Australia & New Zealand Tours

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Australia and, with the help of Zicasso’s travel specialists and the team, we were taken care of in every way possible. Working with the travel specialist was a breeze; she helped bring our trip ideas to life while also offering some great suggestions of her own. During the trip, we were also supported by the team when we needed to reconfirm details or track down missing documents (like our park pass, which we had forgotten to bring) and finalize all of the trip details.

The hotels were stunning and each excursion was more incredible than the last. Our guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and professional, which made each experience even more enjoyable.

We highly recommend using this travel agency and Zicasso for an unforgettable trip!

The trip was so well put together and documented in the app that everything flowed seamlessly. Zicasso’s travel specialist did a great job in planning the trip. The pace of our activities and transports was very thoughtful, and we were able to fit a lot in without feeling overwhelmed.

Zicasso’s travel specialist responded to emails and questions promptly.

Zicasso’s travel specialist was so easy and wonderful to work with! We planned sort of last-minute and she really organized some wonderful experiences for us. Everything was simple to get to and the ease of info was much appreciated.

We had a great trip! All the logistics and connections were spot-on. If I had it to plan again, I would incorporate fewer long drives and possibly take one or two short flights. We had three days of actual driving five-plus hours, which turned into six to seven hours with stops.

Highlights included the Christchurch tour, the Around the Basin bike tour in Queenstown, the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise, biking around Lake Tekapō, as well as Kaikōura, and the glowworm caves in Te Anau. The TranzAlpine train was enjoyable. However, the mountain scenery encountered was not as dramatic as that seen in the more southern areas.

Unfortunately, our helicopter ride to the glaciers in Franz Josef was rained out. Our days in Queenstown were muted with fog, so both the gondola dinner experience, as well as the dinner cruise on Lake Wakatipu, were somewhat compromised. Both activities involved large buffets, with mediocre food and lots of tourists.

We enjoyed the Fiordland jet-boat ride and the biking back option. I felt the portion on the water was a bit light on the 360 turns and heavy on the nature focus. The Dark Sky experience was a disappointment, as wind conditions only allowed our group to go to the crater, not the observatory. Add to that a very bright, near-full moon and the conditions were not ideal for viewing.

After that late-night experience, the next day we drove to Lake Tekapō (with stops, six to seven hours). Between the time in the car and a developing hip issue that could compromise the required hiking, we decided not to drive one-and-a-half hours the next morning to Mount Cook for the Tasman Glacier tour.

Kaikōura is an attractive, quiet coastal town that was a nice final stop on our itinerary. We rented bikes and traversed the Peninsula Trail, including the seal colony.

All of our accommodations were in line with the parameters that we gave Zicasso’s travel specialist regarding location, ratings, and features. We especially enjoyed our hotel in Christchurch, our hotel in Te Anau, and our inn in Kaikōura. The motel in Lake Tekapō was the most dated property; however, the location was fabulous.

Again, we had a wonderful trip and I have already recommended this travel company to our friends, who are booked later this year.

The travel arrangements, activities, and accommodations were all excellent; we couldn't be happier.