Did find this - http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewtopic.php?t=37745 - from some not very happy people.

Only comment I can make is do your homework first - as you are doing - and then decide. It is a lot of money to lay out and you want it to be right.

fwh

probably would get a better response if moved to the Australia board, you are thinking of flight+tour through the UK based operation rather than just booking the tour direct with the main Australian business?

A friend took a Scenic Tour holiday to New Zealand about four years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. But Scenic's tours are expensive and I would think that similar tours could be found that don't cost as much.

Unfortunately there is only one review on TA for the tour you are interested in and it's not very complimentary but often people don't write reviews if they have enjoyed their holidays. I didn't find the review of the Desert Gardens Hotel to be the same hotel that I have stayed in, yes, the hotel is large and if I remember correctly it's only one or two floors , so your room might be along way from reception, but the room was spacious and comfortable and I can't remember it being dirty. Both nights that I stayed in Uluru I ate outside and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and wasn't at all bothered by flies, though they are an absolute nuisance during the day and for me anything less than two nights in the resort wouldn't have been enough for me to see everything of interest.

On my last visit to Australia I did a mixture of individual travelling and short tours with companies such as http://www.AATKIngs.com and http://www.aptouring.com.au/ both who offer short and lengthy tours with a choice of budget, tourist and first class accomodation. I planned where I wanted to go and took my plans to a travel agent who then worked out an itinerary for me and went ahead and booked the trip including hotels, flights and stopovers. The final price was very competetive and I had the added advantage of being able to stay longer in some of the areas that held extra interest for me, than I would have had on an intensive package tour.

I believe Travelbag or Trailfinders are experienced in arranging this sorts of holiday.

As fwh says do a lot of homework, you are going to spend a lot of money so don't rush into booking something until you are totally sure it will suit your needs.

Many thanks for both replies so far. I hope others can give me their input as well. Again, thanks.

I can only add to what has been said before. Do your homework, it's a lot of money and you really need to get it right. Have you thought about hiring a car. This, alongside the tour companies Judith has mentioned, is a great way to see the country and driving, apart from in the big cities, is quite easy.

Rosalyn

Hi has anybody been on the Australian tour with scenic?