This delightful circle was taken at Lamington National Park, west of the Gold Coast. They are native Australian mountain parrots; the red and blue kind are Crimson Rosella, and the red and green are King Parrots. They are feasting on sunflower seeds which were left [...]]]> Is there anything more beautiful than nature at its best!!

This delightful circle was taken at Lamington National Park, west of the Gold Coast. They are native Australian mountain parrots; the red and blue kind are Crimson Rosella, and the red and green are King Parrots. They are feasting on sunflower seeds which were left for them, but did not expect them to form such a perfect ring. For more info on where to experience this adventure please contact phil@aussieworldtravel.com

Dear Phil & Golden

We want to thank you so much for everything you did to help make our “once in a lifetime” trip to Australia a magnificent experience. Your special attention to our needs and  hopes on this trip was over and above our expectations. Helping [...]]]> A Guest Post by Tom & Karen Heun

The Gold Coast high-life, looking north.

A Sydney Romance.

Dear Phil & Golden

We want to thank you so much for everything you did to help make our “once in a lifetime” trip to Australia a magnificent experience. Your special attention to our needs and  hopes on this trip was over and above our expectations. Helping us plan our “On and off the beaten path tour” made it possible for us to do things we did not even think about. We even ran into a supermodel (Rachel Hunter) at a Starbucks on our last day and got a picture with Karen. Thank you for helping us take the honeymoon trip we were never able to take when we got married. You are such a blessing!!

Tom & Karen Heun

CO

Hobnobbing with the local wildlife.

Karen & Rachel

The Falls Vineyard Retreat.

I first met Phil while giving a talk to a local group. Some time later, I contacted him about my interest in planning a trip to Australia. Once I [...]]]> Prashant, Krithika and Shreya took their journey of a lifetime in July 2010. Great family vacations (memories) really do last forever. Here is their testimonial:

I first met Phil while giving a talk to a local group. Some time later, I contacted him about my interest in planning a trip to Australia. Once I made that call, Phil took care of EVERYTHING! He was extremely proactive and understood exactly what I was looking for in a trip. The itineraries were organized and clear. The entire trip was perfectly planned and perfectly priced. You receive a tremendous amount of value for your trip by working with Phil and Golden.

Upon my return to the U.S., I created a photo book of our Australia trip, since it was definitely the best trip I had ever been on…thanks to Phil. Below is an excerpt from the inner jacket of that book, along with some pictures from the trip. If you are considering traveling, if you want the experience of a lifetime, if you are value oriented, and want to create memories that will last forever, Phil and Golden are the ones to call.

From Denver to San Francisco, we crossed the International Date Line, and arrived in Sydney. We walked along Darling Harbour and ate breakfast. The monorail took us around town and led us to China Town. Exhausted from jet lag, we came back to the hotel and slept until 4 am the next morning. Welcoming us every morning were soft eggs and tomatoes. Since it was chilly, we layered up. We saw the opera house and the Sydney harbour bridge, toured the city by bus, had an Aussie Pie, felt the sands of Bondi Beach, saw downtown at night, and ate dinner at an organic Thai restaurant. The next day, we viewed panoramic landscapes on Captain Cook’s cruise and enjoyed a Lemmington. After the cruise, we saw Rex, the world’s largest crocodile, and dugongs. The next day, we took a train to the suburbs. Our return trip led us to the beautiful Queen Victoria building. The Sydney tower revealed glowing sunsets as the city lit up.

The next day, we flew to Cairns, a tropical destination with oceans, mountains, and rainforests. Our hotel had a breathtaking view of the ocean. We jogged along the waterfront. The following morning, we set off for the Great Barrier Reef; I was able to go Scuba diving and snorkeling in one of the prettiest aquatic landscapes of the world. We traveled up to Kuranda village in the tropical rainforest by train and ate in the forest. We purchased the world’s hottest chili…they aren’t kidding! On our return trip, we took the Skyrail down, traversing rivers with crocodiles. That night, we enjoyed the night zoo. We held Koala bears, touched kangaroos, saw crocodiles, and danced. We ended our trip in Melbourne. A trip into the mountains led to a ride on the Puffing Billy. We enjoyed a cup of Devonshire tea and fed birds. A stroll through downtown concluded our trip. It was time to go home. What an amazing trip; what a grand memory!

Phil and Golden, thank you for giving us memories we will cherish forever.

Prashant Krishnan, M.D. Krithika and Shreya
CO USA

Don & Janet Kamnikar along with Susan & Dean Block had a choreographed vacation in Australia, Oct/Nov 2011
covering Sydney to Cairns, the Outback, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, drove the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne and completed a spectacular adventure in Tasmania – Phil

“Gorgeous scenery, new experiences, friendly people [...]]]>

Don & Janet Kamnikar along with Susan & Dean Block had a choreographed vacation in Australia, Oct/Nov 2011
covering Sydney to Cairns, the Outback, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, drove the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne and completed a spectacular adventure in Tasmania – Phil

“Gorgeous scenery, new experiences, friendly people – our fall 2011 trip to Australia could not have been better. We were fortunate to have Phil Kennedy help us plan and make arrangements for us, because deciding where to go and what to do in a country as big and varied as Australia can be daunting for those who wish to travel on their own. Phil’s knowledge of his home country was invaluable, as was his willingness to listen to us and honor our wishes. We have great memories of an exciting, fun, and hassle-free trip.”

Hats off and a big salute to Phil and Golden Kennedy for a job well done:

Where to start? Not sure whether it was Golden’s Pavlova, the Milo, or the Quince paste (or maybe even the Vegemite) we sampled at our first visit that set the hook for [...]]]> A Guest Post by Jerry Farney

Hats off and a big salute to Phil and Golden Kennedy for a job well done:

Where to start? Not sure whether it was Golden’s Pavlova, the Milo, or the Quince paste (or maybe even the Vegemite) we sampled at our first visit that set the hook for us to work with Aussie World Travel.

My wife and I and our fourteen year old granddaughter, Sam, were beginning to entertain the idea of a short trip to Australia and possibly New Zealand during the summer break of 2010.  During the fall prior, my wife, the food editor for the daily Colorado Springs newspaper, stumbled upon a small ad for Aussie World Travel.  We both had traveled enough outside of the United States to know that we wanted to work with someone that would be a real expert on the area(s) we would be visiting, preferably a native. That’s how we ultimately discovered Phil and Golden.

What a serendipitous find.  My wife and I had in mind sampling great food and wines, exploring farmer’s markets, locating unique food artisans, making chef contacts, enjoying restaurants that highlighted the local cuisines, plus, just some good old general sightseeing.  Well, thanks to Phil, our short trip evolved into a month.  We not only covered our initial wish list, but more, much, much more.

During our first get-together with the Kennedys, they took granddaughter Sam under their wing and built up an array of trip ideas for her that included koalas, emus, Tasmanian Devils, crocodiles, shotover jetboats, snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, seeing a sunrise in the outback, observing the spectacular night sky of the southern hemisphere, hiking in rain forests – oh, the list just went on forever!  Needless to say, Sam was ecstatic.  She could not wait to hit the road.

Over a period of a month or so, Phil laid out an itinerary that was just perfect for all our needs and desires.  He had nailed everything, and then some. Our final trip packet, with confirmation numbers and contacts, was extraordinarily detailed.  Both he and Golden had included additional suggestions and ideas for each location we were to visit.  We even had rental cars waiting in several cities to better explore the local area. And, the end results, we could not have been happier. Although the many flights and schedules were quite aggressive, we never missed a beat.

Phil setup connections for my wife in the foodie and wine world she would have never found on her own.  The various Australian state tourism agencies that Phil put us in contact with along the way were invaluable for my wife’s many on the road food articles she was sending back to Colorado during our travels. (Side note:  Tourism Tasmania was just outstanding).  Over a month, we ended up traveling to all the Australian states, with the exception of Western Australia, as well as both the north and south islands of New Zealand.

As for my granddaughter, Sam’s most favorite experience was handling an anemone while snorkeling with a marine biologist at the Great Barrier Reef, closely followed by hand feeding wallabies near Adelaide.  Her most scary: experiencing turbulence while circling and climbing up and out of the towering mountain walls surrounding Milford Sound in a single engine, four passenger plane to return to Queenstown, New Zealand.  She also very much liked the 20 year old hotel clerk at the Old Sydney Holiday Inn, located next to Sydney harbor and the opera house, who seemed to be extra friendly to us when Sam was in the vicinity; but I digress.

To sum it all up, we could not have had such an amazing trip without all the help, ideas and guiding hands of the Kennedy’s.  We have made some long lasting friends with Phil and Golden and look forward to combining a future travel adventure with both of them to yet another distant land.

G’day mate.

Jerry, Teresa and Samantha Farney
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Our wonderful trip to Australia started when my husband, Phil, was invited to speak at a conference in Brisbane.  As we had never visited Australia, we decided to combine business with pleasure and add two weeks to the trip giving us three weeks total.  So, I set off [...]]]> A Guest Post by Carolyn Anthony

Our wonderful trip to Australia started when my husband, Phil, was invited to speak at a conference in Brisbane.  As we had never visited Australia, we decided to combine business with pleasure and add two weeks to the trip giving us three weeks total.  So, I set off to the book store to purchase travel guides along with visits to the internet numerous times.  After gathering information on potential destinations that would be of interest to us and discussing them over and over sometimes with major disagreements and other times in total agreement we finally decided where we wanted to visit.  Now, what do we do?  Fortunately, we were referred to Phil and Golden Kennedy @ Aussie World Travel (www.aussieworldtravel.info) by a very reliable source we trusted.  I remember the first conversation with Phil K., explaining to him what we were after and hearing his reassuring tone and reply that it could all be put together, not to worry.  I heaved a sigh of relief and knew we were in the right hands.  After all, this would not be the easiest itinerary to coordinate.

Best of Brisbane & River Cruise

We arrived in Brisbane with one free day before the beginning of the conference.  Phil and Golden booked us on 1 Day Best of Brisbane & River Cruise.  This was a great guided tour by bus combined with a river trip.  Brisbane is a lovely city sitting on the banks of the Brisbane River.  We loved driving past many of the old Queenslander homes and were impressed with how well kept they were.  The combination of old and new architecture was well done here.  The high rises form a beautiful skyline.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Our tour day ended with a trip to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  Yes, I held and hugged a koala.  Phil (husband) took several pictures and said my smile never changed the entire time I was holding the Koala.  How could it?  I was happy with my little mate and hated to let him go.  There were many other attractions and we saw them all.  Great time was had here.

With the conference over, we were off to the next destination, Fraser Island. This involved flying from Brisbane to Hervey Bay and then boarding a ferry to the island.  Travel plans were so well organized that this was a very easy trip.  King Fisher Bay Resort lived up to its high ratings.  The staff was very friendly and helpful making our stay very comfortable.  Our booked 4wd bus tour of the island was like being on a ride in an amusement park. “Hey folks! Yes, it’s all sand…up and down sand,” the bus driver said.  “Hold on and enjoy the ride.”  We did!  The next morning we departed on our whale watching cruise.  Phil K promised we would see some whales on this trip, but we were really impressed with how many we saw.  These beautiful humpback whales, parents and calves put on quite a show, breaching and blowing…just like all the documentaries or posters you have seen.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  We left Frazier Island with good memories, but also with anticipation to what our next destination would bring us.

3) Fraser Island

4) Whale Watching Cruise

We traveled by rail on the Spirit of the Outback from Maryborough to Longreach.  This was a 19-hour trip and since we boarded in the evening, we first either looked out at the black of night or were sleeping in our berth.  But, the next day we had ample time to stare out the window at the vast outback landscape.  There were more eucalyptus trees than you could ever count and also many large termite mounds that took us some time to identify.   When we arrived at the Longreach Railway Station, we were extremely pleased to see our accommodation at the Longreach Motor Inn was just across the highway.  Also, within walking distance were the center of town, the botanical gardens and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Heritage Centre which we visited the next day.  The Hall of Fame was a wonderful place to learn the history of the early explorers and European settlers.  There was an extensive exhibit on Aboriginal history where we spent a long time.  A must see for anyone who visits Longreach.  We both enjoyed and appreciated our outback experience.

5) Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Heritage Centre

Then, it was back to the coast and on to our next stop, Heron Island.   This required two commuter flights and a helicopter ride from Gladstone to the island which sits on the Great Barrier Reef.  We were the only passengers on the helicopter and the pilot was also a super tour guide.  It was great observing the reef from above and seeing many stingrays and turtles…hoping a few might join us when we snorkeled.  Needless to say, we were both tired upon arrival, a long day indeed.  So, we headed to our room for a little rest before dinner.  Phil and Golden must have anticipated our condition because there on the table in our room was a bottle of champagne on ice with two glasses and a lovely note from them.  Due to their thoughtfulness, we immediately started to feel better and as the clock ticked away to dinnertime…better and better. Ha!  Ha!  The Heron Island Resort was top-of-the-line in every way.  Food was plentiful (three full meals per day) with a large selection of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit.  The Chef prepared various entrees and main courses every day, all of them exceptionally good.  Snorkeling was great right off the beach as well as by boat to the outer reef.  Sea life was too numerous to mention.  A beautiful experience awaits anyone visiting Heron Island.  Oh yes, that turtle I mentioned above did not join me but the ray did.

6) Heron Island Arrival

7) Heron Island Resort

Next was our trip’s finale.  We flew to Sydney for a stay that included a two-day private Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves Tour.  We stayed in the Old Sydney Holiday Inn in the historical Rocks Area.  It was a perfect place to see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  Sydney Harbour is extremely beautiful by day, but absolutely breathtaking by night.  It was raining with lightning and thunder while we were there so we were glad that Phil and Golden had booked us on a Harbour Cruise Tour.  Inside we could stay dry.  We traveled the harbour with a guide who was a good history teacher.  She taught us a lot and with some Aussie humor thrown in.  Early the next morning, Steve, our tour guide and companion, picked us up at the hotel and off to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves we went.  He toured us around Sydney as well which we did not expect but were very happy with because the storm had kept us from seeing as much as we had planned.  We were impressed with his complete knowledge of the area and all of its history.  None of our questions went unanswered.  We stopped in a park along the way for tea that Steve had brought.  A large group of kangaroos entertained us the entire time we were there.  We then proceeded further up the mountain (it even snowed a little) where we had the privilege of a private tour of the Secret Creek Sanctuary.  Here, Trevor Evans, the owner introduced us to the Eastern Quoll, an endangered species he is breeding and trying to protect from extinction.  They no longer are found in the wild on the mainland, only in Tasmania.  That late afternoon, we checked into the Jenolan Caves House, a lovely Tudor- style hotel nestled into the mountain next to the cave entrances.  The following morning we descended into the Orient Cave, one of many caves in the area.  We were told this cave was one of the world’s most beautiful.  It was indeed beautiful, almost spellbinding as you gazed at the crystal formations. The high-tech lighting also added to the beauty.  Thanks Phil and Golden for suggesting the caves.  When deciding on visiting the Blue Mountains, we overlooked this great place.  We would have been so disappointed to have missed our stay there.

View from The Old Sydney Holiday Inn

9) Sydney Harbour at Night

10) Kangaroos in a Sydney Park

11)Eastern Quoll in Secret Creek Sanctuary

12) Orient Cave

For our last night in Sydney, we were booked on the Harbour Dinner Cruise… definitely, a fitting way to say goodbye to Australia…for now. Thanks to Phil and Golden Kennedy, our vacation was flawless.  Also a thank you to Allison Hogan at Down Under Answers for her hard work.  And, to Steve at Boutique Tours for putting up with us for two days, thank you.  Until next time….

Sincerely ~ Carolyn & Phil Anthony of Fallbrook, California

Australia’s sunshine state to the USA’s colourful Colorado?” Well the

short answer is, it was just meant to be! It afforded Golden some precious quality time with her mother during her last years, and it has give us both the rich experience of [...]]]>

Just to give you an idea, take a look at our neighbourhood Bear that visited us last week. He arrived just in time for afternoon tea…

You know, many people have asked me, “Why did you move from

Australia’s sunshine state to the USA’s colourful Colorado?” Well the

short answer is, it was just meant to be! It afforded Golden some precious quality time with her mother during her last years, and it has give us both the rich experience of expanding our borders in another part of the world. Travel is our passion and we love to help people bring their travel dreams to reality… So now instead of living and enjoying the sunshine state I send people to the sunshine state where they experience a land that is “beautiful one day perfect the next”; or, as the new motto says, “Where else but Queensland”?The next question I am asked is. “But, don’t you miss Australia?” Well yes! …but I have just exchanged Koalas and Kangaroos for Bear and Deer. This was their home before we moved here in southwest Colorado Springs, in the foothills of Cheyenne and Pikes Peak (14,110 ft.). Many do not know that we had a National Parks & Wildlife Licence in Queensland to breed Koalas,

Kangaroos and other native Aussie animals. With that we have become the favourite spot in the neighborhood for all the local wildlife.

At the turn of every season, we captured by the beauty of Colorado. Last week a silent "ice storm" had slipped in through the night, and we woke up to discover this Frosty Morning Magic.

...and our King Buck lazing on the front lawn...

Then, the last couple of days all our boy Deer are visiting us...sharing a drink by the back deck...

Well winter is on it’s merry way and already we have had two snow falls…See you on the beaches of the world or the winter slopes of Colorado.             Anyway, “I still Call Australia home” but this is a great place to put down roots! …Phil Kennedy

Hey guys,

… As most of you know I spent the first half of my summer in Australia playing basketball and touring a little bit. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who helped me get there by donating. Your donations helped keep me [...]]]> A Guest Post by David Gantt

Hey guys,

… As most of you know I spent the first half of my summer in Australia playing basketball and touring a little bit. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who helped me get there by donating. Your donations helped keep me fed, pay for gym fees, and do a little bit of sight seeing as well. If you haven’t seen the pictures of the trip I made a photo stream on Flickr of the highlights of the trip that you can check out by clicking here. I also have full albums of a couple of my site-seeing days via Facebook that you can view by clicking here and here if you have time.

As far as basketball goes, I was the leading scorer on my team for the short time that I was there and was second leading scorer in the league at the time of my leaving. I averaged just over 19 points a game and had a really fun time playing out there. The style of play is very different to the style out here, but playing as much as I did was good for me and helped me learn more about the game.

If it weren’t for my supporters I would not have been able to travel at all so I thank you again for caring enough about me and my interest in basketball to help me out. Please email me and let me know how you are all doing.

One last thing, I booked my trip through Phil Kennedy and he did an amazing job for me. He constantly kept me updated with times, itineraries, flight plans, and tour details and would always answer all of my emails quickly and professionally. Since it was my first trip abroad, I was a little nervous about a few things, but his patience in answering questions was greatly appreciated and I would strongly recommend him to anybody thinking about traveling to Australia or New Zealand. He’s got a website and you can reach him by emailing him on the “Contact Us” page. Thanks again Phil!!!

Regards from David Gantt