a charming little hotel.
Location
Close to central train station
Staff
Weren’t very good at giving directions
Martinique on Macrossan
Port Douglas
Cute boutique hotel with apartment type rooms which included a kitchenette, spacious living area, private enclosed patio, bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom was rather small with just enough room to maneuver around the king sized bed. The bathroom was okay. The place was very clean and the grounds were quite lovely. Our room was on the first floor and there was a lovely patio with tables, chairs, grill, couches and even books right outside our door. The hotel also has an outdoor heated pool. the host was very friendly and was very helpful when our driver did not show up. The hotel is conveniently located at one end of Macrossan Street and about a five minute walk to 4 mile Beach.
Location
Close to 4 mile Beach and all of the restaurants and shops on Macrossan Street
Cleanliness & Comfort
Bedroom was a tight fit
Zagame’s house is an interesting boutique hotel close to the Royal Melbourne Institute of technology and the University of Adelaide and several hospitals. The decor is quite interesting, it has a wonderful coffee shop/restaurant where we had breakfast each day. The food was excellent. A wine bar and restaurant are also attached to the hotel but we did not have a chance to eat there, the only reason I did not give this hotel a five star rating is because the bathroom layout is so odd.
Authenticity & Character
Interesting decor. Very nice coffee shop/restaurant,
Location
Close to restaurants. A bit of a walk to get to trams and buses.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The beds in this hotel were truly amazing. They were the most comfortable we slept in on our whole trip. I only give a four for this rating because the bathroom was so odd. The toilet is in a glass enclosed area although the glass is ripple and sort of frosted people in the bedroom area can still see a person sitting on the toilet. The door through the bathroom is not really a door, but a sliding screen made out of bamboo or straw so that people inside the bathroom are visible to people in the bedroom.
Oval Hotel at Adelaide Oval
North Adelaide
Modern decor. Clean. Nice bathroom and amenities. Comfortable double beds. Learning to use the iPad to control all the room features was a bit challenging.
Authenticity & Character
Very modern. Lovely view from reception area of St. Patrick’s Church and nearby park. The restaurant overlooks the oval which is beautifully lit up at night with blue lights. The bar area is quite noisy.
Location
Convenient to tram station, river boat ride and CBD.
Staff
The receptionist was very helpful in trying to help us find where our tour was going to pick us up. Brought extra towels and blankets very quickly when requested.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Mod Modern, clean, comfortable beds
Southern Ocean Villas
Port Campbell
Southern Ocean villas has an apartment style set up. Our villa had a first floor bedroom bathroom, full kitchen area, living room and dining room. Up some rather steep stairs was another bedroom, bathroom and some twin beds. There was also a washer and dryer on the first floor. The unit also had a patio, but it was a little too chilly to sit outside.The accommodations were clean and comfortable and very close to town.
Location
Only a couple of blocks to the small town center
Staff
Very pleasant and helpful.
Villas on the Bay Kingscote
Kingscote
Maybe my favorite of all the places we stayed. These are fully equipped 2 bedroom villas with an enclosed patio and a garage! Loved the garage as we could plug in our electric car at night. The patio was very nice but it was too cold to sit outside.
Authenticity & Character
Clean, comfortable, and a garage! The only thing missing was a clothes dryer. First time I’ve hung clothes on a line in years!
Location
Close to the main area of Kingscote. Only 15 minutes from the airport. Easy to get to wherever we wanted to go.
Staff
The villas are family owned and the owners live on the property which is well maintained.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The kitchen even included some cereals for breakfast (besides the usual coffee and tea).
Ovolo Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo
An interesting hotel and condo complex built from an old wool warehouse on Cowper’s Wharf. The rooms are spacious with 2 double beds and a very large screen TV. The bathroom even had a wonderful soaking tub in addition to the shower.
Authenticity & Character
Interesting historic old wool warehouse. Renovations to the main bar and restaurant were underway during our visit. Breakfast and a bar menu was available in the lobby area which could be chilly as the lobby doors opened constantly. They did have propane heaters.
Location
Cowper’s Wharf has many upscale restaurants adjacent to the hotel and across the street. It’s a good 25 to 39 minute walk to the Central Quay and about a 15 minute cab ride to the CBD. A marina is located on the restaurant side of the hotel and the Australian Babal shipyard is on the other side.
Staff
Very helpful. Our room had a hall lightnthat went on and off all night. One staff member came up with an ingenious way to cover it so that we could sleep. He was very clever! Another receptionist printed out tax forms for us. Very friendly staff.
Activity Reviews
Private Phillip Island Wildlife Day Trip & Penguin Parade
Melbourne
This was one of our best tours. Our guide, Derwin, was very friendly and informative. The Moonlight Sanctuary was nice and we were actually able to pet a koala. I loved seeing the penguins emerge from the water at dusk. When Derwin drove us around the penguin sanctuary, we were able to see the steep hills the penguins climb and see a couple in their burrows. Had dinner at a great Italian restaurant afterwards.
Quality of Experience
Seeing the penguins emerge from the water and hustle to find their burrows.
Food
Great Italian food at a local restaurant in Cowe.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Comfortable car
Self-Guided Port Campbell Discovery Walk
Port Campbell
Port Campbell is along the Great ocean Road. We explored several locations including the 12 Appostles, the Grotto, London Bridge and others. The scenery is spectacular.
Quality of Experience
Australia makes it quite easy to acccess these sites as the trails are either paved or a solid gravel base or a nice boardwalk.
Private Half Day Highlights of Sydney
Sydney
Enjoyed having a restful cruise around Sydney with my delightful guide, Karyn.
Quality of Experience
I was tired after 3 weeks of traveling. It was nice to be driven around and given an overview of this beau city.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very friendly and welcoming. Very willing to answer my questions about Sydney and Australia.
Local specialist: Siena Mueller