New Zealand Touring Holiday Reviews

Just a quick note to thank you for organising such a wonderful tour for Heather and I. We thoroughly enjoyed everything and had a fantastic time. All the accommodation was very comfortable and we felt very special to be collected by personal drivers so many times we were really beginning to feel like royalty!! All our pickups were exceptional, the most outstanding being Ann from Iconic who went above and beyond expectations and such a lovely person to spend the long drive with on that leg of our journey. All our arrangements were straight forward and went without a hitch thanks to your very professional expertise. Certainly one for the memory book Louise.

It was a memorable and well arranged tour for us. Your pick up drivers are all punctual and we are happy with their services. Only towards the end, it was an unexpected quarantined for us.

Thanks, Jo- it's a pity we left early and thank you for helping us with cancellations. We loved NZ and New Zealanders and will come back. Loved the Distinction chain of hotels and we missed it at Te Anau where we had to stay at another hotel (which was lovely, but not as swish) It worked out fine without breakfast included in our hotel rates as it was easy to find great cafes for the early risers while the others just dined ala carte in the hotel. Great cafes around the Distinction hotels. The drive from Dunedin to Te Anau was long and we couldn't go via Invercargill and get to Te Anau in time for the glow worm tour. It was fine, and if we had more time, would add an extra day in Invercargill as the short drive in and out of The Catlins was very scenic. A highlight of our short trip was Fleur's Cafe in Moeraki- such a surprise to find such fresh cooking and seafood. Wishing you all the best- be safe and healthy

Thank you very much, Vickie, for seeing so promptly and effectively to my various requests/changes. I was very confident that the arrangements for my holiday were well looked after as I could sense your enthusiasm during our initial interactions, and it was borne out. My family had a wonderful time in New Zealand and I would certainly recommend you should I know of anybody planning a similar holiday.

This was an amazing tour with lots of beautiful sites and activities. Everything was great and went smoothly for the entire trip until it was time to come home. This is when things went horribly wrong with 9 airline delays, re-routes, cancellations and rebooking on another airline due to countries closing down borders for the CoVid-19 virus outbreak but we made it home with hours to spare before New Zealand closed its borders. A big thank you to all for the trip and a thank you to all New Zealanders for being gracious and accommodating.

Chelsea Lodge arranged a 9-day tour for us that met all of our requests. We started in Christchurch, spent a day there, took the scenic TranzAlpine train to Moana and back, went by train to Kaikoura, then by train and ferry to Wellington where we also spent a day before taking a train to Auckland, spent a day there, and then flew back to Los Angeles. She arranged lodgings for us each night with breakfasts included and contracted for transportation to and from airports and train or ferry stations to and from our lodgings. She contracted for hop-on-hop-off tours at Christchurch, Wellington, and Waiheke Island near Auckland plus a visit to the Antarctic museum at Christchurch Airport and a three-course dinner at the Sky Tower Restaurant in Auckland--all paid for in a surprisingly low itinerary charge. This allowed us to see both the north and south islands and much beautiful scenery as well as to meet many friendly and helpful New Zealanders. We really appreciated her attention to detail and her expert knowledge of New Zealand and would recommend her to anyone wanting an individualized trip in this lovely island country.

Your itinerary gave us a beautiful experience of NZ's expansive geography and peoples. We appreciated the selection of accommodation (with a couple of exceptions) which met our requests. The cars were suitable. All reservations were smooth and welcoming. Excursions were also efficient, friendly and satisfying with the exception of the Middle Earth tour. The development of the Covid-19 crisis and its anxieties reduced our tour minimally. The responses to our requests for help and changes by Christina and Jamie-Lee were exceptional. We are grateful for the overall tour and experience made possible by your company.

We had a great trip! It was, however, cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for us to travel home while we could. We were sorry to miss the last 5 days of our trip; we are betting those days would have been just as awesome! Jo did a great job of understanding what type of trip we wanted - bits of adventure every day, with lovely accommodations and amazing food to top off our stays at various places in both the north and south islands. We feel like we saw a little bit of the best of everything in New Zealand. We used our downloaded app every day to guide us and prepare us for each day's activity. Thanks for all the help in planning this wonderful trip!

We loved our NZ trip. Both Louise and I enjoyed travelling to your beautiful country. I think the self-drive tour was a fantastic way to travel and witness the scenery as we went. It allowed us to stop at our leisure and not be cramped on a coach. We particularly enjoyed the areas of Lake Taupo and Huka Falls, where we had a jet boat ride and hiked to see the thermal springs. The ferry trip was very underrated, and I would even suggest skipping the Milford Sound outing in its stead. The views from our Mt Cook accommodation were breathtaking and was a highlight for us. As well as the journey to arrive there with the beautiful waters of Lake Tekapo. We had an amazing time and thank you for organising this wonderful trip for us.

We LOVED the 19-day Showcase trip! We believe we saw very much of New Zealand - land, culture, towns, etc. Booking it was easy - it was great to work with you and to be able to talk with you from the US directly to NZ. One area for improvement would be to touch base with us (email) during the trip to just check-in and make sure we're doing okay. This was especially important as the COVID-19 shutdowns were starting during our trip and we had quite a bit of uncertainty and needed to change our return plans. Thanks for ALL your help - it was a trip of a lifetime!

Louise was always there to discuss our emails, phone calls or whatever. Happy to oblige in any way with a great manner. Therefore when Louise asked if we could change our Franz Josef Glazier 3 hr walk from morning to the afternoon, I didn't feel I could refuse. Though we had booked it maybe July/Aug 2019 for March 2020. Supposedly there was a large group who wanted the morning. While this didn't matter in the end as no one got to go on this walk because of track flooding days earlier. But we noticed on the day that the weather was great in the morning but very overcast and raining in afternoon, which would not have been pleasant. I also had planned on having a hot tub after the walk and probably would not have if in the afternoon. Don't think I'll change any plans if I ever book again, even for the lovely Louise. Also very prompt in refunding our 3hr valley walk fee. When home I checked and there was the refund thanks heaps.

This was a great tour! I was able to see so many of the iconic sights and learn about the Maori culture. Having Discover New Zealand set the itinerary saved me effort and time as well as gave me peace of mind that I had reputable tours and accommodations booked. All of the representatives were responsive and helpful, even when I accidentally gave the wrong date for my arrival and needed last-minute changes. The variety of activities also added to the quality of the trip. The only hitch was that I expected to be dropped off at the hotel when arriving in Wellington but I needed to order a separate Uber because the bus only stopped at the train station. Overall I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone else hoping to see the Lord of the Rings locations and experience the best of New Zealand!

The trip you organised for us was fantastic - we just loved every minute touring New Zealand. All the arrangements you made together with the other recommendations in our planned itinerary worked perfectly for us. We used the app every day and tried to follow the driving directions but we kept making little detours and found lots of other interesting places en route, too many to mention! A 21-day adventure and we have barely scratched the surface of such a beautiful country. Hopefully, we'll be back to pick up where we've left off but meantime, thank you.

A very well organized trip which helped us cover key points in New Zealand. Pickups and drops from/to Airports, Trains and Hotels were very efficient. Milford Sound Tour and Glacier Helicopter were highlights. Helicopter ride dropped us at the NZ Open Golf on a beautiful day in Queenstown. We loved it because the entry was free that day and our driver was amazing and encouraging to help us enjoy the final day. Hotel selections were pretty good. The only miss was mix up of drivers in Franz Josef to Queenstown leg. We did not value Greymouth to Franz Josef to Queenstown leg because we did not see anything due to bad weather and poor handling of drivers. Overall, We would like to thank Jane and team for organizing this. This helped us make the most of our time.

Our trip was awesome! We really enjoyed touring New Zealand and all of the arrangements Emma made for us worked out perfectly. We appreciated the flexibility offered by your group which enabled us to make a vacation plan that worked best for us. The app was a great tool to use during the trip with lots of supplemental information provided. The trip plan made for a worry-free relaxing vacation. Thanks Emma!

Laura our New Zealand adventure was outstanding. From the time we landed in New Zealand until we stepped back through the aircraft door to depart your great country our trip was picture perfect. We could not be more pleased with our accommodations and the excellent itinerary you arranged. The charms of New Zealand obviously played a big part in ensuring our enjoyment. However, the professionalism exhibited by your firm was outstanding and beyond our expectation. Laura your willingness to help plan and execute our vacation was greatly appreciated. We have already recommended you and Discover New Zealand to many of our friends and acquaintances. I am sure that once this virus issue has passed many of them will be in contact with you to schedule their personalized adventure. Thanks again Laura, You’re the Best “Mate”!

We have been so impressed with your organisation and most of all your professionalism and personal attention through all of our contact with you, from the earliest days nearly two years ago, through all of my stupid questions along the way, right up until we had to return home at such short notice and finally the prompt settlement of our account. A heartfelt thank you from both of us.

Really enjoyed the tour. The accommodations were first class and we really enjoyed the excursions. Thank you so much for organizing this vacation for us.

Tour was great. Everything worked perfectly and the tour gave us an opportunity to see some lovely parts of NZ at our own pace. Thanks to Louise for organising.

We have had a wonderful time in NZ thanks to Jane. Everything was perfect. From the pickup at the airport to the hotel reservations, the car rental. I highly recommend this tour we have seen many wonderful things! Thanks again!

The choice and recommendation for the Ibis in Christchurch were great. It was clean, well located with nice people to receive their guests. During my tour, I stayed at the Ibis in Wellington which I would not recommend. The tour: I wrote long feedback to the Grand Pacific team. It was my first tour, 27 pax, 24 Australian, 2 English ladies and I was the "exotic country representative" a Brazilian. The tour guide, Brenda, was super, nice and helpful, I couldn´t understand most of the speech of the first driver, due to my difficulty regarding some English accents. Most of my colleagues spoke with Aussie accent which was hard for me. The tour was well organized, especially in the South Island. The coach/bus was excellent, mostly very good hotels and great food. The activities were well chosen and I added some excellent optional tours. Due to weather conditions, I lost some experiences: Franz Josef and Lake Tekapo. At some places, I would stay longer and didn´t understand the design: Mount Cook and Taipo/Huka Falls I was very well impressed with the cities, mostly Dunedin and Christchurch. Auckland is not at the best time to be visited because they are restructuring the downtown area. It was a long stay in these conditions I came back home feeling that I am not such a "tour" person, but I should try once. I´m sure I wouldn´t see and experience so many incredible sites/places/activities on my own. You helped me organizing the tour and I thank you very much for your assistance. I will recommend your service if asked about travel to NZ.

We had a wonderful holiday. The transfers all went like clockwork, the hotels that you booked for us were amazing. Punga Lodge on Waiheke island was fabulous, particularly the afternoon tea! Thank you so much for your help in booking a trip of a lifetime.

We had a truly memorable vacation. New Zealand is truly a beautiful country. We were very pleased with the service that we received. All employees were so helpful and friendly and their suggestions were very appropriate. We were pleased with our accommodations. They were clean, modern, and the hosts were all very friendly and helpful. Our last accommodation in Auckland at the Nesuto Stadium apartments was our least favourite. We thank you again and would highly recommend your agency to others.

Overall the trip was seamless. You spend a lot of time on a tour bus but the guides are very knowledgeable and the scenery is spectacular. There are lots of stops and breaks. Only one driver was terrible - the one from about Tekapo (I forget where they switched drivers) to Christchurch. Heartland hotel is fine for the $. Lunch at the Hermitage was excellent. The cruise-in Doubtful Sound (Milford was closed due to rain damage to the roads) was a bit disappointing. Beautiful but I expected more (ie saw no wildlife, no big waterfalls, not as much of the waterways as expected.). I still feel the tour is pricey but it made the best use of the short time I had to explore New Zealand. Not a lot to do in Christchurch - I would only allocate half a day. The app provided by the tour pretty much makes all the pickups and details seamless as it gives all the details and instructions.

Reliable pickups, nice tour in general, customer support was there when we needed. I know my tour was specifically abbreviated by us but one slight recommendation in Wellington is to try to get LOTR fans to the WETA studios. Our half-day Wellington LOTR Tour was nice but many of the filming locations are hardly recognizable anymore. That combined with WETA would have been great but honestly, it probably would not have fit into our tight itinerary. BTW, loved Hobbiton, Waitomo and Tamaki Maori dinner show! The Auckland zoo was only fair, and is currently under major construction but tourist can see Kiwis there. In Queenstown, the Kiwi house and bird Sanctuary has three Kiwi houses and other birds but was a bit expensive.

We had a fantastic time on our recent trip to New Zealand and our tour to the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga was wonderful. All of the details fell into place and we enjoyed each excursion! The highlight was the Dune Rider up to the Cape--sliding down the dunes on the Boogey board and driving back along the 90-mile beach! Our day was beautiful, sunny and warm which made it perfect! Also, the excursion on the tucker Thompson Sailboat was fantastic and again especially enjoyed due to spectacular weather! Thank you for your help in putting this itinerary together!

Chelsea was very attuned to our needs, choosing both accommodations and adventures that were well suited. Her attention to detail was greatly appreciated, as well as her willingness to adapt as our circumstances changed.

10/10 for our NZ holiday. We covered a lot of ground in three weeks. We appreciated your attention to all the small things to make a smooth holiday experience. We particularly enjoyed the South Island (mountains and lakes) which we do not have back home. It has wet our appetite to come back and explore more of the South Island like Mt Cook, Queenstown to Franz Josef areas. We were fortunate to arrive home just in time before the compulsory isolation kicked in. Hope all goes back to normal soon.

Just to say the whole tour was most enjoyable. The hotels, food and stop-offs were excellent, enhanced by the camaraderie of the group. The comfort of the Platinum coach was exceptional and finally. We must commend coach captain David on his knowledge, attention to detail, pride in his heritage, and of course his Pristine coach.

When my mom and dad came back from their trip, my mom pronounced it her best vacation ever. I cannot thank you enough for all the time and attention to detail you put towards their trip, ensuring a smooth and exciting journey every step of the way. Thank you again -- working with you and your agency was the absolute best possible decision I could have made. When I get a chance to come to New Zealand one day, I will definitely be in touch.

Trip leader did a fine job. Itinerary covered a nice blend of activities and choices. Ability to choose your own restaurant a couple of times was nice. My only disappointment was the Maori cultural dinner. I really wanted to learn about their culture but felt the dinner experience was too touristy, too long on information it was hard to hear amidst all the other people and just too like a Disney experience. Also I would have liked better a brief overview of the museum in Wellington and then time to explore our own interests. The guided tour was not the best in my opinion. Overall, we really enjoyed trip.

Chelsea was extremely helpful. Always available and returned emails promptly. We had a wonderful holiday, and want to go back to New Zealand to see more. We will definitely choose Discover New Zealand again.

The itinerary that was put together was very good and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The accommodation was also very good, but felt that the 1 night accommodation in Wellington (CityLife) was too upmarket, as we didn't arrive at our accommodation till 7pm and was away again the next morning early and probably a Travelodge was have sufficed.

Words such as Amazing, Fabulous, Terrific, Wonderful, Incredible and deeply grateful simply don't do justice to how we feel about the 28-day, self-drive trip you curated for us. We can't thank you enough for everything you did to make our first trip throughout both islands of your exceptionally beautiful country an experience we will cherish for the rest of our lives. You delivered absolutely everything we expected from this trip; often far beyond even our wildest dreams! I can't tell you how many times during our trip my husband and I commented to each other about what an exceptional experience we were having, all thanks to YOUR hard work in making sure that each of our hotel, flight, automobile and activity reservations were confirmed. We would highly recommend your company to anyone wishing to visit the magical place you are so lucky to call home. If we are fortunate enough to be able to return to New Zealand, you can be certain that we will contact you and "Discover New Zealand" again to arrange our itinerary. Even 28 days wasn't enough time to see all the sights and do all the things New Zealand offers for travellers of all kinds with so many different interests. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us to have the time of our lives in New Zealand. We can't wait to return!

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of New Zealand. We found the hotels excellent, the itinerary fabulous, the guides brilliant and the country and the Kiwis wonderful. Absolutely fantastic. Kia Ora!

An incredible experience. All arrangements, accommodation and transport were of the highest standard. Other than some unnecessary delays picking up our vehicles either side of the Cook Straights, we had a flawless and wonderful experience. Many thanks to Jane for her assistance before and during the Tour, I cannot praise her enough.

Thanks for your help Sissy - nice to have someone get back to us so quickly to answer the questions we had. I'd recommend Grand Pacific Tours and NZ to anybody. Great staff (Chrissie the tour guide was wonderful), scenery, itinerary and just happened to have great weather almost every day. Food and hotels exceeded our expectations.

My wife and I just returned from a self-drive tour of New Zealand, organized by Nichole White. Every aspect of the tour was managed perfectly. Every hotel booking, attraction ticket and car rental was in place and waiting for us when we walked in the door. The only surprises were the occasional up-grades to accommodations and the substitution of a more expensive excursion to replace our Milford Sound outing, which was cancelled due to road and weather restrictions. All in all, our experience was top-notch from beginning to end. We would highly recommend "discover New Zealand" and the level of assistance provided by Nichole!

We were very pleased with the itinerary that Discover New Zealand presented. Their App was excellent! Easy to follow and so much information and suggested activities. The accommodations were all good, if not excellent. The car rental went smoothly, especially in Picton in the South Island, once we got to the counter, it took 2 minutes to be processed, not 15 minutes for other car rental customers. Any issues that were caused by the weather (flooding in Milford Sound), alternative transportation was offered and our cruise wasn’t cancelled. The staff anticipated problems and let us know, great service. New Zealand is a must see country and having an experienced tour company made the trip stress free.

Hello Chelsea, we had a wonderful trip to New Zealand. I would have liked to have spent a few extra days between the day-long drives, but, of course, that would have been more expensive. Almost all the hotels were very nice with a few notable exceptions. We were disappointed with one due to the noise from the street, With a bus stop right by the entrance to the motel, the noise was pretty bad. We mentioned it to the host and he told us he would move us farther from the street when we returned on the 22nd. However, when we arrived then, he said he could not do that and put us in a room right next to the bus stop! The biggest disappointment was the accommodation in Franz Josef. We felt the conditions would not improve if we complained so we found another place to stay close to Greymouth. We left Saturday morning and drove to Goldfield Suites which was a wonderful boutique motel. We really liked the Mt. Cook area and could have spent much more time exploring and hiking there. Thank you for making the changes for the last day, the rides went smoothly and Nesuto was wonderful. I will be sure to send referrals your way.

Fabulous holiday. Booking with yourselves ran very smoothly. Grand Pacific provided an excellent tour with knowledgeable staff and the weather even played its' part. I highly recommend this tour to anyone. Only suggestion was a little more unscheduled time to allow for some shopping, exploration and relaxation, but overall superb.

Victoria was wonderful! Our accommodations’ at the Quest on Eden were top notch and the staff were also wonderful. Our shuttles waiting at the airport worked out perfectly and our accommodation in Paihia and all of our booked adventures were also handled perfectly. We appreciate all of your help and will definitely recommend you to our fellow travelers.

Very impressed with everything. Laura had obviously listened very carefully to the sort of things we wanted, the type of people were our likes and dislikes etc, and put together an itinerary that turned out absolutely perfect, with nothing that we would have changed. I suppose the main thing to say is that in terms of all the numerous bookings for cars, hotels, train, ferry, pickups and excursions, unbelievably every single detail worked like clockwork with not a single, even tiny hiccup. Even when flooding on the road to Milford Sound, unbeknown to us, tried to throw a spanner into the works, Laura's successor contacted us a couple of days before and managed to make the necessary changes to get us there OK. The owner of our hotel in Te Anau said how lucky we'd been to get booked onto a coach as most of her guests had been unable to - used the wrong travel company, I guess! The accommodation was, without exception, perfect - good quality hotels situated centrally in cities and excellent motels elsewhere. In case this seems a bit over the top, we were frequently amazed that we appeared to have the best rooms wherever we went, huge and often with fabulous views or practically right on the beach. Having organised a number of driving trips myself in the US and Canada, the definition of a motel in NZ is very, very different. Absolutely no complaints on anything, but a small suggestion. The journey timings are often impossible to achieve, due to the huge amounts of roadworks going on (or sometimes not, as also happens at home). The satnav gave exactly the same timing estimates, but we found that a projected 4-hour journey normally included at least an hour stationery. Just something to consider. Anyway, thanks so much for organising everything so well. Don't know if we'll pass this way again, but if we do, it will certainly be with you, and will definitely recommend you to anyone we know who is planning a trip.

Emma was very helpful from start to finish. Great customer service. The itinerary was great and the pacing was good. We enjoyed the experience.

We are back home now after a spectacular NZ holiday thanks to you. I must congratulate yourself and all your partnered agents for their professionalism. I can not fault our organised holiday and you Kiwis put us Aussies to shame when it comes to tourism. Thanks for a job well done.

Thank you Christina, We had a wonderful holiday and it ran like clock work with all locations prepared and ready for us. We had our issues with the rain on the west coast but we managed to still nearly do everything possible. The holiday plan was first class as was the accommodation.

This tour, with organised trips and transfers by taxi, coach and the mini bus was fantastic, It was great to see all the beautiful scenery without the hassle of driving or the constraints of a coach tour. Everything was so well organised, and the APP with details of pick-up times, excursions and hotels - all information in one place- was a definite plus. All the excursions and transfers were excellent, with careful and helpful drivers and informative, interesting commentaries. Highlights were the Bay of Islands, with the boat trip to the Hole in the Rock and the trip to the Far North, Mount Cook with the boat trip on the glacial lake, the boat trip on the Dart River and the TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch. There were many wonderful excursions and experiences organised by the company, but also enough free time to relax and choose individual activities. Best hotels were Hermitage Hotel for the magnificent views of Mount Cook and Tarltons Lodge for the beautiful view, private jacuzzi and wonderful hospitality. We would definitely like to do the trip again and will recommend it to family and friends.

Well organised tour thoroughly enjoyed. Led by an excellent tour guide in the name of Krissy Higgan. Appreciation is due also to Christine Brockie for booking arrangements. She was clear in communication and prompt with emails

Christchurch - hardly any sightseeing in the city. not enough time left for a major city to explore. The hotel was so out of the way, getting into the city on your own is not possible with the time allocated in the itinerary. some hotels were mostly motel type, not even 3*. When I booked this tour, you did not offer me the option of extending to Bay of Island. I had requested 2 additional nights in Auckland and had I know this tour was also going into the Bay of Island I would have chosen that option. The guide was very helpful and friendly. One of the best I have come across in my travel experience.

Nichole did a great job planning our tour. It took us to the places we wanted to see on the dates we had available. We were particularly impressed that all the drivers picked us up within 10 minutes of the time on our itinerary and we were taken to our next stop with interesting commentary along the way and arrived on time. Our one glitch, the erosion of roads leading to Milford Sound was handled well; we were notified in a timely way and offered help in planning alternatives for that day. All the hotels were welcoming, providing a nice breakfast each day. Thank you for your pleasant calls and assuring us of help when needed as we travelled through your lovely country. Great tour!

The trip was really well planned and the sights were absolutely breath taking. Thanks Jane for setting it up in such short notice!

Thank you, Chelsea, for arranging our Bay of Islands and Cape Regina Tour, it was brilliant. As this was the first time we had booked a tour in another country on the internet we were a little apprehensive that it would all work but it all went as planned. Averill Court Motel was excellent and Winnie was very helpful.

We had a lovely time in NZ. Our itinerary went very well, all the hotels/motels were excellent. We are already thinking about a return visit and will certainly use Discover New Zealand again. Many thanks to Shelley.

Apart from a few minor issues, swiftly dealt with by the team, this was an excellent holiday, with everything ready for us when we arrived everywhere. Before we arrived, we had received excellent service, making sure that any queries we had in regard to the holiday had been addressed and any changes requested were swiftly implemented. Documentation received upon arrival was thorough, though the sat nav was sometimes also necessary to ensure safe arrival at a destination! Most accommodation, trips, etc., met expectation, though with one particular exception, but this was swiftly changed for us. For the one trip that had to be cancelled, a rapid refund was provided after the vacation ended. Thank you for a wonderful 28 days in a picturesque, welcoming country.

We had a great time. We not only found that New Zealand is a beautiful country along with the nicest people. I would highly recommend the trip. The trip planning by Rommy was a great value to us. Thank you

We had a fabulous trip and although it was a busy trip, with lots of driving, hotels, activities we managed to complete everything we planned and thoroughly enjoyed it all. Highlights were Hobbiton and Mount Cook. Both wine tours were also excellent. The pack was easy to use and follow. Our suggestions, based on our experience for future consideration are: Hobbiton - as the car rental only opened at 8 am and you have to check-in at Hobbiton 15 mins before the tour we saw the booked time was too tight, so we called and delayed by an hour. Would recommend a slightly later tour to others. Rotorua - at Rainbow Springs there is a kiwi hatchery. As there is time available in Rotorua, suggest this could be added as an option. We thoroughly enjoyed Ferry from Wellington - it says the check-in time was 8.15am, but this was actually the boarding time. Some people were checking in at 8.15am, but it was very busy. We had arrived earlier and the queue was far less, so recommend arriving earlier Mount Cook - we tried the helicopter flight and it was fantastic, giving an option to add this to the itinerary may be useful for people Bendigo Reserve - as this was mentioned we went to see, quite narrow, steep roads and not much signage! Not sure it was worth the visit. However earlier in this journey we wet to see the Clay Cliffs and they were impressive, although not mentioned The Hotel locations were all good. The rooms were comfy. Many thanks, we would not hesitate to recommend you and the company - in fact we already have as Facebook friends requested details after seeing our travels!

Kasmira has been very helpful and dedicated to making the itinerary fit our needs. Excellent service!! We loved our tour. Our driver/guide Nick on the second day was very dynamic, giving clear and complete explanations. The driver on our first day was a good driver but his comments were not loud nor clear even if he was told twice to speak louder. The total organization of the tour was perfect. Thank you for this very good experience, we would recommend

Thank you Victoria for customising a wonderful itinerary for us within such a short period. Our family enjoyed the trip, especially our five-year-old Daughter because she had many opportunities to interact with the animals. I appreciated Victoria’s patience towards my queries and requests. When we were at Queenstown, there was a heavy downpour and Victoria took her initiative to inform me that the Milford Sound trip had to be cancelled. She was also prompt in processing this refund for me.

We had a wonderful trip with your organization, but encountered a couple of problems: 1) we expected to find written information about our trip in the first accommodation. Only after our phone call we were informed that all information was present in the app. 2) we had problems at the car rental office, because my driver's license did not contain an English translation. I think it is up to your organization to warn travelers form abroad about this issue and advice them to have a valid international driver's license with them. 3) the app worked well and at all locations people were prepared for our arrival. 4) it is nearly impossible to drive from Abel Tasman NP to Picton and take the Interislander from there at 10 am. Why so early, there were enough boats later that day. We decided to leave Abel Tasman already on the previous extra night accommodation. 5) As we already communicated with you, we decided not to go to the Bay of Islands and to stay in Auckland instead. Driving a 300 km trip in New Zealand with mainly two-lanes roads takes much more time and is much more tiring than we are used to in Western Europe.

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of New Zealand that you organised for us. The itinerary worked well, the accommodations were good and everything went smoothly. We did have the misfortune of having our trip to Milford Sound cancelled due to the road being closed, but Chelsea pulled out all the stops and got us onto the Doubtful Sound cruise instead, which we enjoyed immensely. The harbour cruise on our last night in Auckland was a brilliant way to end the holiday. We found the App very useful and used it throughout the trip. Thank you.

Linda and I much enjoyed our recent visit to New Zealand. It's a beautiful Country, the people are friendly, the food is good. The itinerary you organized for us was wonderful. We enjoyed every day. We were particularly impressed that among numerous activities, reservations, transfers, we were always greeted on time, by courteous, smiling, people who helped us on our way. Our regret is that we didn't plan to spend more time on this visit. Many thanks for preparing a "Spectacular" visit!

This was a truly amazing trip. Everything was so well organised and all the ‘must-see’ places were included, plus a lot more. Information was shared by the driver and guide. The optional excursions were fabulous - especially Skippers Canyon. The hotels were well chosen. The only downsides were the change of hotel to Fox Glacier - much lower standard of hotel and the killing of time on the last day waiting for the TranzAlpine railway. I would fully recommend this 9 day tour.

My trip around New Zealand was AMAZING! A big part of the great experience was the superb organisation of the Self Drive Tour which worked like clockwork. I was particularly impressed by your ability to modify the basic package to suit my particular needs. Another big plus was your suggestions and bookings for some of the events and tours that I did through my trip which were a huge addition to my enjoyment and again worked like clockwork. Very impressive was the constant engagement in planning the trip and the rapid responses to my requests especially when I needed to change some things when I was part way round. I have no hesitation in recommending Discover New Zealand to anyone considering a tour of this fantastic country Nicole was great in the planning phase and Jo was super efficient during my trip. Many thanks and well done!

Awesome trip overall. Little too much bus time. But understand the necessity. Accommodations were excellent. The tours I would cut out the first tribal tour as we saw pretty much the same act at our dinner (which was great). All in all a great time..... I hope to capture some of the beauty in an upcoming You Tube video. I will certainly give you and the company the credit for the outstanding agenda.

Christina, I can't thank you enough for one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. I was concerned having someone else plan everything for me would mean not getting everything I wanted. But we loved our accommodations, the rental car and all the adventures we wanted plus the ones you recommended. You were so easy to get ahold of and made everything seem doable. That means so much to someone with anxiety. Your country is gorgeous, the food was delicious and the people were friendly. Trip of a lifetime! Thank you for your part in making it happen.

Excellent trip and Shelley was really accommodating changing the itinerary a bit to a customised tour. All went very smoothly and well organised.

Many thanks for organising our Length & Breadth North to South Tour, your organisation was brilliant, every place we went we were expected and all tours booked were as described or in most cases even better than we expected. You have a beautiful country and we really enjoyed it, highlights were many but Doubtful Sound a standout trip as was the trip to Mt. Cook and the glacier there. Hotels were varied with some being far better quality than others, unfortunately these were mainly where we stayed for just one night. In hindsight we should have been more specific with you about the rooms booked and we should have done more due diligence on the hotels. At almost every hotel we got the room with the worst outlook whereas normally we would always book the best rooms/views and we should have made this clear to you. Many of the hotels catered for large coach tours and again we would never book these but rather we would go for something smaller and more boutique. It was pretty annoying that the tour groups got the best rooms in the main. In many of the room descriptions it mentions Deluxe or Superior but this, in my opinion, is misleading and not consistent with European hotel rooms with similar descriptions. We did get an upgrade at Pepper's hotel in Martinborough but this was probably because I am an Accor hotels members. Again, in hindsight, we should not have booked breakfasts at each hotel but probably would have been better off using that money to upgrade the rooms. Maybe in future, you could make these points clear to potential clients as the tour has many stops and hotels and you cannot review every aspect yourselves.

We want to thank you for a fantastic holiday in New Zealand. The itinerary was perfect, allowing us enough time at each stop-over to see your beautiful country. Akaroa was fantastic, we managed to see the Hector dolphins, the blue penguins and even krill, which was fascinating! Our next stop was Mount Cook, quite spectacular, the highlight being our helicopter ride up on to the glacier and being able to walk round in short sleeves! The highlight of Dunedin was seeing albatrosses in flight, apparently a rarity. Beautiful scenery all the way to Te Anau and then the fantastic Milford Sound. Queenstown and the buffet cruise were a delight. The food was superb. On through Wanaka, a stop to meet you before our journey to Franz Josef. A robust walk to see the glacier and the river complex, which was fascinating. On to Greymouth and the train ride back to Christchurch through the mountains. Not only spectacular but the history was extremely interesting. Finally, we explored Christchurch, a beautiful city despite the damage by the earthquakes, before our flight to Australia. We would like to thank you for all the organisation and your recommendations to make our holiday superb. The transfer-drivers to and from the airport were wonderful, friendly and helpful. The accommodation was first class and again the staff could not have been kinder. All-in-all a perfect holiday, superbly put together by yourselves - a five-star trip.

We appreciate the on-time pickups and transfers. The problem with self-driving is not knowing the hotel. Three times we had no idea where to park or pull in to reception, so we had to drive around the block in traffic once we saw where the hotel was. Not fun in busy Aukland and Wellington!! We also found that a suggested restaurant was closed, as well as a suggested tour was not running, so your information could be updated more frequently.

We had an absolutely fantastic holiday in New Zealand and loved every minute of it. It exceeded all our expectations. All the arrangements and bookings worked very smoothly and everyone we met seemed really friendly and helpful. As you know we did have a couple of hitches with the arrival flight and the floods which were totally out of anyone's control. However, the revised arrangements were dealt with very efficiently by your office and it didn't spoil anything. The only minor suggestion I would make that would improve the holiday would be to give a bit more detail about cooking facilities (especially if there is a cooking ring in the apartment) as it helps when planning ahead as to whether to eat in or go out. You often have to do the shopping on the way to the apartment and you cant cook everything in a microwave.

My husband and I were introduced to Chelsea by close friends of ours who had used Discover New Zealand to plan their trip to New Zealand. (Discover New Zealand assists in planning for various popular travel destinations like Australia as well) Our friends had nothing but amazing things to say about Discover New Zealand. After my husband and I connected with Chelsea, I quickly understood why. Chelsea was absolutely amazing - she checked off every box from A-Z. Chelsea was very knowledgeable, patient, and professional. Being from the United States, my husband and I did a lot of research and took a lot of time to prepare the perfect itinerary for our honeymoon and Chelsea was there every step of the way. Finally, after we created the perfect itinerary, we changed it 5 or 6 times after that - #patient. Chelsea guided us throughout the entire process and truly helped us create the trip of a lifetime. Upon our arrival, we received a printed copy of our itinerary with a step by step guide of our entire 16 day trip. Even cooler was the Discover New Zealand application that we downloaded to our phones which detailed our trip, important addresses and directions, information about every location that we were going to visit, and tourist recommendations like popular sites to see, restaurants, nightlife, and more. My husband and I were blown away by how user-friendly and resourceful the Discover New Zealand app was. Looking back, we did not realize how valuable planning with Discover New Zealand turned out to be. Discover New Zealand provided us with a comprehensive itinerary, leaving all the thinking to them and enabling us to focus on what was most important - our honeymoon, relaxing, and having a good time. Moreover, after we had already paid for everything, when we reached out to Chelsea with a minor issue at 7 p.m. on one of the days that we were already in New Zealand, Chelsea quickly responded and helped us address the problem at hand. Felt like V.I.P treatment to us! Travelling to New Zealand is already a life-changing experience but working with Chelsea helped us parlay our trip into something magical. Working with Chelsea was by far the best experience we ever had working with a travel agency or touring company. We will never forget our experience and neither will you if you plan through Discover New Zealand!

Many thanks for fixing a great trip.

Discover New Zealand did a great job for us. It started when we arrived from Australia late, landing at 2 AM - and finding Faith waiting for us with a lovely grin and a warm car! Our hotel in Christchurch was very nice and right in the thick of things. We then had an easy flight to Queenstown and a good time there. Then the tour of the West coast was much fun. The bus drivers were amusing and informative and we saw a lot. We were glad not to take a glacier landing because they were all fogged in. The hike and the kayak tours we took instead were just about right for our level of conditioning. Again, great fun informative guides. Finally, the TranzAlpine rail was a relaxing finish. All in all, this was a great week - we wish we had taken two!

The trip was great, well organised and was great to have everything sorted re-accommodation and activities. Main problems, the app used for maps was annoying at times, really needed online connection. The solution would be to recommend buying a pay as you go sim on arrival and loading with some internet credit. Most accommodation was great, the exception being the last two we had. The accommodation was fine, don't get me wrong. The Taupo one was upstairs (annoying with suitcases on wheels!) and neither had cooking facilities. All the rest great in every respect. That said, would recommend and use again.

A few years ago I took a tour with this company of the South Island, and everything worked great. So when I booked this North Island tour, I had high expectations and they were exceeded. The buses, the hotels and the excursions were excellent, and some of the highlights in Paihia were the visit to Waitangi, the Hole in the Rock cruise, and the 90-mile beach was impressive. In Rotorua, it was very interesting to visit Te Puia and see how the ancient wood carving traditions are still practised, and the Tamaki Village tour and dinner was very enjoyable. Overall, I had a wonderful experience, my only regret is that I didn't have more time. I chose to see just a small part of the Island, but I'm glad that I chose this tour.

This was an amazing trip! Chelsea gave us excellent advice and assistance and booked everything to perfection! We never had a single glitch and we knew where and when to be at the places we needed to be. I cannot say enough about the excellent service Chelsea provided. I would not hesitate to recommend her and Discover New Zealand for travel planning. Thank you and Kia Ora!

New Zealand was beautiful and you certainly made it easy for us to navigate through this beautiful place. We loved all of the activities that we did except felt that 3 activities in Rotorua on one day was very packed and it was hard getting from one activity to the other in time, also to do the extreme walking sites with kids was a little cumbersome, I think if there are little kids, those families should be warned against the walking in the valleys and craters, As much as kids enjoy trips they don’t appreciate seeing craters for hours and get bored plus tired. The beach the brakes were great and they really enjoyed it and the jet boat and canopy tours were the highlights of the trip for the kids all of the locations chosen to stay we’re super fantastic the hosts were extremely friendly and helpful and we couldn’t have done better with that. Chelsea, you were extremely flexible and helpful and I will definitely be sending references your Way. Plus I will reach out as we haven’t had enough of New Zealand.

We had a wonderful time on our trip to New Zealand. I can't say enough good things about New Zealand, and your planning of our trip allowed us to see as much as we could on our trip. Thank you for your excellence and speed in planning our route, accommodations, and activities. I would highly recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone interested in visiting New Zealand!

Thank you so much for all the work you put into organizing our trip to New Zealand. It was exactly what we wanted and everything was perfect, even the weather, which we had been warned was not great, turned around for us. Can't pick out a favourite, it was all we hoped for. Before the first week was out, we knew we have to return. So much to see, fabulous seas and majestic mountains. We really appreciate the great job you did for us.

This was a great tour with an excellent tour manager and coach driver, good accommodation and food and lots of inclusions. It was very well-organised. My only slightly less positive comment is that the itinerary was very packed with early starts and long days of travelling/touring; I personally would have appreciated a little more down-time as I was exhausted at the end of the 9 days! Many thanks to Chelsea for all your help and advice about my trip too.

The tour was great. The only problem was with the rental car GPS. We missed one turn out of Christchurch and then it tried to take us to Queenstown via Arthur's Pass! It took us a while to realize the problem, but we saw some interesting country that we would not have otherwise experienced. We had clear skies for our day in Milford Sound, but rain from Franz Josef to Greymouth.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Christina our travel consultant who made this entire trip seamless, from car rental and all the accommodation, activity arrangements, well done! What can I say... New Zealand is Awesome! From Auckland all the way through to Dunedin and back to Christchurch such scenery and very friendly people. In the 21 days, we were very lucky to only encounter one day of a drizzling rain which made the whole journey that little bit easier to take. Although I think the scenery would be just as spectacular at any time. I have already recommended Discover New Zealand to family and friends as the only option to choose when travelling to New Zealand. Once again thanks for creating some wonderful family holiday memories.

Thanks for organising a terrific tour for us. We had a great time and were really impressed with the way everything was sorted and planned so professionally. Everything fell into place as planned and there were no nasty surprises. Just a couple of comments: As only one of us was driving, we found the Rotorua to Wellington drives a bit taxing. I guess in hindsight we could have broken it up somewhere, but otherwise, the drives were of a really manageable length. We didn't use the SatNav. Fortunately, we were upgraded to an SUV for both cars, and the North Island car had a built-in SatNav. The South Island drives were easy enough to go without. When we tried to use the SatNav provided, we found it a bit glitchy and unreliable, but it's possible we weren't using it correctly. It was reassuring to have a dedicated staff member for our trip and 24-hour access to help if we'd needed it. We have already recommended Discover NZ to a number of our friends.

First of all, thank you to NZ Fine Touring for a wonderful time recently on our adventure through New Zealand - we all loved your beautiful country, our travel arrangements, and meeting the friendliest people ever!

Firstly may I congratulate you on your wonderful planning and organisational skills. You organised our trip right down to the smallest detail. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending you and the Discover New Zealand. It’s a long time since we have received such outstanding service from a travel consultant. Highlights were:- 1. Experiencing New Year's Eve with all the locals in the streets below the tower in Auckland. What a wonderful atmosphere. We were amongst a huge crowd but we felt safe. 2. Although very busy at that time of year, we loved the Bay of Islands. What a beautiful spot. 3. The Canopy walk near Rotorua was breathtaking. Not to be missed! 4. The trip on board the Northern Explorer from Wellington to Auckland was a treat. It was great to just sit back and relax and watch the wonderful scenery just drift past. This was especially relaxing after all that driving on the first part of our trip. Overall – a great experience. Thank you Jane.

I have nothing but good things to say about the arrangements that were made for me and the help that Kasmira provided. I asked for some complicated transportation arrangements which were provided by a number of sources (GreatSights bus, InterCity bus, shuttles, taxi, etc) and all of them were on time and perfect. The hotels were all fine and I appreciated being in a harbour view room on New Year's Eve as I had a perfect view of the fireworks and the light show on the Auckland Harbor Bridge. The activities were all good and I do highly recommend the progressive wine and dinner evening in Napier. This was an excellent evening with wonderful wine and wonderful food. The small group of three made it perfect. I will definitely recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone travelling there and will definitely use them again when I return. Thank you so much for making my holiday so perfect!

Wow, what a trip! New Zealand is an amzingly beautiful country and we had the best time. Thank you for organising such an incredible and memorable holiday. Everything was so easy from the initial planning stages, being met at the airport, picking up cars etc it was all seamless. The accommodation choices were excellent, all in great locations, clean and spacious for a family of 4. It was all completely trouble free making for a busy but great relaxing holiday. We didn't organise too many activities with yourselves as we were not sure what we wanted to do but managed to pack a lot in and had no trouble booking activities as we went along. Other than needing more time in NZ we couldn't have wished for more.

Nichole, our trip wa WONDERFUL! From the very beginning, we were so pleased with the itinerary you put together for us, based on just a short paragraph outlining what we were looking for. Having returned home a week ago, the trip was just as perfect to experience as it looked like on paper. We remarked to each other several times how great it was to have all of the details and bookings taken care of, so all we had to do was show up and enjoy. It really was the vacation of a lifetime, and we will absolutely recommend your company and you specifically to family and friends who might also want to visit New Zealand.

My wife & I had a fantastic time in NZ and everything went to plan seamlessly. Thanks for putting together a great experience. Highlights were staying at The White Morph & surrounding area (I upgraded to a front room that was vacant for an extra $80 and I highly recommend you choose that for your customers, it was stunning) and Lake Ohau Lodge was simply amazing - even with the smoke haze drifted over from the Australian bushfires.

Our trip was great, the Zealandia tour had to be the highlight. The 14-day pass for the geothermals worked well. We were able to go a day earlier. All the facilities were great and accommodating as well as spacious. The National Park was superb. If you wanted a suggestion for improvement. Europcar had long lines and slow process for getting to and from your car. We especially enjoyed the hotels in Auckland and Rotorua and the National Park. Thanks 😀😀

Thank you for the fantastic job you did! You absolutely handled everything for me from hotels to experiences and all the transportation as well. With such a complicated itinerary, I was expecting at least a small hitch somewhere, particularly in the transportation arrangements. But everything went exactly as you planned and I had no problems whatsoever. And everything you booked was absolutely wonderful. The hotel you booked for me in Auckland looked out over the harbour so I had a perfect view of the fireworks and light show on the harbour bridge on New Year's eve. I can't say enough good things about the Progressive dinner and wine tasting experience - that was just fantastic. In fact, everything was just fantastic. I hope to return to New Zealand someday and will definitely be looking for you again to help plan the trip...and I will definitely recommend you to anyone else I come into contact with.

The organisation was great, itinerary really helpful. All motels are great except for one hotel with cobwebs. South Island beautiful, sorry for missing Fox Glacier helicopter due to cloud. Reported it by phone back to discover NZ but still waiting for a promised refund, told would occur after the tour was completed. Great holiday , great place , 2 down points.

Firstly, our entire family is grateful for the help you extended to us during difficult times. The tour was awesomely planned. We had a fun time in New Zealand. We shall cherish the memories in years to come. 1. Our time in Christchurch was superb. 2. Mount cook was just splendid wish we had more time like a day to track 3. Dunedin was good but the residence although prime in location was pretty disappointing. The wildlife trip was ok, not much to see. But drive around was very scenic. 4. Queenstown was just awesome we even managed to drive to your home town and I must say you live in heaven on earth. The hospitality was very welcoming. The resort was a bit of a disappointment. We thought we could have a place facing the water front, instead, the view was blocked by blocks in front of us. 5 the rides that you including heli ride and the speed boat were cool 6. Milford sound was just breath taking. The entire experience was great. We would once again like to thank you for doing all this for us and if you ever come to Singapore we would love to meet you for a meal. Take care and most importantly belated Happy New Year Asim and family

Wow-what an amazing vacation !!!!!!!!!! We enjoyed every moment, thank you, Chelsea, for everything ....so well organized! New Zealand is a beautiful and safe country ...we will definitely return for a holiday

This was a memorable journey for us. Everything was well organized from the point of providing information on New Zealand's various journey options, booking the journey, listening to our request for organizing rooms near to each other for all family members. AAT kings well organized team made it possible to visit so many places within specified time and providing information about places. I would highly recommend to discovernewzealand.com and AAT king.

The quick response from Laura Davidson after the initial query was very impressive. This was the major factor for me to choose this personalised NZ tour. Along the way, there were small mishaps. No breakfast was mentioned or provided on the first night, It was very understandable as I arrived after midnight from Australia. However the 2nd time stayed at the same hotel, the receptionist mentioned the breakfast, I said "no breakfast provided on the 1st night and I am leaving 6:30 am in the morning: she organised the prepacked breakfast for me to pick up in the morning and provided me a better comfortable room. Paihia, the bus driver forgot to pick me up from the hotel for Sand dune tour, after contact from the hotel, they came and took me to the tour bus, this same driver forgot to pick another couple along the way, I mentioned it in front of passengers and smacked his bottom lightly with a big smile and said "all is forgotten", everyone laughed and we had a great time afterwards. This is the essence of NZ, speak nicely to them and they rectify any mishap immediately. The tour was well organised to every single detail and I proudly recommend NZ tour to anyone. Thank you, Laura, enjoy motherhood and Have a lovely day.

Our 9 day Southern Explorer tour was excellent! The itinerary and information provided was really helpful making it easy to get around and see all the important and amazing sights. Nichole was amazing and promptly answered any questions we had along the way. I’ve never had such a well organised holiday. Thank you!

We were thoroughly satisfied with your planning of itinerary, constant contacts to keep us informed of any changes. In particular, when there's a landslip problem on the route, you gave us a warning and offered alternatives. The private transfers were on time and the drivers were very courteous too. We greatly enjoyed our trip in New Zealand and would definitely recommend your service to our relatives and friends.

It’s all good and perfect!! Thanks a lot!!

Great communication; everything was perfect and the trip and its travel director were amazing. Thank you!

Engaging the service of Discover New Zealand is the best start I could have asked for in planning for my recent trip to NZ in Nov/Dec 2019. The itinerary is well thought through and catered very well to our driving schedule. It contains a good mix of fun activities and cultural experiences. Not forgetting the great eateries that are recommended along our routes that offer delicacies to fill our tummies. Discover NZ is also very responsive in addressing our needs and queries during our journey. I can’t imagine how my trip would turn out to be if not for the swift adjustments made by Discover NZ to re-route my trip when the road to Greymouth closed. All in all, we had a wonderful time travelling and visiting this beautiful country. Our family will certainly be visiting in the future and we will want Discover New Zealand to plan for us again.

We had a wonderful tour - big experiences and no problems at all. Thank you for organizing this journey.

Trip was fantastic and Christina was just great. Nothing was ever any trouble and everything ran perfectly!

Thanks, Katie for organising such a well planned and lovely trip. All the bookings were the same as it was mentioned in the itinerary. It would not have been possible to do a such compact and budget-friendly tour without your guidance. So thanks once again for planning such a lovely trip. I would highly recommend Discover New Zealand as a preferred tour partner for all who are planning for a New Zealand trip in future.

Thanks, Vickie for organising such an amazing trip for us. I must mention that you considered all our needs and preferences in planning the whole trip, for example, accommodations, tour timings and what all we wanted to do. You had been absolutely fantastic in responding to all my queries and issues that we faced. The only minor issue that we faced was with the reference numbers in the App not matching with tour operators. other than that everything else was very well planned. Without a doubt I would recommend you to anybody who wants to make their NZ holidays a memorable holiday.

I have nothing but praise for Nichole White who prepared a great itinerary for me. All details were taken care of including transfers and sightseeing. The hotels were excellent too. Thank you Nichole. I hope to return to your beautiful country and will certainly use your services again.

Chelsea was so lovely and helped with many extra requests without hesitation. The tour was very detailed and easy to follow using the App & having the printed version of the itinerary was helpful also. I highly recommend using this tour company & would use them again in the future. Thank you Chelsea!

We had a wonderful tour and saw parts of New Zealand we had never seen on our many previous visits. Our most memorable ones were the albatross colony and the Taieri Gorge train ride. Everything you set up for us was great. The tour went off like clockwork and all of the people doing their various parts were extra friendly and helpful. Thank you for the great holiday and hopefully, we will be back another year. Happy New Year.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you (and your team) for the planning and coordination of the greatest vacation we have ever experienced. Since I was a child, I wanted to see New Zealand. Many of my friends have visited New Zealand and Australia and all came back with the same comment; " I wish we had spend more time on New Zealand." We spent two weeks traveling the north and south islands. We drove approximately 2000 kilometers following your directions and enjoying the fantastic hotels that you have discovered. We had numerous adventures (excursions) along the way and we cannot tell you how much we enjoyed them. It was a dream come true. You made it so easy for us and we will never forget you for organizing this dream. You have been courteous, professional and extremely responsive to my questions throughout the planning process. Thanks so much! Great job!!!

What an amazing trip with Gina and Stu. The north island was fantastic and the tour group was small. The south island was my favourite, rain forest, Te Anau and the FiordJet with Chris, Queensland and the steamboat BBQ dinner. All the Little towns in between, gorgeous countryside.

Many thanks for organizing this wonderful trip for me. I simply loved the beautiful sceneries of your country and the friendliness of your people. The only pity was that I could not visit the Franz Josef Glacier because of the intensive rains that affected the area during my visit. You live in paradise and I will certainly be back one day to visit the North Island, Mount Cook and hopefully the Fiordland National Park and the Westcoast of the South Island. It was definitely a trip that left me with unforgettable memories and which I will warmly recommend to my contacts and friends. Except for the weather, the organization and the program of the tour was perfect, and your assistance very helpful. Many thanks for that.

Nichole was an absolute pleasure to work with. I had left my travel plans to the last minute and was stressed I wouldn't find something I loved for the dates required. Before contacting Discover NZ I had checked a few websites and made some enquires but no one was near as attentive and as accommodating as Nichole and Discover NZ. Nichole went above and beyond to ensure my trip was tailored exactly how I wanted it and made me feel very excited about my trip. Unfortunately the South Island had experienced unseasonably terrible weather during my last few days which meant a number of my trips got cancelled, but Nichole kept me informed by email immediately and took care of the refund process before I even mentioned it. I also had alternate travel arrangements organized by the team at Discover NZ on my second last evening when I and a number of others were stranded in Franz Josef due to the severe storms washing out both highway bridges. The team did everything they could to help us out even thought it was the weekend and their office was closed. Thank you Discover NZ, I will definitely be recommending your services to friends and family.

I am very happy to say that you made our short tour very enjoyable and unforgettable, During such short notice, you planned our tour in the north as well as the south part of New Zealand and covering most of the popular destination. We really enjoyed our tour very comfortably. My wife liked very much the Milford Sound and she too appreciates your arrangement. Due to bad weather, we could not complete tour to Franz Josef and we missed seeing Glacier but it is a nature and out of our control. We would definitely come back again but with friends and other family members for a longer duration. New Zealand is wonderful nature in its pure form. We thank you for your best tour management at a very appropriate price. We feel the money we paid is worth the value we enjoyed.

Thank you for all your help and support making our trip around the two islands most memorable, from being met at the airport to dropping off the car in Christchurch everything seemed to work like clockwork. Everything was booked and easy to access through our name. The accommodation was great at each location. The documentation pack with book and atlas was very useful. One very small bit of feedback was that I had to contact the office on the morning we were travelling to Hokitika due to being told by a couple of strangers that the road to Franz Josef was blocked. If we hadn’t met them we could have had a wasted journey. Once I contact the office you took over and sorted a re-route, which in the end was spectacular. Apart from that, which was a problem out of anyone’s control, you were great, thank you. Will be more than happy to recommend your company.

We want to thank you for the planning that you did for our trip. Everything worked according to your schedule that was prepared and we were very impressed with the beauty of your country. We were very happy with the accommodations that were booked. Any questions that we did have during the planning and while on our trip were quickly answered and handled perfectly. We will definitely recommend your service to anyone we know who is planning a trip to your part of the world.

Thank you very much for organising such a wonderful trip for us. Everyone enjoyed ourselves tremendously though it rained at Doubtful Sound and Mount Cook. Still, everything went smoothly and the guides are so friendly and knowledgeable. The coaches and vans arrived very punctually. we certainly will recommend you to our friends! Cheers.

I cannot stress enough how pleased we were with the attention to detail that Vicki put into this trip designed for us. Every step of the way was covered from the moment we stepped off the plane in Auckland. All pickups were on time, the extra hotels were great and the AATKings tour was wonderful. Vicki kept in touch with us before we left as well as after we arrived in New Zealand. I would highly recommend her as well as her company to organize a scenic, informative and stress free holidays you will remember for a long time. Thank you again Vicki.

It is definitely a very well organised itinerary. We had a fantastic time. No hassle and no other issues. No complaints. A big pat on the back for NZFT. Thank you so much.

From the very start, we found Discover New Zealand to be an excellent company to work with when planning and booking our trip to NZ. After an initial fact-finding phone call with Heather, she drew up an itinerary and plan for our time touring the Islands. We were able to add in our own travel arrangements to visit family whilst there and cover all of the sites, locations and experiences we wanted to see. In the build-up to the holiday, they kept in touch regularly and updated us on the need for new travel documents to visit NZ. All transfer arrangements were in place and on time as we're all the accommodation bookings, hire car arrangements and holiday experiences. The quality of the hotels / B+Bs that were selected was spot on and we stayed at some really beautiful places. A VERY big thank you goes to Shelley who took over from Heather in arranging the holiday and being our point of contact. She dealt with a few unexpected "emergencies", such as when the Interislander ferry broke down stranding us on the North Island, in her stride and was able to very quickly book us a flight which got us to where we needed to be on time but by a very different route. She also managed to sort out alternative travel and accommodation arrangements when our plans were disrupted due to heavy rainfall on the South Island. Without her, calm and helpful approach and her assistance in sorting things out the holiday would have been a lot more stressful. The holiday lived up to all of our expectations and when we return, which we are definitely going to do, we will have no hesitation in using Discover New Zealand again to help book and arrange our stay. A 5-star company and Shelley is certainly a star.

1) Overall very good experience touring the countryside - The Mountains & Lakes were just beautiful 2) Hotel accommodation was excellent 3) The 2 Hour nature cruise on the boat at Milford Sound - Too long - In future I would opt for something more interesting 4) Scenic Train: Greymouth to Christchurch - Enjoyed it Thanks for organising the itinerary.

The trip was really well planned and I enjoyed every bit of it! I appreciated the emails notifying me if any plans were modified, and it wasn't difficult to rebook the Milford Sound trip to Doubtful Sound. I will note that the lodging was incredibly comfortable and spacious for one person, and I didn't always feel like I needed all that space and wouldn't have minded staying in smaller or even shared spaces if it could have cut down on my costs.

Our trip to New Zealand was absolutely fabulous. Every single transfer, event, and even airplane trips were on time and well done. We thoroughly enjoyed both the north and south islands. I think we may love Queenstown the most. Nicole was fabulous to work with and responded to my every email and answered every question. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and entertaining. Thank you for all your help and making our vacation flawless. Know that we are thinking about the New Zealand people affected by the volcano eruption and the earthquake. You are in our prayers.

From the moment I contacted Discover New Zealand, the service we received was first-class, firstly in the preparation of our itinerary and later whist we were travelling around the country. I felt that we had a very personalised service with the documentation provided, the app which was designed for both online and offline, and the support provided by the company whenever we had a question. A couple of things worth mentioning: Whilst the majority of our accommodation was well located and very comfortable, there were a few motels that were a little 'tired'. A fantastic experience and would highly recommend Discover New Zealand to our families and friends!

We really enjoyed both days. Especially the glow worm caves and the Rotorua Maori experience was unique. Overall the time on each place was good. However, we did feel the Agrodome experience was a bit rushed and in fact, I think we didn’t get to catch the main show where they display all the sheep etc. I think we got an abbreviated show there. But, overall very happy customer here and would recommend this to others with limited time in NZ.

I want to say thank you Nichole White for organising our itinerary of New Zealand. We started with the 9 day spotlight tour of the South Island, but our daughter really wanted to see Hobbiton and weka workshop, so Nichole organised a tour of the north as well. We organised our own flight travels, but Nichole did all the rest, all our transfers and accommodation and day tours all organised, with only a few hiccups (mainly to do with our accommodation selected) but all in all, we had a fantastic time, and we saw a lot of New Zealand. Thanks again Nichole 9 1/2 out of 10👍

Very easy to work with and plan out the trip. Nichole is easy to work with and prompt in responses and suggestions. The trip, in general, went well.

Thanks so much to all in setting up a great trip! Everything worked out and no problems with any reservation, great job, great country!

Thanks to Shelley for organising a great trip. Airport and train transfers were much appreciated. The accommodation was very good. The food and coffee was excellent everywhere we went. The sights to see on the South Island were beautiful. The only problem we had was in getting to some of the places in the itinerary on time because we wanted to stop and take in the scenery.

An excellent tour if a little tiring with so many early starts. Coach captains and tour manager excellent very helpful and knowledgeable. Very good hotels and food amazing. Would suģgest that pickup time for Auckland airport allows at least 2,5 hours before check-in. Had my pickup not been 15 minutes early and it being Sunday I believe I could have missed my flight.

Overall it was exceptionable A couple of improvements would be the hotel in Blenheim. The whale watch was cancelled but the refund process was exceptional. Would recommend more time in Picton. We were really happy with the extra time we were there. The ferry mix up worked out great. Glowworms were ok but the Hobbiton was great. Everything else exceeded our expectations. We were very concerned with making reservations online and by phone. But Skye was very understanding and gave us the attention we expected and responded to all our questions almost immediately. I will recommend her to others without exception.

Great experience with the tour from the start to the end! Very professional, courteous, funny staff at every stage of the journey - from the bus to the hotels. Very carefully crafted and organized tour, will recommend to all my friends. Many thanks to Nicole and all the people who helped me to know New Zealand. I'm coming back!

We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in NZ, The greatest treasure that NZ has is its people. We met the very best in your population. All the sights we visited and most all of the places we stayed were wonderful. We enjoyed the South Island and all of its beauty. Queenstown and Christchurch were great cities to visit but Wellington and Auckland were too busy for us. Thanks so much for putting a travel plan together. We will recommend your company to our friends.

We had a lovely and relaxing trip! New Zealand has such magnificent beauty! NZ Coach Tours' tours are amazing and we got bang for our buck. Servanne was also immensely helpful and patient at every step of the way, and her guidance made the booking hassle-free. I have already, and will in the future, recommend your company to my friends and family. Apart from that, just had one point to share. Though Franz Josef was a lovely little town and our motel was superb, the glacier wasn't in its full glory, given it was nearing summer, and moreover it was cordoned off for tourists. Thus, we felt it would have been better to have stayed a night at Lake Tekapo instead. It was a gorgeous place and I really wanted to spend more time there. Maybe you can give an option to spring/summer tourists to spend a night somewhere apart from Franz Josef.

Our comments on the most enjoyable holiday are as follows:- Your efforts in arranging the trip and our additional requests were much appreciated. The organization of the entire trip especially the 3 Transfers and Car Hire delivery were excellent. The accommodations throughout were very good to excellent (special mention the room at the Punga Grove Motel in Franz Josef with its view over the rear rainforest garden also The Merivale Manor in Christchurch – a beautiful welcome to NZ. (A special mention to the attention of the managers Kate & Matt and the upgrade to the Manor on our return for our final night.) The supplied GPS was not used as the one in the hire car was very good and easily programmed. TSS Earnslaw - An absolute excellent cruise and dinner. However - Parking near the dock almost non-existent especially when the town is busy. I had to drop Pat at the boat and return to the motel to park. It was a bit hard for this 81-year-old to run (fast walk! ) back to the dock (in the rain). Luckily they held the boat for me (Only about 5 minutes). A disappointment to miss the Shotover Ride and the first half of the TranzAlpine Express due to nature’s efforts. We substituted the Gondola Ride in Queenstown and (as mentioned by the bus driver who took us from Greymouth to Arthurs Pass) the bus trip covers a more scenic route than the train on the first part of the journey). Overall a well-planned and well-organized effort by you and your company. We will certainly recommend it to our friends. On a less positive note. The final point we wish to make is the 2 days (days 6 & 7) travelling from Mt.Cook to Dunedin then on to Te Anau via Invercargill were most scenic, but due to the distance left little time to see either of the main towns. We feel these days could be better used by visiting other features on the West coast. Thanking you and hope to use your services in the future. and feel free to contact us if you need further comment.

In summary, the tour was excellent and the level of support also excellent. The guides were fantastic and really brought the scenery alive with their knowledge and enthusiasm. I can’t really fault anything between what was promised and what was delivered I also cannot fault the support and service that we received and would definitely recommend your company to anyone visiting NZ for tourism.

Thanks you Katie for organising our trip-we had an amazing holiday- New Zealand was awe inspiring and its people were so polite and helpful. Such a difference between the North and South Islands - so pleased we saw both-loved it all !!!! Merry Christmas to you and the staff in your office- hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends and may 2020 be kind to you.

Very happy with the tour - everything ran like clockwork. The only minor criticism we have is that the accomodation in Rotorua, Napier and Martinborough was about a 15 minute walk from the eateries and bars. While the walk wasn't a major problem for us for anyone who had to drive it would mean someone not being able to have a drink.

We had an incredible Holiday in New Zealand. Rommy did a great job of working our Holiday time in NZ. We feel we saw everything we needed to see. We enjoyed all of the venues, accommodations and recommendations. Our favourite destination was Christchurch. The Merivale Manor House was wonderful. The bed was the finest we had ever slept on. The Doubtful Sound cruise was very special as was the Botanical Gardens in Wellington. THANK YOU Rommy!

Our trip to New Zealand was amazing! Absolutely no issues with any of the rental cars, lodgings, or tours. Jane did a fantastic job listening to what we were interested in and customizing our trip for us. All of the tours were great! Some of our Lord of the Rings tours were even guided by people with first hand knowledge of the filming at the locations they showed us! 14 days was far too short a time to spend in this amazing country!

We’ve recently returned from the most wonderful family holiday in the south of NZ and it was mostly planned to perfection. The Queenstown transfers were waiting for us and took us to our accommodation while giving us some information about the place on the way. He was very nice. The accommodation in Queenstown was in a fabulous location, close to everything and with stunning views! It was clean and pretty comfortable but in desperate need of a facelift. We picked up the hire car on Saturday, we loved the car! Europcar were very helpful with making sure we had all the information we needed even suggesting local eateries and a visit to Arrowtown. The next day we headed to Franz Josef. Our accommodation at the Rainforest Retreat was incredible!! We couldn’t believe that this beautiful place was ours for the next couple of nights. We ate that night in the restaurant, Monsoons, and can highly recommend it for great food and great service...and a happy hour for cocktails! :) There was a mix up with the times of our activities but this was easily rectified (a few days earlier). We did the walk to the base of Franz Josef Glacier the following morning, this was a bucket list activity for my husband and it didn’t disappoint, we loved every moment and have incredible photos to remember it by. Later that afternoon we were meant to do the flight over the 2 glaciers but the weather didn’t permit, fortunately, we could reschedule to early the next morning and we got there. Interestingly, our helicopter had a pilot in training and an experienced pilot next to him. We weren’t told about this and normally it wouldn't be a huge problem, but it did get a bit concerning when the experienced pilot urged the actual (in training) pilot to lift his nose several times, each time more urgent than the last! We didn’t like that bit, but the rest was also incredible! Afterwards, we headed to Greymouth to drop the car off and catch the TranzAlpine train. Dropping the car off was a bit stressful because the instructions were to drive into the building of the Greymouth railway station, but after driving around looking for a building to drive into, we decided to park where other hire cars were parked. We were in the wrong car park but the very nice Europcar lady walked to us to do the handover. Phew! The train ride was both comfortable and spectacular! We loved it!! Christchurch is a beautiful city, again, our transfers to our accommodation were seamless. The Bella Vista was clean and comfortable enough, (with 2 flights of stairs to get to the bedroom) though something in the city centre would have been preferred. The managers of the Bella Vista were lovely and very accommodating. The grand tour was lots of fun and a great way to see the highlights of Christchurch. We hired a scooter a few times and had a ball on them! Thank you Louise for organising a wonderful holiday for us. There are so many great photo’s and new memories that we’ll cherish forever.

A thoroughly well-planned trip which we all enjoyed. The choice of accommodation was also very good. A complete surprise to see snow-capped mountains at every turn - a truly scenic tour.

My parents thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but mostly loved that everyone at all the places were so efficient and accurate with all the arrangements. Everyone was friendly and assisting throughout the trip. I am very happy to have chosen Discover New Zealand as part of my parents 50th wedding anniversary celebrations. You have made it memorable.

Hi, Everything was fine except at the Te Anau accommodation, we were initially told that we have to pay for the extra bed as there were 5 of us. For the accommodation at Mt Cook and Franz Josef, our rooms were quite far apart and that was a bit inconvenient. I know this may not be within your control.

Assistance was fantastic, so was the planning and itinerary. Very flexible in any changes. It really did make us enjoy our holiday more. The new app was helpful, but for some things we still had to go back to the printed itinerary, so we were happy to have that as well. Most of the accommodation was nice, especially the ocean view chalets. Some motels were very disappointing. One room was right next to their T-bar and the windows open to all the kitchen chimneys, so the room smelt of cooking oils.

Excellent tour. Exceptional Tour Guide. We really enjoyed our tour.

Would have loved to spend an extra day everywhere, except Auckland! The hotels were more than adequate. The only hotel discomfort we experienced was in Rotorua, the weather was very hot and there was no air conditioning in the hotel.  Overall we were more than satisfied and will recommend you to anyone we encounter who wants to go to New Zealand.

First of all, thank you. We both thoroughly enjoyed our 21-day self-drive tour. We took over 1000 photos between us. The weather for spring was really good … we only had three afternoons of pouring rain, although Milford Sound was cold and windy as well.

Hi Nicole, What a great holiday. Anne and I would rate that as one of our best organised, least stressful, most spectacular scenery and varied landscape and experience holidays we have had. I have already recommended Discover New Zealand to friends, family and work colleagues. Thank you so much. New Zealanders everywhere were so helpful and friendly. In the 2000’ish k’s we travelled, we only came across one road rager on the way out of Dunedin (just one impatient blockhead). I loved your road sign, “if there’s someone behind you, just let them pass” We would like to come back in a couple of years with Anne’s farmer brother and his wife, we would probably change the itinerary a little to extend our stays, particularly Dunedin and Wellington which we loved. Thanks again

We thoroughly enjoyed our taste of the delights of the South Island. The overnight locations were well chosen, providing cameos of different features of the island, and not being too far apart for the daily drive. The accommodation was generally excellent. Queenstown was a little below the standard of the others but I suspect Queenstown prices are somewhat inflated. We were warmly welcomed at most venues, and found locals welcoming and ready to help Aussie cousins. Our only hiccups were the refusal by Budget to give us a GPS device but this was quickly rectified by Kasmira, although it was a challenge to find the Dunedin depot without GPS. With the tour inclusions, the Milford Sound Trip was exceptional, best boat on the Sound, but the jetboat was not appropriate for our age group, and we were not aware that we could have obtained a refund, or choose a substitute if we had cancelled earlier. I suggest that you might warn clients that inclusions may not be appropriate for everyone and that a substitute may be arranged at no more cost if you are notified well beforehand. We assumed that the cost of any unwanted extras could not be refunded as it was included in the overall package price. Another warning you may give clients is a reminder about the weather which contrasts fundamentally with Australia. As it rains in NZ on more than 200 days a year, perhaps visitors need to be reminded that it is not unreasonable to expect several days in 14 to be affected by rain and that driving in these conditions can be difficult. This is not a complaint about your weather as it keeps the country beautiful, fresh and spectacular, just that some visitors did not appreciate that wet days are normal and to be expected. We would like to make special mention of Karen from Hydrangea Cottages (probably our favourite accommodation) who went out of her way to return to us my wife's spectacles that we did not discover missing until we were too far away to return. And also a heads up to Ocula of Queenstown for friendly and quick attention to my spectacle breakage. In conclusion, our thanks to Kasmira for her prompt and meaningful responses to our various queries along the way. We have recommended Discover New Zealand to several friends as we fondly remember our time in your spectacularly beautiful country,

Well done on organising our great trip to your wonderful country. We had a great time and were looked after very well. A bit disappointed for the Grand Tour of Christchurch - was not what we expected, didn't see enough of Christchurch but never mind, would like to go back to the south Island again in the future. THANKS

Thank you so very much for organising a fantastic holiday for me. It was everything and more than I expected. Everything ran smoothly without any hassles. The scenery around the south island is fantastic and I will certainly look forward to coming back and seeing more of it. Thank you again for your help and support it really was fantastic. Will definitely recommend you to all my friends if they are travelling to your beautiful country. Thank you.

Thank you, Lisa, and Discover New Zealand for a very smooth and enjoyable trip. We were very happy with the tours, the guides, the drivers and indeed every aspect of our trip. We thank Lisa for her professionalism, responsiveness and attention to detail. We have recommended both Lisa and your company to people we know. Great job, well done.

Thanks everyone at Discover NZ, especially Abby and Kaz, everything went well (except the weather) but we had a great time, a great car and accommodations were good. People in NZ are so friendly and helpful. Will visit again in the near future.

Rommy, Thanks for arranging this holiday for me. New Zealand was exotic, and my tour arrangement was flawless to match with it. You have been very helpful through all the booking procedures and even though I didn't have much time before starting my journey, still everything was in order & perfect. I took a few suggestions that you have made which was spectacular as well. I will definitely recommend 'Discover New Zealand' to my Family & friends who will like to visit this beautiful country. I wish you all the best.

Thank you very much for following up on the trip. The participants had an enjoyable time with excellent lodging and sightseeing . Thank you Jane for all your help.

Servanne, Our holiday went like clockwork and we had a great time. The suggested activities were all excellent, we were met on our arrival and the quality of the accommodation was very good. Mt Cook was especially a highlight. We are keen cyclists and managed to hire bikes in a couple of places. When we return we will try to include some time on the many South Island trails as well as the things we did.

Great trip from Christchurch to Mt Cook, Queenstown, Glenorchy, and home via Haast Pass and the glaciers and the last leg on the train from Greymouth. The drivers provided excellent commentary and clearly knew the areas they were travelling through and history. As a car driver on the routes covered for some years I had a good knowledge of what to see and expect and the drivers expanded that knowledge greatly.

Everything went very smoothly thanks, though we had some ongoing problems with our first car and so Europcar agreed to refund us a day's use through a reimbursement from New Zealand Fine Touring (Discover New Zealand). All the motels were fine, and the itinerary was appropriate for what we wanted. The weather cooperated too! Many thanks Christina – this was the trip of a lifetime!

Hi Katie! Thank you for being very helpful to us especially in designing our tour and for answering my queries. We had a very memorable experience in our tour. Everybody enjoyed it.

Thanks for your wonderful arrangement to our 10 days NZ tour. We have visited the most beautiful scenery in NZ. NZ is so peaceful and we love the Mt Cook, glacier and the hobbit paths. The coach drivers are polite and helpful, the hotels are neat and clean. We enjoyed it lots. It is better to print on the booklet the tour company responsible for the day tour so that we can find the guy who came to pick us up. Anyways Thanks again for your arrangement and hope to see you and NZ again.

Brilliant. From the planning with Christina to the excellent communication to the actual trip! We would definitely book again. During the trip, there was a lovely range of accommodation, usually close to eateries. The tours we took were all great, with the Maori village in Rotorua and Zealandia in Wellington being stand outs. Thank you, Christina, for the great attention to detail!

Great value for money and easy to get around! No issues to note.

It was excellent. We really enjoyed ourselves. All the hotels were very nice. Thanks for a great adventure. We will and have already recommended you to others.

Shelley was extremely helpful and responsive. We loved our trip to New Zealand - what a beautiful country!! There were so many highlights it’s hard to list only a few. However, some of our favourite tours were Hobbiton, the various hot springs parks in Rotorua (Te Puia especially), the Milford Sounds Nature Cruise and the scenic flight back to Queenstown. We also loved the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch. If we have the opportunity to return (and I hope we do) we would choice to go fewer places and stay longer, as the only downside was having a lot of time on buses and not always as much time to explore. Still this was one of the best trips we’ve taken and working with Discover New Zealand to maximize our experience was well worth it!

We had such a wonderful time in New Zealand. Thanks Chelsea and her team to organize everything for us. All accommodation, transportation and activities are booked and it is so easy for us to just follow the plan.

We had a fantastic trip and can’t fault the service we were provided. Special mention must go to our transfer drivers in Christchurch who went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and ensured we were looked after.

We had a fantastic three weeks touring both islands. Our contact with Discover New Zealand, Nichole, was extremely helping. She helped both in giving great advice before we travelled there, and was also available by phone to help us out of a difficulty whilst we were touring. I have no hesitation in recommending their service.

I asked Rommy Fisher to arrange a memorable trip to the NZ South Island. She did a great job with the itinerary, hotels and transportations. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip from Christchurch to Queenstown on a sunny day, with Mount Cook showing its full splendor. We learned quite a bit about the Milford Sound with the nature guide on board. The Franz Josef Glacier was the only disappointment, mostly due to the bad weather. I’d certainly recommend Rommy to my friends for their travels to this wonderful country. Thank you so much.

Exceptionally done, well organized, spot-on for the tour. Although we ran into a wee problem at the Mount Cook stopover, none the less overall very satisfied. Shelley knocked it out of the Park, as we North Americans say. Good on ya! For setting up and excellent tour. Everything fell into place all car rentals were great - not a problem. I cannot say enough about how well organized everything was. Thanks, many times over for a job well done. Cheers

Our itinerary was facilitated by Shelley to suit our needs and time frame and all went to plan. All the drivers we had were very attentive and informative. Accommodation was excellent. All in all a wonderful visit to the South Island and a great time was had by all!

The tour was wonderful! A lot to see in 5 days, so it was a little tiring, but the landscape was so beautiful that it was worth it. And all the transportation, by bus or train or boat was on time, no delays, so everything worked out smoothly. Great job!

The whole experience of my tour from the booking to the final dinner in Christchurch was excellent. The places of interest, hotels even the lunch stops where tip-top. Staff wise you couldn’t have asked for more nothing was too much for them.

We had a wonderful holiday in New Zealand, arranged for us by Chelsea at Discover New Zealand. She answered all our queries promptly and phoned me in the UK to discuss various options in order to ensure that the itinerary covered everything we wanted to do and see. All the arrangements went smoothly, with taxi and coach pick-ups timed to perfection and nice accommodation throughout. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful - Franz Josef Glacier and the Dart River Jet were two highlights from a great tour. I have no hesitation in recommending Discover New Zealand and Chelsea for a great service!

It was a terrific few days. The accommodation was lovely and the sights were wonderful. Thank you for the organisation.

Overall we both enjoyed the trip and appreciated the assistance you provided. The only suggestion re the trip would be to change a few of the attractions. However, as I said, we both enjoyed the trip. The food, accommodation, coach, coach driver Chris, all top class.

Had a wonderful time! Our driver, Rachael was absolutely fantastic. They gave great insight and commentary the whole way there. Everything was great— even though it rained. Thank you!!

Christina did a great job organizing our trip and also responding to my special requests for nature-oriented activities. The result was a memorable tour of the South Island that included so many iconic things I have wanted to do and see for over 30 years -- the Milford Sound, complete with penguins; the Franz Josef Glacier; the TranzAlpine Railway; Akaroa Harbor and Hector's dolphins! The highlight for us was Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, the Hermitage, and a couple of really nice hikes! The bus drivers and tour guides were all great -- interesting, informative, accommodating. Hats off to all of them. The accommodations were all nice. The best was the Hermitage, and the place we stayed in Franz Josef Glacier. Christina even helped me find a nature-oriented day trip in Queenstown after our tour ended, with another tour operator. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated that referral. It was just what I was looking for. After thirty years, we finally made it to the South Island. I am glad we finally made it. What a trip! Thank you!

We would like to thank Katie Looker for helping us to arrange a customised itinerary during our stay at the South Island of NZ! I'd wanted to make a couple of changes to the original itinerary, and Katie was very prompt in replying and making changes/arrangements to my various requests and queries.The connections from point to point were well done too - most of the coaches and private transfers arrived punctually, and the friendly drivers would provide commentary to give us more insight to the places we were going to. I enjoyed the trip thoroughly and love all the beautiful scenery New Zealand has. Will definitely contact Discover New Zealand again when we plan to re-visit New Zealand, and will also recommend it to friends who plan to travel there!

All the accomadations were great. The bus rides became tedious. We felt they made too many stops at remote areas and didn't leave us enough time to enjoy that days destination. We would have liked more time in Christ Church. We didn't arrive there until nearly 8pm and had to be up at the bus by 7am. A slightly better itinerary for us would have been spending an extra day in Christ Church and only having a short visit to Mount Cook.

Enjoyed trip very much It all went very smoothly and the accommodations were great The suggested route seemed fine although we took a few alternatives PS. I enjoyed the windy roads My wife not so much

We want to thank Discover New Zealand and especially Nicole for the plans she made for us. It was absolutely perfectly planned through. We had a wonderful honeymoon and enjoyed our New Zealand time a lot! Thank you again for this wonderful trip.

Hello Nichole, I was going to email you to thank you for arranging our tour of New Zealand. We had a wonderful time and encountered no problems along the way. We were always collected on time and our hotels were very good. The trips were everything we had hoped for and it was lovely to have free time so that we could explore on our own. Couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thank you very much.

Had a great tour experience. Everything went hassle free once we arrived. Hotels & motels booked were as expected and provided good service. Cancellations & amendments were dealt with & could be made easily as the tour operator was easy to reach. Despite the confusion about the payment and charges, all elements of the trip were taken care of, which made it memorable.

I would like to say that Katie was so helpful throughout the whole experience, from initially reaching out to discuss options to suit our wish list items and budget, all the way through to helping out with bookings and suggestions while we were traveling. Katie, thanks for sticking with our slow communication throughout the early stages, Carissa and I really appreciate you taking all of the stress of planning the honeymoon away from us during a full on time in our life!

Thank you Louise Well organised, good hotel accommodation and tours wonderful. My only criticism was dealing with Budget in Christchurch. Unfriendly and wanted to charge us for extra drivers. I pointed out that this had been taken care of and on closer inspection of her notes, this was indeed the case. We were also told we would need to pay extra for snow chains so we decided not to take them and fortunately did not require them. They also opened at 9am not 8.30. Otherwise a lovely holiday.

She did a great job! Telling all my friends to contact her for their trip to NZ. There currently is an interest at my work place to go to NZ for a couple years now and I am telling people that if they want to go the way I did, to contact Christina. We had to make last minute changes in our plans due to illness, but Christina was on it in a flash. We are VERY satisfied with Christina and if we go to NZ again, you can bet Christina is who I will contact ( I have her bookmarked in my Contacts).

Thank you for your help in making our trip so amazing!! We had a great time! We could not have done it without the insights that you provided regarding the various options we had and how long to spend at each place. Thank you again for all of your help!

We were extremely happy with our recent tour of New Zealand. Katie Looker put together a fabulous itinerary for us and effortlessly meshed together all of our requests while making some excellent suggestions of her own. All of the add-ons she suggested turned out to be spectacular. We had a couple of minor hiccups along the way, which had nothing to do with NZ Fine Tours, and which she smoothed out for us quickly and efficiently. Based on our experience I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this company to any friends contemplating a trip to this beautiful part of the world. We also happened to be blessed with extraordinarily good weather while traveling around, although this may not have been entirely Katie's doing.

Thank you Shelley, all the arrangement go on well. We really enjoy our stay. and we are lucky to have blue sky most of the times especially Milford sound, so we can take beautiful picture. We will come back for North Island tour, and definitely introduce to our friends plan to NZ. We are lucky because sea condition is good for Whale watching. we saw the whale 3 times. Once again, thank you.

Hi Katie, we had a fantastic time and everything went to like clock work we will definitely be doing this again and have already told our family and friends what a great trip we had.

Jan and Richard here, back in the US. Just wanted to send you a quick thank you for all your help in planning our non-conference time in NZ. We had a great time! We especially enjoyed the post-conference coach-boat-scenic air flight from and back to Queenstown. The day was beautiful and we got to see so much on land, water and in the air during this day trip. Our next adventure from Queenstown to Christchurch via Mt Cook was relaxing and allowed us to experience more of NZ than we have in the past. Thank you again, and, if/when we are planning to come back to NZ, we will definitely be back in contact with you for help in finding more wonderful things to do in NZ.

Hi there! A huge thanks again to Nicole for her friendly, responsive and positive attitude, absolute pleasure to deal with her. The tour was great, happy with all accommodation and was blown away by the celebration of our anniversary in several places. The only issue we had was collecting the car in Auckland. It appears there was an error when making the reservation in Europcars system. They initially intended on charging me for two days but when I explained that the tour includes the car for the whole time, the lady quite rudely stated that Mam we deal with this company a fair bit, someone stuffed up and I'm trying to fix it for you. There was no apologies or any sort of friendliness and was not a positive experience, considering I had not done anything wrong and she is in a customer service role. Based on that experience, I would not be recommending Europcar to anyone else. Aside from that one person though, everyone else was fantastic and we had a wonderful time. Thank you again!

Our time in New Zealand was everything imagined and more! Shelley Ryder listened well to what we desired and fashioned a trip from our input that surpassed expectations, from accommodations to printed materials (especially the bound detailed itinerary with directions) to the excursions. It made our time stress free with everything flowing so smoothly. It is easy to see why people wish to move to New Zealand. The people are kind, thoughtful, generous, respectful, helpful and very welcoming. The natural beauty of the islands is spectacular! And our trip allowed us to soak in the wonders of the people and the land! Shelley was very patient with our months of planning and always timely in her communications — not easy with the huge time difference between our two countries. We could not have asked for more! Thank you, Shelley, and Discover New Zealand, for truly a once in a life time experience.

Hi Nichole, Sorry for the delay. We had such a great time on the tour. Highlights were Mount Cook (We wish we had more time around the glaciers or exploring Wanaka etc), Milford Sound and Dunedin. Queenstown was a nice stop along the way. The parking you suggested was full, but we found somewhere else relatively easily. We were a little confused when some accommodation seemed to change from the initial quote, but we were not disappointed at all - all the accommodation was great. Thanks so much for all your help!

My visit to New Zealand was absolutely fantastic! I was utterly enthralled by the magnificent beauty of this magical place. My itinerary was very ambitious. I should definitely have allowed more time for myself to do all the wonderful things I did. I had to drive a lot...on the left...but enjoyed all that that allowed me to do: visit the glaciers, walk through the rain forest, sail on Milford Sound, climb a mountain near Mt. Cook and so much more. The train ride on the TranzAlpine Scenic Train was unforgettable, as was the sunrise at Mt. Cook, the skyride at Queenstown, and the Maori Experience in Christchurch. I'll definitely be back. I heart NZ!

The tour was great. It was quite a lot to take in and many hours on the road. A rest day or 2 built into the itinerary would be refreshing but otherwise it was a good route, the activities exceeded expectations and it was a relief that we never had any issues with accommodation bookings.

Everything was well plan and driver was on schedule. Our group enjoyed the trips and beautiful sightseeing. Except on 8 Aug the pick up from Bella vista Queenstown to Frans Josef , the driver was not on time and was not very friendly. For the hotel accommodation it would be nice that hotel room are book at ground floor at Rainforest Retreat and Belta vista Queenstown instead of 1st floor, as we need to carry our large and heavy luggage up without any help from hotel staff. Thank you Nicole Andrews for the planning.

Nicole was incredibly helpful in setting up the connecting pieces. Everything went really really smoothly. The coach drivers were courteous, and we got lunch breaks in Kaikoura, Oamaru and Te Anau - places I did not think we would get to see on this trip!! I would recommend Nicole most enthusiastically!!

Absolutely fabulous from start to finish. Chelsea was really helpful with the organisation of the tour and during the tour. My itinerary was perfect and ran like clockwork. I thank Discover New Zealand for the amazing experience and for all their help in arranging this. I would love to relive it!

A good trip. Nichole & the team were very helpful

We've been meaning to review our tailor made trip for ever, so finally getting round to it. Feb 18 is such a long time ago now, but this trip is 1 we think about and talk about often. So, we just want to let everyone know if they're thinking about touring NZ THIS is the way to do it!! We absolutely loved it! Loved how ALL the things we wanted to do or didn't want to do were as the name says, 'tailormade', for us. Extra days or time spent in 1 location was not a problem. Selecting different accommodation was not a problem. The best, best thing was we were on an organised tour of NZ, but a tour with a maximum group size of 2 people!! Our own private tour! No-one telling us where to meet or eat. No shared tables with 'polite' general chit chat. No waiting on someone who's late for the bus, (continually)! Thank you guys for helping us plan this trip. We'd so love to see much more of NZ if it wasn't for the 8hr flight to Dubai followed by the 19hrs to Auckland. 😲. So people.... if reading this review and contemplating doing a tailormade trip to NZ.... do it! Book it with Discover New Zealand, believe us they're worth it and you deserve it!

Chelsea, the trip was absolutely wonderful! We had a great time and everything ran smoothly and on-time. It was exactly what we were hoping for and it was so nice to have the itinerary each day to guide us to see the most of NZ south island! We greatly appreciate your help in making this such a perfect family holiday! best, Jeannie

Morning Jane If we had to give a score out of 10 for our tour of the South Island New Zealand we would give it 100. We were so impressed with all of it and we would definitely recommend touring with your company.

Thank you so much, Christina for helping us plan our 30th Wedding Anniversary Vacation to NZ's North Island! I keep pinching myself because it will be a very special memory for the both of us. The land was breathtaking & magical, the people were warm & gracious, and the food was exceptional & delicious! We hope to plan another one to visit the South Island one day soon. Thank you again for your expertise, last minute arrangements, and questions you answered professionally & warmly.

Great experience! We enjoyed our trip. Thank you so much for making this happen! Friendly and informative staff. Definitely will refer friends.

We found that the trip was very well organised. Every side tour was very interesting and met all of our expectations. The accommodation was very good and the hosts were very welcoming and couldn't do enough for us.They advised us of the local tourists attractions which we found to be great.It was amazing to drive from the North to South Islands and the scenery was just beautiful. A big thank you to Narissa and the team. We would recommend this trip to anyone.("GREAT").

Wayne and I really appreciated the organisation of the tour overall. Communication was prompt and changes requested were accommodated quickly. On arrival we were warmly greeted by both our driver Faith and Wayne and Karen at Merivale Manor, making us feel welcome. All accommodation was to our liking. The decision for a Corolla hire car suited our needs. The itinerary suited us very well. We used GPS, maps and driving instructions to find our way. (Slight confusion finding our accommodation in Dunedin!) The trip was made even more enjoyable as the rain and snow held off while we were travelling. Because the trip was well planned, and by keeping an eye on the weather reports, our tour was a success from beginning to end. A big thank you to Chelsea Lodge.

Hi Louise and team. Stephen and I would like to pass on our sincere thanks and absolute joy at the marvelous time we had traveling in beautiful NZ. All of the arrangements from the tour information pack and the many optional extras that had been arranged went without a hitch. The accommodations were highly satisfactory - with only the exception of Omapere on the Kauri Coast, which was a little bit old and tired. I understand that there was little alternative at this location - so maybe your suggestion to travel onto Paihia would have been a better idea :). I'm not sure if you worked additional magic - as the weather we had for the whole 28 days was fantastic and only rained when we were traveling between towns. We even had a sparkling clear day at Milford Sound... something we were told is an absolute rarity. Overall I couldn't recommend your organisation more highly - and it's something I've been doing since I returned home. Thanks again - I'll be looking you up when I head back across the ditch :)

It was a great tour with a well organized route by very nice staff so we didn't come across any hassles at any stop. The weather was a bit out of expectation but still good to enjoy the stay and the bus tour. We experienced the fantastic nature scenic while on the bus tour from Queenstown to Greymouth and on the train from Greymouth to Christchurch. We 100% will be back!

Hi Nichole, You had arranged for me a really wonderful tour - beyond what I expected! The hotels were incredible particularly Punga Grove absolutely lovely. The drivers were very friendly and helpful, pointing out as much wonders of each and every destination, even stopping so we can get out our cameras and record each breathtaking moments. You designed a wonderful smooth journey for the all methods of transport I took. Never for a moment had I to be worried about schedules or arriving late anywhere. The drivers picked and dropped me at every hotel. I really spent my days taking in all the beautiful scenery and frankly I am saturated to the brim. Thank you to you Nichole and your team. Every cent spent was truly rewarding and satisfying. Love, Jennie

The tour was wonderful, but there's room for little improvement. 1. Lake Tekapo is very nice and we suggest to stay one night over there. 2. There's many trails in Mount Cook National Park and they're easy to reach. The Mount Cook Encounter Guided Walk is quite expensive and it's not worth to spend such money on the proposing trails because we can go by ourselves. Luckily, the Japanese guide allows us to change the original plan and she brought us to another way which is different. 3. The receptionist of Hermitage Hotel's activity counter was very nice and they helped us to change the date of stargazing because of the weather. 4. The nature walk in Wanaka was interesting. 5. The trip to Milford Sound was really time-consuming, it's the hardest time we had in the trip. Nevertheless, it's worth to go but we would not include this in the next trip to NZ. 6. The helihike was excellent!!

Hi Laura, OMG the trip was absolutely fantastic.  The weather was perfect, only had 1 day when it rained that was when we decided to go to the Hot Beach. The accommodation was fantastic and our itinerary was as well.  We're glad we decided to spread it out a bit cos we thought it would've been too hectic otherwise.  The best part of the trip for me was going to Rainbow Springs Kiwi Park.  When we got there just before 9am we said that we would like to do the tour.  So the girl rang through to see if there were any kiwis and there was a 3 month old little baby kiwi called Hokey Pokey who got weighed and had to have some treatment for a sore eye.  He was so gorgeous.  I'm glad we didn't get you to book this in advance cos we might have missed out on seeing Hokey Pokey. We went to Hell's Gate in Rotorua and we had a fantastic guide who instead of just taking 30 - 45mins she took over an hour, explaining so much.  The dolphin cruise was great and we saw bottle nose dolphins and then went out further and saw common dolphins.  Rotorua was great and the visit to Mitai Maori village was fantastic.  We also went to the Maori village where Maoris still live as Mark wanted to buy a true traditional carving.  Mark loved the Hobbiton tour and we actually went on an earlier time, which turned out better for us but since I haven't seen any of the films it was a bit confusing when the guide would say things about different scenes in the films.  In Taupo we went on the Maori Rock Carving cruise which was great, even though it was a bit cool - thank goodness for the blanket that I was given.  The Footwhistle Glowworm Cave tour was fantastic as we were allowed to take photos of the glow worms and in the cave.  The Kawa tea was very different - bitter but okay. Once again thank you for organising such a fantastic holiday for us.  Trust me when I say we didn't want to come home!!!

Everything on the trip went as planned apart from the glacier sail which was cancelled due to the bad weather. Apart from the rain on that first day we had beautiful weather ( better than in Scotland) and the scenery was spectacular. I found it strange that Europcar gave us a separate navman when there was a satnav in the car. Your accommodation selection was spot on and all had easy access to restaurants so there was no need to use the car and we could enjoy your New Zealand wine. Your suggestion to book the 10.30 sailing at Milford Sound was spot on as the ship was not too busy and it was easy enough to get around to take pictures without having to squeeze through a crowd. The journey times you quoted were pretty accurate. I did not find the roads difficult to drive on and they were quite quiet, perhaps it was a quieter time after the Easter break. However we did make a lot of stops to take pictures of the magnificent scenery and it would be very easy to get delayed if to were not careful about your time. The winery tour was slightly disappointing as two of them did not seem to have much idea of what to do especially the Wooing Tree where they did not know what a vegan was. Vicky who was taking the tour was also a bit disappointed with the service and I think she was going to raise the matter with them. Nevertheless we did thoroughly enjoy our tour. The train journey to finish off the tour was very relaxing and informative, despite not being a lover of trains I did enjoy the commentary and scenery and saw more than I would have if we had driven back to Christchurch. I have given your website to a couple of friends in Australia as they were keen to know how we got on but whether they are willing to spend the money is debatable. For us this was the best way to see the country and it was well worth the expense. Thank you for all your assistance and organising what was a superb trip.

Everything went well and smoothly. No dramas along the way. We had a wonderful holiday and the 11 days of perfect fine sunny weather was a bonus. Thanks be to God. Thanks to Jane for the preparation and for ensuring all logistics are in place.

Well coordinated tour. We were happy with the tour. Thank you.

Dear Rommy and the Discover New Zealand team, Thank you for organising a wonderful trip throughout New Zealand. We had a very good time and fun experiences along the way. The tour was nicely organised, we especially enjoyed the Maori village experience, Agrodome, Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton and other sites as well. Accommodations in Auckland and Wellington were superb, however the Tuscany Villas Rotorua and Blue Peaks Lodge in Queenstown had poor internet. However, in Blue Peaks the staff was very helpful and provided DVDs to watch and also it was much more warm there than in the Tuscany Villas. We were also very excited that we could see Queenstown and Milford Sound. Such beautiful places. Thank you very much for organising the trip and we will definitely recommend your company to our friends and family.

The trip was a lovely way to see the country! However we had though there was breakfasts included in the tour - possibly just a miscommunication when booking. Our accommodation was also out one day when we checked in a Franz Josef, thankfully they had a spare room for us that night. Otherwise brilliantly organised, we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

From the time I was online looking at options for a our trip to New Zealand I have been very impressed with the Discover New Zealand team. Brigett has a real pleasure to work with and put together a great trip that will give us many pleasant memories. We did have a hitch in our plans and were not able to visit Franz Josef Glacier because of a washed out bridge. Brigett was on top of it and made alternative arrangements for us. Two thumbs up to Brigett and the team at Discover New Zealand for arranging a wonderful trip for my wife and I. Thank you.

That was a unforgettable & stunning tour in New Zealand South Island. Thank you Nicole for your well & professional arrangements, my friends and me were really happy with this trip and will definitely come back to NZ to have holidays. I have also recommended you to my other friends.

Thank you so much for organising this amazing and a lifetime memorable trip. Special thank to Chelsea to assist in keeping in my mind my needs and requirements and providing outstanding customer service. Thanks a ton I really enjoyed my time in New Zealand

Very organised all went like clockwork. Buses comfy and clean,train trip was really good. Hotels good standard. Lucky with the weather. Overall would recommend your company

Thank you to Abby for helping me set this up! It was super intimidating to plan a whole trip by myself but Abby gave great suggestions and the add-on activities are what really stole the show. I would recommend this service to anyone going to NZ!

Hi Christina, we just wanted to say thanks for arranging such a super trip for us! The mixture of LOTR and more 'authentic' NZ was just right, and your personal touches really made a difference. The accommodation you chose for us was just right, allowing us to be independent when we wanted to be, and with a few special touches along the way. We knew we couldn't do everything in just 2 weeks but you certainly packed a lot in! NZ is a beautiful country and we met so many friendly people too, that I'm sure we'll be back one day! Thanks once again.

This was an excellent tour which we enjoyed immensely. South Island New Zealand is even more spectacular than we anticipated. Collection of the hire car, hotel bookings, directions, all went smoothly and for this we are grateful to you. The first hotel we stayed in, the Hermitage at Mount Cook was excellent in every way - this set a standard that was not quite fulfilled in subsequent hotels. While the rooms in subsequent hotels were clean and well appointed the provision for dinner and breakfast was more basic. The hotel at Te Anau was welcoming but the restaurants were mediocre. The hotel at Queenstown was very well appointed but again the restaurant was disappointing. The hotel at Dunedin again was limited. We appreciate that these other hotels may well have been the best on offer for the price - but they emphasised the excellence of the Hermitage. The trip on Milford Sound was brilliant and we have memories that we will keep for a long time. Thank you again for such efficient and friendly service.

Hi Nicole, thank you for helping us organise the trip. I've been so busy that I forgot to ask about getting a refund for the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Shuttle that was cancelled due to the flood. I called on the day and they said that refunds have been issued and to talk to our tour organisers. There was also a small issue regarding the private transfer that was supposed to pick us up to leave NZ, he never showed up so I had to call and get another driver. Other than that, the trip was smooth sailing and we appreciate all your help!

My family and I had a wonderful trip to New Zealand in early April, thanks to Shelly and team. There were multiple changes along the way and we had to change itinerary often due to road closures but the team made it a much less stressful trip without us having to worry about making the changes to accom, car etc. Thanks once again!

Huge thanks to you Christina for organising our wonderful trip! We had the best holiday and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the tour. We certainly saw a lot of the South Islands and the scenery was breathtaking. Each day of the tour was executed with flawless precision. Our transfers always arrived early and we were always greeted with friendly and professional staff. The hotels chosen were great - clean, spacious and good breakfasts! Thanks again and would definitely recommend your services to family and friends.

Dear Discover New Zealand Team, thank you very much for everything as we had an absolute amazing, relaxed , enjoyable and stress free vacation. A Special thanks to Christina - she is very dedicated and was easy to reach in regards of any questions or adjustments. We will definitely share our great time with friends and family and can recommend your agency 100%. Keep all doing what you are doing. Thank You !!!! We loved NZ and you helped us to enjoy every part of it more :)

Thank you for organising our wonderful holiday, we had a great time. Everything went very smoothly with no problems. The last minute changes due to the west coast bridge being out worked out fine. We would recommend Discover New Zealand for anyone wanting to holiday in NZ.

We had a wonderful holiday. Although we had to change plans at the last moment due to the bridge collapse everything worked out quite well. Your company's response to the change made it effortless on our part. We would and will highly recommend your services to others.

We have had the fortune to have Katie help us on our recently concluded 5-day Auckland to Wellington your, including a trip to Hobbiton. The tour packages listed on the website could not fulfill our requirements. The request to Discover New Zealand was made at the very last minute, something like 2-3 days before the tour actually started. Katie responded to our request within an hour. After a couple of short calls and emails, the tour package was setup exactly to our requests. Katie is extremely helpful and understand all our requirements perfectly. Her break-neck speed in turning around the tour itinerary and quotation was superb with a 100% accuracy. It is our luck and fortune to have worked with Katie on this last minute organized tour where every part of the tour went smooth, from transport to hotel arrangements to visits to all places of interest. We are very thankful to all the help rendered by Katie. She is definitely a great asset to your organisation. We will certainly recommend Katie and Discover New Zealand to our friends when they visit New Zealand in the future. Many thanks, in particular to Katie, for her friendliness and the superb planning and organizing that made the tour so pleasant.

Laura, We had an outstanding time on our trip! We thought all of the accommodations were great except for the Picton Yacht Club... that hotel was OK - a bit run down in the hallways although the room was clean. We thought everything ran very smoothly - the bookings you made, the picking up and dropping of the cars, etc. We especially appreciated your teams rapid adjustment to our plans when we decided to escape Fran Josef during the torrential rains. (We made it out with about an hour to spare before the road washed out). All in all, a very well done job! We had received positive recommendations from friends who had used your team and we will be sure to recommend your team to others.

WOW! What a holiday. From the minute our group of 5 'mature' ladies were picked up from Christchurch Airport to being dropped off 2 weeks later at Dunedin Airport we experienced NZ hospitality at its best. All the hard work Amanda put in to ensure we had great accommodation and that our itinerary went smoothly certainly paid off. We loved our time in Christchurch staying at Terra Vive Apts; the Trans Alpine Train Journey was spectacular; the huge Rainforest Retreat lodge in Franz Josef was amazing as was the walk to the glacier; and the afternoon spent in the Glacier hot pools. We decided our time in Queenstown was the best as was the fabulous apartments over looking the lake. TSS Earnslaw evening cruise and BBQ was magical. Lastly staying at Quest Dunedin for 4 nights gave us lots of time to enjoy the sights (including climbing Baldwin St). All customised to our wishes, including activities of our choice, we couldnt have asked for better. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The plan and the description of my itinerary was very good. It was the only way to me to see as much as possible of the south. Of course it is not the same as if you travel in a group all the time. But it is an interesting way travel individual.

Thank you Brigett for the wonderful trip and for arranging everything for us. It was a truly exceptional experience. We loved the tour and the recommended activities. It was a pity that we missed out on Franz Josef, and the Alpine train ride, and thank you for helping with the interim arrangements. With regards to the accommodation, we enjoyed all of the hotels/motels. The Waldorf Stadium Apartments in Auckland are a little run down, but the service was good. thanks again

So everything went great. We had an awesome and amazing time. Was sad a few things had to be canceled because of weather, but that is nothing anyone can control. Just gives a a reason to come back. I don't recall anything that went wrong. Everything flowed great and we had time to make each tour and sight see at the same time. Thank you for all your help and support in making an awesome and amazing vacation. If anyone ask us about NZ and plan to go, we will diffidently give them Discover New Zealand information. An if we get the chance to come back i will be reaching out to you. Thanks

A brilliant holiday, very well organised by Discover New Zealand. Although the weather caused some changes in the itinerary, we were contacted quickly and efficiently with alternative arrangements which we were very happy with. Accommodation was all good, transfers were all good, no criticisms at all.

Great recovery of a back up itinerary since original was canceled due to storm. Would highly recommend. We had a great time.

Our only problem was, not being able to take the Alpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch because of the heavy rain. The people were very helpful at Franz Josef to help us get going again that morning. The trip was very good we saw lots of interesting things and were able to get lots of good pictures.

We are so pleased with the arrangements you made for us Abby. It was a wonderful north Island experience. Everything was so well planned, with informative and friendly guides. All of our connections were made flawlessly. None of it would have been possible without your competency and friendly, yet professional manner. We appreciated all your efforts and are now having a great time in the south island. We love New Zealand!

Chelsea Thank you. All the arrangements and bookings were in place as promised. We are grateful that everything happened smoothly, without a single issue. In particular, thank you to CityLife Wellington that upgraded our room - we felt very privileged to housed in such a fantastic room. Also, we were treated to a private wine tour in Napier - with a complementary tour of the city that we really enjoyed.

Thank you Laura Davidson! Our 5 day trip to NZ south Island was AMAZING! My husband and I felt like we were on a private tour. All the transportation set up was like clockwork. The bus drivers were so informative and full of such useful and interesting info about NZ. we especially enjoyed Stuart, Tom and the guy that took us to Milford Sound (I can't remember his name). I had no idea what to see and do and left it up to your discretion. So many beautiful, amazing sights. the wonderful lunch and 2 hours to hike at Mt Cook was perfect. you were easy access by email to help me with my gluten free needs that I had for got to mention. We loved all the motels you booked, especially beautiful was the Panga Grove. The drives on the bus through the beautiful rainforests and farmlands. So glad we didn't have to drive so we could both relax and enjoy. Helpful also was the itinerary you sent with all the info so we knew what to expect. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone. My only regret is that we didn't take a longer trip. Maybe next time! Thank you again for this beautiful trip through your amazing country!

The package than Nichole prepared, “The Spectacular Essence of New Zealand - Nature & Wine Trail”, could not have been more on target. With a minimum input from me, she put together an itinerary that allowed us to experience an amazing cross section of New Zealand. The overnight locations were strategically placed, and the in-between drives were full of interesting vistas and charming small towns. The pre-arranged activities and tours were exactly what we needed to enrich our daily travel. The itinerary package was clear and comprehensive, providing enough information for a worry free self-drive 16 days tour. On two occasions when I needed small assistance, I received an immediate support. My only disappointment was that the 16 days came to an end and we had to leave New Zealand. It’s a beautiful country with the most friendly and accommodating people. We have traveled throughout the world, so referring to this trip as a “trip of lifetime” is a high praise.   More detailed comments: On a more personal note, I need to thank Nichole for 16 spectacular days in New Zealand. Magically, she got into my head and put together an ideal itinerary. The information provided in the itinerary was a great base for making daily plans. It had it all, beautiful nature, great wines, architecture, food and most importantly an opportunity to interact with the wonderful people of New Zealand. I liked the balance between the freedom to do my thing and the scheduled activities/tours. The locations of the overnight accommodations were perfect. Actually, I am glad that we stayed in Twizel, as it provided a great morning drive to Mt.Cook. With the exception of the Heartland Hotel, all of the hotels ranged from good to excellent. There probably needs to be a conversation with the Heartland Hotel about the type of rooms that they provide to your customers, or you should find another place. FYI, I gave them a rather scathing review on the TripAdvisor. BTW, the hotel in Wellington upgraded us to a 2 bedroom penthouse suite. The car rentals and the ferry in between were a seamless experience. I love to drive, so the daily drives were a lot of fun. One thing, the suggested times for the drives, even without stopping take longer than indicated. It might be advisable to state in the itinerary that since there are many things too see on the way, the 4 hour drive might take 6 hours. When asked, we have a difficult time coming up with a single most memorable moment. Probably, Milford Sound, Mt.Cook and the geothermal area for the nature, Marlborough and Hawks Bay for wine, Waiheke Island for nature and wine, and Napier for the amazing Art Deco architecture. Also, the oysters and the lamb were rather tasty. Favorite wine and food experiences: Cloudy Bay’s Sav with oysters, lunch at the Brancott winery, the progressive wine dinner and the entire Waiheke tour. We managed to stop in a total of 15 wineries. Finding small interesting cafes during the drives was a lot of fun. I have a daily journal from the entire trip, but will not overwhelm the feedback site with this much material. Just one funny story, at the Mitai Maori Village I was appointed a “chief” for the visiting tribe (out of all of the visiting tourists). This was a lot of fun. A question, how did Nichole also arrange the weather for the 16 days? it was absolutely perfect. Again, a big thank you to Nichole.

We had a wonderful and fulfilling time on the Iconic North Island tour arranged by Nicole Andrews of Discover New Zealand. The tour was tailor-made to our requirements and Nicole was very accommodating with our requests for changes to the itinerary. The paperwork at Budget Rent A Car when we collected the Ford Fiesta was completed smoothly and we took off on our road trip from Auckland to Waitomo, Taupo, Rotorua and back to Auckland. The GPS provided was not that helpful and we relied on Waze to get us around throughout our 6-day drive. We enjoyed the tour of the glow worm caves. The guide was entertaining and forthcoming with information to keep the group engaged throughout the tour. We found the Waitomo Caves Hotel to be run down and musty. The room was stuffy despite the fan and open window. Would not suggest this hotel for future tours. Food was available within a short walking distance of the hotel. We loved Taupo the best. The accommodation at Beechtree Motel was exquisite. The room was comfortable and we felt at home during the 2 nights there. The visit to the Wairakei Terraces Walkway and Thermal Pools was refreshing and relaxing. Eateries were within walking distance from the motel and there was a variety to choose from. We stopped at the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools on the drive from Taupo to Rotorua and wallow in a private pool opened out to nature. The room at Hotel Ibis Rotorua was comfortable with food outlets within walking distance.The Mitai Maori Tour is a must to experience at Rotorua. We were entertained and tutored on the Maori culture. The hangi buffet dinner was delicious. We visited the Lava Glass outlet on our own and also the Redwood Forest. It was an awesome experience walking through the forest of gigantic Redwood trees. At The Sebel Auckland Viaduct Harbour, we were upgraded to a 1 room suite which we found to be comfortable. They had laundry facilities in the suite which was very helpful. Overall, We have a wonderful first-time experience in New Zealand, thanks to Nicole and Discover New Zealand. Would certainly be back through Discover New Zealand to explore this beautiful country even more on our next trip.

Amanda Dalgleish was very helpful! She responded my mails right away and personally called me a few times whenever I had questions about the tours. She explained everything in details. It was a great tour my family and I expected. We had a great time throughout her help. I think I’ll go to Amanda again when I visit New Zealand next time. Thank you!

The trip was everything we hoped for. After surviving the 13 hour flight we hit the ground running in Auckland taking tour buses, checking out the aquarium and sky tower. We even caught the Captain Marvel movie. Driving wasn't difficult. We were able to keep to the left. ALL of the middle earth related activities were spot on perfect. Please push the Hairy Feet tour with Suzie. It's perfect and she was lovely. Kamahi Cottage with Liz was so peaceful, highly recommended. Thumbs up to: Glow Worm caves and we're glad we got to see them before it gets closed to recover. Meh/thumbs sideways: Kiwi House. Should be The Duck House. Rotorua was awesome and Novotel was great. Skyline gets a big thumbs up and the zorb is a should but damn it was painful. Te Po was moving and the geysers were impressive. Thermal World was worth it but walking it midday was so hot. BIG THUMBS UP: Huka Falls jet boat. Elliot was great. Wellington was great. Initially we were confused about staying at the Bolton but it was totally walkable to Westpac (exciting rugby match) and Cuba Street. The Terracotta soldiers and Weta Studio exhibit about Gallipoli were amazing at Te Papa. My only... minor... tiny... barely worth mentioning 99/100 score?? The steaks were mediocre at best. We come from a grilling/bbq city and overall the food was underwhelming. Except hokey pokey. So good. We really appreciate everything you set up. Jane i wish you/your company did other country adventures. New Zealand was amazing. Thank you so much. This trip will be something we remember forever.

Jane , the trip you organised was excellent. Everything went very smoothly. Your recommendations on what to do we’re great . Thanks again Tom and Wendy

We had an absolutely wonderful holiday driving New Zealand, which was put together by the amazing Jane. Everything went like clockwork and we have no hesitation in recommending Discover New Zealand, in fact I have already to a couple of friends. It was also great to be able to meet Jane face to face when we passed through Wanaka. You're worth more money Jane! 😁

Thank you soo much!! The trip was amazing!!!! We enjoy from the first day until the last one. Everything was extremely well planned! You have made of our trip something really wonderful and unforgettable :) Thanks again!

I think the holiday was amazing. I had a great coach tour. Unfortunately at Franz Josef the accomodation was far to far out of town I phoned and this was put right straight away. Well done Abby

Hi Brigett, Thank you for organising our trip around New Zealand - it was perfect from being met at Christchurch Airport to being dropped off at Queenstown Airport. The helicopter trip to the Twin Glaciers was a particular highlight for me. The hotels were excellent and your idea of using Garden Court Suites and Apartment and having our own washing machines was great (bearing in mind we had been travelling for a couple of weeks at that stage). We will certainly recommend your company and will use you for our next visit to New Zealand.

The tour was smooth and New Zealand is amazing. Wish we could have stayed longer. Two bits of information would have been helpful. (1) GPS does not know the right place to send you in Rotorua for the Hobbiton tour. We missed our tour time but they were able to fit us in one hour later. The tour guide said it happens all of the time. (2) A note about how awful the car-return space is at the ferry parking in Wellington would have been helpful. We would have arrived earlier to find a spot (all of the spots were full and we had to improvise). Cars and lodging were all as we expected. Thanks again for your help!

The whole package is good, very good logistics, very helpful people, responsive to my queries and complains. Great sights is good, driver is good, logistics is good, didnt encounter any problems. Intercity is not though, driver not helpful, not coordinated, the bus is so hot, aircon is not working.

We really enjoyed our tour, but at times we wished we had a bit more time to explore one city before we moved on to the next. In particular, we thought Te Anau looked quaint and we wished we could have spent more time there. The accommodations were lovely, but a bit expensive at times. Have you considered giving travellers a choice of 3 or 4 star locations? A few details in our itinerary were a bit vague. e.g. “You will be collected from your hotel... with no mention of the company who was to pick us up. A couple of times we either approached the wrong driver, or he approached us. We could have save quite a bit at Mount Cook is we had chosen the buffet. You had booked us for the 4 course dinner. While the food was delicious, it was far more than we could eat and a lot more money than we would have spent on a meal if we had known there were other options. The walk from the bus station to our accommodation in Te Anau would have been difficult for us given the amount of luggage we had. (I would not call it a short walk...) but thankfully, our bus driver dropped us across the road within walking distance. Loved the TSS Earnslaw dinner & cruise in Queenstown! We were highly appreciative of the efforts that were made to pick us up after the horrendous mass shooting in Christchurch. We were deeply impressed by that attention to detail and effort on our behalf.

Thank you for arranging such a fabulous tour. Everything went very smoothly and we were able to experience a lot of the highlights of your wonderful country at our own pace with no worries about transport and accomodation.

Loved the trip but felt that it was too many days driving. Would recommend a second day at Cook National Mt. and another day at Franz Josef.

Aloha, Narissa. I am so sorry it has taken me so long to give you feedback on our wonderful Discover New Zealand trip. Our experience was completely unforgettable. The service and individual attention was incredible. Our drivers, Ralph Harrison and Kim (in Dunedin), Leo (who drove us from Wanaka to Queenstown), John (who drove us on the Milford Sound journey), and Marcel (who took us up the West coast to Fox Glacier, then on to Greymouth to catch the train back to Christchurch) were so kind and informative. They were the true treasure of this trip. We felt completely taken care of and we were made to feel so welcome. Our only issue was our toothless driver at Fox Glacier. His van was filthy, and it smelled like an ashtray. He was nice, but curt, and just a little smelly. Other than that, our hotels were perfect, our hosts were generous and informative and kind, and our total experience was fantastic. We have already recommended your company to a number of friends and family here in Hawaii. Thank you for such an incredible experience, and for hiring such wonderful hosts.

From the very first time I made contact with Discover New Zealand, they made me feel very welcome and tailored my trip for me. Would recommend this for anyone going.

Kia Ora Jane, New Zealand is a lovely country and we enjoyed our trip. We did & saw many amazing things. We were saddened by the violent events in Christchurch. We have been discussing/evaluating the trip amongst ourselves as this is the first trip of this sort we have taken. Knowing what we know now, we may have made a few minor changes but overall we give the trip high marks. Considering we are used to driving and traveling at our own pace and that there is almost always room for improvement, our overall impression of the trip is positive. :) The photo/keepsake book was an appreciated touch. If you'd like a more comprehensive day-to-day breakdown I am going through the photographs we've taken and I've been making notes. Thank you for all of your work!

Hi, Jane Zwerrenz suggestions on where to go and what to see in our intense itinerary in New Zealand was amazing and exciting experience, with fantastic accommodation and hire car worked a treat. So I would highly recommend her to any family or friends and use her myself in future for any tour advice and future trips. Thanks Jane it was awesome But I want to point out I was a little upset that Nicole said she would add something to my itinerary and she didn't follow it up, so we missed out on one day and a particular area my husband wanted to see, but that's nothing against Jane, as she wasn't at work and didn't get told about it . Thanks for the great experience of your lovely country and until we meet again.

Organization: Everything went perfectly smoothly with transfers to and from the airport, transfers to and from buses to accommodation, etc. I was really pleased with how seamlessly the various pieces of the trip fit together! Transportation: The buses were all clean and well-maintained. Every driver was good and provided nice commentary. That was really great. Accommodation: All the accommodation was good except for one place. I was unhappy with the cleanliness of 58 on Cron in Franz Josef Village. Otherwise, every other place was good. My two favorites were the Scenic Suits in Queenstown (unsurprisingly) and the Mt. Cook Lodge and Motel. The Mt. Cook accommodation was especially great - I wished that I could have stayed there longer! Highlights of the trip: I think my favorite parts were the boat ride of the Milford Sound and my time at Aoraki/Mt. Cook. One thing for the future might be to let people know of the possibility of flying back from Milford Sound to Queenstown. I ended up doing this, but I'm sure lots of people wouldn't just because they wouldn't have arranged their budget to potentially include such a big excursion. It was absolutely worth it, but I do wish I had known about it beforehand as a possibility. If I were to do the trip again, I think I would have skipped the day in Christchurch and gone straight on to Mt. Cook with an extra day there. For those interested in walks and hiking, I think it would be a better option. Overall, I was incredibly happy with the trip. I will most definitely recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone who is traveling to NZ in the future. Thank you so much for such a fantastic trip!

Great planning, great itinerary with lots of driving. The destinations were great and the car pick up, tour pick ups were all on time!! Hotels- the 1st Bella vista was great location- managers were “so-so” friendly. 2nd Bella Vista - great and Dennis was terrific - room was spotless! Budget rent car- terrific! Wine Tour guides were top/ notch and so much fun!! Glow Worm - was good- a bit touristy for us Auckland Hotel/ great location, nice hotel and they let us have late check out and parked car all day! We can’t wait to book our next tour!!

It was a great trip. We enjoyed all the tours you scheduled for us. The pace was busy but we had adequate time. The weather was great which was a pleasant surprise. Milford Sound in the rain was perfect!, loved the eco tour in Wanaka. The tour in Dunedin. We loved the penguins but would love to have also gone to the albatross house to see them up close.. for the most part all the motels were fine. The only negative was Christchurch. It was their smallest room and we could just walk around the bed with difficulty finding a place to open suitcase. It made us nervous about future rooms but others were fine. Got lots of pictures and will post some later after I go through them all. It is a wonderful country with very friendly people!! Thanks so much.

This was the trip of a lifetime for us! We had a basic idea of what we wanted to see, and where we wanted to go. We then contacted Discover New Zealand, and they could not have been more helpful in arranging quality accommodations, recommendations for tours and cultural places to visit, the ferry ride from North to South Island, winery tours, and especially the trip to Milford Sound. We are VERY pleased with this company, and would highly recommend them to anyone considering a trip to New Zealand.

It was an unforgettable and amazing trip! Under my impression, everyone are very nice and helpful! I would like specially thanks to Steve, the private driver of my 1st day pick up. He is friendly and nice gentlemen, representing most of New Zealand's tour drivers. Everyone knew, New Zealand is very beautiful and the masterpiece of God! No discrimination against appear, at least I don't feel it from my 1st visit in 2018. Thank you Heather too! Thanks for your good arrangement!

Shelley Meeting with our driver at the airport went smoothly. The driver was very efficient and courteous. We appreciated receiving our trip information early on. For future reference, the drive from the airport would be an ideal time for the driver to introduce New Zealand with a little local information and must see points of interest. The initial car pickup went smoothly. We didn’t think we would need the company provided GPS, intending to rely on our phones. In fact it proved very helpful a couple of times. All of the accommodations exceeded our expectation. Accommodations in Auckland and Wellington were very well located. Check in always went smoothly. The proprietors were typically helpful with additional information on local sites they may not have been included in our information packet. Suggestion: emphasize anyone taking a hike or tour of Milford Sound to bring a complete change of clothes. We did not appreciate the intensity with which it rains. Socked to the bone we did not get to take advantage of the boat trip. Overall we had a great trip! We found the trip advisor service and pre-planning an exceptional value.

Although we were planning our trip to NZ for some time we feel we would not have enjoyed our trip as much without Laura’s help. Being based in New Zealand she gave us excellent advice and suggestions on where to go and what to see. The scheduling of our trip was brilliant. From the moment we landed at Auckland we felt confident in what we were doing. Accomodation was always of a high standard in good locations. Laura’s input was always friendly and positive; communicational all times was prompt.

Hi Amanda We had a great time touring your country made special with your magnificent help. The itinerary worked well and all the accommodation was first class. Everything you organised went like clockwork we only wished we could have spent more time touring. We have no hesitation in recommending your services and have told several people about you. Many thanks Paul and Maureen. PS we are very saddened about events in Christchurch.

Jane, we wanted to thank you for planning such a wonderful vacation for us. All the connections worked seamlessly and the itinerary was great. The trip was short but we felt we made the most of our time and enjoyed a fantastic variety of landscapes and experiences in this beautiful country. Anne

We had a very enjoyable trip. It started badly as our luggage didn't catch up to us for almost 2 days. The accommodation was excellent and we really enjoyed the food, wine and coffee. And I really liked our rental car. The only glitches were with the GPS not being installed in our car and the reservation for Wellington accommodation was for the wrong month. Fortunately, both problems were fixed quickly. If I were to change anything, it would be to allow more time in each destination. One night is not enough! Thanks.

The trip was excellent. The train ride was comfortable and the scenery incredible. All pickups and transfers were flawlessly executed. The hotel was okay but unimpressive.

We had a fabulous time. All the accommodations and activities that were pre booked and suggested activities were perfect. Just wish we could have had more time to spend in the South Island.

Had a great trip! Brigett did a great job finding accommodations and getting everything organized and arranged for us on both North and South Island tours. A pleasure to work with! Everything went as expected. Accommodations were all of good quality and in good locations (and all accommodations had free in-room internet access, so the list of features in the Discover NZ itinerary should be updated). Transfer drivers were on-time and very helpful, courteous, and accommodating. It was initially confusing how the GreatSights bus system would work with both tours and transit passengers, but it works very well and is a great way to travel around the country with good commentary on the areas you travel through. Having everything packaged up by Discover NZ really made things easy. Thanks again, Brigett!

Thank you for making our family trip so memorable Laura. All pick-ups from airports, hotels and tour bus lines were impeccable!!! New Zealanders are the friendliest people! The bus lines made it very clear about departure times. We left a couple in Rotorua who had to find their own way back. After that, everyone was punctual. Most were able to give interesting facts along the way while driving. We even sang songs in Rotorua! We enjoyed all hotels and their central locations. The Distinction Hotel in Christchurch was the best! The only one that needs an update is the Scenic Suites in Queenstown. Their rooms were tilted so the bathroom showers didn't drain. We did appreciate and utilize the washer/dryer inside the unit. That was perfect timing! We covered a vast area in a short time. And although there was a lot of driving, it was necessary to grasp the beauty of your country. I wish we saw more of the coastline and varied rock formations. It'll have to be on another trip. Our adult children loved the variety of activities. Some of the highlights were: Tamaki Village, Agrodome sheep show, Rotorua Canopy Tours, Milford Sound, and Appellation Gourmet Scenic Wine Tour (Vicki, our guide, was incredible!) The Glacier Valley shuttle to hike Franz Josef was very rushed. An extra 30 minutes would have been better since all they did was drop-off and pick-up. Lambert and I thought it was a very successful trip. Thank you so much, Laura, for your quick email responses and excellent planning. We will spread the word about your company and its flexible planning.

Nisse was amazing. She helped setup this custom itinerary almost last-minute and everything went flawlessly, despite it being both Chinese New Year and Waitangi Day. One of the best tour arrangement experiences I've had anywhere. Thanks a lot!

We loved every bit of this trip! Each stop was filled with so much adventure and beautiful landscapes. Our favorite stops were Paihia and Snells Beach and Taupo. When we return we will spend more nights here. We were well taken care of and each accommodation was lovely. I would highly recommend this destination to anyone and cannot wait to go back!

We prefer that our feedback remain confidential. Overall, thought that the trip was great. Hotels selected were conveniently located and nice choices for our needs. Excursions went very well. Maps and directions were helpful. Only negative is that the trip was a bit more driving than we expected, mainly due to a lot of road construction on the south island that caused delays. May want to warn future travelers about this.

Thank you for helping us to organise such a fantastic tour Christina. We had a fabulous time. The scenery was stunning and the motels were of a very good standard. We particularly enjoyed our stay in Wanaka at the Clearbrook Motel.

Neither my friend nor I being very seasoned travellers, we really appreciated the one-on-one guidance and assistance in planning our trip - we had a wonderful time! We opted for the 9-day South Island tour, and Christina helped us modify the package so we could fit in everything we wanted to see and do on our holiday. Always willing to take the time to research and talk through our options, Christina put together an excellent itinerary we could view and modify easily on the website. Our transport, accommodation and activities were all organised seamlessly, so we were able to make the most out of our short stay. I'm already longing to take another trip to NZ, and will definitely go through Discover NZ again. Thank you so much again Christina - it was a great trip!

Thank you Shelley, my family had a fantastic holiday and lots of fond memories of the places we visited. We drove through the North Island and enjoyed every minute of it. We were happy with all the accommodations provided except for our 1st night in Waldorf Stadium Apartment. The room was average in comparison to the others. We are planning our Southern Island trip in a couple years time and will definitely seek help from you Shelley to plan our journey.

Our correspondent, Laura was knowledgeable and very competent at her job. Despite the fact we were in England, she was willing to talk us through the itinerary for our vacation and got the accommodation and timings spot on. We would recommend Discover New Zealand for anyone wishing to arrange a vacation here.

Our trip in January 2019 was truly amazing. It was brilliantly planned out and everything ran smoothly. We had everything we needed and all pre-booked activities and transportations were on time and exactly how it was planned. On our self drive tour of both islands we got to see a great deal of a beautiful country and very much thank Louise for organising our bespoke trip which included all of our wishes & requirements. We recommend Discover New Zealand as they planned everything and allowed us to relax and just enjoy our once in a lifetime trip to New Zealand. Thank you

Racheal the bus driver was entertaining and informative I enjoyed Waitangi and the guide was also good. Everyone was helpful so an enjoyable tour.

My husband and I spent nearly three weeks touring NZ with Discover New Zealand this past November.  We worked with your staff to personalize our trip and we were extremely pleased.  Every reservation at every lodging was exactly as we were advised and there was never a problem throughout our self-drive tour,  All the expeditions, ranging from Whale Watching north of Christ Church, a helicopter ride over Mt. Cook and an overnight ship excursion on the Doubtful Sound, were perfectly reserved and executed.  All the individual tour operators were top notch, friendly and knowledgable. We planned things out so that we never had to drive more than we expected, in order to reach our destination each evening.  When we needed to add or subtract a thing or two, there was no problem notifying the office. We would heartily recommend Discover New Zealand for your staff's personal knowledge, flexibility and good humor. It was a great relief to be met at airports by your drivers and then to drop our car at the train station for a last memorable train ride across the South Island back to Christchurch. Your professionalism enabled us to thoroughly enjoy your spectacular country. Thank you!

As I think you know, this trip was a bucket list for my husband for 40 years. Discover New Zealand and especially you, did not disappoint! Everything was perfect. I’ve never seen an itinerary so detailed. All our transportation was on time, professional, friendly and so knowledgeable. Laura you helped make our dream trip so memorable. We can’t thank you enough and will definitely recommend you to anyone we know going to New Zealand.

Thank You Nisse we had a great time enjoying the beautiful countryside of the South Island . The sites are spectacular we really loved Mt Cook and the delicious lunch we had at the Hermitage Hotel. We couldn't fault the accommodation at the Novotel Queenstown or the Scenic hotel in Franz Josef it was first class and the breakfast each morning was great. We could have had a few more days to really enjoy everything so we think a longer trip would be better next time.

Thank you for a well organized, perfect vacation. The accommodations were great and the tours were wonderful.

The tour was great except for our most unfortunate experience being left behind in Wanaka. The driver was difficult to understand but we understood he said we would be in Wanaka for 30 min. However when we returned after 20-25 min he was gone. We went to a Cardrona office and they were very helpful. The girl there took us to an iSite office where there was a staff member from Discovery NZ and they managed to get us on a bus to Queenstown. They were also very helpful in getting our luggage back to us. I realise the bus commuting service was not Discover NZ staff but we still don't understand how they could have left us. Again I stress we have no complaint with Discover NZ

All the arrangements worked out great. The accommodations were very nice. It was nice to have all the airport transfers arranged for us. The best bus tour company was the one that did the Milford Sound tour - Real Journeys - that was the best tour. We only had one issue during our trip. The day we were picked up in Christchurch to go to Mount Cook by Great Sights. The bus was a little late picking us up, which was not an issue, then we waited in downtown Christchurch over an hour because they had to wait for one more passenger. So the driver left off one stop on the itinerary (Church of the Good Shepherd) and of course did not tell us that! Nichole did a great job putting this together. Thank you.

Thank you for arranging everything for us. My family and I had a really enjoyable trip in South Island. You planned everything for us so perfectly and your itinerary gave us all the information we need to know plus more. We were particularly impressed with the Great sighseeing coach arrangements and the drivers (with the exception of one) were very knowledgeable and helpful. Although we didn't have much time in Christchurch, we were able to enjoy some really fine food there. Queenstown is stunning as expected and again lots of fine cuisine were available. As for Franz Josef, the mountain views and glaciers were stunning and the train ride from Greymouth back to Christchurch was relaxing and enjoyable. Should we visit New Zealand again, we will definitely contact your company for bookings.

We just returned from our trip to New Zealand and I just wanted you to know that everything was amazing!  Your schedules were perfect.  Every bus picked us up on time and got us to our destination on schedule.  Also, the side excursions were GREAT.  Every company was top notch and provided a very professional experience.  Lastly, the hotel accommodations were very upscale and comfortable.  All in all a flawless experience.  Thanks for making our trip a very exciting and pleasant visit to New Zealand.

We enjoyed our holiday and all the bookings and arrangements that you made for us worked well. We are glad we used your services. It made life easier for us.

Thank you so much for arranging a great trip we thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything went smoothly- hardly any traffic on the roads made driving a pleasure - the car, accommodation and itinerary were excellent and to finish off with the train journey was the icing on the cake- Queenstown was a standout - The scenery was spectacular- you are very lucky to live in such a beautiful country .

The trip was so memorable, all logistic arrangements were well taken care, our consultant Chelsea was helpful and responsive.

Had a fabulous time in New Zealand. The scenery was truly stunning. The trip went like clockwork. The shuttle drivers were on time and very helpful with local knowledge. We have already communicated with you about the only issue we had. Looking back on it, I'd say perhaps the driver may have been new or lacked good communication skills. Queenstown is very hilly, so for future, may I suggest that if the coach cannot stop at the hotel, patrons should be let off at the bus stop in town and a taxi take them to the hotel. This is how the departure was handled. A taxi picked us up directly from reception and drove us to the bus stop where we caught the coach to Christchurch. I would not hesitate to book with you again.

We just wanted to say thank you for arranging the customized Fiords, Glaciers, and Mountains self-driving trip for us. Everything you arranged for us (transports to and from the airport and train, meals for Christmas and New Years, the extra bed in the hotels for our children, and all the vouchers needed for our activities) went perfectly. The South Island of New Zealand has a gentle pace, beautiful scenery, international flavor, and modern affordability which made for a relaxing and interesting vacation.  My teenagers described as the best vacation ever. Although many days were accompanied by long drives, we were glad to experience so much of the South Island.  We got to witness the various climates and landscapes, and learned a bit about glaciers and glacier melt, earthquakes, sheep shearing, gold mining, and the geological and environmental impacts on New Zealand. The pre-trip planning really helped and everything we did matched our interests.  Our view of Mt. Cook from our hotel room absolutely blew us away. Thank you again for organizing our trip, sharing your country with us, and giving us a lifetime of memories. With any luck, we talking to you again someday to continue our explorations

I just wanted to give you the credit you deserve for putting together a wonderful trip for my husband and I. We have lived in Japan for 23 years and this may be our last trip before we head back to the USA. NZ has always been a country we dreamed of visiting. We enjoy being outdoors so the activities and accommodations were perfect for us.

Traveling to the West Coast and Canterbury by train was ideal. Taking in the views were both relaxing and spectacular. We arrived in the little village of Fox Glacier on a rainy and cool night where our accommodations were warm and comfortable. We ate dinner at a nice cozy restaurant in town. We enjoyed the ride to Queenstown. The town was full of activities and people. Our favorite part of the trip was the ferry ride to Otago where we could get on the bikes and ride through the country side. The buffet was a plus and the food was both delicious and appetizing. We also liked the cruise to Milford Sound.

I have already recommended you and your company to friends in Japan. I hope they will contact you.

Thank you so much for the time you put into planning our trip.

Our tour was awesome. Except for weather getting in the way of touring glaciers the trip went smoothly. All of the connections were extremely timely. The motels were adequate for what we needed and the folks who ran them were so helpful and friendly. We now know what we will want to explore when we return to this beautiful country. Shelley was very easy to work with especially with our changes in the plans because of weather.

The organisation of our holiday was excellent, emails were answered quickly. Once on tour, everything went smoothly and we really enjoyed the whole trip. The paperwork we were given was excellent and very detailed. The accommodation was really good, with just the room in Christchurch being very small compared to the others. Transport arrangements were good and we were picked up more or less on time. Just one time when we were dropped off at the YHA in Mt Cook instead of the Lodge and Motels. We had to drag our bag across rough ground to get there. The driver also asked us to go to the Hermitage to be picked up. We got the shuttle to do this which wasn't a problem but it was a bit confusing at the time. In all a very enjoyable and well organised trip. Thank you.

We had a lovely time in New Zealand! Our travel agent was very helpful and communicative throughout the planning process, and our time in New Zealand was much simpler thanks to Discover New Zealand! This is the best way to travel, with enough planning so that you hit all of the important places you want to go, but still enough flexibility so you can plan as many or as little excursions ahead of time as you want. Some more information on the website about what excursions are recommended to book far in advance would be helpful, but otherwise everything was great! The website has a lot of great tour options, and that plus our travel agent's expertise ensured a wonderful holiday!

Excellent Tour superbly organised by Brigett. Everything worked like clockwork. No complaints whatsoever although was a little disappointed with 'Paradise'. Drove along the unsealed road for what seemed like miles. Eventually came to a sign indicating that we were in Paradise but there was nothing there. Drove a few miles further on but still nothing. Met another car which had given up and turned back so we did the same. Noted that it was listed amongst the 10 most disappointing things in NZ. However, car was excellent, all accommodation was of a high standard and all hosts very helpful and accommodating. All in all a very enjoyable tour of the South Island. Our thanks to Brigett for the excellent arrangements. Ten out of Ten.

After a stressful start to our trip due to a flight delay and then cancellation in Sydney, we where extremely glad to land in New Zealand, the staff at Discover New Zealand especially Lauren where more than helpful and made the rest of our holiday very enjoyable. She went over and above to get the trip on track and we are extremely grateful. Would I recommend Lauren & Discover New Zealand? Yes!!!!!

This was a truly memorable trip. The self-driving aspect of the tour allowed us to take our own time between the pre-arranged night accommodations and to stop and make diversions from the suggested route whenever we wished. This flexibility added greatly to our enjoyment. The car provided was comfortable, large enough for our substantial luggage and a pleasure to drive. The overnight accommodations were comfortable and all of their management staffs friendly and welcoming. I have nothing but praise to offer Nicole Andrews who worked with us for a couple of months to arrange our tour. She suggested the itinerary, very necessary for a couple who had never visited New Zealand, but then very efficiently tailored the itinerary to fit in with our several requests. The result was a tour of the South Island that was based on her knowledge but incorporated our specific location requests and time frame. She made the planning process of this rather complex project very enjoyable and the end result more than we could have reasonably expected. In sum I most heartily thank Nicole and her organization for their splendid and efficient service and most strongly recommend them to anyone wishing to create a tailored visit to New Zealand.

We had a fabulous time on this tour. We would never have thought to visit Hobbitton but it was just delightful. We wondered if two Maori experiences was overkill but each was special and moving in its own way. The Waitomo caves were fascinating, especially the silent boat trip through the glowworms. Despite heavy, soaking, rain at the thermal valley, we had enough dry time to enjoy the walk round the lakes while the Pohutu Geyser was worth standing in the rain - and at least the coach driver brought us back to the hotel early. Overall, it was a great trip, with everything running to time and everybody very helpful.

Thank you for arranging a wonderful holiday. Everything from the transfers and the motels and the extra activities worked perfectly. We would not hesitate to recommend using your company if they are visiting New Zealand. The only negative thing was we thought there could have been a better map of the drive as we found the maps in the atlas only covered a very small area and didn't give us an overview to follow the drive. Thank you once again.

Just wanted to write and say a massive thank you for arranging this fabulous 9 days in New Zealand. Your choice of motels and lodges was excellent and in an ideal location. Exactly what we needed and could not have been any better! New Zealand is so beautiful and so are the people.Thanks again.

Excellent trip, very well organised for the short time we had. Coach drivers were all excellent and the information they relayed to us, couldn't fault them at all. Accommodation was all good .

We really enjoyed our New Zealand holiday including all activities. A big thank you to Abby, she's done a great job customising our itinerary, and ensured our driving time was not over 2.5 hours. All our accommodations were good, except for one, The Sudima lake Rotorua, the bathroom does not look clean and smells a bit. Everything else was really good holiday experience. I will definitely contact Abby again on our next holiday to South Island.

Hi Laura, Thank you for customizing and arranging this fantastic tour for us. We thoroughly enjoyed it and are very happy that we have chosen Discover New Zealand. We have benefited significantly from your local New Zealand experience and are really satisfied with your selection of accommodation providers and the experience/adventure partners that you have selected. Your documentation pack was super and contained everything that we needed and more. On the accommodation side you delivered exactly what we wanted - more budget style accommodation but with very good locations and facilities. We also liked the mix of accommodation.

I just wanted to say a big thank you for organising our recent road trip to the south island. Everything happened the way it was planned. The motel accommodation was excellent and in terrific locations. The ‘greeters’ were always on time and very welcoming. They offer a great service. My only disappointment was that the day we went to Milford Sound, the weather was terrible which made the day not quite as good as it could have been but I’m glad we still went there. The weather for most of the trip was very good. I was very glad that we booked a RAV 4. As you know there was a lot of driving involved and it was a good car to have to manage the different roads and road surfaces that we encountered. I have now ticked another item off my bucket list so thanks again for making it all so easy.

We thoroughly enjoyed our customised tour. It was well put together. Checking in at booked sites was seamless. Absolutely no hiccups. Our document pack was invaluable and the 24 hour support was very reassuring. I would highly recommend these tours. It took the guesswork out of trying to book everything ourselves and it could not have been easier especially with travelling with three kids. thank you especially to Sarah Baumanis for putting it together for us .

Our trip to New Zealand was amazing. The accommodations Jane arranged for us, were superb. The extra information package provided was also really helpful. So thanks to Discover New Zealand for making all this possible!

Thank you so much for organising our holiday. We had a fantastic time . All the accommodation was great and the activities were amazing. I would highly recommend this type of holiday if you really want to see the beautiful country side. We got the best of the country and seaside everything was timed perfectly. Much appreciated would go threw you again anytime. A must do trip.

We have the most amazing holiday thanks to Heather. The itinerary was prepared after understanding our requirements. The bookings, tickets etc were as per the itinerary and we had the best holiday so far.

The tour has fully met our expectations!!!! We had really the possibility to visit the country despite the limited time available. Everything was arranged and we really didn't have to worry about anything. I highly recommend this journey.

Overall the tour was amazing. It was really well organised and the itinerary well laid out and followed to a tee. We just had to turn up and everything was done for us to get us from a to b and see all the things we wanted to see. NZ is breathtaking. Zipline forestry canopy tour was brilliant and major highlight. Mount Cook for Xmas was great. Left the Spa without an ache in our bodies.

This tour was amazing! Not only did we get to see the south island but the detail to everything was amazing. Having the ability to get up in the morning look at the planner and start our tour without having to decide on what to do each day was a blessing. No stress, all relaxing. Wonderful and would recommend it to all.

Thank you Narissa. We enjoyed our trip that you arranged. Especially the hotel in Queenstown that you choose was very nice. We could walk from the hotel to the city centre and we were not bothered by traffic jams in the city. I wanna use your service when we look at booking a trip next time. Many thanks

The trip was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed our NZ experience. Your organisation was excellent. We were disappointed at missing out on the glacier trip. The accommodation was really good. Would have liked a king bed in Christchurch, however. The car was great. The breakfasts were great. Really appreciated the laundry facilities being available in the room.

Our holiday to New Zealand was during Christmas period 25th December 2018 until 6th January 2019. We never feel tired of New Zealand, such a beautiful place to visit. Especially when we had our journey properly planned by New Zealand Fine Touring. We had such great time, everything was properly arranged from airport pickup, transport, hotels, activities, until we were dropped off at the airport back to our home country. It was a memorable and enjoyable journey thanks to NZFT.

We always organised trips ourselves before. This trip was the first time we relied on an expert travel agent. We weren't disappointed! First, I was very happy to see detailed printed copy of the entire itinerary with clear instructions for the connections and what was going to happen on that day. All connections worked perfectly (really, perfectly!) and all inclusions/excursions were thoroughly enjoyable and of high quality. I was particularly impressed by the selection of chosen accommodations. All the places we stayed were comfortable, located centrally, provided a great service ... It just made the whole trip more enjoyable and memorable. We will never forget having a balcony view out to the New Year's fireworks at Napier. Thank you Chelsea for giving us a wonderful holiday experience in NZ. We look forward to planning a trip around the south island with you next time :-)

Had an amazing time. Most accommodations met our needs and level of standards. Queenstown location was bit further from town than we would have preferred. The estimated travel times posted were a bit optimistic in most cases and left little time for side journeys/excursions/take-in-the-moment stops along the way and/or time to spend at end destinations. This was particularly the case with the one day stop-overs (Wellington for example would have been nice to have more time to experience city and surroundings). Weather could have been more co-operative but hey, that's out of our control :) . Highlights: Mt. Cook, Queenstown, Wanaka (although was not on itinerary we did make side excursion there and it was beautiful), Arrowtown, glaciers, Antarctic Centre, Museum of New Zealand, cool districts of Auckland, Koura Bay Lodge (Christmas dinner was out of this world!), Waiheke Island, and all the wineries and people we met along the way!!! And a big thank-you to Jane. She was fantastic in arranging everything and working with us on creating this once-in-a-lifetime, amazing, well-packed, tour.

We absolutely loved the New Zealand trip that you planned for us. Excellent lodging facilities that had great views, were clean and were in desirable locations (e.g. in Dunedin we were just a block away from the Octagon). All scheduled busses, private transfers, etc. occurred just as planned. Activities that you suggested were excellent (e.g. overnight cruise at Milford Sound, train trip from Greymouth to Christchurch) were great. Everyone that we encountered at the various facilities that you recommended (e.g., busses, private transfers, lodging) were extremely helpful and friendly. Thank you for planning a wonderful vacation for us. Our best vacation ever!

We had the BEST time on our New Zealand adventure over Christmas & New Years! Narissa clearly listened to our wants/needs, and every activity we did was fantastic, and it was so nice to not have to worry about any of our reservations and bookings. I only wish we could have stayed in New Zealand longer. Thanks for a fantastic vacation... truly one that will be hard to replicate!

We just had a fantastic time. Nichole organised a brilliant itinerary and everything went precisely according to her plan. We didn't have time to give the trip much thought before hand but we didn't have to - it was all done for us. We also asked Nichole to organise a couple of activities 'off plan' (golf in Christchurch for example on Boxing Day!) which she did brilliantly. An unforgettable holiday not least because New Zealand is a breathtakingly beautiful country.

The plan was excellent. We enjoyed and learned a lot. We were disappointed to miss our heli-hike as it made the stop at Mount Cook and the bus ride tiring. Of course, you could not change the weather. I took many pictures so anytime I miss it, I will go through my New Zealand album. Thanks again and for sure I would recommend your service to any of my friends who are interested in visiting NZ.

My family and I had an amazing time touring Queenstown to Christchurch over the holidays and the support from both you and Discover New Zealand was flawless.  Your attention to detail is really appreciated – it was so nice to not have to worry about anything, just relax and enjoy ourselves. As if that wasn’t enough, it was incredible that you were able to make this trip happen so quickly and so close to the upcoming holidays – when pretty much all the accommodations were full.  I am still not sure how you managed it but am very happy you did. There were a lot of highlights – just to name a few:  Milford Sound flight & cruise (saw both dolphins & seals), jet boat on the Dart river, Bungy jumping off the Kawarau Bridge, helicopter ride to the glaciers and the TranzAlpine train.  Simply awesome and something we’ll never forget. Thank you so much for setting us up and patiently answering all my questions.  I would certainly highly recommend you – just as my friend recommended you to me.

We had a fabulous experience of visiting New Zealand last month from 25th December till 31st December. We would like to thank Jess Pearson for arranging such a marvelous trip. Everything was well coordinated. Thanks a lot.

Fantastic tour! We loved every minute of it!

Thank you to Discover New Zealand and especially to Miss Laura Davidson for the well planned tour. It was indeed a memorable experience. North Island is truly spectacular with its scenic views and natural surroundings. Laura had planned it so well that we did not face any hitches at any point of our tour. Bravo to Laura and the team.

It is a pleasure to provide feedback. Everything was perfect and according to our expectations and as described in the itinerary, from the quality of hotels, punctuality of transfer from/to airports/train station and the tours. I am very please with the quality of your service and Discover New Zealand´s. My only recommendation for improvement is around bus drivers. They were excellent safe drivers, very polite and in general they tried to do their best' but the quality of explanations and comments during bus tours differed greatly from one driver to the other. We did not have problems with that but I saw others tourists with great difficulties with this. I understand that these services are provided by another company but I believe is something to consider. Thanks for the little book with photographs of NZ, I love it!

Thank you Jess for arranging this well planned trip. We really enjoyed our holiday. The itinerary was not very busy. There was still some flexibility to travel the city at our own pace and visiting the popular highlights of the Southern Island. The transportation from the airport reduced much hassle and the drivers were really friendly. The documents that she provided us on arrival were really appreciated and helpful on our trip in the South Island. All in all, Jess was really helpful and recommended us some really nice place to visit. We highly recommend her and Discover New Zealand.

The trip was excellent and had great fun especially at Weta studio.

Everything was great! The accommodation, the transportation, the tours, sights. We love them all. Except our helihike at Franc Josef was cancelled due to weather conditions....All else was great. Shelley has been very helpful in all my requests, accommodating our special needs. Thank you Shelley!

In the UK you were very responsive. Excellent customer service. Documents were delivered as promised although there was a small problem updating details and with the voucher for the hot pools in Franz Josef. Bay of Islands trip was very good.

We had a really nice time exploring the South Island. It was nice having all connections arranged so we didn’t have to worry about how to get from each location.

I had a fantastic trip.. everything went well. A great experience. Fine motels, great drivers who were always on time and knew my name and so on. I give you five stars out of five 😊 ***** Kind regards

I cannot recommend this company enough! From the start, Nisse was thoroughly patient and helpful with all my enquiries. She did an amazing job arranging the itinerary. Everything was smooth sailing from the day we arrived up until the day we left. Rental car, various pickups, flights, tour bookings... you name it. Our family had a truly memorable time in NZ. Thank you very much!

We absolutely loved it! Thank you for helping us make it happen. Many more reasons to come back!

Thank you so much for putting together this AMAZING trip! It was better than we ever expected. Every day was so thoughtfully organized, from each tour to the accommodations for that night. We never felt overwhelmed or exhausted. The pace every day was really well planned. And we appreciated the mix of the Lord of the Rings-focused activities (Hobbiton, the Weta Workshop) with other more general sightseeing (Dart river tour.) Our only regret is that the whole trip went by too quickly. We cannot wait to come back to visit! Thank you!

Most enjoyable tour and well organised. Highly recommended.

We had the time of our lives! The trip was amazing, fabulous, outstanding and beyond our expectations. I only contacted a travel agent because my husband didn't think we could do both islands during our 2 week stay nor drive a car around. Ben convinced me both were possible! I am so glad to have taken advantage of his expertise. I told him I wanted to see and do as much as possible and we did! There were no spare moments :). We saw fauna that looked like the time of the dinosaurs, climbed mountains, took boat and train trips, visited Hobbiton and stayed in a hobbit hole, jumped off the sky tower, went to a hot yoga class, got our picture taken in front of a glacier, saw AQUAMARINE lakes and rivers, spotted 2 kiwi birds in the wild, saw seals off the side of the road, had a romantic lunch at a winery, and more. Having Ben arrange everything was an incredibly good decision on our part. Recommended side trips on the way to our next destination were spot on! New Zealand is a fabulous place to visit for anyone who values the outdoors. Spotless.

This is the first time we have engaged with a local ground tour arrangement for one of our vacations and it is certainly going to be the first of many more to come! It has been a pleasant and hassle free experience, from the initial itinerary discussions to the tour journey itself. We were worried about our transportation choice and the schedule as it was our first time visiting New Zealand and we have children but it turned out so well with Jane’s well thought out arrangements that ensured not only the adults but also the children had an enjoyable and memorable holiday in New Zealand.

Tours were great. Everything worked out well. Doubtful Sound trip was great. Got to see whale, seals, dolphins, and supposedly penguins, though I really did not see them. Rafting trip to glacier was wonderful at Mt Cook. Disappointed we could not get to fly to glacier because of low clouds, but we took the walk to base of Mt Selton and that was great-- and didn't cost any extra. Food was fantastic at Hermitage Hotel.

Great tour, thoroughly enjoyed our time in NZ. Two points of note. Firstly Monday 19th Nov, drive from Auckland to Paihia was a bit tight to make the dolphin eco tour. We made it, but only just. Would suggest longer required to drive, especially due to the roadworks. Secondly, Monday 26th Nov, after crossing to the south island, the drive to the kayaking tour was also a bit tight. Luckily, we were the only ones booked and they didn't mind that we were about 20 minutes late. My daughter had an absolute ball and loved Hobbiton (as did I). Thank you once again for a fabulous itinerary.

We had a really marvelous holiday in your amazingly, staggeringly beautiful country . Everything was so efficiently organised; we were met only with helpful and very friendly people; the accommodation was very good - all was totally hassle free and laid back. Thank you. I would just say that a warning about the sand flies around Milford would have been appreciated - prevention of bites would have been much better than the lengthy cure ;-)

Chelsea thank you for preparing our itinerary for our trip to New Zealand. What a beautiful country, we enjoyed seeing the rolling hills, vineyards and the ocean. Our activities where all well planned and very interesting. We especially enjoyed Hobbiton and our quading experience. Also our time in Queenstown was great, the cruise to Walter Peak and meal there was excellent. We would definitely recommend your company to our friends.

Great trip, we enjoyed all destinations and planned activities. The people of NZ were great hosts and made us feel at home everywhere we went. The scenery in all parts of NZ was exceptional and some of the best we seen any where in the world. DNZ did an outstanding job planning our trip as all lodging, activities and travel bookings were completed without issue (whale watching was canceled, but no fault of DNZ and we were issued a full refund). Our favorite activities was the "Treetop Canopy" and Argodome Farm tour in Rotorua, the Queenstown area and the drive of the South Island. If we were doing the trip again, we would pick a different hotel in Rotorua (sulfur from lake) and Te Anau as both could use a little refreshing. We would also spend more time on the drive from Queenstown to Fox Glacier as the scenery in the area was extraordinary and not do the Fox Glacier tour as it was just a short hike with a view of the glacier from a distance. We have recommended DNZ and a trip NZ to several of our friends.

This is a wonderful tour, especially if your only have a couple of days in North New Zealand. Every sight was a unbelievable experience! It is well organized and the bus drive, Rachel, was knowledgeable and shared a lot of interesting facts about New Zealand as we drove to each location on the first day of our tour. This is one you don't want to miss!!

Our trip was great! All the arrangements that you made for us went off without a hitch. The hotels you selected were well situated and easy walking distances to the various attractions. They all met or exceeded our expectations. The itinerary you helped us with worked out well and gave us enough time each day to explore the sights of New Zealand at our own pace without feeling too rushed although we knew going into the trip that the itinerary was full of things to see and do. The weather was great with only a few days that had showers but nothing to put a damper on our exploration of your beautiful country. We would and will highly recommend you and your company to friends and family looking to visit New Zealand. Take care and thanks!

Laura was most helpful in putting together our trip to NZ. The choices for excursions for the day where really what we wanted and there was no repetition of experience. It is as if she knows us personally. It was important too that she was available for any questions or feedback as we were in NZ. Simply amazing!

Sorry we missed you when we passed through Wanaka. As far as our Southern Coast Nature Tour that you arranged for us, we had a great time, thoroughly enjoyed it with our highlight being our tour and overnight stay on Doubtful Sound on the Southern Secret, it was second to none !!! All your bookings were spot on and pre-arrangements were excellent. Thanks again Louise and we would recommend your company to any of our friends should they travel to the South Island !!!

Thank you, Alarna, for all your patience working with me to customize our tour--you were great!! All the arrangements worked beautifully which helped make our NZ trip a truly incredible experience. I will definitely recommend Discover New Zealand and you to anyone I know traveling to NZ because I'm sure they would receive the same high level of service we experienced. maha whakawhetai--many thanks!

We had a great time. Very well organised for each day and we are picked up by the coach bus almost the exact time as stated on the itinerary. Although the weather changed very quickly and we had snowing, pouring rain, sunny situation during the trip, once we reach the destinations, the weather turned out great. 5 days are really to short to experience south island and we end up almost taking coach bus everyday and the breaks are too short. However the magnificent views of south island really are worth the drive.

Yes the holiday was great, with 11 pick ups on time, you did a great job ,planning our holiday. The seats on The Coastal Express was what I wanted, as I've traveled on the Trans Siberion Railway so i am a railway fan. Thank you very much for the holiday itinerary folder, and the picture book, which was a lovely gift which we did not expect. On British television last week was a program called Mighty Trains, channel 37 Quest and the tourist trains of New Zealand was shown for an hour, so it was great to relive our holiday. I can certainly recommend you for the excellent service that you gave us and making it a wonderful holiday that I will always remember. Best wishes

We had an absolutely wonderful time. Far beyond our expectations. We're so glad that we followed through with Natalie's suggested changes to our original provisional itinerary. That advice was invaluable. All the arrangements and bookings went very smoothly (eg airport transfers, pre-booked activities). From our initial enquiry back in December 2017 through to the flight back to UK, NZFT (especially Natalie) were outstanding in quick response, friendly service, good advice, comprehensive information, etc. The Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise was excellent in every way. Lovely crew, great food and accommodation. And we saw an estimated 15 humpback whales!

This was an amazing trip! The people of New Zealand are one of a kind and the country is absolutely beautiful. We cannot wait to take another trip here in our future. The only thing we would strongly discourage staying at the "Hobbit Hotel", this was just a gimmick. The only thing that was "Hobbit" like was the circular front door. The place smelled terrible and the location wasn't ideal either. Erynn was amazing to work with and I found their customer service to be amazing. Every tour/activity was informative and a lot of fun!

We just wanted to say thank you for organizing such a wonderful holiday for us. Everything went seamlessly - from pick ups, car rental, boat rides, train journeys and accommodations. It was fabulous and we have had a memorable time. A very big thank you!

Hi Kelly, We absolutely loved our New Zealand trip! You did an awesome job of putting together experiences that continuously kept us in awe. New Zealand is so beautiful and there is so much to enjoy both culturally and geographically. We especially enjoyed our time in Queenstown, and it was a fitting place to culminate our trip. Discover New Zealand was also very accommodating throughout the tour. For example, our boat ride at Mount Cook was canceled due to weather and a quick phone call allowed me to credit that amount toward a four wheeler tour of Lord of the Rings sites at a later location (which, by the way, was also so fun). Another time when we were going to meet our coach and were unsure which one to look for, again someone was available by phone to assist us. The amount of coordination it takes to put these trips together is not lost on me, and it all went off without a hitch. I would be remiss not to also mention that everywhere we went people were so warm and friendly. What a great place to visit and you made it a trip that exceeded our expectations! Thank you so much. I also sent some photos to your site. Hope you are doing well! Best, Patty

We had a wonderful time in New Zealand. Everything went according to plan. The scenery was beautiful. The hotel and motels were comfortable. We especially liked the one at Franz Joseph. The day trip to Milford sound from Queenstown was a little tiring because of the long coach ride to and fro. Other than that, the rest of the travels was good. We would definitely consider a trip to the north island another time . 

Thank you for organising such a great itinerary for us. You made our first ever visit to New Zealand so memorable. Each experience was perfect for us - we loved every day we were there and couldn’t wait for the next! From the hotel bookings to the actives you booked and even the detailed driving instructions, everything was so easy to access- all we had to do was turn up! A fantastic trip- many thanks to you!

Thanks for the great organisation of our trip, everything ran smoothly, the accommodation was great for our needs. In particular, the people at Heli-line at Franz Josef got us onto a flight the next day when weather prevented our original flight, and even gave us the upgraded flight. The quad bike tour was fantastic, best one I’ve ever done. I would rate the Taieri gorge train in Dunedin over the Arthur’s pass train for its beauty, even though the latter was very relaxing. Our Hollyford walk was a highlight and can thoroughly recommend it. Thanks again, we will definitely recommend your company for anyone travelling independently to NZ.

Fantastic trip! Everything was well thought out and made it easy for us to just relax and enjoy our time in New Zealand. Our bus driver Kenny was fun and informative, and the different activities we stopped at were excellent. Feeding alpacas at the Agrodome was a highlight, and paying a little extra for the relaxing Polynesian spas was definitely worthwhile. Jane was excellent in assisting us book our mini holiday, and we would definitely book with her again. Thank you!

Jane helped us plan the perfect itinerary for our free days in New Zealand and we weren't prepared for how breathtaking it would be. The whole trip was organised so well, everything worked out smoothly (which is a first in history for a holiday IMO!) and everyone we met was helpful and lovely. I would go back in a heartbeat! Thank you.

We were very happy with the tour package, all the accommodation and tour inclusions were great. We had no difficulties getting around with the gps, tour guide and hire car. NZ is a wonderful and very friendly place to visit. We will have no hesitation in recommending your company to anyone wishing to visit your great country.

The whole process from beginning to end was very impressive. The drives and activities recommended were wonderful and the customer service was over the top. Every detail was spot on. Our vacation to New Zealand was a trip we planned for years and we could not of been more pleased with the service and ease that Discover New Zealand provided us. Highly recommend and will most differently go this way in our next visit.

We had am amazing trip and it was all made possible by Jane and the rest of the Discover New Zealand team. The motels were great and we loved having access to washers and dryers for our clothing.We were so pleased at the way the details of the trip were handled. All we had to do was arrive at our destination and all was taken care of, every time. So easy! We loved the design of the trip, it enabled us to get in as much hiking as we wanted and it gave us a great overview of New Zealand. So much so in fact, that we plan to return! Jane was also super helpful to resolve a couple small problems we had with the rental car but she really exceeded expectations when we, on very short notice, requested the ability to join the Glacier Boat tour at Mt Cook. Bookings were very tight, but she managed to get us on a boat for a trip that turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The only change we would make in the trip would be to add 1 more day to Kaikoura and take one day away from Christchurch. So many great memories, and such great service and support from Jane and the rest of Discover New Zealand team. We will recommend Discover New Zealand and Jane to any of friends who want to go to New Zealand, and we have many who want to go. Thanks for everything!

It was a pleasure to work with you. We are very satisfied with the organization of the trip. Everything went very well. The adventures helicopter, Huka jet, canopy generated a lot of fun. And we loved the NZ people, food, landscape. Thank you for your work. We will come back to NZ. And if then we will organize everything with you again.

Wow, what an awesome trip. Everything you organised fell into place beautifully. Hertz care hire were fantastic. All the accommodation you arranged was great, clean, friendly and over-the-top helpful. This was our first holiday in 15 years and it was well worth the wait. Thank you so much for your fantastic efforts. My highlight of the trip was discovering 'cronuts', and not just any cronut but Cromwell bakery 'cromnuts', they are mouth-watering delicious beyond words. Scott's highlight was the Fox Glacier helicopter trip. Again, my sincere thanks for organising a drama-free and memorable holiday for us.

Chelsea arranged everything very nicely. Thank you.

Our family returned to U.S. WE HAD THE BEST NEW ZEALAND VACATION, EVER !!! ...In all of the events and Itinerary YOU lined up for us. I intend to provide feed back on the Trip advisor sights as well. but no doubt, YOU planned a 9.7 (out of 10) rating vacation for us. WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL TO YOU !!! The accommodations and its operators, bus drivers were wonderful, transportation, the optional events such as multiple boat rides and Kaikoura cray fish vendors were fabulous ! We got to experience warm summer days and rain that turned into lovely snowfall within one day. I wish I could re-do the Glacier explorer ride again. We could not get enough of those Glacier & mountain views and lake waters. Our trip was packed, yet manageable in keeping to a schedule to catch the transportation to the next town and event. WE TRULY THANK YOU and have already told many friends about our wonderful NZ times. The South Island itself is SOOO BEAUTIFUL. The local people are the warmest , kindest . Our New Zealand photos will provide countless , happy memories for a lifetime, that we will never forget. One of the best decisions I made regarding the NZ trip was contacting you, Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much).

The tour went smoothly and we all had a very wonderful time! Every experience was special and memorable.The guides and drivers were great and professional. Chelsea, the lady who helped us arrange our itinerary was also very kind and accommodating to our requests, and she always replied promptly. Would recommend this tour and Discover New Zealand to others! 5 stars!!!

Thank you for helping us organise our South Island tour, we had a wonderful time saw so much and missed much too, great excuse to come back. Thanks once again.

Chelsea took the headache out of our trip by organising all accommodation, car hire and activities. Everything went smoothly and as promised she had a left a printed itinerary and atlas at our first hotel. I would definitely recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone traveling to this beautiful country for the first time. We really enjoyed our trip, the people and the divine scenery - so much lush green countryside. We will be back!

The trip excellent, places we stayed were varied and lovely, felt we had a good overview of the North Island. Still areas that we would like to see, mainly bay of islands, that’s for another time. Car choice was fortuitous with the price of fuel, that was a bit of a shock. A small negative was the car parking, there were very limited parks available. Other than that the whole trip was well organised and everything fitted together well. Highly recommend to anyone.

Jess was great in all correspondence. All excursions were great....Auckland harbor cruise, Hobbit town, Maori Show....unfortunately the whale watching was cancelled twice. Overall the experience was excellent and we have many great memories Thank for all. Lee

We started our search few months ago and decided to plan through Discover New Zealand the very first time we talked to Brigett Turner. We' have traveled a lot internationally and she is the one of best travel agents we've worked with. She was always ready to answer all our questions and accommodate all our needs in spite of time difference between US and NZ. She was always professional and courteous. Everything was planned as per our requests and went smoothly. In spite of a few rainy days, we had a great time in this beautiful country. Lot of our friends and family members are looking forward to work with Discover New Zealand to plan their future tours to NZ

Traveling with Discover New Zealand travel agency had truly saved our holiday this year. We were extremely late in planning and had a lot of ideas on what we wanted to see. By working long hours, it was not possible for us to organize a car trip through the south island - so I Googled and came up your amazing and so easy to use website. The very next day, Brigett called me directly (overseas) and offered future assistance - wow what a customer service. I kept her a little busy with a few back and forths on things to do and what not (sorry Brigett :)) but she handled it all with such care and love for her country, which truly impressed me. So, thank you for everything you have done! Going through the tour it was absolutely stunning, and had all what we were looking for. I could write a full book on how amazing this holiday had been, but I know for fact long reviews nobody reads - so I leave it with that - Brigett, I can assure you we will be back and next time the north island will be ours! Thank you for everything.

We had a fabulous trip. We were a bit worried about the pacing and if everything as far as meeting buses and connections would work out but everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be every single time. Every reservation was well documented and we never had a problem, everyone we dealt with new who we were and where we were going. The Milford sound tour was outstanding, even with the weather we had that day it was a great day. 4. The cruise and BBQ dinner at the sheep ranch was a truly memorable experience, best meal we had in NZ. That was a hands down winner. 5. Everyone should do the Hobbiton tour, it was a hoot and a half. Great day. 6. Breakfast, I was a little surprised that breakfast was always included with the rooms, I assumed that this was a bit of price padding but I have changed my opinion. With every start time being as early as it was breakfast at the hotel, a buffet, was a God send. It was the only way to go. Overall we had a great trip and a wonderful experience and left with the feeling that we got good value for our money. We have already recommended the trip to several others. Thank you again for setting it up for us.

Thank you for organising my New Zealand short stay. My friend Kaye and I had a great time going from Auckland to Wellington. We enjoyed all the events you suggested and found plenty to do and see in our free time.  Everything went to plan and all drivers, hotels, etc were friendly and efficient as were the locals who were willing to share their knowledge of their regions.  The cake decorating seminar was wonderful and we have learnt some new tricks of the trade. Thank you for all your organising.

We got to do everything we wanted to do. Laura was very helpful in getting our tour together. We hadn't anticipated so much travel time on the South Island. It made for some long days. All of the drivers and guides were great.

We had a wonderful trip in New Zealand! It was very convenient and the fast pace of movement throughout NZ was well organized! All our stays and activities that were planned were thoroughly enjoyed! I loved Rotorua and Queenstown the best. We loved the people in every city as everyone from the Great Sights drivers to the people at any shop/café were pleasantly friendly. Left a wonderful impression on us. We were also able to collect some wonderful mementos throughout our trip at multiple shopping opportunities. We did also enjoy the free time that we had in Queenstown as I was able to bungy jump! Everyone in our family had a great time and experienced New Zealand to, what we believe to be, the fullest!

While planning any trip i believe that the key aspect is good communication with the tour operator. I really appreciate the swift responses by Louise to all my enquiries. She was great at the planning stage even though i had requested numerous changes to my itinerary many times. She handled all my queries very patiently and promptly. All the arrangements were spot on and all the details and instructions were provided very clearly. The accommodations booked were of excellent quality and we were very happy with the arrangements. I highly recommend their services and hope to use it for my future travels to New Zealand.

All went well and according to plans. We enjoyed the tours very much. Thank you for the excellent arrangements.

Such wonderful arrangements for our New Zealand tour. A really nice planning experience with so many good suggestions for us.

Words can’t express how grateful we are! We found Discover New Zealand last minute and Brigett truly saved our trip! If not for Discover New Zealand, we wouldn't have had such a wonderful visit in New Zealand! Brigett responded super quick and was always helpful. After I sent my first enquiry she called me within an hour and gave us the first draft itinerary that same day! The itinerary she provided us was  very flexible and we just added the attractions we wanted to visit. These guys will really help you make the perfect plan! I highly recommend Discover New Zealand and I already introduced Brigett to some of my colleagues!

First of all thanks for all your efforts and for what was an amazing tour of our now favourite country in the World with, without doubt, the friendliest and most welcoming people in the World. We are so glad we have visited this wonderful country. I think we assumed that we would be travelling more as part of a group rather than totally independently. Thanks for all you did in making it a memorable trip.

Using Discover New Zealand (DNZ) was a great decision for us. We didn't know anything about New Zealand and we hate trying to pick hotels. DNZ helped us plan a great trip that was wonderfully active with built in relax days and reasonable amounts of driving. All the places we stayed were great and all the tours were awesome. Would absolutely recommend.

Hi Shelley, thanks so much for organising our Northland tour at such short notice. We had such a great time that we wanted to become NZ citizens. We really enjoyed our 3 x night stay at Russell in our Duke apartment which we could have easily stayed in for the week. Perhaps next time. Once again thank you and we would highly recommend Discover New Zealand.

I want to thank Amanda Dalgleish for the planning of my tour, everything was perfect regarding all the hotel bookings, airline reservations, bus schedules, as well as the different activities. You can tell she has the experience and handled everything very well. I very much enjoyed the independent tour because it was meticulously planned and all details taken care of. Highly recommend them!

We (my daughter & I) had truly enjoyed this trip! The bus ride was comfy & the places we visited provided great experience & memories for us. Racheal, the bus driver was very informative & entertaining. Good job!

We enjoyed our tour very much. It included all that we wanted to do and we we very happy with the accommodation and all the arrangements that had been made on our behalf. Everything ran smoothly with no problems. We would also like to thank you and the staff at Discover New Zealand for being there to help when we did need assistance. Many thanks

This was an absolutely amazing trip, my mother and I had a wonderful time. The south island is just so beautiful and every place we stopped at was so different and just as beautiful as the last. Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook were stunning to start the trip and it just got better from there. Had lots of rain in Milford Sound but made the experience so much more worthwhile seeing all the waterfalls. Would recommend this trip highly to anyone considering it. Big thanks to Narissa for organising this trip.

We had a very enjoyable holiday in NZ thanks to the excellent organisation of our tour. All the transfers met us on time and the motels were very comfortable. The Southern Highlights tour provides a good look at the south island and the included and optional extras we chose added to the enjoyment and experience. We had a very good car (a Mitsubishi ASX) which was brand new, easy to drive and very comfortable. Because we covered a fair bit of the south island in 9 days we did find that after a week the driving was tiring as, although the distances weren't that far (by Australian standards), it was taking us longer than expected to get to some destinations. Thanks again for your excellent service and organisation.

Hi Jane, Thank you so much for organising my trip, I had an amazing time! Having you take care of all the details for me made the planning so simple and stress-free. The hotel locations were convenient and the optional tour recommendations were great! Rhiannon

In love with the great job of Amanda, in love with the agency and the country. We have already recommended you to friends who are traveling to NZ soon. It's impressive how everything is coordinated and organised. Congratulations!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Just wanted to say what a great job Shelley Ryder did on organising our itinerary for our 12 day self drive tour of the South Island. Everything from the hire car to all the accommodation was excellent. The optional activities she suggested were very fitting for our family group. I would not hesitate in recommending her to friends and family.

Thanks to Discover New Zealand for a wonderful trip in South Island! The train and bus rides as well as the commentaries from the drivers were great! We definitely recommend Discover New Zealand.

Thanks Shelley our tour was perfectly arranged. From the flights to the pickups, motels and coach tours. We were given an upgrade at our motel in Christchurch which was unexpected but very well received. Our drivers to and from the airport and train station were friendly, informative, professional and punctual. The scenery was marvelous and even more impressive than we were led to believe.

We couldn't be happier with the level of service we received from Natalie and Discover New Zealand. The trip was planned flawlessly. Every where we went, the reservation was ready for us and we had no hassles. We didn't have a single hotel we weren't absolutely thrilled with. The plan was well thought out with plenty of time to get from one place to the next. And the welcome package was thorough with an atlas and details on itinerary and locations. We've already recommended to all of our friends: if you're planning a trip to New Zealand, do it through Discover New Zealand. Thank you for making our honeymoon perfect!

Very systematic & enjoyable tour. Great scenery & beautiful country. We felt safe & comfortable like at home with all the friendly & caring tour guides & drivers. Priceless experiences & memories to be cherished for a life time.

We have now made it back to the US and I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated the travel plans you arranged. We were always met on time by nice folks that knew were we needed to be. The sights and tours were great!

I really enjoyed my first visit to NZ thanks on my Waitomo, Rotorua and Hobbiton 3 Day Tour. All the places in the tour were amazing. Thank you very much! Because it was beyond my expectations, now I’m thinking about going to South Island next time.

Christina Brockie has been really helpful for us throughout the entire booking process of our trip! She sent us recommendations, and also asked questions we never would have thought we’ll encounter during our trip. Our trip went smoothly and perfectly as planned. Our busses and shuttles arrived at the given time, and we didn’t had any problems with our reservations and bookings. Christina has been a huge blessing throughout our New Zealand trip booking process. She made our plans so easy. If I were to travel to South Island, I would contact Christina again for help! Definitely going to recommend DiscoverNewZealand! Thank you so much!

We totally enjoyed our tour. Drivers are prompt.

We had an amazing time in New Zealand and cant praise Heather Mullett at Discover New Zealand enough. She was very professional and did a great job of organising everything and answering all our questions. The pre booked tours all worked out perfectly and efficiently. The accommodation during the trip was excellent with the exception of Lochiel Estate Bed & Breakfast. Lochiel was just not up to the standard of the other accommodation. We would definitely use Discover New Zealand again and highly recommend them. Thank you

Highly recommended! Well organized tour... the accommodations are very good. Nisse Perry was very helpful and easy to communicate with.

My family and I would like to first of all thank Chelsea Lodge for her excellent communications and relationship management skills in helping us from the very start - and at considerable short notice - in planing our South Island trip. She is to be commended on her rapid response to my queries and patience in answering my questions. Secondly, we would like to say that this was among one of our most memorable holidays - New Zealand is simply an amazing country - lots of mesmerizing landscapes, lovely and friendly people and good food. The team at Discover New Zealand and all the others that worked with you have been amazing - drivers are always on time and among the most knowledgeable people; ready to not only interpret the trip but also very happy to answer our questions. We always felt in very safe hands on the road. We want to especially mention one of our drivers, Mr Alan, who drove us from Mt Cook to Dunedin. He was simply fantastic, so cheerful, knowledgeable, full of anecdotes made us laugh so much. The 11 Days we spent on this trip was worth every dollar. Being Lord of the Rings fans, this trip was also especially interesting to us. New Zealand hasn't seen the last of us - we will be back surely for yet another fantastic holiday, possibly this time to the North Island. Thank you once again to Discover New Zealand. Sincerely, Dionysius, Sheila, Joshua and Jaedon

We enjoyed a great holiday in New Zealand! Thanks to Chelsea! She is helpful and professional! It is the most memorable trip of our life. We also recommend to book Punga Grove motel & Suites. It is convenient, and Sam is very helpful and nice!

Dear Brigett, I hope you are well. There is certainly a reason for you to be a proud and helpful travel organizer. Thankyou for the meticulously planned trip every bit of the trip was excellent. The motel was good, clean and the staff were very helpful and friendly. It is very close to the hot water pools which was at walking distance and of course even the market was at walking distance. The icing on the cake was the Maori cultural village, the hangi dinner and above all the Waitapu tour to the Geysers. It was amazing. Thank you for the great trip I enjoyed every bit of it.

Christina Brockie did a fantastic job working with my cousin and I to craft a one-week North Island self-drive tour. I was able to experience just about everything I hoped I would over that span — plenty of Lord of the Rings geekery — and other natural attractions that blew me away as well. The singular highlight for me was the Wellington Rover tour, featuring Waiwai the tour guide. Can't say enough about how that made the trip special (as well as the Hobbiton set tour that I know many experience). It's only a matter of time until I'll want to come back, likely to visit the South Island. Thanks again for helping make some lasting memories.

Hi Ben, Thank you for your email. It is my great opportunity to know you via Discover New Zealand. Your professional advise and planning on my trip to NZ is wonderful and unforgettable.

The trip was very well organized. The benefit of organizing it with Discover New Zealand was that I did not have to worry about anything, the team was very helpful to customize the trip according to my needs and there was never any kind of confusion throughout the trip and I could really focus on enjoying New Zealand!

Shelley! We had such an amazing time in New Zealand that I wanted to reach out to you one more time and give you my thanks. Everything was absolutely wonderful, there were hardly any bumps in the road (I did lose my passport for a whole day, though a very nice Kiwi made sure that I got it back). It was more than I could've ever asked for! And it was truly all thanks to you. I would have been so lost without you and your company's help. Attached (Hopefully) are some of my favorite pictures I took in Rotorua, Kaikoura, and Milford for your viewing pleasure as proof of how absolutely beautiful I found New Zealand. 

Where do I start...well first of all Sarah i just wanted to say a massive thank you to you personally, i know this is your job, however there are people who go to work finish for the day and then repeat, and then, there are people like you who must truly love their job because it shows in the level of attention and assistance you gave to us and making our holiday one of the best we ever had.

Right from the moment we sent a generic email asking for further information, you were amazing. By calling us first and getting to know both my husband and I in order to customise a travel package that was perfect just for us was beyond exceptional. Not only did you take the time to go over everything for us, nothing was too hard and no question was too stupid. Everything was done for me, all i had to do was sit back and enjoy my holiday. 

It was a treat to return to New Zealand as our previous visit was outstanding. I still find the South Island the best as it aligns with smaller towns and has a more friendly atmosphere. Christchurch and Queenstown are still my favourites. The trip we embarked on was full on as we seemed to be on the move most of the time. The time we spent walking around Christchurch was a bonus. Revisiting places on the south island was great as I could remember each of these. The drivers on the tour buses were all good some much more friendly. My favourite was Auntie Hanna in Rotorua – she was full on life and made everyone laugh and smile – that made the journey even more enjoyable. The trip was well planned and we saw many places and local tours. Being picked up at the hotel is a real advantage and makes life on holiday so much simpler as the shuttle buses or tour buses come to your hotel. The breakfasts were all good and hotels very comfortable. Overall I would rate this trip as excellent – but then again New Zealand does spoil the tourist as it is a great place. I will return. Christina was an excellent tour organizer as she maintained contact with me, tracked our itinerary and offered assistance when our tour party lost items on buses and at hotels. Christina kept us totally informed and provided all the information to ensure we had a great holiday – Thank you Christina.

It was an amazing trip! At some point booking from the other side of the Earth we were a little hesitant whether all will be fine with this journey, but hey, it started excellent from the beginning! We were met at the airport and taken to the hotel in a comfy Mercedes, the driver was a nice man with good tips on New Zealand. While on the topic of drivers, all bus drivers were big fun, but professional all the time. Hotel accommodations were smooth, logistics were working as smooth as a new German car. We did pick a personalised trip, but we decided to add a few things on the run, which happened smoothly with two calls to the agency. Our contact Alarna was very helpful and helped us book everything with as little hassle as possible. So, to wrap up, we still have a lot to see from New Zealand on another trip, but we do know who are we booking it with. Cheers from Bulgaria, Tzetzi and Ivo

The trip was amazing. Our travel specialist Joanna was on the ball and did a great job organising everything for us. I loved that everything ran on time and everyone was so professional. Sudima Lake Rotorua was a great hotel, in a great location, just down the road from town. And everyone, from the staff at the Waitomo Caves to the Mitai Maori Village, were so friendly. The food on this tour was amazing, notably the hangi dinner at the Mitai Maori Village. I've already recommended Discover New Zealand and tour to my friends and colleagues.

We had a wonderful time on this tour! Sarah did a fantastic job working with us to set the itinerary that fit into other legs of our vacation. Highly recommend their service.

Thank you for such a wonderful trip. Everything was perfectly arranged and the accommodation was excellent. Christina was always helpful and organized the itinerary with great care. Everyday and every location was amazing and beautiful makes it hard to choose a favorite. We can only recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone looking for a perfect vacation.

Sarah was a fantastic help when organising my tour and everything ran smoothly - a huge thank you. My favourite part of the trip was the Dart Wilderness trip, highly recommended. All accommodation was very central and the Blue Peaks Lodge staff in Queenstown very helpful. They even gave me an extra heater as I was cold. Looking forward to returning to New Zealand and booking more with Sarah in the future.

Dear Brigett, I can not thank you enough for organizing this trip so perfectly and flawlessly like you did. New Zealand is the most beautiful country I have ever been! The culture, the respect for nature, the authentic and genuine people, the outstanding food, and specially the safety in every single city was extraordinary. Additionally, I was extremely lucky with the weather, every single activity was incredible. Will send you some pics! Thank you again for putting this itinerary together, with all your knowledge the timing, transportation, and activities were impeccable, I felt I experienced everything I wanted. It has been really a treat for me and will always be grateful for such a fantastic experience in my life. Will definitely recommend Discover New Zealand and specially you to all my friends!

Emma was fantastic from the moment I got on the online chat querying about the tour. She called me and we were able to go through the itinerary and discuss everything. We made sure that it was all how I wanted and then she confirmed everything, letting me know when everything was confirmed for me and sending out a full and detailed itinerary. It was an amazing experience and I had such an incredible time! When I get back out to New Zealand, hopefully doing the South Island I will definitely be giving Emma a call!

Thank you for a wonderful trip! Logistics (payment, hotels, buses) were effortless and ran like clock work. This was a great way to explore the key sites of the South Island in such a short time. Would recommend a longer trip if you can swing it for there is a lot to see and do! Every turn of the drive offered stunning views. Beautiful country.

Hi Erynn. Thank you for organising our North Island 9 Day Highlights with Northern Explorer holiday, we had an absolute ball visiting and experiencing the North Island. We only wish we could have stayed a lot longer. Overall, things ran very smoothly. The transfers were all on time and were excellent, with very polite and courteous drivers. The hire car was hassle free and easily the best way to see it all.  The journey from Wellington back to Auckland by train was awesome. Aotearoa is a beautiful place worthy of taking the time to appreciate its beauty. The train with its open-air carriage and panoramic windows in the passenger cars provides breathtaking views at every turn. A big thumbs up to you and Discover New Zealand tours. We will recommend you to our friends. We will come back in the future. Next time we want to see the South Island to complete the experience. Paul and Colleen

Jane, thank you so much for all your help with our recent custom tour of the South Island. The whole trip was seamless, documentation exceptional and everything was as stated. New Zealand is such a special and beautiful place and we are so glad that we used Discover New Zealand to plan our visit. Suzanne

Dear Laura, thank you so much to you and all the team at Discover New Zealand for a wonderful holiday in your beautiful country. You were all tremendous to work with right from the planning stage, all the way through our time in NZ. The itinerary was fantastic and the suggested activities and sightseeing points were very valuable. The Discover NZ team were very responsive and helpful, particularly on the day of the storm where we had to consider alternatives to our planned travel. It was reassuring and helped our holiday so much to know we were able to contact someone and work through alternatives if plans had to change. To have someone make a change happen when you are travelling in a different country is wonderful. We can't recommend Discover New Zealand highly enough for their expertise, promptness and thorough organisation. Stephen and Elizabeth Dale

We are really happy, they are really helpful and informative.. all went very well.. thanks a lot.

Overall, Discover New Zealand and Erynn Bell did an amazing job arranging our vacation trip in New Zealand. All of the transfers and pick ups were properly accounted for and are always on time. The tours we joined are all of the must sees in the country. Erynn was also able to easily accommodate and make last minute changes to our itinerary due to additional tours to be added before our holidays started. One recommendation is to schedule the cruises during day time since the views would be more spectacular during the day versus nighttime (i.e. TSS Earnslaw and Auckland cruise).

Hi Sarah, I've been meaning to email you to let you know that we had a wonderful trip, we all had such a great time. I just wanted to say we really appreciate all the hard work you did to put it all together in such a short space of time, everything went so smoothly! The activities were fantastic and even though we didn't get to do the glacier tour, we saw snow! That was amazing and a first for us and the children, they had a blast throwing snowballs at each other and at Mum and Dad. The accommodation at the bulk of the places we stayed was just lovely, stand outs were Mt Cook and Te Anau - both brilliant! We feel very blessed that we found you and we've been telling everyone what a wonderful time we had and how well organized and hassle free the trip was, thanks to Discover New Zealand.

Great holiday, thanks to Brigett for organising the itinerary. Would highly recommend if you are a busy person, all the organisation is done for you.

We had a wonderful tour. Hit many of the highlights of this beautiful country. The accommodations were very nice. The bus rides were quite long but went fairly quickly as the passing scenery was so lovely. The only glitch was our last bus to catch the Trans Alpine train was delayed due to a fallen tree so we missed the train. The bus driver really tried his best to get to the train station in time but to no avail.

Hi Laura Ruth, John, Rob and I just want to say thank you for an amazing holiday. We can't quite believe how much we did and saw in our three weeks. The holiday was very well organised, everything went very smoothly and it was great to just stand outside the motel and be picked up and taken to where ever we were going! All the accommodation was very good, very clean and comfortable and the locations ideal. All the tour guides and coach drivers were very knowledgeable and helpful. We felt we had a good overview of New Zealand, it's people, history as well as the scenery. Watching the sunset on Mt Cook from our hotel window was a particular highlight. The balance of LOTR'S tours with everything else was perfect. We had the most amazing holiday and will certainly recommend your company to anyone thinking of going. Kind regards Helen

Dear Emma, We returned home to Vermont, USA last Tuesday April 9. We traveled 26 straight hours getting home so we've been suffering from jet lag and are just now getting around to writing you this letter. I wanted to thank you for all your efforts in arranging our trip to New Zealand. As you can imagine, I was a little anxious about hiring someone half way around the world to arrange our trip. If Discover New Zealand turned out to be dishonest, I would have little recourse. Those worries were completely unfounded. Our trip was wonderful! All of our accommodations were ready and waiting for us when we arrived, all we had to do was tell the desk clerk that we were Terry and Cindy AmRhein and our room was ready.  

Thank You for a wonderful trip. Everything went as planned and we had a great trip with many awesome memories. We will be in contact soon for our next New Zealand adventure. Respectfully, Scott and Rachel.

Shelley provided us with a individualised self drive itinerary for the 11 days we had in the South Island. Everything as outlined on the itinerary was spot on and we found the accommodation to be excellent. Cannot express our delight with this trip adequately enough and will certainly recommend you to our friends. Stephen and Dianne, Australia

Hi Jane Thanks for arranging this. We found the arrangements well-paced and the directions were perfect. I would like to provide feedback on 2 of the accommodations for consideration. The Te Anau Distinction Luxmore Hotel was not up to scratch, it was old & dated. It was clean and right in the middle of town but it was a disappointment compared to the previous accommodation. The main issue was the shower was just awful, it could barely get the shampoo out of my hair (I don’t have much), the wife had much more trouble. The Rainforest Retreat in Franz Josef we approached with trepidation given it was the other altered accommodation, on arrival we were advised we had been upgraded to the deluxe lodges. These were by far the best accommodation we had on the trip. In summary we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the beauty of the south island. I would have no hesitation recommending your organisation to anyone looking for a similar holiday. Brad

Hi Jane Just letting you know we had a great time on our holiday in North Island. Everything went well and even the weather was kind to us with just a wet day at the beginning and end of our trip. The accommodation was fine with Quest in Rotorua and City Life in Wellington getting 5 stars from us. 

I can't say enough about the trip we planned together & the care you took of us while we visited your stunning country. All of the special "tours" you included were perfect. You went out of your way when we needed you. Thank you Discover New Zealand!

Just to thank Shelley for her assistance in providing a great self drive tour. Excellent detailed information provided and GPS very handy. Lots of great memories from both Islands with the South Island being the most scenic. Best activity was the helicopter flight onto the glacier as we had a hot sunny day and when up in our tee shirts. Closely followed by Milford Sound despite the weather. We chose to fly from Christchurch to Wellington, which proved to be best way to link to the North island. The only one thing we would have changed is to instead travelled from Rotorua via Hobbiton direct to Auckland and not to Whiianga on the Coromandel. Peninsula. This would left us a day to travel to a resort North of Auckland before flying back to Australia.

Hi Christina Brockie, Everard, Ivy, Bridget and myself would love to thank you for giving us a well planned 2 and half week holiday. From the time I discussed this holiday with you, you knew straight away what our requirements were and you delivered it. We are so grateful that your support, expertise, guidance, and your good nature as made it possible for us to have the best of New Zealand. The North Island we were inspired with the Maori culture, people their excellent attitude and my golly they know how to tell a story. The South Island was also very interesting and beautiful. We had an excellent standard of accommodation Every aspect of our itinerary went smoothly. The private transfers, connections, accommodation and even bus drivers we experienced in NZ were exceptional and exemplary. All in all it was a great vacation and again we like to express out thanks to you Christina for a job well done.

Hi Shelley. Home from what we kept describing as our amazing "trip of a lifetime". When I used that phrase for our holiday it there are a few factors implicit in it - never done this before; its bigger/longer/better than before; its more expensive than before; probably never do it again etc. Each of these were fulfilled 'in spades' so I could say that it is mission accomplished in every one of the factors - except the last one !!! We enjoyed NZ so much that I am sure that "we will be back". I must congratulate and thank you because your recommended locations, motels, timings and activities were spot on and suited us perfectly. 

Most everything was just fine. The GPS with the car needed to be updated for some new road. Fortunately, we also use Google maps which knew about the new road. (Google maps also takes traffic into account. We got stuck in a jam outside Rotorua by following the GPS instead of Google maps.) It was good to have the same type car on both islands. Less figuring things out. We could find the Ibis in Wellington, but it is not at all clear how to get into it. Fortunately, we found a street space right outside and walked in. Also, weather in Wellington was awful. Not your fault, but quite a mess. We checked about laundry before we left. Turns out that most of the places we stayed had laundry facilities, so we didn't have to plan so carefully. Overall, well planned and a great trip.

We had an amazing vacation! Our tour adviser was easy to work with and so helpful. Favorites from our itinerary were Kaikoura whale watching and the TranzAlpine train. The driving is exhausting, but it's the best way to see the real New Zealand. Be aware the helicopter flights out to the glaciers in Franz Josef only truly go about 50% of the time. We lost an entire day trying to make flight after flight only to be cancelled each time. By the time our last flight was cancelled there wasn't enough time to hike if, and if we would have known that most flights don't happen, we would have just gone ahead and walked it and then had more time to do other things. Live and learn! New Zealand was such a great experience, and we appreciate all the help we received from Kelly planning our trip.

Kia Ora Jane. The whole holiday was pretty much perfect. Your organisation (verb not noun) made it so for us. Even when the weather was lousy, (the day of the Milford Sound tour) it was perfect. Gale force winds pelting rain that forced other companies boats to turn back only made the waterfalls that much more spectacular. The sun came out once we turned around so we got the best of everything. How do you organise the weather so well? The spacing between accommodations was spot on. Plenty of time to reach the next day's place. Split Apple Lodge was the pick of all the accommodation. Cannot speak highly enough of it. Being greeted at our car as we arrived by the owner, freshly homemade morning and afternoon tea laid on, really made to feel at home, even with a full lodge of guests. Nothing was too much trouble.  

Erynn, Some "out loud thoughts" that I thought might be useful as you advise other Americans in our age range (65-70). Don't expect complaints from us. First, and foremost, your country is spectacular and the people very hospitable. We loved our visit and appreciate your assistance in planning and coordinating it! Some other thoughts ... We loved the "skycouch" on Air NZ! On our previous trips to Australia we've gotten little sleep and have arrived in a mental fog. This time we both got 7-8 hrs. sleep. The skycouch was worth every extra penny, and it wasn't dear at all. If we hadn't done that, we would've needed a die to decompress before beginning the tour. The Vodafone sim card would've been a nice touch, but as we discussed by email, we should've worked that out with our US carrier ahead of time. When we were on Wifi (and, as you know, most buses and the train had it, as did the hotels and most restaurants) and used airplane mode, we could make Wifi calls and texts and not have to pay exorbitant international rates. 

We had a great holiday in New Zealand. We had discussed with Louise what we were hoping to see and do and she put together an itinerary that exceeded our expectations. We were able to see and experience so much, as well as meeting lots of interesting people. I particularly enjoyed the hotels that were selected for us, they were all high quality but each one had something special which just added to the vacation. All the arrangements worked like clockwork so we could just focus on enjoying and experiencing this amazing country.

Hi Erynn, I just wanted to let you know that our vacation was incredible. What a beautiful country. We would go back in a heartbeat. I changed the batteries in my camera four times in ten days. Our guide, Marty, was absolutely wonderful. How he kept 48 people entertained all day, everyday for 10 days, is beyond me. When we come back, we want Marty again. We loved every inch of your country. It was a vacation of a lifetime. Thank you again, Erynn. Peggy Panichelli

We worked with Narissa to put together a package which would work for us, she did an excellent job making suggestions and working with our thoughts. The package we received on arrival was also excellent, giving both an overview and detail. We felt this was a great company to work with in visiting New Zealand, no concerns about "where will we stay tonight or will it be OK" strongly recommend to anyone else wanting to make a self drive visit to NZ. John & Philippa.

Hi Louise, thanks for organizing a great trip. We really enjoyed it. Everything was very well organized. We appreciated all the transfers being handled so well. The buses and drivers were great. The individual who drove us from Mt Cook to Dunedin was an excellent guide. 

We would like to thank Emma for organising such a fantastic and unique trip for us. The activities she provided covered everything that we asked for and more, it was great to experience Maori culture and it isn't something we would've necessarily thought of unless suggested. Accomodation was located perfectly to suit our needs, as our primary mode of transport was on foot. We wish we could've had more time to explore your rich and cultured country.

Last fall I decided to make a dream trip to New Zealand become a reality. While researching online for a tour, I came across Discover New Zealand. Emma Bradley replied to my inquiry and was extremely helpful in answering my questions and customizing a tour. After explaining what I wanted to experience, she created a Middle Earth tour that went beyond my expectations. Arranging for personal meet and greet drivers alleviated stress about traveling from place to place. I would say that each driver was friendly yet laid-back. Each driver certainly made me feel welcome. 

Well, after 8 weeks of absolute heaven, here we are back in cold and grey England!. I just had to write to you, to say a huge thank you from Carole and I, for the absolutely stunning tour you arranged for us. The whole tour was perfectly planned, and it was a pleasure to follow the routes you had laid out. Every hotel was stunning in it's own way (with the exception of Ponsonby, as we know), and everyone was so friendly and helpful. We enjoyed every day of driving that was planned, with each distance being perfect for an enjoyable drive on you beautiful roads. We could never have planned anything as good as you did, from here in U.K.,many,many thanks. Every event that you planned for us was a joy. After the lugeing in Queenstown, I was hooked, and had to do it all again in Rotorua.

Hi Joanna, Well, after 8 weeks of absolute heaven, here we are back in cold and grey England!. I just had to write to you, to say a huge thank you from Carole and I, for the absolutely stunning tour you arranged for us. The whole tour was perfectly planned, and it was a pleasure to follow the routes you had laid out. Every hotel was stunning in it's own way (with the exception of Ponsonby, as we know), and everyone was so friendly and helpful. We enjoyed every day of driving that was planned, with each distance being perfect for an enjoyable drive on you beautiful roads. We could never have planned anything as good as you did, from here in U.K.,many,many thanks. Every event that you planned for us was a joy. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our Discover New Zealand Tour. Natalie was extremely helpful and we were very pleased with the accommodations and the tours. We would highly recommend Discovery New Zealand to our friends.

The holiday was great. Prior to booking, I just specified my requirements and Emma did the rest. We got maps (may no longer be as useful now we have Google maps etc) and detailed directions to get from one place to another. The personalised booklet was very helpful. The service was great! Just a couple of minor things where improvement is needed. The information in the booklet is not up to date (e.g. it tells us to wait somewhere for a bus pickup, but the bus was somewhere else), or sometimes confusing (one email says something which is then contradicted by something else). Also, the 2 bedroom serviced apartments we booked did not have separate beds in 1 of the bedroom - even though I had requested for it (My husband and I were travelling with my adult son and adult daughter). The hotels were happy to rectify the situation by supplying us a roll away bed. These are just minor annoyances. I would happily recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone.

Our trip to New Zealand's south island was wonderful. It is a beautiful country, the people were very nice and the sights were amazing...mountains, lakes, glaciers. So happy Christina recommended an extra day in Queenstown, there is so much to see and do. Thank you, Christina, for making our vacation one to remember!

Well done Narissa - We would like to thank you for arranging our wonderful holiday in New Zealand. Every booking went according to plan, with an excellent standard of accommodation , and activities. New Zealand is a lovely country, far quieter than the UK, with fantastic scenery. We would definitely recommend to our friends and others New Zealand for a holiday, and you, Discover New Zealand to make the arrangements. Best wishes - Martin and Hilary Gibbons

Kelly, was an awesome representative to work with. We procrastinated so long in making plans that I contacted Discover New Zealand and over the chat line we were introduced to Kelly. We were going to arrive in New Zealand in three weeks--that's pressure. She put together an itinerary of the places we had time to visit in the matter of a couple days and it could not have worked more smoothly. All pertinent information was in a packet and then we just walked up to the booked events and advised we had a reservation and we were on our way. We especially enjoyed Milford Sound with the cascading waterfalls and a special treat of yellow crested penguins on a rock. Some of the side trips such as the blue pools and the beach after crossing the longest swinging bridge in New Zealand were a joy. I don't like bridges but I made it!! Everything had it's own joy and beauty. Thank you Kelly.

Thank you Shelley Ryder for helping us to arrange our (16) day self drive holiday to both the North & South Islands of New Zealand. We found Shelley to be fun to deal with & very professional, adapting our tour to meet our requirements. With a mix of accommodation including special evenings in spa rooms and B&B with us looking forward to every new town to experience. We are still talking & laughing about the night that Cyclone Gita stuffed up our night in Kaikoura by blocking State Highway 1, then having to sleep in McDonalds car park until we could find alternate accommodation around 4:00am in Christchurch. Our highlights were Mitai Maori Village, Christchurch Gondola, Waitomo Glow-worm caves & a cruise on Milford Sound. We would highly recommend "Discover New Zealand". Well done & Thanks again Shelley. From David & Rainy

Hello, Narissa! Just wanted to send a note to tell you how much we appreciated all the arrangements you made for our trip to New Zealand. Everything went without a hitch! All the pickups and transfers, and the drivers were all so congenial and informative. It made everything so easy, knowing all was taken care of. We could truly spend our time enjoying the country and learning the traditions. We especially enjoyed the Elm Wildlife tour in Dunedin. Spectacular! Highly recommend! All the hotel accommodations worked out fine too. The walk from the Bella Vista Christchurch into town centre provided a chance to see things on the way, that we might have otherwise missed. And to think you booked everything for the first week and then booked the very end of our 2nd week with hotel & transportation to the airport, around a bike tour in between! Again, thank you so much for all the arrangements. If we have friends traveling your way, we will definitely recommend!

We would like to thank everyone at Discover New Zealand for making our holiday so good. Every day we were met and had a wonderful tour of this amazing country. The organisation of our tour was as good as it gets. Coaches were comfortable and the chatty drivers so informative. New Zealand people were so friendly. A great experience. Thank you. John and Sue

Hi Jane, arrived home yesterday after a fabulous time and thank you for a very well organised trip. The accommodation was fabulous and within walking distance of great restaurants. Chen was very helpful and friendly at Amore in Christchurch and allowed us to stay until we were picked up. Just a brilliant time and we are already planning for the North Island with you next March. Thank you for making our experience so wonderful. Mick, Zlata, Steven & Jaruska

Hi Natalie, We really wish we were back in NZ! We've received snow every day since our return and have received over 18" this past week. In all seriousness though, we wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic time on our New Zealand adventure. We know things ended rather chaotically with Cyclone Fehi and we appreciate you trying to navigate some challenging logistics for us to make our return flight home! We cannot say enough good things about Pete and Sue from Aspen Court. Their accommodations were quite comfortable, impeccably clean, but it was their generator that was a HUGE hit! They made a difficult situation easy and did it with calm and confidence. Hopefully, one day we can return and actually do the hikes we planned, although we were very fortunate to hike to the glacier the night before the cyclone hit. Naturally, we were taken by all the stunningly beautiful landscape, but even more impressive was the welcoming feeling from the Kiwis. Having a friendly face greet us in each location really set the tone for the stay. So kudos to you for lining up some great drivers! So despite a couple of travel hiccups (diversions due to the cyclone and a driver that didn't pick us up), everything went off without a hitch. So thanks for coordinating a great adventure! Thanks again, Natalie! Best regards, Janet

Hi, We have returned home from a holiday put together initially by Laura, and followed through by Dionne. We just want to say what a great time we have had, and especially the services you booked on our behalf, (as first time travelers, very appreciated) which have done you and New Zealand proud. From our airport transfers, to accommodations, to coach captains and tour guides, all were very friendly, knowledgeable and a pleasure to travel with. One thing that we would like to raise is the difference we found between the Intercity / Great Sights coaches and the Real Journeys Coach to Milford Sound. They were all luxurious, but we found the Real Journeys coach configuration a little constricting in the leg room area. Apart from this, once again we enjoyed all aspects of our holiday, and will be coming back for an extended period when we are able to. Once again, thank you, and please pass on our thanks to all parties involved. Kind Regards, . . Rita Angus

We are now back home in England with snow and freezing temperatures. What a change from the Sydney and Melbourne temperatures we were having just before we flew home. Alarna, we thoroughly enjoyed our New Zealand trip. What made it especially good was that the itinerary you made for us showed the South Island at its best. Our only mistake was not to asking for an extra day in Dunedin. All your arrangements went like clockwork. Not a single hitch and escorts always on time. All the bookings just as you itemised. So thank you for your hard work making our holiday go so smoothly. We have already recommended you to two other people planning individual tours. Yours, Alison Lawrence

Our feedback is a little late but we'd like to thank Emma Bradley and the people at Discover New Zealand for making awesome holiday itineraries! We traveled to the South Island for 9 days and we literally just packed our bags and flew to Christchurch. The rest of the trip went smoothly and our itinerary allowed us to enjoy good weather (there was a typhoon but our itinerary was reversed so we avoided the rain until our last day). We had enough time to explore each city and even got a chance to do some hiking. All the accommodations they booked are great and saved us from going crazy trying to book last minute. We would definitely recommend this to friends and family visiting New Zealand!

Other than Mother Nature giving us a hard time, our trip to New Zealand was wonderful. The help that we got from everyone at Discover New Zealand was excellent. Our trip was arranged by Annelise (who is no longer with the company) she was so sweet & informative and helped to give us everything we wanted to do in only a week. After she left, we dealt with Kelly, who was equally sweet & helpful! My husband, daughter & I were trying to see and do as much as we could in a weeks time & told Annalise that we didn't care as much about the accommodations as we did about what we got to see & do. We were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful accommodations that we had. Every place was clean, close to where we wanted to be, and had very helpful & friendly staff. They were all happy to provide us with anything we possibly needed as well as pointing us to some very great restaurants & sightseeing! Kelly was very accommodating when our dolphin trip was cancelled because of weather & booked us into another activity. She also helped to calm us when mother nature struck again cancelling our trans alpine train ride because of a rock slide. We are very pleased with our entire trip and met some very nice people & have made some incredible memories. We would happily recommend Discover New Zealand! Thanks for the great time! The Orlando's

Thank you Lauren for organising our holiday. We had an amazing time and we plan to come back and spend more time in a number of places. Having everything pre-booked and paid for made our holiday very relaxing. We were even able to transfer our helicopter flight to Queenstown, when the weather stopped flights in Franz Joseph. The accommodation was amazing and luxurious and we enjoyed meeting the hosts and many international guests. There was only one hotel that we feel did not come up to the standard of all the others- The Country Hotel in Napier. The staff were lovely but the bathroom needed some maintenance and the bed was not comfortable. The Budget rental cars were great and the pick up and drop offs are very convenient. Thanks again, Alison and Craig Jennings

When we were considering booking this 9 days South Island tour package with Discover New Zealand, we were filled with worries and doubts. As everything were done on-line, we kept asking if this is a scam websites !! After few on-line chats (and probably one telephone conversation) with the agent Salli Smith we felt better and proceeded with the booking. Honestly, we felt we were so lucky to have Salli as our agent. She took every effort to ensure our needs and expectation were met. As our excitement grew closer to the tour dates, we kept her busy with questions and questions. On reflection we have to say a big "Thank You" to Salli for answering all our questions and seeing to our needs being met with a mountain of patience. We received top-grade service ! Unfortunately, on day of arrival at CHC airport, we waited for quite awhile to be picked up. The driver had a playcard displaying a name so wrongly that we were not able to identify him and went in and out of the airport looking for our driver. Fortunately, he was a great gentleman ! Overall, we have great fun and looking forward to another booking with Discover New Zealand !!

The organisation of this lovely tour by Natalie was perfect. Everything ran smoothly because of detail in the organising. We booked quite close to the holiday period , but despite this we had good accommodation everywhere. The last night in the Ibis was the only little let down. It was adequate and the room was clean, but parking was off site and people at desk not very helpful, and aesthetically I reported to desk on leaving that there was blocked putrid drain on veranda outside our room with socks floating about! The rest was great!

Spent a wonderful nine days in and around South Island of New Zealand last month. The tour was very organized and we were both impressed with the work done behind the scene by our great organizer Salli Smith. Milford Sound was one particular highlight of our trip to NZ and mustn't be missed. That aspect of our holiday was a fantastic experience and one that we will remember for years to come. The private transfers, connections, accommodation and even bus drivers we experienced in NZ were exceptional and exemplary. Well done Discover New Zealand team and thank you for our great holiday. Gary and Penny Mansell. South Australia.

We had a wonderful tour. Every aspect of our itinerary went smoothly. From first pick, up we were greeted warmly by our driver who gave us a booklet with our schedule and multiple pamphlets for information. Everyone we came into contact with was helpful and excited to talk about their town. Even the bus drivers on the intercity coaches shared tons of information about the sights we were seeing and their country. We liked this itinerary because we were kept busy without feeling rushed. There was a reasonable balance of early morning rises for transfers and activities and mornings where we could sleep in and take it easy. All of our accommodations were modern, comfortable, and within walking distance to downtown restaurants and shops. Our tour activities allowed us to see some beautiful sights. We particularly liked the Lake at Te Anau and the boat ride through Milford Sound. Queenstown was a fun town with tons of life. Make sure you do the jet boat tours and funyaks. It is a one-of-a-kind experience. The highlight had to be the Franz Joseph Glacier and the Helihike. We had some amazing views and pictures. It is a must see! We enjoyed the last leg of our trip on the Trans-Alpine Railway. It was very comfortable we enjoyed the views as we made our way back to Christchurch. Narissa was very helpful to us every step of the way. She answered our questions and put together our package even though we were a bit late in the planning process. We highly recommend Discover New Zealand. Thank you, Joe and Andrea

Thanks to Shelley R's help we truly enjoyed our independent week in the South Island in late November. All of her recommendations were great and all accommodations were comfortable and conveniently located. While we had some concerns regarding dropping off a rental car in Christchurch and picking up another in Greymouth, these were for naught. The arrangements worked perfectly. Of course, the scenery was beautiful and the museums were terrific! We particularly enjoyed two meals during the week; lunch at Fleur's Place near the Moraki Boulders and dinner at the Curator's Cottage which is walking distance from the Orari B and B in Christchurch. The best breakfast choice during our three weeks in NZ was the carmelized bananna pancakes at the Run 76 Cafe at Lake Tekapo. We highly recommend the Bubbly Grape Wine Tour in the Blenheim area. Our group of six visited five or six very different wineries, tasting some wonderful wines, plus a chocolate factory with truffles to die for. We offer a couple of comments regarding the driving part of our trip. The roads on the south island are basically good two lane roads and the winding mountain roads are what you would expect in any mountain area. There was a fair amount of construction on the drive from Greymouth to Blenheim and this slowed our progress. We would suggest allowing more driving time than the GPS indicates. A note to persons accustomed to driving on the right with the driver on the left, try to pick up your car when you are headed out of the city. Finally, if you are an AAA member in the US and contact the NZ AA when you arrive, you are eligible for the gas price discount afforded to NZ AA members

Hello Kelly, We completed a three day tour in the central part of the North Island just before Christmas 2017. The coach tour was very well organized and the different coach drivers were familiar with the natural and cultural histories of places along the route and provided interesting commentaries on the points of interest along the coach routes. The holel accommodation in Rotorua was good. The glow worms in the cave at Waitomo were impressive. It was also very interesting to learn something about the Maori culture during our stay in Rotorua and to visit a few of New Zealand's famous geothermal areas. Thank you for helping us organize this three day tour of the central part of the North Island and a five day tour of the South Island on very short notice. All in all it was a great vacation. In summary I would like to say THANK YOU for a job well done. Marcel Durocher

Everything was very well organized and went very smoothly. We had a really good tour. The motel accommodations were good. All of the coach tours were very interesting.The drivers were quite knowledgeable about the natural and cultural history of places along the coach route. The scenery in the south island was spectacular especially in the Milford Sound area. The dramatic change in the vegetation on both sides of the divide in the Southern Alps was also amazing.The only thing that was somewhat disappointing was not being able to see the Franz Josef glacier up close. After a 1 hour hike we could only get to within~800 meters of the glacier. Thank you very much for helping us organize this tour. Marcel Durocher

Itinerary prepared by You showed us fascinating diversity of NZ All of us enjoyed all accomodations and addditional atractions. We are very impressed of NZ people their opening and hospitality. Ofcourse we missed fantastic nature meetings with penguins, kiwi and dolphins We hope to beback very soon in Your homeland. And of course You and Your company will be always first option for us and our friends to preapre unforgettable KIWI EXPERIENCE Thank You for best ever holidays Przemyslaw Samolewski

Many thanks from us for arranging this wonderful driving holiday combining the North and South Island. Everything was arranged with a clockwork like precision, and every accomodation was so good and as expected. Highly recommended and I will definitely recommend you/your organisation for any NZ trip to our friends/relatives in future. Thanking you, Regards Somnath & Mohuya

Thank you Shelley for organising our family fun North Island Tour. Your friendly approach, great communication skills and professionalism made booking our first overseas family holiday very easy. It was wonderful to be able to adapt the tour to suit us and to catch up with friends in Tauranga while we were there. The accommodation was fabulous and very comfortable for the four of us during the trip. Similarly the hire car was very comfortable and the Navman made finding our way around very easy. 

We had a great time in New Zealand for the trip arranged by Natalie DeCaro for the Christmas. Though we started planning in September, we underestimated the peak time for December in New Zealand with many hotel / accommodation already quite full. With great support from Natalie, we managed to visit and stay in all the cities and towns we wanted. All the activities were so well organized that we have full program every day but not exhausted. Natalie even arranged an additional xmas dinner in Mt. Cook that marked the highlight of the trip. It was such a wonderful travel experience. Thank you Natalie. We will definitely recommend you and Discover  New Zeland to others who want to visit New Zealand.

Mick and I would like to thank you for organising our wonderful holiday. You have a beautiful country and with your well planned Self Drive Itinerary, we were able to explore this with comfort and ease. Your provided list of optional extra activities allowed us to find adventure or just travel at our own leisure throughout our 15 day visit.

We had a wonderful time in NZ: saying that your country is amazing is not enough, there are no words to describe the fantastic experiences and landscapes we witnessed. Thanks for all the great service from you and the company that you two represent, and the guidance and help to make our vacations such an incredible experience!!! Now we can fully understand what Kia Ora means, seeing from its true meaning in such a beautiful country and wonderful people. Best regards, Miguel Barboza and María José Kim Pura Vida!

I recently got back from a 2-week trip to New Zealand, organized by Joanna. I was very impressed with the service! She took the time to call me and ask about my preferences, made sure I had plenty of time to review the package she created for me, and answered all my questions through email. From the minute my plane landed to the day I left, everything was planned for me; accomodations were fantastic and well situated, the tours were interesting and the sights were incredible! She really knows her stuff. I had an amazing time in New Zealand, and I definitely recommend Discover New Zealand to anyone who is looking for a great time without the stress. I hope I can come back some day, and visit the South Island! Vicky, Canada

We are starting to settle into our family routines again and Anne goes back to work at our church in 2 weeks time. I wanted to write to say again a big thank you for organising our trip to New Zealand. In particular your delivery of a carefully planned itinerary to meet our needs of longer stop overs at each leg of the journey and selection not only of wonderful places to stay but also managing to secure the best rooms available to fit our desire for comfort and views. Surely a demonstration of extensive knowledge, contacts and prepared to make the extra effort to ensure our well being. We also enjoyed meeting up with you in Wanaka.

The North and South Island tour that I had was really awesome. My travel specialist Laura Havill did indeed make my holiday a memorable one. She organized it just the way that I like it. I was very much comfortable and relaxed on the accommodations that I have, it was just like I was at home. I was able to explore most of what New Zealand has to offer in just a limited time frame. The sights are really fantastic. The activities, all worthwhile. Will definitely do this tour again. To Laura and the whole staff of Discover New Zealand, thank you very much for this wonderful holiday. Looking forward to arranging another adventure in New Zealand with you guys.

We are so thankful we found Discover New Zealand! We had an absolutely wonderful trip. You took care of the small details:breakfast, hotel pickups and delivers ) and the large: airplane flights, Great Sites tours, Hobbiton, Rotorua Canopy tour, Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Tranzalpine Train, car rentals and so much else. Every day was filled with new surprises and beautiful scenery. Thank you for helping us create an amazing adventure. (And a shout out to our Great Sites drivers Stuart (Christchurch to Queenstown) and Kenny (Milford Sound). Judy and Butch

Thank you for your help arranging my trip here in NZ. It was an enjoyable experience & journey. The whole scenery during our roadtrip & accomodation was superb. I would love to come back again and recommend my friends and family to book this awesome package. 110% satisfied!

Thank you so much for all your work in putting together our travel plans. Bonnie and I had a wonderful time in New Zealand. Everything went perfectly smoothly with friendly and knowledgable drivers arriving promptly at each location. Our tour guides and bus drivers were outstanding. I’m a frequent traveller and this was one of the best holidays of my life. You live in a beautiful country and your expert planning allowed us to see and experience as much of New Zealand as possible in the brief two weeks that we visited. I will be sharing my experience with Discover New Zealand on Trip Advisor, along with recommending your services to everyone I talk with about our fantastic journey. It’s been wonderful working with you. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the East coast of the United States, I hope that you’ll stop by Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a visit. Blessings, Sharon Cook

The tour was amazing. We didn't want to leave New Zealand. Kids had a great time too. The experience was pleasant and no hassles. Thank you Discover New Zealand and Joanna for arranging everything. We will come back next year to discover south island :)

We had a wonderful time on our 3 week honeymoon organized by Discover New Zealand and did not want to come home! One of the main reasons we picked this itinerary was to see as much Lord of the Rings locations and tours as possible. Hobbiton was one of our favorite places! We enjoyed every tour included but we did add on a lot of activities because we wanted to see as much as possible.

Natalie Many thanks for all your help with the wonderful holiday we had recently in your beautiful country. Your organisation was perfect from start to finish with your paperwork, maps and leaflets making it so easy for us. We were happy with all our accommodation. It is very hard to pick out a highlight as everywhere offered something different. We seemed to cram so much in that the time flew! We are now in Australia and will be spending Christmas in Adelaide at friends after travelling around the country. I forgot to mention that you even managed to organise lovely weather for us. Thanks again Bryn, Pam, Pete and Elizabeth

Fabulous holiday in a beautiful country. All pre booked arrangements worked faultlessly and accommodation was of the highest standards. Specific highlights were Bay of Islands (especially ‘hole in the rock’ boat trip), 90 mile beach drive and Gannet tour in Napier. Disappointing were Waitomo and Rotarua as, although they are amazing places, they have become much more commercialised since our first trip there 20 years ago. I would not rush to go back to either place. Overall though a great holiday very well organised by Discover NewZealand.

Overall, the self-drive tour was as described. The accommodations provided were generally as described and all accommodations and tour providers had our registration information so they all went smoothly. The tours we purchased provided what was promised (whales, penguins, kiwis, etc.). It was a very tight timeframe for all that we saw so we did not have the luxury of a lot of sightseeing in any one city, but we went for an overall view of New Zealand and we certainly got that! Gorgeous scenery and great people! Thanks to all who made are visit so enjoyable!

We booked a 10 day South NZ tour through Christina and couldn't be happier with our vacation. Our trip was meticulously planned down to all the hotels, and pick-ups.

I had a wonderful trip organised by Discover New Zealand and will recommend to my friends for their trip to New Zealand. Definitely engage them again for my next trip to New Zealand.

This was a wonderful introduction to a great variety of sites on the South Island of New Zealand! We really appreciated the attention to detail that Shelley put into designing this for us. It was challenging to try to see and do as much as we did, but we would not have cut anything out. We certainly have some great ideas where to visit and spend more time when we return!

I had wonderful time with this tour. Definitely will recommend this team to my family and friends and sure will I use this for my next travel in NZ :) The activities were perfect and allows me to meet new people. Since the group is small, it is more enjoyable and we didn't have to wait to loads of people during the tour. Accommodation is also few steps away from the shops and restaurants. Thanks too to Erynn Bell for helping me tailor this tour for me :) Great Job!

Dear Laura Thank you for all of the arrangments, What a lovely place New Zealand is, I have fallen in love with both the country and people. we stopped at many more places along the way and took in some breathtaking countryside. Two out of the four accommodations were brilliant, with the first one not far behind, I would recommend all of these, especially Waipoua Lodge to anyone. 

Thank you for arranging a great trip. The accommodation, vehicle and recommendations were excellent. Particularly impressed with The Wharf in Tauranga, The Dome Penthouse in Napier and Vitners Retreat in Blenheim. We were fortunate to have great weather and a trouble free trip. Brilliant service from your attentive staff - Laura H.

Excellent itinerary arranged for our family of five adults. Catered to our different interests, and provided enough rest & relaxation time despite a busy schedule covering both North & South islands in 2 weeks. Accommodation nearly always exceeded our expectations and comfortably suited a family of 5. 

The most lovely vacation in the most wonderful country we've ever visited!! We enjoyed our time in New Zealand on every step of our itinerary, which was very well organized, we would definitely recommend Discover New Zealand and its excellent staff for an unforgettable journey!!

I had a magical time in New Zealand. Christina helped me book a great tour that accommodated all my needs as a lone traveler. I stayed in motels, but the accommodation was excellent, especially the room I got at Punga Grove Motel in Franz Joseph. The coach tours were extremely comfortable. 

I really enjoyed my holiday in New Zealand. Waiheke Island was beautiful and I got to have dinner with friends who lived there. The team at Tawa Lodge were ever so friendly and helpful. All my tours and transfers were seamless and easy. I will definitely be contacting you when next I travel to NZ.

Shelley organised an amazing trip for the 4 of us. My husband and I have had many trips to New Zealand before and really thought we had a good idea of what to expect but we were blown out of the water by the excellence of the accommodation and the attention to detail of the daily guides to driving. The choice of places to visit along with the entrance tickets and suggestions of extra places we might like to see showed a real knowledge of each town we visited. 

Had a wonderful time all together and felt as though I extensively saw the majority of highlights of the Southeren island. This was my first time traveling independently. I felt completely safe and had no confusion as to where to be and when to follow my intinerary!

The tour was well organized and made our life a lot easier. Annelise provided excellent customer service. The tour was really fun. Will highly recommend this tour to my friends.

Shelley, It's hard for me to believe how fast it all went as well; nevertheless, Rick and I have taken away wonderful memories of the adventure. I really did want to thank you for setting up what amounted to an amazing trip - the arrangements were excellent and your help during the trip - adjustments owing to bad weather and your help on recovery of the lost camera - were so appreciated - and professional. 

Lauren has been very helpful prior, during and even after my trip. She's very responsive and quick in her reply. She also has good suggestions on tour/itinerary. Had an awesome time in NZ! Thank you :)

Excellent arrangements made by Discover New Zealand. From activities planning, to accommodation and transport, the travel agents have all of them well covered and tailor made. I have had a great time in the South Island for 10 days without any troubles. I had enjoyed my stay very much. Definitely would recommend this travel agency to my friends and family who wish to visit New Zealand!

We started our honeymoon with four days in New Zealand, and wanted help with planning what to do in a short amount of time. Christina asked important questions to tailor activities specifically to us. It was clearly not just a cookie-cutter tour. We had an amazing combination of wine tasting, parks, zip lining, and general sightseeing and the price was very reasonable. 

Emma did a great job booking us our tour on such EXTREMELY short notice. New Zealand is stunning!

Our experience with Discover New Zealand, especially through Erynn, has been great. Despite having only communicated through emails, the whole trip has been really smooth with little issues. Even during the trip, Erynn had been responsive with her emails and updated us with new information. The itinerary and driving legs were perfect as it allows time to both travels between destinations and explores the surroundings. We did not have to worry about any bookings since everything was already sorted. Yet, there was plenty of freedom for activities. There's nothing to complain about at all. We had an absolutely amazing time.

Overall, everything worked out well. Erynn was immaculately patient with answering my gazillion questions throughout the planning and booking process, so that was greatly appreciated. The descriptions provided about the various activities in the itinerary were also extremely helpful while planning. Some other companies we initially considered would just list activities, but provide no information beyond that, so the way your company constructed and presented the itinerary was definitely one of the reasons we chose to use your services. 

A trip that was efficiently organised from picking me up from the airport to dropping me back there. Very flexible in adapting to my needs through the bad weather which impacted my trip. Extremely approachable- I could phone and email any time and it felt like chatting to someone I knew and nothing was too much trouble. I recommend this company and would not hesitate to travel with them again.

My trip to NZ was one of the best I've done over the last few years. All the trip was well planned and well done. I have no regrets doing business with Discover New Zealand. I would warmly tell all my friends to to the same and I would redo it again.

Hi Jane I cannot explain how amazing our holiday was, what a BEAUTIFUL country!! I have the most incredible photos to look back on (and brag to others) and the best memories of unbelievable experiences. We honestly took full advantage and saw so much, we were exhausted by the time we got home after all the sightseeing and experiencing. I have to say that the night at the Hermitage was absolutely stunning! The snow storm was a cherry-on-top of staying in such beautiful surroundings, and learning to put snow chains on will not be forgotten. 

Dear Annalise Thanks to you we had an amazing time, wonderful experiences and gorgeous pictures in every place we visited in New Zealand. Next time we are Looking forward to exploring the South Island so we will be counting on you to do our next trip to New Zealand !!! Kings regards Kelly

We were utterly impressed with our tour specialist Salli Smith's arrangements and prompt communication with us. The tour was tailored and customized flawlessly according to our request. The coach drivers, both Intercity and Great Sights were mostly friendly, helpful and enthusiastic in delivering commentaries throughout our journey. Withal to that, all pick-ups were on time without any significant delay in schedule. We had a great time from North Island to South Island. The scenery along the coach rides were certainly breathtaking and spectacular. The accommodation arranged for the entire span of the trip met our expectations.

Sara has been very helpful prior, during and even after my trip. She's very responsive and quick in her reply. She also has good suggestions on tour/itinerary. Had an awesome time in NZ! Thank you :)

Hi Annelise, Just a quick note to share that my husband and I had the BEST time in New Zealand!! Everything went perfectly!! We have not stopped talking about our trip and now we are huge advocates of traveling to NZ to our family, friends and co-workers. I'm thinking we have convinced a few people already - didn't take much effort though, they saw our pictures on Facebook - ha. Thanks for all the help, I know it was all last minute. Thanks again. Gina

This was one of if not the best vacations ever. Erynn and the Discover New Zealand crew took the stress of planning this vacation and allowed us just sit back relax and enjoy the time we had in NZ. Erynn took note of what we wanted to do and how we wanted to spend our time and created an itinerary that met every expectation. The accommodations she selected were top notch and out of this world. We are not sure we could of found the luxury accommodations she did. Erynn clearly understood what we were looking for to celebrate 50 years of being alive.

I cannot recommend more highly the trip that Kelly planned for my two weeks around both islands. Everything was stunningly beautiful and I was so lucky with the weather, literally cloudless blue skies every day. Kelly was able to customize and change the trip to suit my requirements. I found the commentaries on the Inter City coaches most helpful giving me a great background to the country. The motels were excellent so do not worry about accommodation as they all had free wifi and cooking facilities if you didn't want to eat out. Just do not forget a camera and battery charger as you will need one, I also took a laptop so I could download the pictures on a daily basis.

Thanks to Christina, who was exceptionally helpful in putting together our itinerary. She was able to bespoke it to our needs and everything was hassle free. We had a great time in NZ, accommodation was just right and also the driving distances were very manageable. We thoroughly recommend Christina and Discover New Zealand

Hi Natalie, just a few lines to thank you for the wonderful holiday you put together for me. I knew I would be testing my luck trying to take in all the beautiful sights on offer on the South Island in late June early July but as luck would have it I had terrific clear days to take in all of the magnificent visual sights. All the bookings went very smoothly and I didn't experience any hic-ups which went a long way towards enjoying the holiday. Thank you once again, and I would have no problems in recommending you personally and your company to my friends and family on their trips to beautiful NZ. Regards Bob.

Hi Kelly Just to give you some feedback which might help other travellers. Bella Vista Rotorua had free wifi has SKY TV Totara Lodge Trentham had free wifi has SKY TV Aldan Lodge Picton had free wifi but no Sky TV yet Bella Vista Christchurch had free wifi has SKY TV Blue Peaks Lodge Queenstown has free wifi has SKY TV Punga Grove Franz Joseph has free wifi but reception in the area is awful so doesn't matter where you are, has SKY TV I would pick the Ibis for Christchurch as it is a better location in the town centre rather than the Bella Vista which is a 20 minute walk into town. There is only one close restaurant for the Bella Vista, a perfectly good one two blocks away, but there is a lot more choice if you are at the Ibis and the hotel prices are the same. Length of time in each place for purely sightseeing I would suggest Auckland 2 full days Rotorua. For me it worked well the way you had it stopping on the way Wellington 2 full days Christchurch 1 full day  Queenstown. If you do not want to do extreme sports like jet boating,ski-ing, bungee jumping then probably 2 days minimum. Walking is a little icy uphill/downhill at the moment. By the way the Ben Lomond walk is a 5 hour round trip and at the moment there is snow and ice on the trail so suggest people wear walking shoes/boots at this time of the year and not trainers. Summer time it will be easier. If they want to do other activities away from the cities than that is extra time. Overall thoughts if there were better motels than Bella Vista I would go for them, they are a bit more basic than the ones in Queenstown, Lower Hutt and Franz Joseph, they have a lot more space in the room. Just another thought, whilst the Trans Alpine was great, it didn't have the same effect at the end of the trip because one had already seen more spectacular scenery. What I would do is reverse the journey from Christchurch so you see it before Queenstown and Mt Cook, if that fits your schedule. Again not sure if the train on Sunday is a good idea, there were 10 middle aged Kiwis who wanted the whole carriage to hear every word for over 4 hours which only got worse with the alcohol. Regardless of that you did a great job, I had a wonderful time. If you want to ask me any questions please feel free to do so. Many thanks Robin

My wife and I spent 10 days on touring the south island and had a wonderful time for our 25th wedding anniversary. The activities were a lot of fun; a jeep tour out of Queenstown, a cruise of Doubtful Sound, a spectacular dinner with a view at the Stratosfare Restaurant (Get the premium seating, it is so worth it). The highlight of the trip was the twin glacier helicopter flight in Franz Josef, amazing. The driving was easy, we had a RAV 4 with GPS, perfect for the two of us.

Dear Discover New Zealand, I am still talking to family & friends about my wonderful trip to New Zealand, initially I was over for business and had two days to spare. I've always wanted to not only visit NZ but learn more about the culture and embrace everything it had to offer. I managed to also get tickets to see The All Blacks play in Auckland. But I knew I needed to try my best to explore a little more. I contacted Discover New Zealand given I was extremely busy and worried I wouldn't have time to plan my trip (being a full time working mother), I also didn't really know what I wanted to experience. But then I was introduced to Joanna Bulluss!! What a star she is. . . after recommending a few options, she really got me excited to the point I wanted to squeeze in more within the two day window I had.

Christina Brockie of Discover New Zealand was a true vacation planning professional. She was knowledgeable about the New Zealand geography, favorite places to visit and fun activities to do. The trip plan she developed for me was well thought out, thorough and meticulous. While we were planning for the trip, she was enthusiastic and patient despite seemingly endless questions and changes from me. She gave me sound advice on potential financial liability on a rental vehicle and how to manage it. I had all the necessary travel information in the documentation which she sent me the first day I arrived at Christchurch.

Hello Chris,

Just a short message to let you know that our New Zealand holiday was fabulous.  Thank you very much for your exemplary organization.  I could not find any fault with it.  It was exactly what we wanted.  As a travel manager of old I could not have done any better myself.  When we tell people about all out meets and greets and how special we were made to feel they are amazed.  If we would have  driven ourselves I don’t think we would have had the same experience.  If our health holds up we plan to go again in a few years and will definitely contact you again.
Many thanks and regards to you all. Liv Marcolongo.

I have recently had the pleasure of booking a tour with Heather.

I would like to let you know how pleasant she has made the whole experience. She was efficient, courteous and extremely helpful, despite my occasional obtuseness.

I commend her very highly, she is a wonderful asset for your team.

If all New Zealanders are similar we are in for a wonderful time when we come touring.

Regards

Brett Furniss

We have returned from our wonderful vacation in New Zealand. Everything that your company arranged went exactly as planned. We so appreciate all that you did to make this dream vacation come true. We love New Zealand and hope to return some day. We will be recommending Discover New Zealand to everyone who is interested in travelling to your country. Thanks so much, Kathy Walsh.

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you and your staff of your company for making excellent arrangements for our holiday trip in the South Island of NZ. We had a great time. Everything was very well organised and we had no problems anywhere. We would visit sometime again and will certainly use your services and recommend you to our friends as they travel to NZ any time. You have a beautiful country and we enjoyed seeing it.

We fell in love with the real New Zealand you offered us just by getting from one place to another.

A memorable experience which will stay with us forever.

We really loved the holiday and your marvellous country. We will definitely be back.

Every day was different from the one before. We felt like we had ten separate mini-holidays in one.

We had a FABULOUS time, but we're still recovering from the sand flies! Many thanks to the transport to airport on 12/25, as my husband left his Australian outback hat in her car. It arrived at our house shortly after we did, and he was very grateful to have it back! I think what we appreciated most was that everywhere we went, all we had to do was give our name at the counter or to the pick-up person; and that everyone was beautifully orchestrated for our 30-year anniversary get away.

Organising this holiday was about as easy as it could get. We liked the flexibility, met wonderful people and had all our questions answered.

We could not fault our last trip with you, so we decided to repeat the experience again – and it was even better.

Very well organised, pick up times were spot on.  Great stuff all the staff and drivers.  I would highly recommend your company to anyone I know coming to New Zealand.

Your delivery of documents and voucher system was great and so well organised – to the very finest detail.  A really enjoyable trip that all went like clock work. Thanks everybody involved!

This tour was great, well planned and all went very smoothly.

We had a very good holiday in your beautiful country – Thank you.