Shopping for sunshine

By BARBARA HARRIS

Work has never been tougher for the travel agent. Commissions have been cut and the Net has taken a chunk of their business, too.

So what are agents doing to remain competitive? And how much effort are they prepared to put in on your behalf?

I phoned five agents, posing as someone who wanted a break on the Gold Coast for seven nights for two adults and two kids, aged 8 and 10, during the July school holidays.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? But by the end of my information-gathering sortie I felt like I really needed a holiday. I was quoted a jumble of figures making it difficult to compare like with like. One agent wanted to get shot of me double-quick while another annoyingly quoted in Australian dollars. Of the five, only three serious contenders emerged.

Budget Travel

187 Great South Rd, Manurewa. (09) 267 5790.

Had to ask her name, but Stephanie had been to all the theme parks and knew the accommodation that she was recommending.

Airfares: $619 an adult, $415 a child.

Car rental: $51.85 a day.

Buses: Gold Coast Getaround

Ticket includes return airport transfers, transport to theme parks and Surfers Paradise. For a family ticket it costs $199 for four days and $310 for 15 days.

Theme Parks: Superpass gives you a day at Sea World, Wet'n'Wild, Movieworld and a day to return to the park of your choice, $171 an adult, $110 a child. Dreamworld, $61 an adult, $37 a child.

Accommodation: Recommended area was Broadbeach, five minutes by bus from Surfers. It has two big shopping malls, a casino, and a place for dinner and a show.

Diamond Beach Resort costs $41 a night a person. It's low-rise and geared for kids with a lagoon pool, gazebos and a playground.

Biarritz Apartment $48 a night a person. High-rise.

VERDICT: Helpful. Brochures arrived next day.

COSTS: Airfares $2068, accommodation at Diamond Beach Resort $1148, theme parks $758, transfers (for four days) $199.

TOTAL: $4173. With a car, instead of transfers, $4337.

Northcote United Travel

29 Pearn Crescent, Northcote. 09) 418 4105.

Dave was almost scarily efficient as he fired off questions - ages of kids, dates of travel, initials of family. I was getting nervous that I would be booked before I knew what had happened. He assured me that I wasn't committed to anything and that he would ring back with costs. A more relaxed Dave rang back with this:

Airfares: $719 adult, $482 a child.

Car rental: $70 a day.

Suggested Gold Coast Getaround for the seven days, $292.

Theme parks: Superpass, $170 adult, $110 child. Dreamworld, $61 an adult, $37 child.

Accommodation: The cheapest was a studio in Broadwater Quays for $470. But what he recommended was a two-bedroom apartment at Magic Mountain, Nobby Beach for $891 or at Diamond Beach for $936.

VERDICT: Professional. Checked that everyone was travelling on a NZ passport. Brochures arrived next day. The only one to include a letter confirming costs.

COSTS: Airfares, $2402, accommodation at Magic Mountain, $891, transfers $292, theme parks, $756

TOTAL: $4341. With car, instead of transfers, $4539.

House of Travel

117 Picton St, Howick. (09) 535 4559.

Alison. "There's a good special with Air New Zealand and Qantas. You'd be best to call in and pick up the brochures." Could she give me an idea of costs if the special fares had finished? Answer: $619. Yes, they could add car hire to the package which would be about $60 a day. There were plenty of flyers in the office.

VERDICT: Baaad phone day.

COSTS: In the flyers.

Avondale Travel Ltd

1863 Great North Rd, Avondale. (09) 828 2109.

Lee. Asked age of kids, when we wanted to fly and for how long. Not too perturbed that we couldn't take advantage of a soon-to-finish special. "Bound to be something else."

She estimated that accommodation and flights would be between $800-$850 each for adults. Couldn't give me kid's prices and she didn't follow up.

Theme park: Superpass, $170 adult, $110 child.

Dreamworld: $100 adult, $40 child.

VERDICT: Only scraped the surface. Brochures arrived next day.

COSTS: Too little information to do a cost comparison.

Stars Travel

Union House, cnr Quay and Commerce Sts. (09) 377 5839.

Receptionist suggested I hold for Peter and when I was put through he knew I was wanting info on the Gold Coast. Immediately checked flight availability.

Airfares: $719 adult, $482 a child.

Car rental: $61.70 a day. Alternatively, get to Surfers and hire from local operators for between $39-47 a day.

Transfers: Suggested a combined transfers ticket: $279.

Theme parks: Superpass $158 adult, $100 child. Dreamworld, one day, $56.80 adult, $34.50 child; two days, $61.70 adult, $39.50 child.

Accommodation: Two-bedroom, Mediterranean-style, four-star Santo-rini on Nobby Beach costs about $123 a night. A five-star, two-bedroom apartment at the Moroccan at Burleigh Beach costs about $148 a night.

VERDICT: Annoying that everything was quoted in Australian dollars and I had to convert. Didn't ask for my name or number.

COSTS: Airfares $2402, accommodation at Santorini, $864, combined transfers, $282.50, theme parks $518.50 Dreamworld (two days) $202.50.

TOTAL $4270. With car instead of transfers, $4420.