Hidden Gems of Australia & New Zealand for Seniors

Our trip to Australia was incredible! Zicasso's tour operator put together a very thoughtful, well-paced itinerary. Our transportation always met us on time and with a good attitude. We enjoyed the diversity of experiences curated for our stay.

They took our bucket-list items and created an itinerary that allowed us to see almost every one! We were grateful to have a tour of the Historic Rocks in Sydney, a boat cruise harbor tour, watch "Carmen" at the Sydney Opera House, take a sunset camelback ride in the desert to see Ayers Rock, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, and get a private tour of a wildlife habitat (this was so special because we got to interact with some of the animals and learn from their keepers directly).

The only occasion on which I wish we'd had more time to spend was at Kuranda Village! There was so much to do and see, but we had an Army Duck tour and Aboriginal experience booked, which I really enjoyed because we got to ride through the jungle and enjoy performances from the Pamagirri community. Taking the Skyrail up and the train down was also a sight to see.

We enjoyed the intimate nature of tours, allowing us to ask questions about history, architecture, and daily life, and engage with our tour guides in a meaningful way. Highly prefer this style of private/small tours to the bigger bus tours. Our accommodations were impressive--from the luxurious hotel on George Street in Sydney to the desert resort in Uluru to the lodge on Captain Cook Highway in Port Douglas! We got to experience a range of climates. There was never a dull moment.

Even though the itinerary seemed jam-packed, we had just the right amount of time to rest and reset between activities and travel. Having such a detailed and professionally done itinerary gave us real peace of mind. The coordination of hospitality was also impeccable. Our hotels always communicated seamlessly with our pre-arranged transportation and tours. The trip was fun and totally stress-free! We were constantly delighted and charmed by this country and its people.

We absolutely loved so much of our trip! My kids’ (ages 11 and eight) favorite activities were luging in Rotorua, NZ, and the sunset camel ride in Uluru, AU, while my husband and I were enchanted by Hobbiton and enjoyed exploring a glowworm cave with the owner's father! We all loved Tasmania.

There were a few hiccups. However, we were very happy with all the support the Zicasso travel company's team provided in real time to help us get back on track. 

The overall trip was fantastic. My husband and I appreciated having the team support our adventures, both the highs and the lows. The team members were detailed-oriented. This trip exceeded our expectations and we’re incredibly grateful for their expertise in curating such memorable experiences.

Our trip included three couples from Massachusetts. We worked with Zicasso's travel agency to customize a trip to Australia. In general, the trip was excellent. Most of the travel logistics were perfect. All transfers were on time. All of the guides were on time, passionate about Australia, and were very good to excellent. All the hotels were also very good to excellent. The travel app was very helpful for keeping us updated on trip logistics. Most logistics worked out well. Most of the tours arranged were excellent. The fly nets the agency provided were a godsend in Uluru. Seeing Australia's unique wildlife, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, going to a footy game, walking around cities, meeting indigenous guides, and simply being in Australia is an experience we will never forget. The Great Ocean Road excursion in Melbourne was beautiful, but eight hours in a tour bus was very long. The geographic size of Australia is something visitors have to deal with.

I would have rated the trip five stars except for the following minor issues. We arranged travel between the US and Australia ourselves (not using the agency), which, in hindsight, was a mistake. Therefore, most of the travel headaches we experienced are not included in this review. The one miss they should have caught was informing us that a New Zealand ETA is needed for transiting through Auckland, New Zealand (even though we did not clear New Zealand customs). We were able to apply and get the ETA at the Houston airport just before boarding the plane, but the stress could easily have been avoided had we realized we needed this document before the trip began.

The instructions for where to meet for the backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House were a little off. We were told to meet the tour at 6.45am, downstairs by the information booth. This turned out to be the meeting place for the outside tour. By 6.55am, fighting jetlag and the early hour, we figured the meeting place for the backstage tour was upstairs and, luckily, we made it in time for our 7am tour, which was excellent.

The selection of wineries we visited in Adelaide wasn't ideal. Several did not ship their products to the US, which meant, for practical reasons, we could only purchase a bottle or two. Ideally, we should only visit wineries that ship wine to the States.

Communicating with the agency during the trip was more challenging than we expected. For some reason, we didn't always get their emails or text messages. It wasn't clear how often they checked up on us during our journey. Last year, we arranged a similar trip to Greece and the company we worked with provided us with a mobile phone for the duration of the trip to facilitate communications. They regularly called us to see how the trip was going. In our opinion, this capability and handholding would improve the service this agency provides.

I really thought the Zicasso travel partner was fabulous and so thorough and easy to use. I would rate it the best travel app. It had my itinerary down to the minute detail, info on how to contact various people if there were any questions, and was so easy to navigate.  I would rate my trip to Australia my favorite so far. I recently went to Japan through a different travel agent and was able to compare the difference. Our travel team was so much better! 

My husband and I went to Australia to drop off my daughter, who was doing an exchange study in Sydney. We started in Melbourne and had a full-day tour to Phillip Island, with a moonlit animal sanctuary and penguins. I would recommend the penguins. I saw thousands of penguins. What an experience! I did not like the sanctuary part. Tickets were sold out for the koala petting and there were not very many animals to see. I have heard there are other sanctuaries/zoos in other parts of Australia that are much better.  

The Melbourne food tour was fantastic! Our tour guide did a wonderful job of explaining Melbourne's history with the food. We flew to Cairns, to Port Douglas, and had two excursions: a boat ride with snorkeling in the Great Reef Barrier and a Daintree safari.  The full-day cruise with snorkeling was wonderful, with so much food! The Daintree tour was a bit long and could have been condensed into half the time. I probably would not recommend that tour. 

Finally, we went to Sydney to drop off my daughter. We did the bridge walk, which was fantastic. Each person was so well protected and the safety checks were top-notch! 

Our trip went without any problems and our drivers were well-coordinated and on schedule. I would use this company for future trips to Australia. I plan to visit New Zealand and would use them again.

Our three-week trip had us visiting the east coast and southern areas of Australia, and went off without a hitch. Our excursions were with experienced guides and small groups. We took in stunning views, native wildlife, tasty food, and iconic areas.

The hotels were top-notch, all with (fantastic) breakfasts included and well situated for easy walking to local sites. Transportation transfers were ready and waiting when we arrived at all our destinations, with prompt delivery back to the airport(s).

We met so many friendly people along the way, too—native Australians, along with other tourists from near and far, all willing to share their knowledge and friendship. It was a truly wonderful trip from start to finish. We could have easily stayed another week or two!

Zicasso’s tour operator and our travel agent did an awesome job with this trip of alifetime! Highly recommended and we hope to use their services in the future.