We are a NYC couple who travelled to Australia and New Zealand for our honeymoon. Southern Crossings planned our honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand. It was an unforgettable trip - truly outstanding. I highly recommend using Southern Crossings. Stuart and Debbie, in Australia, and Trevor and Sara, in New Zealand, looked after every detail, from perfectly executed connections, hotel upgrades (including to the owners' cottage at one of the NZ lodges), once-in-a-lifetime experiences. From the initial planning phases, when we were trying to figure out how to get to both countries, to picking specific destinations and hotels, activities, and restaurants, they were early accessible, professional and helpful. On the ground, they anticipated our every need, even pre-emptively calling to find out our options from the boat operator when a bad weather forecast threatened our boat trip (we ended up changing to trip to the afternoon and enjoying the day of sunshine!). Some of our favorite things on the trip (the Sydney Seaplane, the tour of Phillips Island, the Maori greeting in Napier) were activities we would not have ever discovered but for Southern Crossings. All of our tour guides were great, and Southern Crossings was fabulous about helping us to figure out the right mix of private tours, leisure days, and romantic outings so we could truly celebrate our honeymoon. They were even able to arrange for us to dine at the chef's table at the Press Club in Melbourne. In short, Southern Crossings is truly exceptional.
On a separate note, I would highly recommend using local on-the-ground experts (like Southern Crossings) to plan a trip as far away as Australia and New Zealand. We knew very little about the destinations and they were invaluable.