1.  You hate long plane rides.

I think of it as a gift of time where I read, focus on my itinerary, snooze, watch the movie.  I’ve got some jet lag secrets I share with clients.

2.  It’s expensive.

Only if you wear yourself out flying all over, insist on hotels with marble lobbies, and don’t plan first.  Remember -- the exchange rate is in OUR favor!

3.  You don’t have enough time.

Life is no dress rehearsal.  Ask me about clients who say the trip changed their lives!

4.  You hate that “today it must be Belgium” feeling.  After a while, the museums all look alike.

I never saw a 16th century fresco in Australia, but I’ve got an Aboriginal bark painting I bought from a man who paints the way his ancestors have for 60,000 years!

5.  You can see koalas and kangaroos in the zoo.

Guess how many koalas there are in the Bronx Zoo?  None!  On Kangaroo Island, they snooze in the trees that shade your picnic spot. Go on safari without all the shots!

1.  The landscape.

Australia is the earth’s oldest continent. It boasts tropical rainforests and the world’s largest monolith (Ayer’s Rock) in the middle of the vast Outback. New Zealand has  stunning scenery, from pastures to fiords, bays to trout streams - it changes every few miles.

2.  The animals & plants are different.

You’d be too, if you hadn’t had contact with the outside world for a few million years! Australia’s animals include wombats, echidnas, the platypus -- and the 1,200 mile-long Great Barrier Reef.  New Zealand’s bird and marine life is exceptional.

3.  The oldest continuing culture on earth.

...Aborigines say “we’ve “been here since The Beginning.”  Their survival story is awe-inspiring.  (Did you know they never fought over land?)  And the Polynesian culture of New Zealand’s Maori people will delight you with their Polynesian charm.

4.  The people.

...Aussies & Kiwis love a good yarn.  A good feed.  Don’t take themselves too seriously.  Are sports mad (and really good at it, too). Want to get to know YOU.  Will fix your flat tire and be insulted if you offer to pay.   

5.  It’s got spunk.

The pioneer spirit.  A “give it a go” attitude.  Mateship.  Laid back.  And they speak English (in a funny sort of way).