South Pacific holidays

My memories of our Bream Head Coastal Walks adventure are of spectacular scenery, luxurious accommodation, fresh gourmet food and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from a bit of exertion and a lot of fun.
We’d had a tough couple of months so arrived very tense and stressed. The warm welcome and the excitement of exploring the unexpected luxury of our surroundings, coupled with a glass of wine and delicious nibbles, set the tone for the entire weekend. Enjoying the 180° views over farmland to the ocean beyond, we immediately forgot our worries and set about planning the walks we would do.
Day one dawned with warm spring sunshine for our walk over farmland and along the beach. We were only 3 hours from home but this was a different world. The locals were very friendly, both human and animals, as we wandered over their land and onward to the deserted beach. The sea was so blue and inviting that we abandoned our footwear to paddle our way along the shoreline. The backdrop for the entire day was the spectacular ridgeline that we would be exploring tomorrow.
We were up early on day two and keen to get started, only delayed by the decisions to be made on which of the yummy foods to include in our lunchboxes. It was another beautiful day in paradise, so the shade of the bush was welcome after the hot uphill trek from the beach. We spend a lot of time tramping in the New Zealand bush, but still found ourselves continually stopping to take photos of the truly spectacular rocky outcrops and views beyond. Cheeky fantails joined us on route and a variety of birdlife was heard as we made our way through the bush along the ridge. Our host Claire was there to pick us up at the end of the day with a cool ice cream as reward for our efforts.
A good days fishing for our hosts meant a quick change to the menu that night, with the added choice of ocean fresh fish or the prime Angus beef. Some of us also chose to experience the open air bath to soak those weary muscles, hoping to hear a native kiwi calling in the nearby bush.
For day three we finished off with a climb to the summit of Mount Manaia. A change in the weather made this even more special with the views appearing and disappearing as the mist passed over, and added to the mystic of the spiritual origins of this great landmark.
We couldn’t help looking back in awe as we headed for home, feeling revived, refreshed and truly satisfied from a weekend well spent.

Marie reviewing Northland Coastal Walk

The next morning, Brad, arrived to take us on our two-day adventure. Brad was ...a typical Australian, nothing was a bother and his motto was "it's all good, no worries". He took us to the Oak Valley Aboriginal community where we met Craig, an Aboriginal rocker, just back from the AC/DC concert in Sydney, having driven for 28 hours... He proudly showed us around his land, explaining his heritage and by the time we were leaving I dared to address him as "cous".

And then it was off to camp, where we gathered wood and built a campfire (well, Brad was the one who actually built it), and the girls prepared the potato bake while the men stood around the barbie sipping beer. Nothing changes. Sparkling wine, steaks and potato bake under a star-filled sky. What more could you want? Brad maybe. We slept under the stars in swags which are, to the uninitiated, a sleeping bag and mattress all in one.

After a hearty hot breakfast cooked by Brad, we motored on towards Ayers Rock ...We stopped off at Kings Canyon, a spectacular sandstone gorge in Watarrka National Park, where we undertook a three and a half hour walk, the first half of which was vertical. Given that I'm no longer young and a smoker, I must admit I did lose the plot a small bit on the vertical stretch. In fact my legs started to turn to jelly, but with the constant exhortations of our hero Brad, I got to the top. We travelled around the rim of the gorge amid amazing scenery and those, unlike me, who were not afraid of being out of their depth enjoyed a swim in the water hole.

We arrived at Uluru, the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock in time for the much talked-about sunset and it wasn't a let down. It was spellbinding and what better way to enjoy its ever changing copper, ochre and orange hues than sipping a glass of champagne.

(Irish Independent, April 25, 2010, Eleanor Goggin)

The-Irish-Independent reviewing 4WD Uluru Safari

It’s a slog to get there with a 50-minute flight to Port Lincoln from Adelaide, plus a two-hour drive to Widunna (pop: 680), but if you want to see the real thing, this is it. So far Geoff is the only person with a concession to run a camp on the boundary of the Gawler Ranges National Park, 1,500 sq km (600 sq miles) of film-set Australia with red-dirt tracks, sheep stations, gullies, creeks and gum trees.

Nothing beats seeing your first roo in the wild, and unless you really want to be a jolly swagman you may as well do it in comfort. Geoff’s Kangaluna Camp equals five-star Africa, with three roomy tents, sleeping four each. They have sisal floors, sheepskin rugs, hot showers and flushing loos, plus extra touches such as beds made from local woods, silk throws and cushions painted with cockatoos, wombats and other Oz wildlife.

The Australian bush hasn’t got the cover-girl cats and big game of Africa, and it helps if you love birds, but for me the kangaroos make any effort worthwhile. We had countless encounters with these gentle creatures, who always stop to stare back, gazing obligingly into the camera.

There were so many highlights: the emus of course, but also the time Geoff persuaded me at a slow limp to stalk a wombat. It twitched its cute piggy nose at my strange shuffle and let us get close before it ambled off down its hidey hole. Then there was the day he drove us to Lake Gairdner, a spookily beautiful white salt pan that featured recently in a series of BMW car ads. It’s a famed beauty spot, but it was ours alone.

(Jill Hartley for The Times, October 27 2007,

Times reviewing South Australian Outback Safari

There's lots of interesting life at the Poor Knights because of the mixture of warm and cold currents. My log says: Snapper, Bigeyes, Nudibranch and Scorpion Fish as well as Morays and a whole bunch of stuff I couldn't identify. Vis was excellent. Water temperature 20C. Dolphins on the bow wave each trip I went on.

Dive Tutukaka are a very professional outfit, with good procedures and comfortable boats. I will dive with them again if I go back to the North Island.

peters reviewing Dive the Poor Knights Islands