We have, as I think Tisha told you in an email just after we arrived home, been so impressed with your tour from beginning to end.

The standard of the accommodation on Kangaroo Island was A1++ and Bill, who didn’t look the part on first acquaintance with his dreadlocks, turned out to be not only very knowledgible but also great fun; David and Candy, who shared the tour in the Landrover Discovery, bonded with us and we all found Bill the greatest company. After the first few hours, we decided to set Bill a challenge which involved him in finding kangaroos, echindas, snakes, koalas, pelicans, wallabies, cockatoos, parrots, seals and sealions, duck billed platypus, etc – he performed to order with the exception of the platypus (which was hardly surprising as I don’t think thay are on the Island).

The accommodation hosted by Paul and Mandy, was absolutely magnificent and the food was the best we experienced in the whole of Australia. It is most unusual here in the UK for the hosts to provide pre-dinner drinks and wine with the meal free of charge, but at Emu Bay all was available in beautiful surroundings within the house and outside it. Even the occupants of the other bedrooms proved amenable at the dinner and breakfast table and the talk was lively (though perhaps slightly less so on the second night when a French couple newly wed and a swiss family shared the dinner table!)

On the final night Paul and Mandy suffered a significant power failure, but this did not appear to faze them even with a faulty generator although the menu was changed in mid evening as the power fluctuated. Paul still found time to take us to see the penguins.

I managed to leave my wallet at the WC in Pandana Sanctuary; somehow it was returned to me later in the day thanks to Bill’s magic! Bill’s expertise with the preparation of our lunches on both days was a sight to be seen and I am sorry to say that I was unable to do justice to the steak cooked for us on the communal barbeque, due to the tummy bug contracted a day or two earlier at a Motel on the Great Ocean Road.

As for the Air Safari from Kangaroo Island to Alice Springs, I cannot speak highly enough of the whole trip. John is a great credit to you and we will always be thankful for his kindness and courtesy throughout as nothing was too much trouble. Everything ran smoothly and if John had a problem anywhere, we didn’t know about it.

Furthermore, at no time did we ever have need of the infamous bucket! I hope it has been found a useful role at your base. It has a tale to tell as it is much travelled!

The trips you organised for us at Rawnsley, Coober Pedy, and Ayres Rock added much to our enjoyment of the tour and the standard of accommodation at all points was of the highest.