Thanks to Shel Hansen, Travel Leaders Australian Specialist, we had a fabulous trip to Australia and New Zealand. We shared with her what we wanted to do and see; she set up an incredible agenda. Highlights included: a few days stay at our favorite winery resort, fishing off of a yacht in Sydney harbor and a safari to a wild life preserve, Kangaroo Island, with our own private guide. We saw cultural museums, landmarks such as Uluru, National Parks, the Outback and the beautiful Blue Mountains. We were transported by planes, trains, cable cars, boats, submarines and for a few days our own rented auto. Everything was well-coordinated with drivers and guides waiting to help us with the next connection. It was a wonderful trip of a lifetime.

My daughter and I had dreamed of taking a trip to Australia and New Zealand since she was a child. Our dream nearly slipped away from us until I connected with Shel at Travel Leaders. This was our dream trip and I wanted it to be perfect; Shel was very patient with me and my endless e-mails. I entrusted her to come up with an itinerary that would include the list of things we hoped to do within a budget we could afford. Complications arose along the way but Shel went out of her way to help smooth out the wrinkles. Our long-dreamed-of trip finally came true in January! From holding a live koala bear in our arms, to SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier reef, to touring the Sydney opera house, to seeing the beautiful landscapes where scenes from the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed, to zip-lining down a mountainside--we did it all and much, much more. Thanks to Shel’s hard work, our dream trip became a reality, and now our memories will last this mother and daughter a lifetime!

My husband and I began planning a trip to Australia to visit our son who had moved there. We didn’t know where to start, and trying to book a trip of a lifetime by ourselves via the Internet seemed daunting. When I called Travel Leaders, they directed me to their Australia expert, Shel Hansen. I couldn’t have found a more perfect person to work with on a trip like this. I found out Shel had been to Australia six times and knew all the ins and outs of traveling there. She was amazing! Her knowledge and first-hand experience of traveling to Australia made it so enjoyable and fun to plan the trip. Now I always tell people to contact Travel Leaders rather than doing it on their own.