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Surnames and addresses have been witheld due to privacy. Hello Karen, My wife Elizabeth and I booked the "Flinders Rangers & Wilpena Pound Explorer" two day tour 8-9 May. We noticed this tour in the brochure and booked it. We are just so pleased that we took this Tour. It was really great because of your itinerary and the outstanding driver/guide Phil. Of course we did not stay in the Flinders long enough but for more than 36 hours Phil really gave us a wonderful adventure and showed us everything possible and more in a two day tour. Be assured that we will continue to tell our friends of your wonderful tour and what a great time we had. My only disappointment was the inability to take a short flight over Wilpena (A couple dozen German Travel Agents and photographers had monopolized the only two aircraft, including having doors taken off an aircraft for photography and thereby delaying later flights) You may tell the air charter company that I believe that having only two aircraft seems grossly inadequate for front line tourism. Please thank Phil for his outstanding contribution to an absolutely marvellous tour. Thanks again Phil you made us feel like family. All the best to Banksia Adventures. The way you have personalised such tours is wonderful. Warm regards Ron Go to Top of Page Dear Sir, We recently returned after a two month trip to New Zealand and Australia. Everyone has asked what our favorite part of the trip was. We have answered this question many times during the past three weeks and continue to say that our trip with James was the most memorable. James' enthusiasm for his country, his knowledge of animal life, geology, plant life and his strong interpersonal skills made the experience most special. This was all in spite of the heat and flies! We knew throughout the trip that we were on a very unique and unusual journey that we thoroughly enjoyed. We believe that it was James' own personality that made us feel welcomed and safe. Our experience in that part of the world is something we will never forget and we continue to enjoy sharing the adventures with each other and our friends. Best regards, Irv and Sue A visit to the state of South Australia People who are interested in Australia know 3 very visible icons, the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock and Sydney with its Opera House and Harbor Bridge. I've been there, seen them and enjoyed them all tremendously, but there's much more to Australia than that. I am still excited about my first trip to the state of South Australia, one of the oldest landscapes in the world. South Australia is amazing. It has a lot to offer; the charming city of Adelaide, the outback, mountains, vineyards, beaches, a major river and Kangaroo Island, all within easy reach. I didn't get to see everything but I did get a good taste of the state's diversity in 7 days. One of our destinations was the Flinders Ranges National Park, an area of dramatic peaks and ridges. On our way, we stopped in the Clare Valley wine region for an overnight stay. It is a charming area, lush and green and stands out in contrast to the outback. We had a tour guide here who had grown up as a grazer's son. He really knew the territory and was incredibly informative. There is so much you can miss without a knowledgeable guide. One of my favorite stops was Parachilna - population 5 - located on the plains of the Flinders Ranges. We stayed at The Prairie Hotel whose specialty of the house is the Feral Mixed Grill. This meal consists of roo fillet, camel sausage, emu pattie and goat chop. It was cooked to perfection. We finished our meal and walked out to a glorious sunset that emptied the bar and dining room. It was magnificent; there was nothing to stop the eye looking out over the desolate red plains. Another stop was Wilpena Pound Resort, which has varied accommodations. It is a place to mingle with campers, locals and a lot of people interested in a different view of Australia. This is truly dramatic country with arid mountains and a multitude of wildlife. The last night on our organized tour was spent in Adelaide, the gateway to South Australia. Adelaide attracts fewer visitors than Sydney or Melbourne but is a charming place largely undiscovered by mass tourism. A colleague and I flew over to Kangaroo Island. If you love animals in the wild this is the place for you. Banksia Adventures, an Adelaide based company, picked us up for an island tour. We had morning tea, then around lunchtime stopped for a cooked meal with wine, beer, fruit and cheese. In between there was some magnificent scenery. On the beach we strolled among the sea lions and saw fur seals, koalas and echidnas. One of the most magically times was a visit to an abandoned farm. In the field were hundreds of kangaroos. Our guide advised us on proper behavior among kangaroos and we ended up in the middle of all those animals, which were not afraid. Neither were we. Our accommodations on Kangaroo Island were more than anyone could expect. Our stay here was far too short. We stayed on a working sheep farm with a gourmet cook and charming host and hostess. It doesn't get any better than this. If time permits, and I know we American's are hampered with our limited vacation time, I would suggest getting a real feel of Australia and Australians by going to South Australia. You will not be disappointed. Every time I go to Australia I fall more in love with the people, the country and it's uniqueness. It is truly a very special place. Kay Go to Top of Page Dear Sir or Madam, Now that we have returned from our 5 week Australian tour, that took us from east to west and south to north on the Great Southern Railway network, and included a trip with your company up to the Flinders Ranges, we are compelled, to write and have you pass on our thanks to James for this part of our journey. I am not sure that an 80 and 75 year old would be James' first choice as travelling companions, but we are indebted to him for making this section such a memorable one. His thoughtfulness and general caring for our welfare was just excellent, and his professionalism and general knowledge of the Flinders Ranges, outstanding. We feel this trip was the highlight of our entire 5 weeks away. Yours faithfully, Trevor and Shirley. Go to Top of Page
Go to Top of Page Dear Karen, I was lucky enough to be your guest on the Banksia Adventures famil to South Australia last November and will be back in Adelaide in late November to take part in the Aussie Specialist Corroboree. My view is that South Australia was the best state by some way that we saw last year and it is such a pity that most U.K. visitors know so little its diverse cultural and leisure opportunities. Regards, Phil Go to Top of Page Dear Sir or Madam, My Husband, Ian, and I enjoyed a one day 4WD tour to the Southern Flinders Ranges yesterday and would like to convey our special thanks to our guide, Tom, for the individual attention and informative presentation he provided. It was a unique opportunity for us and especially for Ian who was able to share many of his experiences and acquaintances with Tom. Kind regards, Judy Go to Top of Page G'day James! Here we are back in Scotland, our visit to Oz but a memory... During the six weeks we experienced many highs but, without a doubt, the time spent with you along the Ocean Road was the highest! We are telling all our friends about our wonderful holiday and boring them with the three hundred and fifty photographs we took!! Thank you so much for everything you did for us and we hope too that your ambitions for the future are fulfilled. Kindest regards Ian and Elsie Go to Top of Page Dear Nancy Just a note to thank you for our pleasant trip to the Flinders Ranges. We appreciated your help with the arrangements and the care of our car while away. Phil was an informative guide and the trip was memorable. Thanks again, Sue & Ian Go to Top of Page
Go to Top of Page I wanted to say a quick thank you for organizing the Barossa tour for me on 27 Nov and let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jeff was a great tour guide - I found him to be very knowledgeable in food, wine and the Adelaide region, as well as great company. Thanks again, Sara Go to Top of Page I would like to congratulate your team for putting together such an interesting itinerary for us in the Flinders this weekend. It really was wonderful, due in no small part to Phil who was a wonderful guide. I can't say enough to sing his praises. Kind regards, Sue Go to Top of Page Hallo to Banksia Adventures, My name is Ulla and my husband and I were booked on a tour through the Barossa Valley on March 5, with Chris. We do not want to miss to thank you and esp. Chris for this wonderful, informative day in the valley. It was really great and we won't forget it. As we have some friends who also plan to travel to Australia we will certainly recommend your agency. Yours, Ulla Go to Top of Page Hello Karen, Thank you very much for taking Denise, Stephanie and I around the Outback. We really appreciate the personal service. The experience was incredible and one we will not forget. Thank you for taking such good care of us. Go to Top of Page Hi Karen Go to Top of Page Dear Nancy, Our Flinders experience was a wonderful success. Thank you Nancy for your efficient organisation. We all felt we were particularly fortunate to have had Phil and Noel as our drivers and guides. They complimented one another and we felt most comfortable with them. With our best wishes Judy and Philip Go to Top of Page G'day folks, We just returned from Oz and wanted to write to say what a wonderful day we had with Christopher from Banksia Adventures on the Barossa wine tour. His knowledge of the area and of wine in particular was excellent and certainly exceeded any expectations we had. Mid-morning tea, lunch and various other stops made along the way, not to mention the wineries, made this tour one of the highlights of our trip. It was personal and exceptional. Just thought you should know. Good on ya! Sincerely, Barb and Peter Go to Top of Page
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