Dear Georgie,

We’ve been home now for three weeks, enough time to go through the thousands of photos we took in New Zealand and select our 500 or so favorite to show our friends and watch them turn green with envy.  It was a most amazing and gratifying experience.  We thank you for the care Relaxing Journeys and Grand Pacific Tours took in making our trip a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime event.

From our first email exchange with you in the summer of 2009 until we stepped off the plane in Auckland on March 3, 2011, you were always there when we had questions or needed help in planning our milestone trip celebrating retirement.  I was amazed at how quickly you responded to our messages and how thorough you were in answering our questions.  Needless to say, we were delighted to see that same professionalism and attention to detail was evident in everyone we encountered from the gentlemen who transported us to and from the airports on arrival and departure to our tour guide and coach captains. 

New Zealand is a place of spectacular natural beauty.  Pristine is probably the best word.  About four days into the trip, it suddenly struck us that it is a country without billboards – those giant ever-present advertising displays that despoil the view throughout America.  Every city, town and village was sparkling clean.  The landscapes were breathtaking.

The trip had so many highlights that it is difficult to narrow them down.  Certainly the day and night we spent aboard the catamaran Ipippiri in the Bay of Islands was one of them.  That was early in our tour and gave us the opportunity to “bond” with our fellow tour members – all of whom turned out to be Australians.  By the end of the tour, we felt as if the Aussies had adopted us.  Australians, we found, are a lot like Texans.  Since we’re Texans, that was a very good thing indeed.  We made many, many good friends and have continued to exchange email messages with them since returning home.  Perhaps the high point of the tour was Milford Sound.  Words fail when we try to describe this natural wonder of high cliffs, deep blue water and magnificent waterfalls.  Surely Rudyard Kipling was not exaggerating when he reportedly called Milford Sound the eighth wonder of the world. 

There were so many other amazing scenes – from Rotorua’s mud pools and steaming geysers to Mount Cook to Fox Glacier.  None of it would have been nearly so meaningful without the expert and knowledgeable commentary of our coach captains Steve and Pete and tour guide Nick.  It was worth the price of the trip just to get to listen to Pete Knowlin talk about his native land, tell of his experiences and share his very funny jokes and witty commentaries.  We wish we had a recording of Pete’s soliloquy on what it was like growing up on a New Zealand dairy farm, especially the details about milking cows.  Both Pete and Steve were outstanding drivers.  Along with tour guide Nick they kept us on time and in good spirits. 

In closing, I want to say a few words about how your company and Grand Pacific Tours put the customer first.  A week or so before we were scheduled to leave Texas for New Zealand, Christchurch was devastated by an earthquake.  It was a little scary going to New Zealand for a tour with an itinerary that included time in Christchurch.  Our tour was changed in a way that disturbed the original itinerary as little as possible while putting client safety as the prime concern.  Where different destinations had to be selected, every effort was made to ensure that the new location was of the same or better quality than the original.  In general, I would rate the lodging facilities throughout the tour as good to very good and the food as very good to excellent/outstanding. 

Without hesitation we would recommend Relaxing Journeys to our friends.  Thank you so much for making our tour such a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Jim and Joan Bowman

If you want to read more of what our clients think of us and their adventures, you can read more here.

As the market leader in touring holidays to Australia and New Zealand, Relaxing Journeys has utilized their experience to form a new online brand – Global Journeys. For the first time, Australians have the option to peruse, compare and book their coach tour or river cruise to anywhere in the world from the comfort of their living room.

Offering over 1000 amazing itineraries from leading household names in touring and river cruising globaljourneys.com provides a unique experience for both sides of the Tasman.

With every tour and cruise offered, we provide a touring overview, day by day itinerary, current prices by departure date, the latest Operator specials and full Operator information. It doesn’t stop there;  for each itinerary we also provide EXCLUSIVE specials, downloadable brochures, extensive hotel information, area guides and activity descriptions so you know what to expect during your holiday.

Campbell Harris, Managing Director of Relaxing Journeys Australia and New Zealand believes there is a misconception amongst the travel industry that travellers are unwilling to book complicated travel experiences online and that the service provided by high street agencies is superior to agencies operating online. Fortunately, that is not an opinion expressed by our clients!

“Our market leading position in Australasia is evidence that if you have the proper business processes and consumer protection in place, online travel agents have the ability to provide a superior service unmatched by the traditional retail chains.”

Specialising in touring allows our consultants to focus their knowledge and experience which we in turn pass on to our customers providing them with greater insight. Lets face it, it’s not easy to choose a tour from the myriad of tours available. Our website and unmatched customer service gives our clients the opportunity to find the holiday that suits them best.  Our specialisation also provides greater choice than is often available to traditional bricks & mortar agencies. As an independent agency, we aren’t restricted to a particular set of preferred suppliers, instead we provide the means for our clients to choose their holiday based on brand, price, duration, departure date & location.

The excellent relationships we have with our existing suppliers under our Relaxing Journeys brands, has enabled Global Journeys to hit the ground running. We also expect to continue to build on the success of our existing brands, with relaxingjourneys.com.au, our website dedicated to Australian coach and small group touring,  having also recently undergone an overhaul.

Although globaljourneys.com already lists over 1000 itineraries, we are continuing to expand the range of tours on offer. At launch we provide tours & river cruises from APT, Trafalgar, CostSaver, Globus, Cosmos, Insight Vacations,  Avalon Waterways,  Uniworld,  AAT  Kings, &  Grand Pacific .

Relaxing Journeys - AAT Kings Top NZ Wholesaler 2009

‘AAT Kings Annual Champions Trip’ has come and gone for another year. This year 40 of AAT King’s top consultants in Australasia were treated to a 5 day tour of Tasmania. Our tour commenced in Hobart (fabulous city), then on to Port Arthur. The next day we drove across the state to Strahan on the west coast where we had a cracking cruise on Gordon River. Next up the spectacular Cradle Mountain National Park & finally finishing in Launceston. Last year we had the privilege of joining the same trip, (in Cairns), so this time we knew in advance to expect some late nights, early mornings, cracking food and some amazing local plonk. We werent disappointed on any of those fronts!

I know AAT King’s can’t control the weather, (if they do, they are very modest about it) but on both trips we were treated to the ‘best weather in months’ according to locals. Sunny days certainly bring out the best in a place, and Tasmania certainly put on a show beyond our expectations.

The last night of our getaway, was Awards night at Quamby Estate (an amazing boutique hotel soon to feature in some of our self drive tours I’m sure), where Relaxing Journeys received top honours as ‘AAT Kings Top New Zealand Wholesaler for 2009′. For the last 4 years Relaxing Journeys have been recognized as a leading contributor to AAT Kings success in New Zealand. Our successful partnership comes down to our close relationship with their support staff and the confidence in their coach tours being a great choice for our clients.

Highlights for us were…(in no particular order):

• Hobart was spectacular –  pretty, clean, oozing history and definitely worth a couple of days of exploration. Best Aussie city to travel to in our opinion.
• Quamby Estate was a very special place and is not on many visitors radars at the moment. It soon will be.
• Seeing local wildlife in their own natural environment
• Meeting new and up and coming consultants…and of course the oldies!
• The very restful Gordon River Cruise perched on the Captains level.
• Our 2009 Award of course!

Lowlights (in particular order!):

• Tripping & spraining my toe (last year I lost my toenail on the trip!) so much better this time round!
• Losing 4 straight games of pool to Reece (our inebriated AAT Kings Sales Manager)
• Leaving my iPhone (and by default my brain) in my hotel room. Thanks to AAT (& especially Ben) for driving 2 hours back to get it for me!
• Those Oyster Shots for dinner on the last night – just the mere thought. Not for me!

Bring on 2010!

Campbell Harris
Managing Director

Mentions:

NZ TravelMemo
http://www.travelmemo.co.nz/memos/20100309.pdf

ETravel Blackboard
http://www.etravelblackboard.co.nz/article.asp?id=69444&nav=46

Departing from all the major centres in New Zealand, your choice of tours include scenic flights throughout the South Island & Northland as well as half & full day cruises and sailing adventures in the Bay of Islands, Milford Sound & around Auckland Harbour. In Dunedin, choose wildlife cruises onthe Otago Peninsula that visit a Royal Albatross colony & a Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve!

Looking to experience LOTR country? Several of our new tours take you right into the heart of ‘Middle Earth’ to places only accessible by 4WD vehicles. We’ve also expanded our range of soft adventure tours. No jumping off bridges here, but still providing enough excitement to get your adrenalin going! How about 4WD coach touring along 90 Mile Beach in the New Zealand beautiful Northland and sand tobogganing down giant sand dunes? No? Then perhaps heli-hiking on one of New Zealand west coast glaciers! Combine an awesome helicopter flight over the Franz Josef Glacier with a unique 2 hour guided walk amongst the ice caves, pinnacles, and seracs in this pristine alpine environment.

Check out our new day tours, cruises and scenic flights below:

Instant booking in most cases and NO credit card fees on all day tours, you’ll not find them cheaper anywhere else and we are here to answer any questions you may have before you decide on the tour(s) best for you. If you are considering one of our self drive tours we can of course add any of these tours to your itinerary.

We have also introduced another tour (no longer available) that incorporates the best bits of Australia and then a flight across the ditch to New Zealand allows you to see the sights of Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown the west coast glaciers & finally finishes in Christchurch. The best thing – this tour leaves everyday so will easily fit into your exisiting travel plans. In fact all City Explorers & Flyarounds leave daily. All prices are in Australian dollars so check it out and let us know what you think!

Warbirds over Wanaka Tours

We have 5 new tours to choose from! For 3 days over Easter, Lake Wanaka will become centre stage for an extravaganza of aerial action never seen before in New Zealand. Warbirds Over Wanaka celebrates mankind’s achievements over the past 100 years or more in a number of fields, principally aviation in peace and in war. Read More>

Single Travellers’ Tour

Are you travelling alone? This coach tour is especially designed for the single traveller wanting to tour with like minded individuals and make a network of new friends. This fully escorted tour of New Zealand includes attractions, a daily seat rotation and a special introductory dinner in a private room with complimentary pre dinner drink. Read More>

New Zealand Garden Tour

Escorted by Kevin Walsh, a Horticultural Expert & garden designer, who’s writing has appeared in many newspapers, gardening magazines and books. For over 10 years he has answered gardening questions in The Age & now broadcasts weekly gardener’s talkback ABC radio. Kevin is an experienced guide & has successfully escorted several garden tours to New Zealand. Tour is currently unavailable.

New Zealand Lawn Bowls Tour

Accompanied by Barrie Jackett our Bowls Co-Ordinator & following the success of our Lawn Bowls tours over the past years, we invite you to join us on this exclusive tour to New Zealand with like minded individuals. Barrie was winner in 2008 and 2007 of the Australian Open Bowls Men’s Over 60’s Triples. Read More>

New Zealand Rail & Coach Tours

New Zealand rail journeys are rated as some of the world’s great scenic railway journeys! From your carriage you’ll see New Zealand’s finest horticultural and farmland areas, and see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys. Read More>

Several late nights were had by many and early morning starts didn’t help, but we all got see Cairns at its best. The weather had been threatening for the 3 weeks prior, but on arrival the clouds departed, the Great Barrier reef cleared and we were treated to the ‘best weather in months’ according to locals.

The brilliant weather helped to display Cairns and Dunk Island in all their glory, and we were not disappointed. Cairns is very pretty, a landscape not dissimilar to parts of the North Island of New Zealand including rolling hills, lush and green foliage and a mountainous backdrop.

The last night of our getaway, was Awards night where Relaxing Journeys received top honours as ‘AAT Kings Top New Zealand Wholesaler for 2008′. Look out all you Aussie agents we are aiming for the same in Australia this year! For the last 3 years Relaxing Journeys have been recognized as a leading contributor to AAT Kings success in New Zealand. Our successful partnership comes down to our close relationship with their support staff and confidence in their coach tours as being a great choice for our clients.