Vicky Steinhardt

Hello, my daughter and I spent 10 days in Australia, and with only that amount of time , we got a very good taste of what Australia is all about, so if you are ever uncertain about 10 days being enough time, the answer is absolutely. Vicky, our specialist, is exceptional, and if planning a trip I would highly recommend using her. She put together a trip that was truly some of Australia's highlights. We spent time in Sydney, the outback, particularly Uluru, and the Great Barrier Reef. Each area had something different to offer. The beaches in Sydney were beautiful, with great shopping. We stayed at Ayers Rock Resort, with great tours to Uluru, and again, lots of local shopping. We visited a huge cattle ranch which was very interesting and saw plenty of sunsets with amazing clear nighttime skies. And finally, we went snorkling in the Great Barrier Reef, which I feel was the best part of our entire time. It was truly a wonderful trip.

Activity Reviews

Panoramic Sydney with Lunch cruise

Sydney

The Panoramic Sydney with Lunch cruise was a bit disappointing. We felt quite rushed during the bus tour part, and my daughter even got motion sickness from the winding roads. There just wasn't enough time at stops, like Bondi Beach, to fully enjoy the sights and shops. We ended up skipping the lunch cruise and explored Sydney on our own, shopping and enjoying the markets, which turned out to be a much better experience.

Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset

Uluru

The Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset was wonderful. We got to see both the sunset and the sunrise, with champagne in the evening and breakfast in the morning, which was such a fun experience. Our guide was excellent, and we really enjoyed the activities despite the flies, which were quite something, but not detrimental to our enjoyment.

Mount Conner 4WD Small Group Tour from Ayers Rock including Dinner

Uluru

The Mount Conner 4WD Small Group Tour was superb. It was fascinating to visit such a vast cattle ranch. We experienced a rare sight of the desert being lush and green thanks to recent rain, which we were told is a once in a lifetime event. Dinner with the local family managing the farm added to the authenticity and warmth of the experience. Seeing the salt lake and learning about the local environment was truly extraordinary.

Southern Daintree Tour + Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

Port Douglas

The Southern Daintree Tour and Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas were delightful, especially getting to interact closely with kangaroos, which was a dream come true for me. We also saw a koala, although it was a bit hidden in the trees. The tour felt a little packed as we also did a river cruise for crocodile spotting, which we felt we could have traded for more time in the rainforest. Still, the rainforest landscapes and the wildlife habitat were absolutely beautiful.

Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel with Lunch

Port Douglas

The Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel was the highlight of my trip. The catamaran took us out into the Barrier Reef for a full day of snorkeling. The coral was stunning, and the water was warm. The wet suits provided kept us safe from jellyfish. It was an incredible experience to be out at sea and see such beautiful marine life up close.

Vicky put together a busy and well-tailored two-week tour of Australian places for us. Small-group and private tours were first-rate, and her very detailed itinerary (59 pages!) offered many options for free time and dining.
The guidance we provided about preferences meant that our tour was geared to our interests very well. Any problems were due to miscalculation on our part: there was a LOT of walking on the tour and my husband had greater mobility limitations than we had expected. Generally, guides were extremely helpful in working around this and there was only one scheduled event that we had to cancel. We also tended to look for dining closer to hotels (and these were excellent).
Great guides included Helder in the Blue Mountains, Andy at Uluru, Errol on the Ocean Road from Melbourne and Jennifer in Hobart. Sue Ann at the Sydney Opera House was also wonderful. All the guides and tour companies showed good planning and a lot of expertise about their local areas and their history and wildlife.
Overall, our tour went very well and was extremely enjoyable.

We had a wonderful vacation and all went smoothly. All of the tours and transportation were well planned with no issues.
Day 1 - Arrived in Sydney. Shangri-La Sydney is a wonderful hotel.
Day 2 - Chef Led Hunter Valley Gourmet Food and Wine tour was great. Jimmy owns/operates the tour and prepares food to pair with the wine. Highlight was going to the new Sydney Fish Market where Jimmy picked up fresh fish and oysters for our food later during the wine tour. The wineries and food were great.
Day 3 - Walking tour, Sydney Opera House tour, and Sydney Bridge Climb Summit. Craig led the walking tour and provided a wealth of information on the beginning of Sydney and concentrated on the botanical garden and how Sydney came about and significant events. The Opera house tour was very good and we were able to the wonderful architecture. It was raining during the Sydney Bridge Climb but rain coats were provided. It is not a hard climb and our tour guide, Nico, kept the group motivated for the climb. The guide has a transmitter and we had ear phones to hear him during the hike. We were drenched but enjoyed it.
Day 4 - Blue Mountain tour - It was raining and couldn't see much. Can't do anything about the weather. We did see another couple on our trip that went on the tour and they showed us pictures that looked awesome.
Day 5 - Travel to Cairns/Port Douglas - Ground transportation and flight went great.
Day 6 - ABC Reef Safaris - The snorkeling was wonderful. We spent about 1.5 hours at two different spots and were led in the water by ABC who also have Marine Biologists on the tour. We saw a Manta Ray which is very rare. The food supplied on the boat was great and plentiful.
Day 7 - Daintree Rain Forest and Nocturnal Tour - Another great tour led by our guide Nicki. We went out on a river boat looking for crocodiles and found a few along the shore. We saw a cassowary bird that is only found in Australia. We had dinner in the rain forest and able to try kangaroo. We did a nocturnal walking tour and spotted quite a few different animals/birds/frogs. Nicki was a great guide and loaded with information.
Day 8 - Bump Track Mountain Biking - This was canceled due to so much rain. The guide, Steve, for the bike ride was willing to do a different tour but the road was flooded. Steve was great to deal with and he was trying to give us a memorable tour but had to cancel.
Day 9 - Travel to Uluru/Ayers Rock with 4wd Mount Connor tour - No issue with ground/air transportation. We stayed at Sails in the Desert Resort and it was very nice. Mount Connor tour was very good but the highlight was having dinner with the cattle farm owner, Amy, where she explained the operation of the cattle ranch and growing up on a million acre cattle ranch.
Day 10 - Uluru/Ayers Rock tour - very good tour with history of the area learning the history of the aboriginal people. A net to cover your face is a must with the flies when it is hot out.
Day 11 - Transfer to Melbourne - No issue with ground/air transportation. Had a wonderful dinner at Hopscotch on Riverside Quay.
Day 12 - Yarra Valley Grazing Tour - We got on a bus from Go West Tours and Ashleigh was our guide/driver and was fun and very entertaining. We sampled wine, cheese, gin, and chocolate on the tour. Wonderful day with beautiful scenery.
Day 13 - Laneways of Melbourne - John was our tour guide and did a wonderful job explaining the history of the city and setting up lots and roadways. He was able to show us how the shops moved goods into the warehouses and the wonderful architecture that you would never see if you didn't know where to look for it. The public library was our last stop and a must see.
Day 14 - Great Ocean Road Tour - This was a tour with just the 4 of us in our group. Cory was our guide and did a great job explaining how the GOR was built by WW1 veterans to help them get over shell shock/ptsd. The coast was beautiful and stopped at a the 12 Apostes. (not really 12) We toured a wildlife sanctuary and spotted a couple of Koala Bears in the trees swaying in the breeze.
Day15-16 - travel back to Sydney and home to USA.

Overall, the trip was fantastic. The transportation within Australia was all planned by Vicky and we had no issues. Everything was planned very well and we loved all of the tours. Highly recommend Vicky!

We just returned from our travels in Australia and are still processing all the wonderful activities and experiences. The trip offered us so many memorable moments, and we are grateful for each one.

We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for all Vicky's help and expertise in planning our trip. Her attention to detail and careful arrangement of every aspect were impressive, allowing us to simply relax, enjoy, and savor every moment. Her assistance made our experience truly memorable and enjoyable.

Thank you Vicky and kimkim!!

Donna

Great trip. Well planned. Enjoyed the animal parks and seeing the different animals. The Opera House tour was one of my highlights. Walking tours in the cities were very informative. Just a fantastic trip!

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

OP

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Sebel Quay West Suites

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane River Cruise

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

lol

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Small Group Eco Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I

Transport

SEIT Uluru & BBQ Dinner

Uluru

Quality of Experience

I

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel to Sunset

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife, Waterfalls and Wine (Small Group Tour)

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney City Small Group Walking Tour (Small Group Tour)

Sydney

Had a hard time understanding this leader. Wish he had a speaker and headsets. Was not able to hear him b cause of the traffic and other people around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicky did an outstanding job planning and executing our Itinerary!!

Activity Review

Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset

Uluru

Tourist trap.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a terrific time in New Zealand recently and it was in large part to the arrangements that Vicky at KimKim made for us. She recommended and booked hotels in both Aukland and Queenstown; activities in both cities and worked with us to help us create the adventure we wanted in New Zealand. The hotels (Hotel Britomart in Aukland and Sofitel in Queenstown) were beautiful and catered to our every need. The staffs were attentive and engaging. Vicky planned a trip that allowed us time for curated activities but also time for us to explore and experience New Zealand. The Waiheke Island gourmet wine and food tour was everything we hoped it would be. We had a terrific time with guide Grant and small group of fellow travelers. The real surprise of the trip was how enjoyable the Milford Sound tour was. The views were amazing and Katy, the tour guide did a fantastic job explaining the region, the wildlife and the sights we saw. All around -- this New Zealand trip was an experience we will never forget. We are so grateful for Vicky's care and attention throughout the process. She even spent time with us just prior to travel to go over each day and last minute considerations and suggestions.

Hotel Review

The Hotel Britomart

Auckland

Perfect in every respect. Great staff, terrific room, great restaurant and in the very heart of city by the docks. Wonderful experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Milford Sound Scenic Tour & Cruise – Ex Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Breathtaking views and scenery. Katy our guide and driver was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katy was excellent -- knowledgeable and safe.

Transport

Large, Comfortable Mercedes Van w/Wi-Fi and comfortable seats.

Private Boutique Wine Tour

Queenstown (NZ)

Phil was a great guide. We enjoyed the day with him. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at the vineyard -- the views and ambiance as well as the amazing charcuterie platter that the winery prepared. The tastings were all good. The final tasting at Kinross with Brian was by far the best. Brian was skilled as well as knowledgable on the wine he was sharing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent lunch at the winery's bistro.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiheke Island - The Gourmet Food & Wine

Auckland

Exactly what we had in mind. Grant the guide was perfect for the role. The entire day flew by.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport