Consultant Profile: Emma Wilburn « Howick Outlet Page

Personal Details

Position:Travel Consultant

Email:emmaw@hot.co.nz

Address:117 Picton Street
Howick

Auckland

Why ME?

We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us. As a travel consultant my job is delivering exceptional customer service to my clients. Taking your ideas and coupling them with my expertise means we create better holidays together.

Image Gallery

Giant's Causeway Northern Ireland
Warner Bros Studio Tour London
Stari Most Bridge - Mostar, Herzegovina
Kissing the Blarney Stone Ireland
Cream Cake Lake Bled
Snowmobile tour in Whistler
Bungy Jumping in Queenstown
Segway tour on Rottnest
Christmas Markets in Vancouver
Jungfraujoch Top of Europe
Sand and Sunsets in Dubai

Where on Earth do you still want to go?

USA - New York, New York
Japan - would like to do a Ski Trip here and see the snow monkeys
Vietnam - with its vibrant culture it has been on my list for a while
Africa - the big 5!

Useful Apps & Gadgets for Travel

The House of Travel App is a must

HOT Awards & Qualifications

House of Travel Gold Sales Award 2019
House of Travel Silver Sales Award 2018
House of Travel Silver Sales Award 2017
Globus Croatia Super tour 2018

What I always take on holiday

Empty bag to bring home all my shopping
A good camera to capture memories

Where I've Been

Favourite Holidays

Hawaii - August 2019

Escaping the cold weather in NZ we took off to Hawaii for a week break. Sun, Sand, Shopping and Cocktails - I was ready to say Aloha to some RnR! Checking into our beautiful Hotel the Alohilani, the beachside location was perfect. Friday night fireworks on the beach kicked off our holiday with a bang! Being the shopaholic that I am, my first stop was Waikele Premium Outlets - loaded with bags and a lighter wallet it was already clear I was going to need an extra suitcase for the trip home. Every Hawaii trip is not complete without a trip to Pearl Harbor, we opted for the add on to the battleship Missouri – it was well worth the addition being able to explore a navy ship. Food in Hawaii deserves a special mention, the USA do it well. Portion side is something that should come with an “order at your own risk” sign but nevertheless we made restaurant stops at all the classics (Cheeseburger Factory, Bubba Gump’s, Yard House etc). Balancing out our food and drink with some exercise we did the (small) hike up Diamond Head, the spectacular view back over Waikiki was worth it. By far the highlight of my trip was Kualoa Ranch. Exploring this ranch laden with Movie locations in a UTV was an amazing day out. No trip to Hawaii is complete without a day at the beach, I spent the last couple of days floating in the ocean, it was bliss.

Hong Kong - September 2018

No holiday is complete without a stopover! Having never been to Hong Kong before and since we were travelling on Cathay Pacific it was an opportunity too good to pass up to have a night in Hong Kong on the way home. This fast-paced city has a fantastic buzz about it! Arriving is so easy with great train connections into the city. We stayed in Kowloon at the Kowloon Hotel for the 1 night, a great downtown location as we tried to pack in as much as we could into our short break. First stop was the Temple Street Markets, having heard so much I was excited to check these out – and they didn’t disappoint, sure they are a bit touristy but that’s what I was there for! After grabbing a quick bite to eat we headed down to the Avenue of Stars to grab a front row seat for the Symphony of Lights (8pm every night). This multimedia extravaganza with a myriad of searchlights, lasers and LED screens is not to be missed! Grab a seat down by the Cultural Centre like we did to listen to the show’s music. After a comfortable night’s sleep, we took the MTR over to Hong Kong Island to head up Victoria Peak on the Peak Tram. Being a shopper myself, managed to fit in a last-minute bit of shopping in downtown (and crammed my purchases into my suitcase) before we did the return trip back to the airport.

HOT Tip: don’t leave your hotel without a bottle of water and an umbrella in Hong Kong, trust me when I say it’s not worth getting caught without either of these items!

UK and Ireland - August 2018

London is one of my favourite city’s. With so much to see and do every time I go back I see a new part of the city. We stayed in Earls Court; the classic kiwi location being close to the tube station made it very easy to get around. Even with 4 days here we crammed in so much from the National History Museum, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Imperial War Museum, Camden Market, and let’s not forget the highlight – Warner Bros Studio Tour London (a must do for any Harry Potter Fan!).

I have always wanted to go to Ireland on a family history trip. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to visit thanks to Globus. We started off our trip by arriving in Dublin, picking up a rental car and heading straight into the country. We stayed in Monaghan for the night so I could visit the library to search through local records (unfortunately no major new finds here). The following day we took the morning to head to Scotshouse and visit the streets my ancestors would have roomed many years before. From here we continued
to Limerick to start our Irish Tour. 13 days may seem like plenty of time to explore the Emerald Isle, but it felt like a whirlwind. Every day we ticked off another bucket list site – the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Giants Causeway, Belfast,
Dublin, Waterford, Blarney Castle and Killarney. Places I had spent years
dreaming of visiting suddenly a reality. Northern Ireland was a huge hit for
me, the history in Derry and the vibrancy of Belfast making them highlights. As
we travelled around this beautiful country, the way Kathryn our Tour Leader
filled us in on History and Politics of the past it painted a picture for me and gave me an insight into understanding my family’s movements in the past. We made some great friends along the way and I’m surprised I remember any of it with the amount of time we spent at the pub!

Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia - May 2018

Wow Wow Wow. I had my spot on the Globus Super Tour 2018 and from the moment it was confirmed I was dreaming of the Adriatic. With a full 12 days itinerary, I wasn't sure what I was most excited for Lake Bled, Split or Dubrovnik. But nothing prepared me for the surprises that these countries offered. First off was getting there - having heard a lot about the long 17-hour flight and having done via Australia but not the direct before this was an exciting start to the trip for me. Its long, but it’s comfortable. The Emirates A380 in my opinion is a standout aircraft. A quick switch in Dubai and a short 6-hour flight and we were in Zagreb. My Croatian Dream had begun! Stepping on the Globus Coach (which was only 48 hours new!). The start of our tour was something out of a story book – Castles, Caves, Lakes, Cakes and Alps. From our arrival in Zagreb we were straight across the border to Slovenia. I feel this country is very under rated, yes you hear a lot about how beautiful Lake Bled is (and the ooo’s and ahhh’s as the bus pulled down the main street looking directly towards the Lake confirms it is) but Ljubljana is a must not miss! From Slovenia, we headed back into Croatia through to the picturesque (and Instagram worthy) Plitvice lakes. Heading south we were on our way to the Adriatic – our first stop was Zadar. The Venetian heritage and best lamb I have ever had made this midday stop a highlight of the trip for me. We continued our drive onto Split, built around the Diocletian’s Place this waterfront city is a hub on the Adriatic - you could smell the salt in the air. On our way to Dubrovnik we took a detour across boarder to Bosnia to visit Mostar. It was well worth the visit to see the Stari Most bridge but this city was another great surprise on the trip, I loved all the shops and restaurants that lined the cobblestone streets of the old town. Last (but certainly not least) we arrived at our last port of call Dubrovnik – this city is everything the Game of Thrones fan in me had been dreaming of. With mornings spent walking the wall and evenings living it up at Revelin Fortress it was the perfect way to round out this Croatian Adventure. There is no two ways about it, I am converted to guided holiday’s – comfortable hotels pre-selected in central locations, a first-class motorcoach (with free WiFi onboard) and expert tour directors and local guides I couldn’t imagine seeing this country any other way. Our tour director’s in-depth knowledge of the destination with anything from history to the best restaurants helped me experience the country at its full potential.

Perth - March 2017

Thanks to Qantas and Western Australia Tourism I was heading to Perth! At the end of the trip I was so thankful for the opportunity I had been given because I truly had underestimated what this destination had to offer. We kicked off our first day with a trip to the Fremantle Markets before catching a boat over to Rottnest Island, this piece of paradise has lots to offer for a day trip – we did a Segway tour in the afternoon, although I don’t have natural talent on a Segway it was a great way to get out and see the island. Make sure you get a selfie with the cute quokka’s that inhabit the island! The next day we had a once in a life time experience to swim with dolphins in the wild – I am terrified of open water – but I never let that stand in the way of enjoying a good travel experience. This for me was a highlight of the trip, being able to see dolphin’s in their natural environment was unreal – plus the staff at Rockingham Wild Encounters were fantastic. From here we headed down to Margaret River – what a sensational place! So much to offer in the way of wilderness and (my favourite) wine!

Canada - December 2016

This was my dream trip - Winter in Canada. We kicked off our trip with 4 nights in Vancouver, I could have easily spent a week here if not longer – this city has so much to offer! We crammed in so much into 4 days with the trip around town on the Vancouver Trolley Bus, Vancouver Aquarium to see the Sea Otters, biking round Stanley Park, seeing the Totem Poles at Stanley Park, Granville Island for some local market shopping, Canyon Lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, mulled wine at the Vancouver Christmas Markets, up the Vancouver Lookout to check out the view and dinner in Gastown to check out the Steam Clock. After a full on 4 days we boarded a plane to Kamloops to head to Sun Peaks for some skiing. You really can’t beat a ski in and ski out resort, the snow was like nothing I have ever skied on before, we got unbelievably lucky with the weather being able to ski on all days we had planned (it was a tad on the cold side at -22 degrees!!) We snuck in a few activities here as well, can highly recommend the Fondue Dinner and Evening Descent and the Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures. Now as we all know sometimes our plans can be effected by weather, travel agents are no exception to weather delays and we suddenly found ourselves at Kamloops airport with a 12-hour delay so after a long wait for a short flight and a night at Vancouver airport we were back on track on a bus to Whistler. Unfortunately, due to the weather delay we didn’t get a chance to ski Whistler so we will just have to go back! We did however get to spend an amazing day Snowmobiling and Ziplining through the Whistler wilderness. All and all it was a trip of the life and I can wait to go back to experience Canada in the Summer!

New Caledonia - September 2016

I had the pleasure of spending 5 days in New Caledonia, the trip started off with 2 nights at the Sheraton Deva 2 hours north of Noumea. We walked the Oua Koue trek which gave spectacular views over the stunning UNESCO world heritage lagoon, followed by an afternoon of relaxation at the Deep Nature Spa. Heading back towards Noumea we made stops at the New Zealander Cemetery, Teremba Fort and the Distillery at Boulouparis. The next couple of days were spent checking out Noumea including L’Ansa Vata Beach, Duck Island, and Escapade Island. With its French feel New Caledonia is a gem - not to mention the French food and wine, YUM!

Phuket and Singapore - March 2016

After months of planning a wedding and finally making it down the aisle, me and my husband headed to Thailand for a bit of R&R on our honeymoon. We spent 7 days mostly lying by the pool and drinking cocktails– it was fantastic! We did head out to Phi Phi Island which was a great day trip. Somehow, I always mange to fit in some shopping so after a relaxing week we headed to Singapore. I feel in love with this city from the moment we landed – a shopper’s paradise surrounded in culture and activities. Singapore truly offers something for everyone! Gardens by the Bay are a must do, head up the Super Trees for a great view over the city looking towards Marina Bay Sands.

Tropical North Queensland - September 2015

With a jam-packed itinerary I had 6 days to see the best of this exciting region thanks to Air New Zealand and TNQ Tourism! We spent the first couple of days exploring Cairns, we visited the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Fitzroy Island, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Cairns Tropical Zoo and Cairns Wildlife Dome and Zoom. After an action-packed couple of days, we headed north to Palm Cove and Port Douglas. From here we spent a day out on the reef with Quicksilver – this is a must do for anyone visiting the area! A highlight for me was the opportunity to head into the Rainforest, we visited the Daintree Discovery Center for a bit of education on nature, before the ever-exciting Jungle Surfing. We topped the day of with a Flames of the Forest dinner in the rainforest. Tropical North Queensland has something for everyone from great snorkeling to historic rainforest. I loved the variety that this destination offers to travelers.

Tahiti - March 2015

I was given the amazing opportunity to experience the beautiful Islands of Tahiti. And I must say they live up to the expectation! On this trip, we were well hosted it a lot of the main resorts including the Hilton, Manava and Sofitel Moorea. We were also able to drop by some of the smaller options on Moorea including the Hotel Hibiscus and Le Tipaniers – the accommodation maybe more basic but the beach is just as divine! I have been lucky enough to go snorkeling in a few places around the world but this is hands down the best I have ever done – the water clarity and abundance of coral life won’t disappoint. And to top it all off I found the people of Tahiti so warm, welcoming and friendly.

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