What 5952 DialAFlight clients thought of Australia

Great service from Thomas particularly when flights were cancelled and had to be rearranged.

Easy to get to speak to someone and very flexible with working round Covid restrictions

Fab service as always

Great advice to leave two hours between planes, we were glad of it. As ever, great phone support. A dependable partner for our travel plans.

As always a premier service from a premier company. Everything went smoothly, no hold ups no hiccups and a comfortable flight throughout.

We have been using your firm for our travel requirements since 2009 and have always been extremely satisfied with your performance. We always use the same contact. Robert provides excellent service and goes out of his way to help. They feel more like friends than business contacts.

I’m grateful to Noah for working so hard over the last two years to finally get me back to Australia with Qatar Airways. It’s currently the best airline as far as I’m concerned. Brilliant

Everything went smoothly and I really appreciated the visa, Covid and other guidance provided to prepare from my trip.

From the start planning our trip Jackson and his team organised everything to perfection

We always had first class help from Glen

Roger was extremely helpful, kept us informed at all stages of flight cancellations and was knowledgeable about vaccination requirements for each country

Great service as always

Dealing with DialAFlight your tickets might cost slightly more than booking directly yourself. But the advantage is that you have a phone number that is answered almost immediately, speak to a human, no jingly music whilst you are put on hold, and any problems, queries or hitches, in my experience, are sorted for you.

Amazing personal service - have used them many times and would not go to anyone else

Well done, great job. Will be in touch soon for next year.

You are always so helpful with information before a flight especially during the pandemic when so much information was needed…thank you

All 4 flights with Emirates were excellent . I was very impressed with premium economy

I feel so comfortable and happy with your service provided by Orlando. Many thanks till the next time

All good

We dealt with Niall for our trip to Australia. He is kind, professional and extremely patient. Would highly recommend.

Will certainly use you again

I already have recommended you to a few people telling them how amazing and efficient you are. I even recommended you to someone in Australia. Thank you very much I will be using you again ..

We were happy with DialAFlight staff who helped us through out our journey. So thank you.

We have used DAF exclusively for many years whenever we need a flight. The care, attention and backup given during the buying process and whilst away are amazing. I felt as if Les was my best friend which was very reassuring particularly with the added worries of covid.

Have dealt with Robert each time we have booked for Australia. It has been cancelled due to covid one way or another. Never had a problem getting money back, he has been spot on. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend

I would llike to thank Philip for his patience regarding the many changes we had to make to our booking.

We’ve used DialAFlight on many occasions and will continue to do so, excellent service every time.

Despite all the covid regulations for Singapore and Australia everything went like clockwork. The service provided by Ashley was exemplary

Thank you so much for your help getting to Australia and sorting out all the flight changes. Personal service much appreciated.

Russell was superb - his professional advice and general knowledge when traveling under the cloud of covid really helped to ease the hassle

Twenty four carat Gold Coast

Smart, trendy and packed with fun - Queensland's playground of breathtaking beaches is now so much more than just Surfers Paradise, says Jennifer Cox

Australia is awash with 'must see' destinations, but the Gold Coast was at one time never really one of them. Queensland's formerly brash coastal holiday spot - home of the bikini and dubbed the nation's plastic surgery capital - was long regarded as a kind of Antipodean Blackpool. But boy, have things changed!

There are several lookouts which offer incredible views

THE NEW GOLD COAST

A thriving film industry has sprung up. Thor: Ragnarok, starring local Chris Hemsworth, and the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean are two blockbusters filmed at the huge Gold Coast Village Roadshow Studios.

Then there's the mega theme parks such as Dreamworld, Wet'n'Wild Water World and Warner Bros Movie World which have helped make the Gold Coast an exciting family holiday destination.

And Spring 2018 will see the region's coastline and glorious rainforest interior beamed on to our screens during the 21st Commonwealth Games, held on the Gold Coast and in Queensland's state capital, Brisbane.

The famous Surfer's Paradise beach

GETTING AROUND

The Gold Coast is actually a collection of vibrant and distinct neighbourhoods fringing 41 miles of breathtaking beaches.

One way to discover them is on the new hop-on, hop-off G:link tram network, which trundles up and down the coast from Surfers Paradise down to Broadbeach, with its elegant concert hall, casino, and huge, designer-label packed Pacific Fair shopping mall.

Just behind the beachfront, neighbourhoods have been turned into island communities by 162 miles of inland waterways.

'We have more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined,' our captain tells us as we sail off to explore the waterways with family-run Wyndham Cruises.

'We may not have the history, but we have the beauty. And we often see ospreys, turtles and dolphins around these waters. And 17,000 humpback whales migrate past the Gold Coast each year.'

The boat slips around water-ways that have folded the land into lush pleats of acacia, palm and eucalyptus trees. On each pleat sits a lavish house, where his 'n' hers jet-skis spoon on private jetties.

This is ultra-exclusive Main Beach, Hollywood's home from home when on location ('that's Johnny Depp's house, that's Penelope Cruz's').

Hotel Palazzo Versace: the ultimate in luxury accommodation

A TOUCH OF GLAMOUR

When they want to party, the stars head to nearby Marina Mirage: decidedly more Monte Carlo than Blackpool, this is the upscale harbour attached to the swanky Palazzo Versace hotel.

The Gold Coast is bursting with imaginative eateries and artisan breweries, and there's a booming nightlife to go with it. The Collective - a five-kitchens-in-one concept with roof bar at Palm Beach - is standing room only.

It's also standing-room only at Miami Marketta, an old tram shed converted into a mix of bars, street-food stalls and live bands. We eat, drink and dance as if we're at a music festival.

An hour's drive up the coast, Brisbane may be Australia's third-largest city, but parts of it have the feel of an old-fashioned country town with plenty of colonial architecture.

I follow the picturesque Riverwalk footpath along the banks of the Brisbane River to New Farm park. Popular with locals for weekend barbies, the key attraction is the magnificent Brisbane Powerhouse: a former 1920s power station, now an arts complex with terraced bars, DJs and bands.

The 214-mile-long Brisbane River flows through the heart of the city.

AT ONE WITH NATURE

I catch a Miramar Cruise from South Bank - Brisbane's cultural hub - to see more of it. It's a beautiful journey past eucalyptus trees crammed with parrots, and vistas of mangrove lagoons and bat colonies. We disembark at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, a wildlife centre for rescued orphaned and injured koalas.

One of Australia's most iconic animals - the Koala

Although they are notoriously lethargic, they are also adorable, and seeing them in all their fluffy-eared cuteness is the perfect end to a trip Down Under.

For more inspiration, read what travel writers have to say...

All aboard the Outback Express

Tom Chesshyre rattles right across Australia in one astonishing - and luxurious - rail journey