New Zealand Touring Holiday Reviews

Here the highlight of our tour was definitely Unit 33 of the Lakeside Motel & Apartments. This is the best unit of them all. If you can secure this specific unit for all your future guests they will also thank you for it. On the experience side we really liked your choice of partners, e.g. the "Helicopter Line". The weather was not suitable for flying when we were in Franz Josef, but we could re-book with them to rather have a similar flight with snow landing at Queenstown, and that was super. They high light was the Shotover Jet at Queenstown, and this must be the best provider given the location that they have on the river. This was my son's favorite activity, but we all enjoyed it. Overall I am pleased with the changes that I requested, and we really enjoyed Milford Sound, and again specifically the cruise operator that you selected - The specific boat used by the Real Journeys for the Nature Cruise is fantastic for this purpose. If I have to do the tour again I would probably drop the Coromandel/Witianga day and rather replace it with a day in the Bay of Islands north of Auckland. I am very happy with the 2nd day in Roturua, as well as the 2 nights in Te Anau (just for the accommodation, although we could have probably driven back from Milford Sound to Queenstown on the same day. Maybe a suggested activity in Auckland is one of the Fuller harbor cruises or to go up in the Auckland tower. My wife convinced me to do the Hobbiton tour, and this was again one of our highlights, but we almost missed out since the bookings run out so fast. Maybe warn future clients that if they do not pre-book with you they have to book well in advance. The Wai-o-Tapu was also an amazing experience. As for the Redwood Nighlights just warn people that the queue to get in can take up to 1 hour (even if you already have a ticket). Since it gets dark so late, we arrived only just before 10pm, and only got to the front of the queue by 11pm. Between Napier and Wellington we can recommend Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre as a nice place to stretch your legs. The CityLife in Wellington was also a great place to stay - they upgraded us to the Director's suite - fantastic. But they do have the most dodgy car park of the lot. Before I forget - WiFi was provided for free at all the accommodation providers that you have selected. Between Picton and Nelson we can recommend the Mussel Pot in Havelock for a heavenly meal. We visited almost all the places on your itinerary between Nelson and Hokitika and enjoyed them all - great tips! Just please advise people to pack and use insect repellent from Buller Gorge onward - we got savaged by the dracula (sand) flies. The Shining Star in Hokitika was again a fantastic place to stay. Since we could not fly due to bad weather, we took the Lookout View (2nd) road after Fox Glacier and could at least view it from a distance after a short and beautiful 20 minute walk. In Queenstown we can also recommend the Flame restaurant and the Fergburger is a must. We appreciate it that you upgraded our 3rd night in Queenstown at no cost, and the view from the Copthorne hotel was great, but the apartment was not serviced well (no salt in salt pot, no regular tea), and to turn right after exiting the carpark in the main street is a nightmare. We do not want to be ungrateful and only provide this feedback for your future use - but actually think that the Copthorne fell short of maybe high expectations (and prices), where the other accommodation exceeded maybe lower expectations if that makes sense. As for the car we really appreciate you calling them to confirm the RAV4 at Picton. I know that rental car companies all state that they cannot guarantee a particular vehicle but will provide similar, but we really struggled with our luggage in the Kia Sportage that they provided in Auckland and we do not view it as similar to the Rav4 just on the luggage area. The Rav4 was perfect for us. Also the paperwork at Europcar in Auckland took ages - they were not well prepared, but is was much better in Picton. I am also happy with the maximum driving times on each day and found it to be a good balance between time on the road and time to do stuff. In conclusion I can and will recommend you personally and Discover New Zealand any day to all my friends. I am convinced that we had such a fantastic time with a full itinerary just because you and Discover New Zealand made it possible. Many many many thanks!

Any criticisms are tiny tiny things which I will add to help make others experiences even better but did not detract from a wonderful well organised trip. Day 2 and others. We didn't have many times where we needed packed lunches provided. But I had said I needed dairy free and ended up with normal food. On day 2 I could only eat an apple from the pack. Lucky I'd packed food just in case. Day 2 half the trip was great with glow worms and farm. The Te Puia stop with the Maori village and geysers we could have done without. We did the optional Maori Village in the evening and it was infinitely better. On Day 3 we had Geysers/Hot springs. So Te Puia was a duplication and not as good as the others. Bella Vista was nice but a little trek from the centre. When only staying a day or 2 its better to be more central. Day 3 lake spa was great and pools were amazing for rejuvenating the body. However, they were all booked up for treatments. Would have been good to know we should book in advance. Day 11 Gondola, we would have liked to have known additional options to combine with Luge runs as it would have worked out cheaper. A few minor things that did not make a difference to a dream tour. Thanks you all so much. I know Heather has left but I'd like to pass on our hanks to her for a brilliant tour.

I also want to thank you for going above and beyond and helping me re-organise parts of my itinerary when a bit of bad weather caused some activities to be cancelled. You were right there helping me through my options and again were nothing but amazing and my lifeline to keep everything on track.  Also your knowledge in the area, the best activities and places to stay were all on the mark everything you recommended for us was amazing.  Whilst New Zealand speaks for itself in being such a wonderful place that you could argue it would be nearly impossible to have a bad holiday, I must say that it really is you who made our holiday one we will never forget.  For our next trip to New Zealand I'm not even going to bother looking for other travel agents I will be coming back to you. I have also been telling all my friends to book through you too :)  I really can't say thank you enough, you are amazing !

Same thing for all of our excursions and adventures, walk up to the ticket window and BANG, our tickets were immediately available. Our car and transportation arrangements were the same, the car was immediately available in Auckland, our boat ferry was ready in Wellington and our new car was ready and waiting in Picton on the south island. I especially enjoyed cruising around the Bay of Islands and going through the "Hole in the Rocks" and visiting the Botanical Gardens in Dunedin. Cindy enjoyed visiting Rotorua and seeing the filming location for "Lord of the Rings." I also I saw the "Southern Cross" for the first time ever in Rotorua. I have been wanting to see the South Cross since I was a kid. I know that setting up and making all the arrangements for our trip was not easy, even for a seasoned veteran such as yourself. If you make one mistake or miss only one reservation, it could make our trip much more difficult. But you didn't miss a thing and Cindy and I really appreciate your hard work. You made our trip a trip that we will always remember Thank you so very much Terry and Cindy AmRhein Bridport, Vermont, USA

The Bella Vista in Napier was disappointing – rather a cramped and shabby room. Hire car arrangements were ok too and the sat nav was good in Auckland & Wellington but took us on the “scenic route” on our way to the Bay of Islands. All the “transfers” were on time with friendly and helpful drivers. The tours you organised for us were excellent and we would highly recommend them - Waitangi Treaty Grounds Guided Tour and Cultural Performance, Hobbiton Movie set tour and Rainbow Springs & Kiwi Encounter. The train trip from Wellington to Auckland was very relaxing and enjoyable. Other highlights for us were The Kauri Museum (Waipura Forest), The Redwoods at Rotorua, The Great War Exhibition at Wellington’s war memorial and Te Papa. Many thanks. Janet & Lawrie Carr Perth, West Australia

We enjoyed the scenery on the long road trips as much as the destinations and activities - awesome. Just a few minor observations re accommodations etc- 1 I guess that Westport ( motel was fine ) was a stop-off on way to Nelson, would suggest a different half way point as it is not a very attractive town !!! 2 We called at Lake Taupo en-route to Rotorua and loved it, would loved to have stayed around there longer -for a day or so 3 The Otago peninsular is the prettiest place I have ever been to. It is like 'fine art', the 'detail' is superb. Its a "wow" around every corner and when you think that it cant be prettier the next scene is even better. 4 Milford Sound is 'big brush' awesome rugged beauty. The day we were there was a crystal clear day with only light breeze so we saw it with the best possible conditions and wanted to go back and see it again. 5 Te Anau and was another beautiful place with a fabulous Indian restaurant , could have stayed there longer. 6 Wellington is another amazing place, the city center is on the flat but most of the residential seems to be on the hills overlooking the town and marina. The Te Papa museum is one of the best I have ever been to for a cultural experience too. 7 Napier was also very enjoyable and would recommend the wine tasting at a Vineyard called "Mission" - about 10 kms for Napier. At $5 a head for 7 wines to taste and also a complementary boxed wine glass was also super value. They were very friendly and not at all specializing for the specialist wine tasters but oriented to Jo Public. 8 Rotorua. Definitely worth a full day at least. The Gondola, The hot steam and mud and cultural experience, the hot Spa experience and the evening of Authentic Maori culture and hangi meal are the 4 experience that we did , and all possible in one day.( go to the information center and you get 10% discounts on some of these ) Absolutely loved it and would do it again tomorrow with NZFT

We probably had 1 too many free days at Queenstown. Side trips to Arrowtown & Glenorchy filled in the time well. Parking at St Moritz was $35 a night but wouldnt have wanted to stay anywhere where parking was not available. The proximity to town was great but the hill to climb back was hard. A quality hotel but probably would have preferred the Novotel (if they had parking available). Parking in Wellington was not available at the Ibis (limited number of spaces). Prob need to confirm requirement for a space in the booking: ditto at Auckland & Rotorua but less of a problem there. Have attached a copy of one page of directions from the welcome pack. Dont know what 2,3,4,5 on the map mean. The street directions were not at all helpful. Next to no street signs in all of NZ. With the quality of the supplied Road Atlas and in car navigation a list of towns and map reference numbers would be much much better. All of the bookings made for activities , accommodation, car were seemless. thankyou. Pickup & drop off services were fantastic. Made us feel super special. The highlight of the trip (for me) was the passion/ enthusiasm of the people showing us their little part of the world. Particularly Hokianga Twilight encounter, Kiwi Dundee tour, Hobbiton, Mitai Maori, Zealandia, Otago Peninsula (albatross, penguin, seal), Stewart Island. (Stewart Island should be a compulsory addition to all your tours. The only other thing (minor) to make it better would be a warning of the high fuel prices (and how to shop or where to buy fuel to take advantage of any discounts. (and where prices are likely to be extra high (Queenstown, Wanarka) so car can be filled up earlier. And what to do when you come across road closures without warning. (how do you find out what is going on, potential alternative routes etc. on the road internet not always available. On way to Napier from Rotorua got all the way to Lake Taupo before finding S5 closed (that day due to slip). Not knowing what else to do went back to Rotorua, Gisborne and down coast to Napier, getting in at 9pm (& then found that the road was opened a few hours after we left Taupo. adding 450km and 6+ hours to the day) Didn't get to enjoy / see anything of Napier. Rosemary doesn't want me to say that I didn't like the accommodation at Invercargill (but i will anyway) Had run in with the ("rude") staff over their use of all 3 washers & dryers in the Guest laundry till after 6pm doing housekeeping towels etc. the only not happy experience of the whole 6 weeks. The refund from Franz Joseph came thru ok. Still sorting out the fraud on credit card so although I've been told the Budget refund is there cannot yet confirm that. Thank you once again. great service, would not do it any other way. Ta Daryl & Rosemary Wilkinson.

We realized soon into the trip that we tried to squeeze too much into a short time. (We knowingly did this to ourselves. The "whirlwind" trip was a compromise between Susan and me; I wanted to see the glacier, Milford Sound, and Mt. Cook, while Susan wanted to maximise our friends' in Australia.) The long bus rides wore us out. I'm not sure where I would've broken it up ... maybe a night at Mt. Cook. (Interesting choice since, as the photo below will show, the top half of Mt. Cook was covered by a thick gray cloud when we were there! ) The Hermitage Hotel looked very nice; the buffet there was very good. There were obviously more things to do and see at both Christchurch and Queenstown than we had time to do. The TranzAlpine train was fantastic! Comfortable travel, beautiful scenery, and tasty tucker. The hotels where we stayed were all nice and conveniently located, and the staff were helpful. This was especially true of Wayne at Merivale Manor ... he's a one man Welcome Wagon for NZ! And there was what we call a magnolia (the state flower of our home state of Mississippi) blooming just outside our room (see photo below). How thoughtful! The SuperShuttle drivers were always courteous and on time. Most of the tour bus drivers were also. Restaurants: We ate dinner both nights in Christchurch at No. 4 Pub on Wayne's recommendation ... they give a 10% discount to Merivale Manor guests. Good menu and service. It's also an easy 10 min. walk from Merivale Manor. Your suggestion for Snakebite in Franz Josef was a good one ... convenient to hotel, good food, and good prices. Rata was a great choice for our anniversary dinner! It's a bit pricey, but the food and service are superb ... perfect for a special occasion. Oh, and a suggestion for any of your future customers who stay in the Garden Ct. Suites: Just across the street at the Milennium Hotel there's a very nice bar and restaurant. On our long day (to Milford Sound and back) we wanted something quick and easy and had excellent fish and chips and drinks in the bar (and watched the Crusaders' rugby on TV). Oh, and we gave the drinks/dessert at the Stratosfare a miss ... not enough energy to ride the gondola after dinner and climb back up that long hill. I think it's good for international travellers to give themselves 3 hours entering and leaving the country. That's what we had done in Australia, and that gave us plenty of time in NZ too. 2 hours would be an absolute minimum, and having that extra hour in case of any unexpected issues was a comfort to me, even though sitting around an airport is not the most enjoyable thing for a traveller to do. It would probably helpful to forewarn visitors that the West Coast and Alps road have lots of changes in elevation and curves. If someone gets car sick anywhere, it could be a worry on those long trips on the hilly, winding roads. Susan hadn't thought of that and hadn't taken a Dramamine before our leg from Greymouth to Franz Josef, and she felt pretty "icky" during the latter stages of that leg. The GinTins that were in our bag for Milford were helpful after that! I've done a blog on the trip for our family and close friends, and I told them that I plan to recommend to the Prime Minister that she change the name of NZ from "Land of the Thin White Cloud" to "Land of the Thick Gray Cloud." We had rain from just S of Greymouth to Franz Josef, Milford, and Mt. Cook. (But the cloud obviously isn't indigenous to NZ since it has followed us to NSW too!) And there was a definite upside to the rain -- the waterfalls on the road to Milford and in the Sound proper were just spectacular. If we think of anything else of any significance, we'll pass it along, for what it's worth. Again, thanks for all you did for us. It was a wonderful trip, and we hope to be back and stay longer. Eddie Keith P.S. Do you organise trips to Stewart Island? I'd never heard of it before our trip, but saw some brochures that looked very intriguing.

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 realized soon into the trip that we tried to squeeze too much into a short time. (We knowingly did this to ourselves. The "whirlwind" trip was a compromise between Susan and me; I wanted to see the glacier, Milford Sound, and Mt. Cook, while Susan wanted to maximise our friends' in Australia.) The long bus rides wore us out. I'm not sure where I would've broken it up ... maybe a night at Mt. Cook. (Interesting choice since, as the photo below will show, the top half of Mt. Cook was covered by a thick gray cloud when we were there! ) The Hermitage Hotel looked very nice; the buffet there was very good. There were obviously more things to do and see at both Christchurch and Queenstown than we had time to do. The TranzAlpine train was fantastic! Comfortable travel, beautiful scenery, and tasty tucker. The hotels where we stayed were all nice and conveniently located, and the staff were helpful. This was especially true of Wayne at Merivale Manor ... he's a one man Welcome Wagon for NZ! And there was what we call a magnolia (the state flower of our home state of Mississippi) blooming just outside our room (see photo below). How thoughtful! The SuperShuttle drivers were always courteous and on time. Most of the tour bus drivers were also. Restaurants: We ate dinner both nights in Christchurch at No. 4 Pub on Wayne's recommendation ... they give a 10% discount to Merivale Manor guests. Good menu and service. It's also an easy 10 min. walk from Merivale Manor. Your suggestion for Snakebite in Franz Josef was a good one ... convenient to hotel, good food, and good prices. Rata was a great choice for our anniversary dinner! It's a bit pricey, but the food and service are superb ... perfect for a special occasion. Oh, and a suggestion for any of your future customers who stay in the Garden Ct. Suites: Just across the street at the Milennium Hotel there's a very nice bar and restaurant. On our long day (to Milford Sound and back) we wanted something quick and easy and had excellent fish and chips and drinks in the bar (and watched the Crusaders' rugby on TV). Oh, and we gave the drinks/dessert at the Stratosfare a miss ... not enough energy to ride the gondola after dinner and climb back up that long hill. I think it's good for international travellers to give themselves 3 hours entering and leaving the country. That's what we had done in Australia, and that gave us plenty of time in NZ too. 2 hours would be an absolute minimum, and having that extra hour in case of any unexpected issues was a comfort to me, even though sitting around an airport is not the most enjoyable thing for a traveller to do. It would probably helpful to forewarn visitors that the West Coast and Alps road have lots of changes in elevation and curves. If someone gets car sick anywhere, it could be a worry on those long trips on the hilly, winding roads. Susan hadn't thought of that and hadn't taken a Dramamine before our leg from Greymouth to Franz Josef, and she felt pretty "icky" during the latter stages of that leg. The GinTins that were in our bag for Milford were helpful after that! I've done a blog on the trip for our family and close friends, and I told them that I plan to recommend to the Prime Minister that she change the name of NZ from "Land of the Thin White Cloud" to "Land of the Thick Gray Cloud." We had rain from just S of Greymouth to Franz Josef, Milford, and Mt. Cook. (But the cloud obviously isn't indigenous to NZ since it has followed us to NSW too!) And there was a definite upside to the rain -- the waterfalls on the road to Milford and in the Sound proper were just spectacular. If we think of anything else of any significance, we'll pass it along, for what it's worth. Again, thanks for all you did for us. It was a wonderful trip, and we hope to be back and stay longer. Eddie Keith

We didn't like the Camelot Motel in Christchurch. It was clean enough but old and not of the same standard as other places. You might consider looking for another motel. The motel at Mt Cook was very nice but the absence of breakfast was a problem and not understandable because the facility has a restaurant open for dinner. This is a problem in this location because the only alternative is to walk up the road to the Hermitage and not everyone is interested in doing that. I appreciated the quick refund on the canceled Dart River boat ride. Thanks again. We had fun.

In Auckland the Scenic Hotel entrance was under construction. The hotel seemed rather overpriced but that might be because of its central location to downtown. I was able to find a SIM card for my unlocked cell phone at a nearby convenience store. I didn't know what to expect on the bus tour from Auckland to Rotorua on the first day, but it was definitely a fun-filled day of activities focused on Maori culture and New Zealand farming. The bus driver was very entertaining and educational in explaining the sights along the way. Also, the accommodation at Bella Vista Rotorua was comfortable, and the hotel managers were friendly and helpful in arranging for a taxi for the next day. Unfortunately, the nearest places for finding food were a convenience store (known as a dairy in NZ) and a small restaurant across the street. The next morning was spent at Hobbiton, an amazing place! Our tour guide who grew up in the area was quite knowledgeable, patiently answered questions, and even took our photos as we posed in the Hobbiton doorways. I wish the tour lasted longer than 2 hours, by the way. The next day the bus arrived earlier than scheduled, so I was able to get to the Ibis Hotel Wellington in time before meeting with friends that evening. They showed me around the waterfront before we went to dinner. Early the next morning a guide picked me up at the hotel to begin the Lord of the Rings by Rover tour. Our small group of 5 interacted a great deal with our tour guide as he tirelessly drove us to various locations--Mount Victoria, Miramar, the Weta Cave, the Hutt River, Harcourt Park and Kaitoke Regional Park. His explanation of the movie scene sites, his direction for our re-enactments, and his behind-the-scenes stories certainly made the day an unforgettable experience. My accommodation at Ibis Hotel Wellington was centrally located, so on my last day in Wellington, I rode the Wellington Cable Car to go explore the Botanic Garden. I bought a round-trip cable car ticket but learned at the top of the hill I could have returned by walking down. I also enjoyed learning more about New Zealand history at Te Papa Museum. Because I was there on February 6, a national holiday, it was hard to find a reasonably-priced restaurant that was open after 5 PM in the downtown area. I ended up eating at McDonalds. I had heard that there were gigantic replicas of Lord of the Rings characters in the Wellington Airport, so I eagerly looked for them before flying from Wellington to Queenstown. I saw giant eagles and Smaug the dragon as I headed to my departure gate, but I wish I had explored the airport more. In Queenstown I stayed at the Blue Peaks Lodge which overlooked the shopping area around Lake Wakatipu. My accommodation was more like a small apartment than a hotel. It was nice to have a kitchenette to make my own breakfast. Because I was in walking distance of the shopping area, restaurants and grocery stores were easily accessible. I didn’t go to Queenstown for the adrenalin-racing activities, but there were other fun activities to do. The TSS Earnslaw cruise to the Walter Peak Homestead, the gourmet BBQ dinner, and the farm tour were simply amazing. The next day he scenery I saw while riding to Milford Sound was just stunningly beautiful and seeing seals sunbathing on the rocks and dolphins swimming in front of the ship was really special. Also, the off-road Nomad Safaris 'Safari of the Scenes' Wakatipu Basin tour was an incredible adventure around Queenstown and Arrowtown. Jenny, the tour driver, made it a true 4-wheel drive experience with her daredevil driving skills while pointing out Lord of the Rings movie sites. The highlight of the bus trip from Queenstown to Christchurch was seeing Mt. Cook National Park and Lake Pukaki. They were surreal in color and beauty. If I were to return, I would like to explore that area more and go trekking. I spent my last day in Christchurch. I purposely arranged for a night flight so that I could go to church in Christchurch. Before leaving for New Zealand, I emailed a pastor who is in the same church denomination as mine. I attended church that morning and his wife invited me to their home for lunch afterwards. It was a real treat to experience their hospitality. Overall, I was very pleased with my customized Middle Earth tour. Thank you, Emma, for making my first visit to New Zealand so amazing and special. I hope to visit again some day!

Unfortunately, my bravado got the better of me, and I crashed into the side wall of the track, and gave my elbow a severe grazing and a good bone bruise to remind me of the adventure!. Now fully recovered. Carole really enjoyed the whale watching that she did on your advice. I stayed on terra firma, as the sea was a bit too severe for me that day. Good photo's of the whales and dolphins were taken, and Carole has now ticked that off from her 'bucket list'. The ferry crossing was fantastic- smooth all the way, and the journey along Marlborough sound has to be one of the finest boat trips that anybody could take. Our own part of the adventure to Rarotonga was my dream come true. A beautiful South Seas paradise, 4 hours from Auckland. I wish I had booked a longer stay than the 5 days we did, but it was pure heaven. To jump out of bed in the morning, jump into swim shorts, and run down a beautiful white coral beach into a lukewarm lagoon is indescribable!. I truly believe I have found my 'I want to be here forever' place on this planet, and Carole has fallen for it also. We are shaking our money tree to see what falls, and hope to spend more time there, and in your beautiful country. Well Joanna, I think you can tell that you have given us the vacation of a lifetime. I'm sure it would not have been anything like as enjoyable in a campervan!, and we have to thank both yourself and your company for arranging our dream vacation to such a perfect standard. It was so nice to meet you when we were in Wanaka, to be able to thank you personally for the part of the trip that we had completed and thoroughly enjoyed. We hope to see you again in the future ( we thought we might come and swim the length of your lake!!). With our undying appreciation to you, Warmest regards, Stuart and Carole Haxton.

After the lugeing in Queenstown, I was hooked, and had to do it all again in Rotorua. Unfortunately, my bravado got the better of me, and I crashed into the side wall of the track, and gave my elbow a severe grazing and a good bone bruise to remind me of the adventure!. Now fully recovered. Carole really enjoyed the whale watching that she did on your advice. I stayed on terra firma, as the sea was a bit too severe for me that day. Good photo's of the whales and dolphins were taken, and Carole has now ticked that off from her 'bucket list'. The ferry crossing was fantastic- smooth all the way, and the journey along Marlborough sound has to be one of the finest boat trips that anybody could take. Our own part of the adventure to Rarotonga was my dream come true. A beautiful South Seas paradise, 4 hours from Auckland. I wish I had booked a longer stay than the 5 days we did, but it was pure heaven. To jump out of bed in the morning, jump into swim shorts, and run down a beautiful white coral beach into a lukewarm lagoon is indescribable!. I truly believe I have found my 'I want to be here forever' place on this planet, and Carole has fallen for it also. We are shaking our money tree to see what falls, and hope to spend more time there, and in your beautiful country. Well Joanna, I think you can tell that you have given us the vacation of a lifetime. I'm sure it would not have been anything like as enjoyable in a campervan!, and we have to thank both yourself and your company for arranging our dream vacation to such a perfect standard. It was so nice to meet you when we were in Wanaka, to be able to thank you personally for the part of the trip that we had completed and thoroughly enjoyed. We hope to see you again in the future ( we thought we might come and swim the length of your lake!!). With our undying appreciation to you, Warmest regards, Stuart and Carole Haxton.

We collected our tour document pack at the Heartland Hotel and found lots of useful maps and brochures as well as our detailed itinerary with travel routes, times and suggested sights for each day. The highlights of our holiday were: Tauranga - seeing the Strand, waka, Te Kahui Matariki and the Hairy Maclairy statues. These were a wonderful surprise! I am an early childhood teacher working with libraries in Brisbane and love the Hairy Maclairy stories - I am a big Lynley Dodd fan. Rotorua - the children especially liked Rotorua because of the accommodation (it was huge and the owners were very welcoming and friendly) and our tours to the Maiti Maori Village, Rainbow Springs and the Agrodome. We enjoyed looking at the hot springs at Kuirau Park in between showers of rain. On our way to Lake Taupo we stopped at Lava Glass which the children found fascinating - we watched glass blowing however we were unable to see the glass garden because of the miserably wet weather. We also stopped at Huka falls which were raging after a couple of days of wet weather. Another huge highlight was Hobbiton at Matamata. This was quite a big day for us travel wise but we loved staying at Whitianga, the accommodation was good and at the last minute I managed to book a glass bottom boat trip for the family before continuing on to Auckland. This was another huge highlight - an amazing coastline and beautiful scenery, coves caves and cliffs along the Coromandel Peninsular . Hannah and I even had a snorkle with the fish in the crystal clear ocean. While in Aukland we saw some sights on the harbour and went for a look at the wonderful view of Auckland at Skytower. We were also very excited to see the Bansky exhibition at the Aotea Centre while we were there. The four of us had a wonderful experience while on holiday and I believe the itinerary cost was great value for money. We managed to see quite a lot of the North Island in seven days however I think we would like to return and spend a little longer next time. Thanks again for all of your work organising our holiday for us! I have been telling all of our friends and my work colleagues about our holiday and the wonderful service you provide. Until next time. Warm regards Andrea

We want to go back to Tongariro to do the Alpine Crossing: it was too windy for us when we were there. However there are so many hiking trails we were occupied for the full day anyway. We loved the Skyline Gondola and luge in both Rotorua and Queenstown. Our only hiccup was one rental car agency had our dates mixed up, but they fixed it and had a car for us within an hour. We did have one car break down, but we had no issues getting a tow and replacement by mid morning the next day. All of our hotels were clean, and all staff were friendly and helpful. Another favorite part of our trip was an add on helicopter tour of Franz Josef glacier - one of a kind view! We loved the Trails of Middle Earth location tour in Queenstown, and if you can't get enough LOTR (like us) we also added on another tour in Twizel - we highly recommend it, especially the twilight tour (OneRingTours) Lake Tekapo is another location we want to return and spend more time in - Mantra is beautiful, we wished we stayed more nights, especially for the Dark Sky Reserve - we've never seen so many stars! Olga of Discover New Zealand really listened to us about our requests and when and where we wanted to spend our time. She made sure we understood the itinerary and route we would be taking and walked us through how to easily make payments. We never wanted to leave each city we visited, but we always found the next location to be just as exciting and fun! Thanks for helping us organize the perfect honeymoon!

We were very pleased with the accommodations selected. All were wonderful and each had a different character. We hesitate to choose a favorite as they all had unique charms. The only one that had any negatives to speak of was the boutique hotel in Queenstown. Although very unique and striking, it was a bit noisy as it was on a busy street and the parking was problematic for us. Since this was more of a city experience than any of the others, this has to be taken into consideration. Our accommodation in Christchurch was in the city center, but was more of a Bed and Breakfast experience and very quiet. Everyone was very hospitable and helpful, the smaller B & B type lodgings had a more personal touch as can be expected. When we return, this is the type of lodging we will select. One of us was the driver and the other the navigator. The driver was new to driving on the left, but had little difficulty getting used to it with the nice Toyota Corolla (with trunk, not hatchback, which was nice) and reminders to keep left. We did not fully anticipate that driving the roads would take as much time as it did. This was partly due to unfamiliarity at first but just to reiterate that the roads are mostly two lane and only when they were straight were we able to go the speed limit comfortably. On the plus side, the scenery is fantastic. The stretch to Picton had road construction and a diversion of traffic from the coastal highway. We were a bit nervous about the time to get from Queenstown to Milford Sound as we saw warnings that it could be very slow going. We had no problem on the day we traveled, but it is worth a warning regarding the potential slowness if you have a particular deadline (as we did). The New Zealand drivers are very courteous, no problem there. We did have our front end bumper scratched at some point, probably by a fellow tourist in a parking lot. The navigator found the GPS in the car to be very useful. The directions in the book were helpful, but could have been more helpful if distances (a bit more detail) were given. The pre-planned activities were all well chosen and except for the flyover of Mount Cook (which was cancelled due to weather) we had good weather for all. Good food also, everywhere we went, with a lovely New Zealand twist on things. Thanks to Shelley and Discover New Zealand for their assistance in planning a great experience for us in New Zealand. As we watch the snow falling back here in the states, we dream of: Delightful walks around the Arboretum and downtown in Christchurch. Enyouing the great breakfast at our wonderful lodgings. Walking the forest track around the town of Hanmer Springs. Soaking in the variety of hot springs at Hanmer Hot Springs as rain clouds gathered above us. Wonderful home cooked dinner enjoying the company and view across Okiwa Bay to the rest of Queen Charlotte Sound. Walking the Queen Charlotte Sound track, listening to the birds, watching the activity on the water. Eating green mussels for the first time in Havelock. Admiring the spiffy town of Nelson. Marveling at the view and surroundings at our lodge on the top of the hill. Kayaking in the beautiful, warm water at Abel Tasman, admiring the rocks and seals. Walking a beautiful nature trail in Arthur's Pass, learning about the native flora and fauna. Admiring the outstanding features of the western coastland such as the unique Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. Helicoptering to the glacier, drinking glacier water, hiking with crampons. Walking to the viewpoint over Okarito lagoon, enjoying the fabulous view. Walks around Queenstown, on the lakes, on the stream at Arrowtown Admiring incredible beauty of the Milford Sound area. Viewing waterfalls and other sights in Milford Sound; experiencing the swells of the Tasman sea Kayaking from the boat in Milford Sound. Early rise on boat in Milford Sound to enjoy quiet and sunrise. Peaceful views and walks around Te Anau. Driving up the Otago peninsula to the Larnach castle, marveling at the views in every direction and the twisty, barely two lane, road. Relaxing while taking in the views from our perfect room at the Camp Estate of Larnach Castle. Admiring the amazing renovated Castle, one of a kind in New Zealand. Enjoying the wonderful gardens and grounds of the castle. Enjoying a fine dinner at the castle with interesting company. A morning visit to Dunedin, visiting the University just after graduation with picture taking of grads and proud parents. Immersed in the wildlife experiences and viewing of the Otago peninsula. First from the boat, then from land (the albatross nesting) and finally the nature preserve where we saw seals up close and the yellow eyed penguins coming back from gathering food to their nests. Wonderful, hospitable, people, rightly proud of their country!

the last one Lochiel Estate Vineyard was disappointing, we were lucky that we were the only ones stopping, as if all the rooms had been in use, the area would have been cramped. however, it was just a room, and the rest of the Journey more than made up for this. All of you arrangements made the tour very easy for us. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this. It was an unforgettable experience, and we realize that we need now to come back to the south Island.

Activities included, most notably Walter Peak dinner cruise and the Milford Sound Cruise were excellent. We highly recommend planning your trip with Discover New Zealand- nothing but the best service!

Some of the buses had wi-fi (Thrifty Tours) and they were always on time, sometimes even early, picking me up directly from my motel. The sights and tours were also well organized with knowledgeable tour guides. I learned a wealth of knowledge about an entire country in only one week. It's been amazing and I hope to come again.

The only concern was in Queenstown where our accommodation was in a building site and very noisy. The girl who booked us in (her office was about 200 metres away) pretended she didn't know there was work going on. Perhaps if she had informed us when we arrived to pick up the key we wouldn't have been so surprised. The good news is it was a great apartment which should by now not be in a building site as all work should be finished. There was no way Shelley would have known that they would start working there a week before we arrived. A wonderful trip and great value for money

We enjoyed ourselves - it was the "taste of New Zealand" we were interested in. No worries on recommending New Zealand Fine Touring. The scenery (and people!) everywhere were fantastic. Some of my most enjoyable moments included the day spent out on Otago peninsula, the trip out to Doubtful Sound and the Dart River adventure. We had many other memorable moments as well. Sincerely, Mike Gorman

Christina had a solution to everything. For example: We wanted to try zip lining on the first day, but if our flight was delayed we would have missed the ferry to get there. Immediately she came up with wine tasting on the island where we wanted to zip line, and a zip line later in Rotorua. We had an amazing time in New Zealand and cannot wait to go back. We will definitely be calling Christina when that time comes!

That being said, it was confusing at times because the descriptions you provided weren't necessarily season-specific. The best example that comes to mind was the description of the Milford area and mentioning it might be possible to do a day hike on the Milford Track (even though it's closed in the winter). However, the confusion on my end was pretty short-lived, and we got everything sorted out. As for the trip itself, everything went great overall, but there are a few things I wanted to point out. First, maybe we missed the mention of this, but it might be helpful to make it abundantly clear that the reservation numbers in the booklet you provide will essentially serve as your "tickets" for the various buses and activities, and that tickets either won't be issued in advance, or they'll be issued upon arriving at the various activities. We initially thought we were missing our bus and activity tickets (other than for the gondola/luge in Queenstown which had actual tickets), and felt like we were taking a leap of faith by assuming the companies had all of our information. It turns out they did have our information, but for at least the first day or so we were a bit confused by the process. My other "just a heads up" is in regards to Te Anau. As we learned on Day 3, at least half of the businesses in town are either closed on Sundays or for the winter in general. That's obviously beyond your control, so I'm not complaining about that, but I just figured I would bring that to your attention in case it wasn't a known thing and future travelers ever have questions about things to do in Te Anau. Also, the hikes "from and around Te Anau" weren't all that close to Te Anau. I don't think any of them were actually within walking distance of town, and so we would have needed to find a cab or something to get to them. The last thing about Te Anau was that our pick-up time (17:40) wasn't correct. We were walking back to our hotel around 17:00, and a van actually stopped and asked if were Jason and Marrissa because he had our luggage (to take to our bus). He said the time we were given by your company was incorrect. I don't recall what time he said it was supposed to be, but he said he had been driving around town trying to find us. I guess that was the silver lining of most businesses being closed that day because there weren't many people milling about, so fortunately he found us. So, I'm not sure if he was just early or if your company gave us the wrong time, but it's something you may want to look into. Again, everything worked out fine, and despite some of the feedback I'm giving here, your company arranged an amazing vacation and I will sing your praises all day long on social media and to my friends. Also, for what it's worth, the weather was amazing most of the time we were there so all of our activities went off without any real hitches. I know I can't technically credit your company for this, but it certainly helped make for a wonderful time in New Zealand. Thanks again for everything!

The turquoise colour of the water in the rivers and lakes is spectacular, I have never seen 'un-photoshopped' scenes like this. Queenstown was so unexpected, what an amazing city, so much going on that we struggled to sit still. Also experienced an Ice Bar for the first time ever, what a fun and also freezing experience. Kierra absolutely loved the snow and we almost couldn't get her to come inside, she also loved ski school (I think the hot chocolate helped entice her) and definitely did much better than Luke and I on the slopes :) One thing I learnt that wasn't expected is that New Zealand make (BY FAR) the best pies I have had anywhere else in the world, not sure what the secret is but I would travel back for the pies. I could go on-and-on about so many things. Overall we ate way too much and slept way too little, and don't regret a thing! Will be on a diet (no pies) for a while now. Thank you so so much for all your help and recommendations, we feel so lucky to have been able to experience such an incredible country the way we did and I hope that one day I can send my parents to do the same, it is definitely a place for everyone's bucket list. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Glenda

Overall, the entire tour went smoothly without any hitch or hassle. We also had a great time for most of optional tours and activities that were arranged for us, with the most irrefutable and memorable ones being Franz Josef Glacier Heli-hike, Milford Sound Cruise and Queenstown Gondola to Bob's Peak. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude and special thanks to Salli Smith and New Zealand Fine Touring for the professional and fantastic arrangements. We will definitely recommend New Zealand Fine Touring to our friends and relatives.

And when the weather did not cooperate for one of the tour packages -- Discover New Zealand was there to assist on alternatives. We truly appreciated the care and attention to details that Erynn took to make this a truly stress free and enjoyable experience. We will be back to trek the South Island.

There was wonderful scenic views everywhere we went. Sarah our travel assistant was fantastic and very quick to respond to any changes we requested. I would highly recommend booking with Discover New Zealand they were great !!!!.

I was a little worried about how tight it was going to be from one event to the next but Joanna had organised it all beautifully. On my first night the last event I went to was Te Po (Indigenous Evening Experience) and when I walked outside I was just about to ring a taxi when a private driver tapped me on the shoulder and told me that Joanna had organised him to pick me up!!! I was not only amazed at her organisation skills but how caring she was ensuring that I was looked after! I was very thankful as I wont lie I was by myself and it was pretty dark so having my 'guardian travel agent' be looking out for me at all times was just heart warming. Even though it was only for two days I had the time of my life and everyone couldn't believe how much I was able to fit in during the time I had - all thanks to Joanna!!! Therefore, I can't recommend Discover New Zealand enough especially Joanna Bullus whether it be for some activities to do while traveling for business or maybe your a mum like me and you want to have a quick adventure! I can't wait for my next mini adventure. Thank you so much Joanna for looking after me. Best wishes, Laura

Not only she had developed a great trip for me, but she and her colleagues also were just as eager to step in and offer assistance when things did not go exactly as planned after the trip had begun. I have had a wonderful and truly memorable vacation in New Zealand, and Christina was instrumental in making that happen.  Discover New Zealand is truly fortunate to have Christina because she is knowledgeable, highly motivated and passionate in her work. Here are some comments specific about the trip. The accommodation was generally good except for Econ Lodge Canterbury Court, Christchurch. The reason was because the room was cold due to insufficient heating. The accommodation at Geraldine was a pleasant surprise as it was arranged at the last minute due to an unplanned event. I loved its whirlpool and the room’s European style. Picking up and dropping off at Christchurch Airport was a nice touch. Of all the activities, I think I liked the Twin Glaciers scenic helicopter ride the most, followed by the Milford Sound cruise, and then the Shotover Jet boat ride. I was totally mesmerized by the Lord of the Rings landscape around Te Anau. I think a couple of events , the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves and the TSS Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak, would be more interesting if both activities could be scheduled when there is still daylight. Since both activities involved travelling by boat first and because it was already dark by the time I got into the boat, I couldn’t see the scenery along the way. However, I also understood the tight trip schedule probably had prevented you from setting them up during the day. The gourmet dinner was just fabulous. All in all, it was an excellent trip and thank you Christina for your great effort!