Read below what some of our international and domestic clients have to say about their experience with The Road Trip. We’d love to make your trip one to remember too! So have a look around, get in touch and we can start planning your New Zealand Road Trip of a lifetime or a well deserved luxury getaway!
For more tour photos and reviews come and find us on Facebook.
Barbara Johnson
I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed our trip. The ability to organise our own itinerary and then to have you assist with all the bookings and accommodation was fantastic. We had a wonderful time.
I asked for a variety of places to stay and that was great but every place you booked perfect for our needs. Even the 3 stars was lovely and we always had a view, even when we least expected it. It was good to have washing facilities available as well. I especially loved the Fiordland Lodge but on our next visit I think I want to stay in Milford Sound.
The activities were well organised, the only thing we can’t control is the weather, but all went smoothly and our refund was promptly given so thank you for that.
It was so easy to work with you all and I really appreciate it when you responded to emails and any concerns I had.
I would and already have, recommended you to anyone wanting to explore New Zealand.
Thank you for the ideal trip.
Cara Love
My husband and I had such an amazing and memorable experience in the beautiful country of New Zealand for our honeymoon!!! Alex took great care of us as he was putting our itinerary together and he was so coherent to our needs and what we were looking for. He blessed us with the best of the best in every town we stayed in and the communication between us was awesome, especially with the time difference!
Alex set us up with our amazing tour guide with Dianne…. SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!! She took great care of us every single day….showed us the in and outs of every town we visited…brought us to less touristy parts so we could get away from the busy-ness. She was so informative and passionate about everything! So many laughs….I felt like my husband and I actually gained a friend everything went so smoothly.
It was so sad to say goodbye and leave this beautiful country….we seriously had such a remarkable time. A trip of a life time that we will forever remember. I would be lying if I said my husband and I didnt shed a few tears on our last night.
My only wish is that we can travel the rest of the world through ” The Roadtrip”. Great family owned business, thank you for everything
Amber & Tyler Larson
I’d like to say a huge thank you to Alex & Mel who I had most correspondence with. My whole experience with the Road Trip was great communication via emails and I had our itinerary and was very excited to be off to do the Gibbston Valley Wine, Dine & Cycle for my 50th birthday. the cycle experience was amazing and I think it could get addictive!
Gibbston Valley Lodge is beautiful and the villa was outstanding and wonderfully appointed. The views and scenery were truly beautiful and the food at the lodge restaurant was some of the best food I’ve ever tasted!
Jo Twohig –
First of all, this trip was amazing. Absolutely, unbelievably wonderful! Thank you so much to everyone who was involved in putting it together over the past four years. The amount of patience and kindness that this company has shown me as I made decisions only to turn around and unmake them, or otherwise make your lives more complicated than it likely needed to be, means more than you could know. So thank you so much once again!
Kaitlyn Caines – October 2022
From a couple of very grateful Kiwis, a big thank you to Jeff & his team; Zac, Ro & Andrew for guiding us so expertly throughout our three ‘Great Walks’. We enjoyed listening to your interesting stories, having some good laughs & the overall tramping experience. Thank you for looking after everyone so well, with the reward of wholesome lunches & hot drinks at the summits, as well as providing comfortable mini coaches that were always on time. We are in awe of our beautiful country and people. Thank you.
To our Lodge hosts Andy, Deni, Christina, Chef James & breakfast hostess, we enjoyed that you had time to share your conversations with us, & for the thoughtful consideration you gave to our luxurious accommodation, spas & divine dining experiences. You are wonderful hosts all round!
Kindest regards
Sheona & Rick Veacock
“Kia Ora Alex,
First, it was a pleasure briefly meeting you at the train station, thank you for taking the time to come say hello! Second, I wanted to follow-up and let you know what a fantastic experience we had traveling with Bruce for the 5+ days. We hit it off from the start and by the end of the trip, both boys gained a Kiwi uncle! Bruce was top-notch and is a value-add member of The Road Trip team. He was always on time, provided great historical/cultural context along the way, and always flexed to meet our on-demand requests/needs. Both boys absolutely loved him, as did we! In addition, Janelle was a pleasure to work with. Her communication and responsiveness leading up to our arrival were timely and appreciated! Overall, our experience with The Road Trip not only met, but exceeded our expectations. We cannot thank you all enough for being an integral part of our epic adventure!”
Ronald Buel and family from the USA, February 2020
We had a great trip to Te Anau. The booking process was easy, friendly and proactive, all queries were responded to promptly and in a positive way.
The actual trip was great. Trips and Tramps were amazing. Their staff were very professional, friendly and helpful. Their organisation for each day was spot on, the pickups were always on time, their vehicles modern and spotless, and the information given of our surrounds in transfers was great. We enjoyed each of the day walks, and were thrilled to find that the guides always carried the makings of a coffee for midway through the walk! Excellent lunches were provided by a local bakery, with enough food for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea; food was of a great quality and variety.
Fiordland lodge was a beautiful place to stay. The rooms were comfortable, with amazing views of the lake and mountains. We loved the evening canapés, and meals were of a high standard. Staff and the owner were friendly and attentive, and the lodge well set up with a pool table and other games. The hot tubs were spotless, and commanded an amazing view.
We would and have recommended The Road Trip to friends.
Judi Johnson – December 2021
The trip was AMAZING!
Highly organised with wonderful people from start to finish. That is a South Island thing I think.
We had an issue with one of the bikes on day one and it was sorted quickly and without fuss..
The accommodation was magical (look at me using all these lovely adjectives! Haha) Hosts were lovely and welcoming. I am still in awe that someone 20 odd years ago had the foresight to make the trail happen. It truly is a great asset in Central Otago’s tourism hat.
We enjoyed the bag transfers – certainly allows for a stress free day.
I expect we will be doing some more trails in the future.
Stella Martin – February 2022
I loved the crew and service we received at Marahau. Well run water taxi service. Loved the experience of launching and docking.
The quality of accommodation and experiences and the level of service received.
The quality of accommodation at Awaroa Lodge was excellent value, in a stunning location, no street lights just the sound of nature.
The leave of service at Awaroa Lodge was excellent overall. The young people gave it a great energy.
Josh was informative, knowledgeable and passionate about Awaroa and the marine reserve. He loved guiding the kiwis around the marine reserve. Excellent level of service.
Dion at the Awaroa Lodge Pizzeria was passionate about pizza’s and the vibe he was creating with the outdoor pizzeria area. Great music, chunky cushions to lie on under the trees, chess anyone. He had lots of good tips for us for the Lodge menu. He told us the grill chef was on the night we had walked 20km and recommended a steak and gnocchi.. We had a scotch fillet steak with gnocchi. Carbs and protein, perfect combo.
The ease of the Road Trip’s booking process was really easy from original phone calls, to emails to payment. Uncomplicated which is what you need to lead you into an enjoyable holiday.
Most of all it was about the scenery of the Abel Tasman National Park, from forest floor to golden sandy beaches and crystal clear blue ocean. It was magic. We met some awesome trampers along the way. The DOC stations for water and lunch were clean and a nice respite to rest and eat our lunches.
Thank you once again. It was a great way to end 2021 and to welcome in 2022.
Sue & Frank McErlane – December 2021
Our trip was perfect. The weather helped but the pick up, the accommodation, the bikes, the people and the tour was perfect. We couldn’t have asked for anything else.
Tina Collins – February 2022
The trip was amazing and exceeded our expectations. We had great weather which really helped and no technical issues with the bikes. The accommodation was all really good and the space between each ride was about right for us.
A few highlights: Ophir was stunning and as mentioned loved the accommodation and food. The hosts at Inverlair lodge were incredible. They did our washing for us and the hot tub overlooking the sunset was spectacular – we were even joined by a couple of owls! The tour was fantastic and we just loved the town atmosphere. Ken is an absolute gem and we loved every minute of our tour. I loved how easy it was to book the trip, especially how everything has been thought of and we didn’t have to do anything or worry about what places we should stay at or what things to make sure we see.
My only complaint is that my backside was so sore – I am not sure you can do much about that though 🙂
Paula Hogg – January 2022
Just to let you know we had a great time in Rotorua, the manager, Kym at the Black Swan was fantastic to deal with and nothing was a problem.
Will keep an eye out for our next trip
Derek Mayne – January 2022
We had a great time with The Road Trip. Organisation of bikes, superb accommodation, great pick ups when completing our riding for the day.
Cycling Journeys well planned so that the the second and third days were slightly easier. have no trouble recommending this company
Sandie Knowlson – February 2022
We had a great time. Everything went perfectly. Pick ups were prompt, had no issues with bikes, accommodation was lovely.
Great selection of bike tracks and ridden in the right order.
Thanks heaps.
Wendy Grocott – January 2022
Just thought I’d pass on…we had the most fabulous trip! Stoneridge was exceptional and the Doubtful Sound cruise was just gorgeous. Cabins were good, crew lovely, food great and of course the scenery was spectacular! We had four days of amazing weather as well, so very lucky there.
We are often looking at special, little breaks to beautiful areas that have luxury lodges or upmarket accommodation so we will keep an eye on deals going around on The Road Trip.
Bernadette Buckley – January 2022
Just a brief note to say thanks for planning a great road trip! We really enjoyed our stay at Fiordland Lodge and will definitely go back, and also the overnight cruise on Milford was really nice. Dealing with your company has been a breeze – great itinerary, easy to book and very helpful and responsive. Andy Cunningham also commented how good it was to deal with you.
We are keeping a watch on what else you have in your future itineraries.
Andy Wilkinson – February 2022
We booked the Lodges of the South 4 night break, staying at Stoneridge Estate near Arrowtown and Fiordland Lodge near Te Anau. The booking process with The Road Trip was very easy and we enjoyed the personal service. The lodges were both amazing – lovely accommodation, great staff who couldn’t do enough for us and were extremely friendly, found in fabulous locations. The extras provided via The Road Trip added to our enjoyment.
Emma Holmes – October 2021
We were very happy with our trip. The accommodation was delightful. The staff were all very pleasant and our rooms extremely comfortable and clean. The meal menu offered good choices and the breakfasts in particular were magnificent, very generous and beautifully presented ideal for those setting out for a day of walking on the Track. Thank you
Tony & Shirley-Anne Withers – January 2022
Fabulous journey to Stewart Island
Every thing went really well from the lodge to the Ulva island to the fishing
We did go on the kiwi experience in the Sunday night. Mind managed really well and I have to say if anyone else asks
It’s easy to manage nothing too steep and beach walk easy.
The team were magnificent
Nothing was too much if an issue or problem.
Amazing journey.
Stewart Island Escape
Yvonne Boyes – March 2022
We had a wonderful trip!
Totally recommend the Real Journeys Discovery expedition to all new Zealanders!
The trips and trips team were wonderful and very helpful/obliging, lovely lunches, great staff and would recommend.
The Fiordland lodge was fantastic, beautiful site. Staff were excellent, with lovely breakfasts every morning.
Shame there is only one option for dinner, but do understand with less people that maybe all they can do.
Easy process of booking with you too.
Ann Bennett – February 2022
We throughly enjoyed our trip to Mt Cook, it exceeded our expectations.
Our room was perfect, had heaps
Space and the most magnificent view of Mt Cook Aoraki.
We found the Buffet at night had lots food choices and the fresh seafood was unexpected.
We had no problem organising additional activities and the guides on the tours were brilliant. Our flight around Mt Cook was upgraded and hard to explain how the experience was, mind blowing!
We have done a few Road Trips now with another coming up in March and have found them value for money and would definitely recommend them.
Sharyl Lea – January 2022
Hi Guys – just a quick note to thank you for putting together this wonderful trip. Every part of it was amazing and I would highly recommend this trip and you guys to all who will listen
Thanks again and I will be in touch in the coming months about our next trip.
John Greenacre – January 2022
We booked a trip though The Road Trip New Zealand to hike the Abel Tasman for 5 days.
The booking process was very straight forward and communication well with us prior to our arrival .
What a stress free trip we had, with pickups on time , accommodation outstanding just what we asked for , hikes very clear with the guides and our packed lunches we great .
Would highly recommend and we would certainly book though them again.
Vickie Cameron – February 2022
Thanks so much to your team. They were superb. The entire trip was carefully planned and orchestrated. We had the best time
Libby Trafford – February 2022
Our trip was great!! The Fiordland Lodge was beautiful! Our room was clean and comfy! The staff were amazing and so helpful and knowledgable of the surrounding areas. The food was exquisite and the hot tubs!!… say no more we used them each day. Then the Fiordland Navigator again the room was clean and comfy. With only 12 people on board it was easy to move around and keep physical distance. Again the food was amazing and of course the scenery!!
Kay Backhouse – February 2022
We did the Abel Tasman Tramp and Kayak in early February. We absolutely loved it. The organisation of everything was great. Took all the hassle out of it for us as we had never done it before. The accommodation was very nice and having the packed lunches daily was so good. Having everything booked for us like the accommodation and water taxis was fantastic. We changed the water taxi booking one day by email and it wasn’t a problem. Communication was top notch. Unfortunately we couldn’t do the kayaking due to the weather but we were given lots of notice so could plan other things. Highly recommend using these guys for your trips.
Tony & Maria Barnett – February 2022
Hi , we had a lovely trip thank you. the Fiordland lodge was lovely, enjoyed the hot tubs and the view of the lake. Loved the doubtful sounds trip. we haven’t stopped telling people about it since we have got home. We couldn’t fault anything. From the staff on the boat, the meals on the boat, the view from the bus trip, the ferry ride over there to the fiords. The sounds are the most beautiful place in New Zealand. Would recommend this trip to anyone. Regards Adelle and Mike
Adelle Brunton – February 2022
We had an awesome “roady” thank you!
Tacked on two nights in Queenstown prior to Te Anau & 2 nights in Wanaka after Doubtful Sound trip!!
Yes we did use your “eat” suggestions in Te Anau & had one evening meal at Fiordland Lodge (which was amazing!!)
The weather was certainly on our side the whole time!! Now back to work & dull overcast sky’s
Debbie Niles – January 2022
Great trip lovely accomodation and really appreciated the extra information provided.
Angie Lotter – January 2022
The trip was amazing!!! Couldn’t have been better. Loved the accommodation- we felt like royalty! Shruti was amazing and helpful.
The Lake Dunstan cycle was out of this world and loved it, although I would not do it again!
I am scared of heights!
Jacinta Chow – January 2022
-The quality of your accommodation and experiences and the level of service received
The Fiordland Lodge was good but Stoneridge was exceptional in every way – especially the quality of accommodation and service.
-How valuable the travel guide prepared by The Road Trip was for your trip
Travel guide provided was valuable and updated when needed. Directions to the accommodation were clear.
-The ease of The Road Trip’s booking process
The booking process was excellent as you considered our needs and the ongoing communication kept us informed.
-Anything else you’d like to add!
Thank you for your efficiency, prompt communication and flexibility when dealing with our changing bookings because of covid travel restrictions. We had a great trip and would not have considered that itinerary if you had not presented it to us. Great to know that The Road Trip focuses on quality accommodation.
All the best for 2022 and we look forward to using your services again.
Sungeeta Singh – January 2022
We had a great time the accommodation was great and the boat trip was fantastic food A+.With cancelation etc and the rebooting your team made things easy and we would definitely use your services again.
Terry O’Sullivan – November 2021
-The quality of accommodation and the level of service received:
The accommodation at both the milford Lodge and the stoneridge Lodge was stunning. The room at Stoneridge especially so. The service at both was amazing. Great breakfasts at Milford and even better ones at Stoneridge. Staff very happy to help
-How valuable the travel guide prepared by The Road Trip was for your trip:
This guide was very helpful, relied on it and made sure we ticked the items on it off on the way to milford
-The ease of The Road Trip’s booking process:
Very easy. And we were happy that it was easy to reschedule when covid interrupted our original dates. Everything went smoothly when dealing with everyone at The Road Trip
-Anything else you’d like to add!
Thanks for providing a great service which helped us have an amazing holiday
Geoff Walker – September 2021
We had a lovely stay at Fiordland Lodge and Stoneridge Lodge and highly recommend them both.
Ian & Trudy Tyler – September 2021
Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend. The Stoneridge Estate is an amaaaaazing place to stay!! It is so well presented and picturesque. The staff are just lovely. The rooms are amazing and the food was incredible.
I was so disappointed not to get my snowmobile excursion but we had such a lovely time poking around in Queenstown. The Amisfield Winery lunch was an amazing experience and the food was sensational! The staff were so professional when we arrived and they weren’t expecting us and didn’t do degustation for lunch. They really looked after us especially once they found the reservation.
Thanks again, I have already recommended the Road Trip on my FB page as its such a great opportunity to see NZ
Angela Fenton – September 2021
I can’t say enough about our experience. Eletra was outstanding with communication and organisation. We were very concerned about our trip with the change to level 2, all was in hand and the minor changes did nothing to influence the wonderful time we had. Both lodges were exemplary, the cruise was memorable and we didn’t do much at all for such a great mini break.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity it was much needed with no stress!
Amanda McEntee – September 2021
I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ for putting together the fabulous ‘snow and soak’ two night break we had a Lake Pukaki. It was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed everything the package offered. Well done.
Gillian Smith – September 2021
We very much enjoyed our trip. The Gibbston Valley Lodge was perfect to relax, we ate at both the winery restaurant and the lodge and both were great! Wine tasting in the wine cave was amazing, as was a glass of Gibbston Valley Sparkling Rose in the hot tub with the snow falling! Breakfasts at the lodge were all delicious. The staff could not have been more helpful.
Catherine Barker – August 2021
Hey Alex, the trip was excellent. We were spoilt rotten at Stoneridge Estate. The service and facilities were excellent.
Fiordland lodge was another great stay, offering similar but different. Again good service with a raw, rustic feel.
I may not do this excursion again but will definitely make the effort to stay at other lodges throughout our fabulous country
Bob Whiu – August 2021
Thank you for a wonderful few days away from the humdrum of everyday life. We enjoyed everything that we experienced. The Milford Lodge was impressive and we appreciated the staff who were super-friendly and made us feel very welcome. It was a bit like staying with old friends in a really super ‘home’. The couple of nights on board the boat were also great and I was hugely impressed by the crew. I enjoyed the scenery but I also enjoyed watching how relaxed and efficient the crew was. There was a great team spirit on board that boat! The cabin was great although I don’t have a heater in my bedroom and found it a bit hot with not being able to open the windows. But that was a minor inconvenience and I am sure it probably suited most people. My husband is always wanting a heater in our room! He was very happy! The food was to die for! I had heard rumours of fabulous food from others who have taken the cruise. We were with family from up north and that was great too. We don’t often get together. I would like to arrange a trip with our own children and their families. Who knows? Thank you so much for a lovely break.
Andrea Pyle – August 2021
The trip to Stewart Island was amazing. Lisa Benson at Stewart Lodge was fabulous and so welcoming. The team at Stewart island experience, Maddy, Henry, Ron, Donald were so helpful and just awesome people sharing there knowledge. Ulva Island, Bird life just stunning. Beaks & Feathers – Ange, Jonny the absolute best – we saw kiwi – Ange wanted you to have an experience, and we did. We saw Kiwi yay. Thank you so much for a wonderful short break – couldn’t ask for better.
Hinurewa te Hau – August 2021
Hi, The trip was great. The accommodation was fabulous, with great service. The staff were very friendly and nothing was a problem. The food was delicious. We found the whole process of booking and traveling went very smoothly. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Cherrie Brown – July 2021
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and Eletra for organising the Lodges of the south trip for us. Everything went so smoothly with the help of your compendium of tips! The accommodation was outstanding in both places. Sadly we got to see the impact that Covid has had on local tour operators so congratulations to you for promoting NZ to NZers. I fluked seeing the package advertised on Facebook and I am very glad that I did.
Ordinarily we would have been spending money overseas so supporting NZ tourism seems the right thing to do and we had a ball! While we need to keep Covid out, sadly at the expense of our local tourism operators, companies such as yours are helping some to stay afloat. In particular, Andy at the Fiordland Lodge spoke very highly of your efforts.
Many thanks again we hope to book more trips with you in the future.
Shelley Evans – July 2021
We had an outstanding time and were impressed by everything. And despite having one wet day (where it snowed which was cold but amazing) we had good weather particularly on the deferred day of our helicopter flight. Also stunning to see Mount Cook in all its glory on the day we left! The Hermitage including staff, accomodation and meals exceeded our expectations. Thanks heaps to you and Electra for everything including both your time and assistance on the day we were all due to fly out and Wellington had its bad weather. Despite worrying it all worked out in the end. And thanks also for the prompt refund when the stargazing event got cancelled. The travel guide was informative and assisted us greatly with contact numbers.
We would highly recommend this trip and The Road Trip.
Thanks again.
Judy Macdonald and Family – July 2021
We absolutely loved our Doubtful Sounds Wilderness Escape! The two nights luxury accommodation at the Fiordland Lodge was superb – beautifully crafted building with lots of interest and places to relax; lovely spacious bedroom and wonderful dining room, all with amazing views over Lake Te Anau! The staff were lovely and very attentive to our every need.
We also thoroughly enjoyed our two night Doubtful Sounds Cruise with Real Journeys. The boat was wonderful – accommodation and dining in the spacious dining saloon – meals were excellent with delicious buffets. The crew were great and looked after us well – we especially enjoyed the commentaries from Courtney who proved to have a wealth of information about the Sounds and it’s spectacular scenery and wildlife. We were fortunate with the weather in that we had fine weather with blue skies and tranquil waters for some of the time so it was possible for the kayaks and tender boats to be used. We also had rain which meant all the waterfalls burst into life and were spectacular and when the weather cleared on the last day we also saw that it had snowed so all the mountain tops were adorned with fresh snow. The whole cruise was very relaxing and it was indeed a wonderful 48 hour Wilderness Escape!
Noelene Pyle – August 2021
Had a fantastic time and would and have highly recommend you to anyone. Thought it was good value as well.
Tracey Forkert – July 2021
Hi, I just wanted to email and say how happy we were with our holiday, we had a great time and were looked after by everyone so well!! Unfortunately we couldn’t snow mobile, but they took us on a helicopter ride with 3 stops which was amazing. The accommodation at Stoneridge was also like nothing we had experienced before and we were both blown away. Thumbs up from us!
Michelle Prentice – July 2021
Everything went exceptionally well for our trip, including the weather. Just wanted to make a special shoutout for the Cruise Milford trip and crew. They really made the boat trip most enjoyable. We were certainly allocated sensational rooms at each stay so well done on your efforts in this regard.
Mark Hutton – July 2021
Hi Alex,Chris and the team
I wanted to send an email to say thank you. We had the best trip in Fiordland Lodge and cruise in Doubtful Sound. You know you have stunning views when the captain of the ship suggests all staff down tools and come up on deck to see the view! All the staff were amazing and the service they offered was unbeatable. Thank you so much for making this happen. We look forward to future deals you have to offer. 🙂
Meg and Chris Walley – July 2021
Our Aoraki Wilderness Escape absolutely surpassed expectations, so many thanks for giving us the opportunity via the AA promotion. The program went like clockwork and the Hermitage staff could not have been more helpful. Especially in moving dinner times around to suit our chance to have an earlier Dark Sky experience than originally booked. Our beautiful 3 course dinners were a highlight for me as was dining with that special view in front of us .
I took the opportunity to walk to Kea point on the afternoon after Don and I enjoyed the Tasman glacier and lakes view walk earlier. And we completed our Glentanner helicopter flight first thing. We made our full day really count. Don says the helicopter flight and landing experience was his personal highlight and we were so lucky with the weather window for the 2 nights we were staying with you. I will continue to share our pleasure with friends on returning home .
Eveie Espie – July 2021
Well what an amazing trip we had!!. Our ages ranged from 21 up to 63 and every single person had the biggest smiles on their faces the whole weekend. The staff at the Hermitage were fantastic – nothing was a problem and they were all so happy and friendly. We had lots of fun with them too.
It was a pity about the stargazing being cancelled due to cloud cover, however, our helicopter onto the mountain and the flight about Mt Cook was exhilerating. Words cannot describe the feeling of all 10 of us . The snow sparkled like little diamonds.
Your organising was fantastic, and what a great package to put together. We all loved it. Thank you so so much.
Carol Chellew (Group of 10) – June 2021
A HUGE thanks to ‘The Road trip’ team for organising a wonderful weekend at Mount Cook for us. Our accommodation at the Hermitage was fantastic! Telescopes in our rooms with uninterrupted views of Mount Cook were breath taking. To have the lovely three course dinners and buffet breakfasts included was perfect. Beautifully located for walking adventures, the visitor centre was definitely worth a visit. The helicopter flight was AMAZING, we were lucky to have spectacular weather – our pilot Michael was very helpful and informative. We are already saving for our next adventure! The booking for our group was well managed and all the information we received most helpful. Thanks again!
Allison Ward (Group of 5) – June 2021
Dear Road Trip,
It has been over 2 years since we did a trip with your agency’s assistance – much has happened but I wanted to close the loop on giving recommendation / feedback on the trip.
I have to give the agency high praise for all the planning – and responding to numerous changes to plans – in the lead-up to our trip. This included having to cancel 2 participants – 1 due to visa issues and another due to injury – at short notice. We were extremely ambitious in trying to see highlights of both North and South Island in a 2 week time period and the guidance provided by The Road Trip made this doable with some sensible compromises along the way. We couldn’t have seen as much as we did without your help. The vehicle hire and accommodation bookings all worked very smoothly. Weather was against us and both our helicopter flights had to be cancelled, but in the end there was so much to see in the local areas that we had a great time regardless.
Michele Musgrave – April 2019
Well don’t know where to start. The Trip Advisor was most helpful in getting to Milford Sound. Very informative on where to drive, eat and sites of interest. In both directions. The stay at Milford Lodge was amazing. The chalet was lovely, the food great and the view out of this world. The cruise was exceptional. Crew of the boat were funny and knowledgeable. Stoneridge Estate was exceptional. Staff warm, welcoming and happy to please. The decor just blew me away. The use of recycled building materials and old mining memorabilia from around the area fantastic. So with that being said thank you and team for a great start to our holiday. We highly recommend your Company and will be looking again when we next get our holidays.
Bruce Hendrie – June 2021
Only the best trip ever! Thank you to you and your team for organising such a fun filled experience for us.
Vicki & Brett Ansell – June 2021
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and loved both the cruise and the lodge. The communication was great and everyone was quite responsive and helpful with my questions from the road trip team. I have already recommended you guys to my friends and family. Thank you! 🙂
Kirtana Kumar – May 2021
The trip was awesome.Better than I expected. Doubtful Sound was beautiful.The journey was on time, lovely ferry and bus trip over Wilmot pass.The Navigatior was a great vessel.Plenty of windows, warm and twin room more spacious that I thought. The crew were amazing and so helpful and knowledgeable. The food was tasty and plentiful.We certainly were well fed. Although the weather was wet it made the waterfalls spectacular and beautiful rainbows. The rain stopped at times so got some outside time as well.Two nights were definitely a great option as we saw so much. Coming back we were treated to snow over the pass.
Then off to Fiordland Lodge which was so relaxing.Beautiful inside and out. The food was very tasty too. Very warm and loved the open pantry. Probably would never had the opportunity to stay there unless included in this tour. I loved every minute and am definitely keen to do it again. Will definitely recommend to friends. Awesome 5 out of 5 stars from me. Quality of accommodation was great. Excellent value definitely. So easy to book this trip. Thank you so much
Dianne Boon – May 2021
Just returned from the Stewart island and Te Anau trip…… fabulous! I’ve not ever been to the south island before and so decided to take advantage of two of your deals advertised online. I with 3 friends travelled together and found that all the activities and the accommodation that was offered by Real Journeys were superb. Their employees were all so friendly and helpful. The accommodation was way beyond what we expected and our holiday was a memorable one. Thank you for you assistance with making this happen.
Laureen Nation-Plimmer & Group – May 2021
Our trip was excellent. The two night cruise in doubtful sounds was very good. The staff were friendly, the food was excellent and plenty of it. Stewart Island accomodation was excellent top quality. The staff welcomed us with lovely warm rooms. And excellent service. Thanks Lisa. The day trips were great. The booking of the trip was easy and efficient. Everyone know we were coming no stress. Would recommend you to anyone.
Allan and Kay Jackson – May 2021
I just want to tell you how awesome our stay with Ali and Ian at Te Koi. They were fabulous hosts! They upgraded our accommodation (which was beautiful) and supplied us with fresh home baking every day. Also, Rod from the Vintage Wine Tours was amazing too! His local knowledge astounded us. Wilson’s kayaking was converted to a boat trip due to weather, but still enjoyable. Many thanks for organising the trip for us – it was well done and enjoyable.
Sheanagh & Steve Noles – May 2021
OMG this was the most gorgeous weekend ever. Donkey bay is very special and the team there were attentative and relaxed. Our day out with Mark in his Mustang was good fun and informative. Very restorative and special. Just loved it.
Sheryl & Rob Hickey – May 2021
BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT from the start to the finish. Easiest holiday we’ve ever booked. Your travel guide info was great. The lodge accommodation was spectacular and the staff were phenomenal. Our Doubtful Sound cruise was great with some of the most stunning scenery we’ve ever seen. We’ll most definitely be doing some more of your trips. Thank you also for the the warm welcoming you gave us at the expo. Cheers.
Cynthia & Garry Jones – April 2021
I’d just like to start by saying, that the trip was absolutely wonderful, we had a great time. The accomodation was stunning, what a beautiful location. And the service was fantastic. The entire team at the Beach House were lovely and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. The booking process was very easy and we loved the personalized itinerary and the support you all provided. Thanks!
Victoria Clark – April 2021
We had the most amazing time on our Mini Break. The accommodation and service at The Fiordland Lodge was wonderful. I think a true testament to this was that one day the weather didn’t permit us to cycle the Lake2Lake trail so we stayed at the Lodge. We felt so comfortable and welcome that we just read, enjoy the view, sat in front of the fire, talked to the staff all in the main lounge area of the lodge. I have never experienced this sort of atmosphere in accommodation before Our trip to Doubtful Sound was incredible. We were lucky enough to have a sunny day on arrival so we could cruise out to the Coast. That night it rained so the next day we got to experience the misty Sound…just awesome. The staff on the cruise and the transport to get to the boat were so informative and so obliging, nothing was too much trouble. On our return to Manapouri we said it had been like visiting another world. So, in summary, the mini break was the best from the organisation with you guys to the service we got at the accommodation and on the cruise. Top Marks to the Road Trip.
Amanda Jones Allen – April 2021
Awesome, thank you so much! Both the lodge at Te Anau and Doubtful Sound boat trip were amazing. We feel privileged to have been able to have this special holiday. The staff at both venues couldn’t do enough for us. It was amazing! Thank you so much
Heather Bulfin – April 2021
It was great , very relaxing thank you. Chris ( manager ) at the Beach House gave exceptional service and was very lovely to deal with. The food was outstanding, Chris’s partner the chef was amazing at what she produced for the table. Felt the resort could have offered more in the way of activities like yoga, and a pool would have made the whole experience more enjoyable. Being that you are very limited on the island for being active. Many thanks for asking.
Angela Wainwright – April 2021
The trip was truly sensational! We had the best time and everything was just perfect. Fiordland Lodge was absolutely beautiful, fabulous rooms, stunning views, great hot tubs, and brilliant staff. Andy and his team were friendly but professional. The food was divine – two very happy farmers to find gourmet mince on toast for breakfast! Nothing was a problem, and the shared atmosphere with the other gusts in the evenings was magic – we met some wonderful people. We walked a section of the Kepler Track, and visited the glow worm caves in the afternoon – once again, everything was wonderful, and the weather clear and warm. The staff on the glow worm tour were so knowledgeable, and once again that fantastic blend of Kiwi friendly with a bit of good humour but so professional. The night on the Navigator really ticked an item off the bucket list. We got to kayak and swim (!) before a wonderful evening meal. The knowledge and friendliness of the staff was once again the cream on top. It rained overnight so the trip back through Doubtful was just spectacular. You and your team were wonderful to deal with Alex, and the information you provided was so complete. Thank you for a wonderful trip and experience. Best Regards.
Lesley Roy – April 2021
It was fantastic! Cruise in the Sound was so well organised, great commentary on board, comfortable cabin, great food and service from the crew. So scenic, and even the weather behaved itself with very little rain. The Fiordland Lodge was amazing. Such a beautiful location, views and a great building. The staff were incredible – personal service, yet relaxed so we relaxed too. Had both our evening meals there and they were wonderful also. We’ll definitely be back – whilst we have been to Queenstown several times, we have never explored through to Manapouri or Te Anau – such an amazing part of the country. I’ve recommended this trip to all our friends already. Thanks for putting together a great package!
Ian Phillips – April 2021
Thanks so much for organising out trip for us. It was perfect from start to finish and the weather played it’s part. We are so impressed with your friendliness, professionalism, communication and organisation and are already planning where you can send us next. We look forward to our next road trip! Nga mini nui
Sue Campbell – March 2021
Our Road trip mini Break was fantastic we Loved it, the accommodation was top notch just love the Fiordland Lodge was such a lovely place to stay. Great service, Great food Lovely as people who couldn’t do enough for you. The Doubtful Sound over night trip was really cool, just loved it and man did they feed you well, Overall i would give it 5/5 stars, Price wise we think it was pretty good money for value and will be looking at more Road Trip ones.
Cushla Keane – April 2021
Just returned from Doubtful Sound experience. Great trip, accommodation and presentation by all involved. Highly recommend it to anyone. Keep me informed of any other packages you are putting together throughout NZ
Philip + Sue Smith – April 2021
All aspects of the trip were amazing! Driving guide was helpful and we used it all the way. Accomodation was comfortable, attentive service, excellent dinner in the restaurant, massage was different than expected but great and very relaxing. Helihike was just awesome. Excellent quality of service, robust risk management made me feel secure about personal injuries, knowledgeable guides, and the total experience was unforgettable — the flight and the fact that because the glacier moves 12 metres a day it means the guides were hacking the trail in teal time — felt like a real expedition!
Amanda Judd – April 2021
It was an amazing trip. The accommodation was stunning, especially Fiordland lodge. The trips we had extra was amazing. The massage at The Reese hotel was the best ever, thanks to Abbey. We will definitely refer your services to all our friends.
We would love to hear your feedback on the trip in the form of a review that mentions the following:
-The quality of your accommodation and the level of service received: “Top dollar at very affordable prices, hope it stays that way for Kiwis.”
-How valuable the travel guide prepared by The Road Trip was for your trip: “We used it especially for our walks.”
-The ease of The Road Trip’s booking process: “Very easy.”
-Anything else you’d like to add: “We will definitely use you on lots of our trips.”
Michelle De Wet – March/April 2021
We had an awesome holiday away – thank you so much!! The hosts were lovely, very hospitable. Meals were to die for. Will certainly go back again one day! Thank you so much.
Tina Govan – March 2021
The trip was amazing we loved the accommodation especially where situated and very tidy. Our family of 6 adults and 2 children thought it was amazing. We were awed by the mountains, walks, fishing and helicopter road back, boat rides at Te Anau and Milford (we were lucky to have beautiful weather and dolphins). All hosts were very accommodating friendly at places we stayed and on the excursions. the Road Trip personnel were excellent and very helpful. Have recommended to my friends. Thanks it was wonderful.
Julie McLeod – March 2021
We had a fabulous time on Kawau Island. Our stay couldn’t have been better – the lovely staff, great food and such a relaxing place to unwind. Thanks for your service.
Graeme & Shirley Bunker – March 2021
We had a wonderful time. The accommodation was fabulous as were the hosts. We would highly recommend a stay at Fiordland Lodge. Our only complaint is we had to leave. The meals were great. We loved the food so our compliments to the chef. All the staff were friendly and welcoming. We are very keen to go back. Thanks to the Road Trip for the promotion of this wonderful experience. Booking was so easy and all communication clear. We found our way around without problem. We will watch for further promotions. Many thanks again.
Teresa and David Travers – March 2021
We absolutely loved our trip and the Rees was fantastic! The staff there were lovely and helpful with tips for nice spots to stop on our road trip to mt cook 🙂
I have also found booking through you guys super easy and we enjoyed all the wonderful experiences that were included as part of our package.
When are planning another trip down south later this year so we will be in touch again soon!
Caroline Moy – March 2021
Our trip was AMAZING!! The accomodation was superb , quiet , clean and very comfortable. The staff Chris , Camilla , Ornella and Fabio were gorgeous and so very very helpful and attentive!! The food divine ! We are looking forward to re visiting sometime again .. sooner rather than later!! Thank you so much !!
Kay Backhouse – Kiwi Couple – February 2021
-The quality of your accommodation and the level of service received:
Amazing…the best service I have ever had!
-How valuable the travel guide prepared by The Road Trip was for your trip:
Really valuable, especially food recommendations.
-The ease of The Road Trip’s booking process:
Super easy. Quickest most painless holiday I have organised. Just enough included without being overwhelming.
-Anything else you’d like to add!
Have recommended to others and they are all keen to book soon!
Sian Leith – Kiwis – February 2021
We had an awesome trip
Stewart Island was amazing! Accommodation was lovely and hosts awesome. Breakfast was more than you could ask for!
The tours were fantastic, particularly the Ulva Island guided walk. We couldn’t recommend that more highly!! We would recommend the local movie, the museum, and the DOC office (particularly if anyone is planning on walks as they have huge amount of information).
The Mt Cook stay was also great. The food was amazing our only problems were there was too much food! The second night we only ordered a single main and a single desert and shared it and still couldn’t finish it all!!
I think your concept is great especially for people like me, I just didn’t have time to plan and book everything. We were away for 3 weeks and it was so nice to have some of the work done for me!!
Debbie Vickers – Kiwi Couple – February 2021
I just wanted to let you know how professionally everything was managed. Jenny and I had a fabulous time at Kawau Island and in the end I believe the Chopper was probably a better bet than the Sea Plane! Our Heletranz Pilots were absolutely brilliant and flew under our direction over some key site, including our home in Murrays Bay and my Retirement Village I am building in Silverdale. All up, The Beach House was fabulous and made even more so by the team running it. Relaxed, energising, brilliant food … three days of bliss.
Alan Edwards – Kiwi Couple – January 2021
Just want to let you know we had a great time on our trip south. We had not been so far south yet. It is one of the most beautiful areas in NZ. Glenorchy is our favourite place in NZ now.
The Doubt full sound one nighter an incredible experience. Lots of rain and lots of waterfalls. Fiordland lodge is great and so luxurious. The outdoor hot tub is spectacular. Eco lodge is an amazing place. Loved the camp concept and loved Mrs Wooly’s General store.
We will be back in Southland that is for sure.
Matthijs van Wagtendonk – Kiwis – December 2020
Just in transit from the Doubtful Sound Experience & wanted to say a heartfelt thanks – we have immensely enjoyed the whole package.
So pleased all the dates aligned to make this happen!
Amanda Stanley – Kiwis – February 2021
We had a great trip and I think your package was definitely value for money. The accommodation was comfortable, the glass bottom boat trip and Kayaking around Donut Island were great but the highlight was Slipper Island.
Who knew paradise was just off the coast of the Coromandel. Alex and Ginny were great hosts and we loved tramping and snorkelling off the island. All in all we had a great time and would book another package through you guys.
Your package took the hassle out of me having to book individual trips and your pricing was not a million miles away when adding up the cost of all that was on our agenda. So in delivering value for money and a one stop shop – all in all a great holiday. Cheers
John Greenacre – Kiwi Couple – January 2021
Just to say thanks to you and The Road Trip for organising everything and we had a great time. Great Barrier Island is a lovely destination.
We would have no problem recommending your company to others and will keep you in mind for future trips.
Terry & Laureen Walker – Kiwi Couple – January 2021
I just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic trip. Thank you for organising everything so well for us. Everything went so smoothly it was all too easy.
I also want to mention that the accommodation at Church Hill was top notch and Chris and Deanne were fantastic hosts. I definitely think it is an accommodation option that you should add to any more Stewart Island trips that you might organise.
Thanks again. We will keep an eye out for the next Road Trip.
Caron Edwards – Kiwis – February 2021
Thanks to you and Eletra for organising the trip my wife Carol and I had on Great Barrier Island last weekend and Monday.
Everything worked very smoothly. We even had perfect weather. (Did you arrange that too?)
Carol Mutch & Ralph Brown – Kiwi Couple – February 2021
Absolutely amazing trip thanks Alex. Just as we expected but even more.
Accommodation at Great Barrier Lodge was fantastic. Real GB hospitality and service. Food was amazing and the view was perfect. Atmosphere with all the boaties was great fun. Rental car great. Flight brilliant. Fishing beyond fabulous and caught our limit each….fish for dinner and beyond.
All in all review is “Just not long enough”
Thanks again. Great package. We will return.
Linden Hoverd – Kiwi Couple – January 2021
“It was great! We got to kayak with a pod of dolphins which was one of the highlights of our trip. Camilla’s food was amazing and Chris made us feel right at home. Thanks again!”
Rose Wu + Partner – Kiwi Couple – November 2020
hi we all thoroughly enjoyed the trip.acckmodation van,fishing trip all fab.thanks again
Allyson Thomas and Group – Kiwis – February 2021
“Just letting you know we had a fabulous time in Oamaru. Pen-y-Bryn is just superb and the hospitality by James and co is absolutely second to none.”
Keely Maule + Partner – Kiwi Couple – November 2020
“Duncan and I had a wonderful trip!
The accommodation was perfect and the lodge owners were amazing. The owners took such good care of us – we wanted for nothing. The food perfect, the location amazing.
Mudbrick dinner was a beautiful experience, highly recommended.
The private wine tour was a lovely way to see the island and spend the day. Chris was a wonderful host and really knowledgeable. Loved the drive.
I can’t remember where we had lunch, wouldn’t really recommend there, however that is just our opinion, and we still had a fun time.
Was a relaxing weekend, we were well looked after and very spoilt – highly recommended.
Looking forward to booking another trip with you soon.”
Mary and Duncan Scott – Kiwi Couple – November 2020
We found the accommodation to be of high quality standard – the decor was modern and restful, the bed super comfy the room very clean the service and attention shown to us could not be faulted. I found booking with road Trip was very easy (even when I had changed my dates).
Marianne Doig – Kiwis – January 2021
“Theresa and I wanted to let you know we had an amazing time on our road trip! We were very pleased with the accommodation choices and the smoothness of the trip overall. Thank you for organising everything, we appreciate your hard work along with Eletra, that went into helping us prepare for this trip. I’m sure we’ll be back for round 2.”
Selina Kouch & Theresa Aiga from Auckland – November 2020
“We loved our whole experience and the lodges were amazing. We thought it would be hard to beat the Fiordland Lodge but of course once you walk into the riverside chalet at Milford Lodge we were blown away with the vista! Best of all it rained the day we got there so we got to see it in its full glory. The staff and owners at both were very welcoming and we would thoroughly recommend it to our friends.”
Kerry Crick + Group – Kiwis – October 2020
“It was a very nice vacation. You organized the trip very well, thank you. For me, the part of the trip that brings back the nicest recollections was drive north towards Queenstown. Vistas coming down from the hills and going along Lake Wakatipu are spectacular. Another memorable experience was a visit to the BENLEA sheep farm. Private tour, just two of us and owners. Demonstrations of dogs working sheep and cattle.”
Marek, a couple from Canada, December 2019
“Dear Janelle, Chris and Alex,
We had a fantastic 18N19D self drive tour of both the islands. In the north island Rotorua, with the thermal pools en route & Tongariro National Park were amazing. The inter-island cruise to the South Island & the Trans alpine express from Christchurch to Greymouth, including driving through Marlborough Wine country, Franz Josef Glacier, Lake Wanaka, Te Anau with visits to the Glowworm caves/Milford Sound/Doubtful Sound and Queenstown capped our wonderful trip.
Though we experienced some rain on the latter part of the trip, we did not have to make any changes or detour as a result. We believe the best way to see NZ is by self driving as we had the flexibility of travel and the ability to do impromptu drives n sightseeing on our own once we reached the various places was a bonus.
This is to thank you all once again for the wonderful trip we had, the cars, accommodation and the included tours were excellent. The extensive briefing guide was relied on for the route/places of interest en route and meal recommendations.”
Vikram Berry, a group of 4 from India and Singapore, November 2019
“Kia Ora Chris, Janelle & Alex,
So many superlatives concerning our recent road trip in New Zealand I hardly even know where to start. What an amazingly beautiful and diverse country that you’re truly blessed to call home.
I had joked with Alex near the end of our trip via e-mail that I want to come back as a kiwi (not the bird) in my next life. Prior to this trip I had made mention to numerous people that everyone should travel to and experience Iceland in their lifetime if possible. Now I have two places to make such a recommendation to people as both Iceland and New Zealand are not to be missed.
Besides the beauty of its landscape the other thing about New Zealand that particularly stood out to us was the friendliness of the people. Just about everyone we met was helpful and outgoing in having free exchanges. We came to realize at some point along the trip that a lot of the service people in the country weren’t native kiwi. Nonetheless they must have obviously been moved by the kiwi manner too and seemed to have adopted it for themselves. That speaks volumes about the people of New Zealand.
We know that organizing New Zealand trips is what you do for a living but still we wanted you to know that we’ll forever be indebted to you for not only planning this trip but for how superb it was for us. We truly had a fantastic and unforgettable time. Kudos to The Road Trip!!!
If the subject of traveling to New Zealand ever arises in our presence, be it with family, friends, acquintances or even with strangers, I can assure you that we’ll be recommending The Road Trip in the highest regard.
All our very best wishes.”
Don Brunner, a couple from the USA, October 2019
“We had a great time in New Zealand! The whole trip was amazing, even the rain did not spoil the trip! We loved all the places we visited, they were stunning. I think one of the highlights was the glowworm caves in Te Anau which was very interesting! The star gazing tour at Mt John was fantastic since we rarely get to see so many stars in Hong Kong and we get to learn from expert astrologists themselves! Self-drive was very comfortable, the car size was perfect and we loved the written guide, especially giving us recommendations on all the rest stops, food stops and tips of where to stop which made it very easy to plan the day. The roads were very good as well, with clear signage so we didn’t have any problems. We had a perfect 14 day trip!
Feel free to put our comment/photos up and we’d be happy to post a Facebook review in the coming few days! We were lucky enough to see a Kea along our journey, they are so beautiful and cute! Will definitely be checking out the Kea Conservation Trust 🙂
Thank you!”
Natasha Lock, a group of 4 – from Australia, November 2019
“Dear Road Trip Team,
First and foremost, we would like to say thank you for the detailed and amazing itinerary. Second, we would like to say what a wonderful guide Zeb Callanan was. Zeb was prompt, knowledgeable, super safe and always looking for interesting stops for us to make for quick breaks and photo opportunities. We felt extremely grateful that Zeb was there for us through the entire trip. Even when the road was blocked on the last few days of our trip, preventing us from going to Franz Joseph and the Trans Alpine Train Ride, Zeb worked creatively to make alternate arrangements which ended up being amazing.
Once again, thanks to the entire team at The Road Trip. We will certainly be recommending you to friends and family and look forward to future trips with the team.
Thank You!”
Richard A Chinsammy, a group of 4 adults and 4 children – from the USA, August 2019
“Thank you for your lovely email. I’m so sorry it’s taken so long to reply – we have been so busy since we returned home and have been having so much trouble finding the right words to do our trip justice!! Don’t think we have now either!
What can we say? Our 20-day tour of both islands was almost overwhelming we saw so much. Everything was so well organised, the accommodation was great – even better than we needed in some situations!! The choice of restaurants/wineries/trips out was amazing – some were unique dining experiences for us all in beautiful surroundings. The vehicle was comfortable, always clean and tidy. After having to do all the organising for our week-long Japan visit on the way to New Zealand (which was quite stressful for me!) all the worry/stress was taken away by our punctual, organised, funny and helpful guides Zeb and Alex. What stars. Fantastic, considerate driving – we always felt safe and they took great care of us all. They often came up with suggestions etc as we got to know each other during our trip (especially Alex who had the misfortune of putting up with us longer!). They both had great tips and suggestions that were spot on. We found their local knowledge extremely helpful. Zeb showed off his photographic skills unashamedly (ratbag!) though we still haven’t seen them which is a shame. Alex is a brilliant guide, so much fun and made Izzie’s day(s) by finding so many Mustangs!!!! You are definitely considered an honorary member of our “herd”! We miss you!
Having Zeb and Alex as our private guides was the best thing we could have done for our trip to New Zealand – we thought it might be a bit strange having to get to know two different guides but they are both very easy going and easy to talk to. We couldn’t recommend The Road Trip enough. Having local knowledge is key. We would never have seen as much as we did without them and hope that they will both consider us their friends – they’d be welcome at ours any time (as long as Alex doesn’t bring any Joni Mitchell CDs!!).
The highlights of our trip were Hobbiton (huge Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans – magical evening banquet), Kaikoura on the beach and the helicopter trip. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t do the heli-hike because of the unfortunate timing of bad weather – but it turned out brilliantly as we fitted in a trip to Mount Cook and Alex came too – it was very exciting all-round – definitely want to do that again! Napier (we enjoyed the lively wine tasting afternoon!) not forgetting our very kind hosts at our farm stay, Wanaka and Christchurch. The fun company and not forgetting the “long drops!” and the coffee stops which were rather lovely too!!! Though not so much the long drops!
The whale watching was a little disappointing as we seemed to have about 3 boats all surrounding the one same whale and the Star Gazing evening – which was a perfect night apart from the size of the telescopes which were a little underwhelming!!! Sorry but ours are definitely bigger!!! The surrounding scenery is stunning though.
If you’re thinking of a privately guided tour around New Zealand but are unsure we can’t recommend The Road Trip highly enough. From start to finish they have been a totally professional company and we’d use them again in an instant. We were a little concerned parting with our money as we hadn’t found very many reviews on Tripadvisor or anywhere but we were so pleased we took the chance. All we can say is go for it – just give yourself plenty of time time to be able to take it all in – that’s our only “regret”.
We have made so many special memories – thank you The Road Trip!!”
Sue Simes, a group of 4 people from the United Kingdom – April-May 2019
“Our Road Trip was absolutely amazing, we had the best time, honestly we only have the highest of praise for everything you booked for us, the tours, hotels, places we visited etc.
Our tour guide Dave was outstanding, I cannot praise him enough for everything he did for us in accommodating us and catering to all our needs, information and on top of that a most interesting and terrific guy to be around.
Again many thanks to you and the Road Trip team for organising a truly memorable and fantastic Road trip – Everyone now wants to visit South Island!!!!”
Group of 14 people from Australia and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago – March 2019
“First please let me convey our condolences to you and your fellow Kiwi citizens on the tragedy of the terrorist act in Christchurch. We have never felt safer on any vacation than we did in New Zealand. Our hearts go out to you and your fellow citizens.
Our family was absolutely enthralled by New Zealand. The itinerary that you so skillfully drafted exceeded our expectations. Every day was a new adventure and energized our stay in New Zealand.
Joan will be posting on the appropriate websites about the wonderful job The Road Trip did in planning our itinerary and the sites we enjoyed visiting.
All of our accommodations exceeded our expectations, when viewed in total concept, not just the facilities. In fact two of the Farm Stays would top of list of visits. The third was also perfect.
Thank you again for all the work you did and the wonderful, trip of a life time, you provided us with.”
Larry Harris and family – Canada, Feb – Mar 2019
“We had a fabulous time. Friendly people, good food, good wine, beautiful scenery, great 32-day itinerary to meet our needs. New Zealand had it all.
A couple of pictures are attached.
We are considering Road Trip Australia in the future – more to come!”
Larry Burnett – USA, Feb – Mar 2019
“Our trip was amazing thanks in large part to The Road Trip. You all were so helpful and rapid in your responses to us. The itinerary was great – lots to do but not overwhelming. The accommodations were all clean and conveniently located.
Some of the highlights for me were the Hot Water Beach, the Drive Creek Railroad, Milford Sound (of course), the helicopter ride to Fox Glacier, and the sheep ranch. Loved the walks/hikes, snorkeling, and kayaking as well.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about Alex. He was a great guide. He is very knowledgeable, responsible, considerate, conscientious, and a fun person to spend 8-12 hours with a day. We miss him!
So, thank you all so much for providing such a fabulous experience.”
Barbara Ammon with her daughter – USA, Dec 2018 – Jan 2019
“The trip overall was a success. We enjoyed the design of the trip which included a nice balance of structured days with events or travel and free time (i.e no back to back overly hectic activities). The scenery in the south island is incredible and I’m glad we spent the majority of our time there.
For our group some of the more touristy items (e.g. Mitai Maori Village) were less enjoyable. However, the White Island Helicopter Tour, the Amisfield Winery and Milford Sound fly/cruise/fly were highly memorable events.
Thank you again for your help in organizing this adventure. Your 98 page booklet gave us many options to enhance our trip. We so appreciate your time and effort.”
Maria Moran – USA, February 2019
“We truly enjoyed our trip to NZ. Since Mitch didn’t make it this time, we assume we will just have to come back! The self driving option worked well for us. The van was big enough for us all to have plenty of space and the scenery made the drive as exciting as the destinations.
All of our rooms were clean, well equipped, and everybody we met along the way was wonderful. Thank you for planning such a great vacation for us!”
Shannon Maury – USA, January 2019
“Over a self drive 14 days tour across North and South Islands last December, our family of 6 adults was thrilled by the beauties of this country.
First time for some of the group, 3rd for the others, still a wonderland for nature and outdoor lovers.
From the choice of hotels, to restaurants reservations, including a farmstay, our family was well taken care of, especially with food diet restrictions.
Road Trip team is very responsive!
One little drawback for our family arriving pretty early in the morning from the US, it was quite a challenge to drive north on a long distance to reach our first activity.
Tongariro Castle, Farmstay, Wallaby farm and last but not least, the Roys Peak climb were our family highlights.
We would highly recommend RT in a heart beat !!”
Corrine Preaux and group – USA, January 2019
“I truly enjoyed the trip! Some of the highlights were:
(1) Crown Range – we got to see a rare sight: SNOW!
(2) Te Anau Glow Worm Cave
(3) Milford Sound – an amazing boat ride
(4) My most favourite moment of all: QUEENSTOWN – all the adventure activities that I got to do!
(5) Glacier Boat Ride
Actually, not only those mentioned, I pretty much enjoyed everything in the trip.
Well, taking a private tour was so much better than being with a large group of people. There was no need to wait for anyone. It was all set by our own pace, own targets. It was pretty free and easy, no restrictions here and there so, it was all cool (:
Alex is an excellent guide. As he has plenty of experiences, he is very knowledgeable on the places we went to (to my surprise because not alot of guides know their things well) and attentive not only to details, but also to our needs especially of my mother’s. He regularly checks on the weather to see if it would affect any of our activities and if it does, he takes the initiative to discuss it with us and provides alternative options for us to consider. He really thinks of things ahead which is really good and I really appreciate that. The trainee guide, Bruce, as well is pretty accommodating and tried to make us feel comfortable especially my mother since they are both similar in age. I hope Bruce was able to learn a few things from the trip with us and put them in practice with his future trips haha (:”
Raihan Ahmad – Singapore
“All in, it was a fantastic holiday, made possible by The Road Trip team. Our 14 days self drive was relaxing, the guide book made everything easy, checking in was easy at every motel, the recommended photo stops were spot on, the restaurants/cafes were good. All the motels were great, with fantastic views and well equipped. We really had a great time in beautiful New Zealand- most beautiful country in the world!! Below are a few pics – we even saw a family of seals sunning on a rock during the Milford Sound Cruise. The view just outside the balcony of The Alexis Motel in Queenstown is stunning! My most loved photo is the one taken of the Mirror Lakes- the reflection is so beautiful! Would highly recommend The Road Trip to all planning a NZ holiday- eight thumbs up from us 4 ladies! Thanks to all for making this trip possible.”
Wai Ling and group – from Malaysia and Australia
“1. During our visit to Milford Sound, Zeb spotted this covey of Paradise shell ducks – mama, seven babies, and (as it turned out) poppa crossing the parking lot into a picturesque area on the Sound. Knowing our interest in birds in general, he quickly reversed course, found a parking spot and we all piled out to watch the Ducks and got some great photos.
2. In Wanaka, he took us to the docks early in the morning to see the giant eels and trout we would never have known to look for without him.
3. As we walked in the rainy valley near the Franz Josef glacier, Zeb saw this rain-dotted spider web that we would have missed without his keen eye.
4. Zeb knew just where to stop to give this poor starving kea a nibble on John’s shoe! We had not had a good chance to see keas until then. Would never have known THE place to stop and see them.
5. Weird but – we all loved the funky little place he took us for coffee after the Tranzalp train ride. An incredible collection of old and functioning porcelain toilets, and other eclectic items! Very fun.
6. We ask to pull over in a picturesque spot to watch the sheep for a bit, and the antics of the Lambs and The Mamas soon had us all hooting with laughter. The video is way cooler than the picture we have here of the two little lambs nursing, their tails are going like sixty!
7. A very special highlight was when Zeb took us to his Grandma’s place for lunch. We were delighted to find out that Grandma Fleur is a famous chef, who served us delicious New Zealand specialties we had been hoping to try! As dedicated foodies, that was a rare treat.
8. Watching ATV Cowboys bring home the herd while off the beaten track with Zeb.
9. The Chasm. Another gorgeous sight we likely would have missed on our own.
10. After visiting the Weta studios, we were keen to see the Gallipoli exhibit at Te Papa. It was not a part of our schedule for the day, but Zeb squeaked us in for an hour before closing time.
11. One of Zeb’s talents is being in the right place in the right time. In this case, he had us at the base of Huka Falls as a daredevil kayaker came rocketing over the top.
12. Redwood tree walk, another unique experience we would not known about.
13. Last (as you can probably tell, these are in no kind of order), Zeb popped us by more than one craft fair as the opportunities arose. This one was in Pahia, where I added to my fish sculpture collection with the five little fellows top left.
Zeb was a knowledgeable, friendly guide who ably fielded our 1001 questions about fish, birds, trees flowers, geology, politics, weather, astronomy, and anything else we could think of. And we think A LOT!
He was also very, very patient, never once rushing us along or expressing any need for hurry. This same trait is probably also part of what makes him a totally OUTSTANDING driver. We all felt very safe with him behind the wheel.
“…we had been talking about a trip to NZ for several years based on all the rave reviews about your gorgeous country that we had been hearing from various friends who traveled there in the past. So we came to NZ with very high expectations. In every case and from every angle — Zeb, the route, the sights, the accommodations, the obvious meticulous planning, The Road Trip — you exceeded those high expectations with room to spare. We cannot thank you enough. “
John Griener group of 7 – USA, October 2018
“My husband and I booked our honeymoon with The Road Trip. They made it very easy for us to plan the route, transportation, lodging, and must-sees. They sent us a proposal as a starting point, and we made some adjustments according to the places we wanted or did not want to see. We didn’t have to worry about anything, and they solved the small problems that appeared on the go. The Road Trip made it really easy for us to just relax and enjoy every single day of our stay in NZ and Raro. Tēnā rawa atu koe.“
Nicole Pla and Luis Laphan – Mexico, July 2018
“Its almost mission impossible without The RoadTrip- I cannot imagine the family doing an 8 days tour of the north island- Immaculate plan and everything perfectly organised to surround care for each member of the family. Matt and Ethan made sure we were well supported in each leg of the tour by helping us with the children, luggage and making sure we had our needs best met ( laundry facilities, diapering times, rice – comfort food for the babies)and ensuring we did not miss the highlights of New Zealand. I applaud their professionalism. These helpful friends! Best recommended for highly motivated individuals and families who dream a memorable journey of adventures but who need intensive travel support.. 10 stars if I can give!!!”
Rachel Wong – Singapore, September 2018
“We traveled to New Zealand all the way from Mexico, a group of six. Alex was our guide, and apparently, we were his first Mexican group! He was very patient with the inevitable chatter in Spanish and with our music. We really enjoyed the itinerary that The Road Trip made for us and were always amazed by how much their country has to offer. The team that arranged our trip and answered to our inquiries was very professional and always came back to us rapidly and with great suggestions or solutions. Alex was very accommodating with some minor changes we made while on the road, and when the group decided to split for any reason; he was a fun travel companion. All in all, the guided private tour surpassed our expectations and I would gladly recommend booking with The Road Trip to anybody that wants to enjoy a tailor-made New Zealand experience.”
Alicia Nunez – Mexico, April 2018
“I don’t know where to start for highlights! Lakes, mountains, waterfalls, birds, the wildlife, and the cleanest public toilets I have ever seen! Seeing penguins was my dream, and Alex helped to make it come true. So much of what we saw was out of my experience – thermal pools, boiling water coming out of the ground, volcanoes…. It was comforting not to be worried by nasty bugs and snakes, although being at the foot of 3 active volcanoes during Cyclone Gita was a little unnerving. Thanks to a wonderful NZ Pinot Noir, we survived very well! Alex and Matt were both excellent at understanding our needs, and they had an extensive knowledge of great restaurants and wines. They were very professional and safety conscious, but also very friendly. With very minor exceptions, the range and choice of accommodations was excellent. We ate very well, and we Canadians loved the idea of wine in supermarkets. Thank you for all of your help, Janelle. Our very best wishes to all of you, especially to Alex and Eugene, and to Matt. We will continue to sing your praises :)”
Sheila Fitzsimons – Canada, March 2018
“Thank you Road Trip Team for the trip of a life time. Post card views at every turn, smooth, fuss free organisation, great accommodation and such wonderful memories of both North and South Island. There were never any hassles about the cars you had hired for us, or the accommodation. The motel managers were brilliant, friendly, helpful and caring. When they knew we were travelling with you, they welcomed us and said they trusted your organisation and us. We had thought this trip would be a one off, but I have the feeling we may be back!”
Madeleine and Errol Read – Australia, March 2018
“My husband and I, Alan and Joan Gross, along with my sister and brother-in-law, Terry and Scott McKenzie, hired The Road Trip to drive us through the South Island in early March. Experience New Zealand set this up for us. Our driver was Zeb. I want you to know how fantastic he is. First, Zeb is a great driver. We always felt totally safe in his hands. Zeb was knowledgeable and able to come up with great alternatives when our plans fell through. For example, our helicopter flight to Fox Glacier was rained out, but Zeb came up with alternative hikes. Also, when our flight into the Siberian Valley was also cancelled due to weather, Zeb suggested that we change our schedule for the next day and try the flight again. We did, and had a wonderful day in the Siberian Valley. Zeb took us to great restaurants. He drove us to a special place overlooking Queenstown which was not on our itinerary. In addition to all of this, Zeb is a lovely person and a pleasure to be with. When we left NZ for Australia, our only regret was that we could not take Zeb with us. You have a great employee, and we want you to know this. Thanks for a wonderful vacation.”
Joan & Alan Gross and Scott & Terry Mackenzie – USA, March 2018
“We just returned from The Road Trip’s 9 day South Island Guided Tour with Alex. It was a wonderful trip! The four of us are active, senior couples and they customized the tour to meet our interests (scenery, hiking, food and wine) with an appropriate activity level. In our past travels, we have loved doing impromptu picnics by a scenic spot and Alex even provided camping chairs and a “chilly bin” for our use during the trip. It is hard to narrow down the highlights of our trip; the scenery throughout the South Island is so beautiful and majestic. We did particularly enjoy the Pancake rocks at high tide, our bonfire on the beach at Punakaiki Resort by the Tasman Sea, the Trans-Alpine train ride and enjoying our Wanaka cheese and wine by the shores of Lake Wanaka, the lamb lunch at the Gibbston Winery, the view from the Skyline restaurant in Queenstown (spring for a window seat), jet boating on the Shotover and river rafting on the Kawarau River are just a few of the many memorable moments. Alex was a superior guide. We have used private guides in Sicily and Ireland and Alex was the best. He was interesting and interested in us without being intrusive. He was flexible, knowledgeable and accommodating, even picking us up take-out food for dinner when we chose to eat sitting by the water instead of a restaurant. Most importantly, Alex is a good problem solver. As with most vacations, there was a glitch in our plans and he was quickly able to make alternate arrangements so that we were able to fully enjoy everyday of our vacation. We would heartily recommend the Road Trip to anyone wanting a special experience.”
Carol Orto and Group – USA, March 2018
“‘Fantastic’ probably doesn’t get anywhere near close enough to the experience we had it was truly out of this world and we’ll never forget the trip from start to finish so thank you so much for the itinerary and all the suggestions and planning that you included on our behalf which really highlighted your knowledge of the south island which is absolutely breath taking! Very briefly we loved doing our own self drive(a first for us) and the itinerary gave us a great route map which we pretty much stuck to and adapted a few bits here and there to suit ourselves and sometimes because of the weather which as you know was really hot at the start of the trip but cloud and rain meant that we had to swap the skydiving and shotover jet to one day which got the adrenalin going on overdrive, but both were out of this world and we just wanted to do them both again and again! Franz Joseph Glacier is a must for anyone and our stay there and helicopter trip was just so good and we were lucky with the weather as it appears that many flights get cancelled because of it. The drive into Milford Sound and the Crown range although a bit challenging (I’m not good with heights) were awesome and we were lucky enough to see the Sound in bright sunlight followed by rainfall which set off all the temporary waterfalls etc it’s indescribable you’ve got to see it to believe it. Most of the accommodation was great and the Tree houses in Kaikoura need a special mention as we would have loved another night there and would recommend them to anyone. The Hermitage hotel at Mount Cook served us the best dinner of all whilst looking out over one of the best views of all! I could go on and on but suffice to say there were no really ‘bad bits’ apart from an unfortunate night at the Edgewater resort which was partly our fault leaving a window open so we shipped out to a nearby bed and breakfast (ALPINE LODGE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) instead. We will only ever remember the fabulous time we had and for a 50th birthday adventure for anyone I doubt it could be beaten. Thank you so much once again as your planning was invaluable to us.”
Andy and Tracy Hyde – UK, February 2018
“We had a wonderful road trip. Constance met us at the airport and was rather taken aback that we had two large suitcases each and hand luggage. When we made the original booking through our travel against we specifically noted that we travel with extra luggage and the flight from Christchurch to Wellington was booked to include the two bags each. Once we got over that hurdle we settled down and had a grand time. Constance drove with care, and informed that her dad was a rally driver and she started at age 5. She was knowledgable and googled any queries she wasn’t sure of. The farmstays were great and good to integrate with the families. The hotels were excellent, the Whittianga flat was difficult as it was on three levels and no sea view. The caretaker was rather stern to start with too. The chalet romantica was wonderful and a good place to end the tour. We managed to fit in visits with family and friends en route, which was a highlight for me. We learned a lot about the Maori culture. It is wonderful how integrated they are in the western society. South Africa still struggles with diversity in ethnic groups The politicians here play on it a lot too. Constance took photos that she has posted on facebook. We can definitely recommend The Road Trip.”
Alice and Francis Hanauer – South Africa, February 2018
“We visited New Zealand during Christmas holidays and had a fabulous time! I am very impressed with the whole team at The Road Trip. It’s a well-oiled machine. Chris Cameron was great to work with while coming up with a custom itinerary and he was quick to respond with detailed answers to my numerous questions. Janelle was very helpful through the booking process. Alex tweaked the itinerary a little bit more and we had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times during our tour. Our guide was Matthew Osborne and he is phenomenal. He is very knowledgeable and quite passionate about his country. It was fantastic learning so much about New Zealand and seeing one of the most beautiful countries on Earth! We started in Auckland and visited both North and South Islands and departed from Queenstown. The hotels that were booked were in perfect locations with lovely views and all the travel arrangements were seamless. Once Matt got to know what we like and how we travel, he would stop by at many wonderful places on the way that we really enjoyed as much as the popular destinations. He also had suggestions for great places to eat based on our preferences and showed us the best ice cream places every day! He indulged us in pretty much every whim we had without losing sight of the itinerary. We had a relaxing time and I’m so glad we had someone driving so we can enjoy the incredible scenery. We traveled with our teen and pre-teen and they enjoyed spending time with Matt and treated him like a big brother! He has a great sense of humor and our two weeks flew by! We met Zeb a couple of times during our tour when our itineraries overlapped and I have realized you can’t go wrong with the company. Everyone I have been in touch with from The Road Trip is very professional, friendly and takes pride in their country. We thought this may be once in a lifetime trip for us but we fell in love with NZ that we already decided we have to add a few more days in South Island whenever we visit Australia in the future. Our favorite town is Queenstown and kids said the best day of the trip was when we did Shotover Jet and Paragliding on the same day. We loved the zip ride and luge. We visited both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound and enjoyed Doubtful Sound more. Arthurs Pass and Haast Pass are mind-blowingly beautiful! We loved watching Albatross Colony as it is the nesting season and you can see different stages of life cycle right in front of you. Hobbiton was even better than imagined. Never seen glow-worms until we went to the Maori Village and then to see them in even greater numbers in Waitamo was delightful. Wanaka was a lovely place to spend our Christmas day. We were lucky that the weather cooperated for us to go on Franz Josef glacier flight. I loved Franz Josef, to see a glacier surrounded by lush green was a pretty sight and the town was just chill! Could have easily spent a couple more days there. We get to see lots of seals, a couple of dolphins and plenty of NZ birds including Kea. We loved Tranz Alpine train, Arrowtown and pretty much everything we get to see and do! The only bad thing is that the trip ended!
If you are contemplating visiting NZ and signing up with The Road Trip, don’t hesitate! It will be one of your best vacations! The pictures attached are the views from our hotel rooms. Need I say more?”
Vani Koduru – USA, December 2017
“Thank you for organising such an amazing trip for us! We had an absolutely fantastic time and I will definitely post a review and some of our photos on your Facebook page – we’ve got some cracking ones!!!!! We had so many highlights that I don’t know where to start but, I will just say that the road trip was perfect for our family of Brits aged between 19 and 63 years!!!! Everything from the quality and size of the cars, the accommodation, the travel arrangements and excursions were spot on!!!! We loved it all!!!!!! New Zealand is a magical, incredible place and you gave us the opportunity to have a taster. We were all blown away by the scenery on South Island and if we were to come back, would definitely spend more time there – Queenstown was a favourite of us all!!! Your instructions were clear and easy to follow and everything was ready and waiting for us as we arrived in different places. The only thing that we found slightly difficult was getting to places on time – particularly if we were booked in somewhere early in the morning! It’s not easy to get 4 young people out of bed and off on the road for 7.00am, particularly when they’re on holiday!!!! We had a few worrying moments when we arrived late at a few places, particularly Hobbiton, and the Glow Worms cave as they are insistent that you keep to your allotted time!!!! A few ’tears’ and ‘we’ve come all the way from England’ stance managed to get us in but, it might be worth you mentioning their inflexibility for ’entrance times’ in your notes to future clients or…book afternoon visits?!! The hotels and accommodation were fantastic! We all particularly loved the hotel in Franz Joseph Glacier – it was amazing and the food incredible! Christmas was perfect! The sun shone on Christmas Day and we saw dolphins!!!!! New Year in Te Anau was interesting and the house beautiful! We decided not to go to the Milford Sound as Doubtful Sound was so amazing that we didn’t feel it could be beaten! Also, it meant that we didn’t have to get up at 6.00am. and then drive for 7 hours to Queenstown!!! Maybe we’ll see it next time?!
So highlights….Hobbiton (exceeded all of our expectations) , Maori experience,Trans Alpine train (Jethro met one of his old school friends at the back of the queue – what are the chances of that?!), East coast of South Island, Doubtful Sound and Queenstown (the scenery was breathtaking)! We really can’t thank-you enough and, we have returned to England with the idea of doing a similar thing here – shame we don’t have the same weather!!!!! Keep Road Tripping…!!!!”
Deb Gould – England, December 2017
“We have great time with Constance. We enjoyed the Orchard tour and plucking of fresh fruits. We also love the lupus flower stopover. Mt John and star gazing is wonderful. However the Mt cook hiking was a bit challenging, only sit down enjoyed the view for half an hour for a total 3 hours hiking. I will definitely recommend your company to my friends and family if they are going to New Zealand.”
Cannie Lim – Singapore, December 2017
“The tour of the South Island was indeed a fantastic experience for both my wife and me. David Mitchell (Dave) was a competent driver, well-informed tour guide and, above all, became a good friend in the five days he took us round from Christchurch to Franz Josef, Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford Sound and the firefly display. We are elderly, 75 and eighty. You had tailored the tour to suit our physical condition. Dave fine-tuned it and was sharp eyed to our needs. He was faultlessly punctual at all times. Apart from the parks, mountains and the glaciers, Dave introduced us to a new experience: at pre-determined spots he let me collect mountain spring water for our consumption on the drive – “cool, refreshing and 100% pure drinkable water.” We are glad we opted for the customised itinerary and the Road Trip Team had put together a near perfect plan. On a scale of 1 to 10, I will give it a ten!”
Dato & Vija Kandan – Malaysia, November 2017
“It was just a month before our trip, so I was kinda worried that they would not be able to arrange a private tour for us! Chris first contacted us to check out our preferences (i.e. places to visit, accommodation, farmstay) and provided us a detailed explanation of their services. Thumbs up for the professionalism, giving me much assurance needed. Chris was really patient with all my requests and queries, and that he had to changed our itinerary thrice! He replied promptly and we got our itinerary confirmed within a week! Another thumbs up for The Road Trip because Amy and Janelle were equally prompt with their response when I had queries regarding the accommodation or issue with my payment! I really like how organized The Road Trip was, where they had the different teams responsible for different tasks. Truly no regrets choosing to go on a private tour! Alex, our tour guide/driver, was more than just awesome! He was very punctual, understanding, flexible, knowledgeable, observant, helpful and a great driver! NZ is really gorgeous and the places that The Road Trip had planned out has definitely bring out the best of South Island! If I were to pick any highlights of the trip, I really can’t! I mean, every places that we’ve been to it’s a beauty on its own! Before I end this, just a shout out to everyone in The Road Trip, thank you for all that you have done for making this trip a wonderful one for my family and I! We are coming back for sure! There are so much more that we have yet to explore! Looking forward to the next time we engage The Road Trip again! Till then, take care! I will strongly recommend The Road Trip to my relatives and friends! And for anyone who’s reading this and considering a private tour, hesitate no more!”
Kai Xin – Singapore, August 2017
“I’ve only have fantastic things to said about road trip. I’ve use their services for my family trip (consist of 7 people) to New Zealand for 14 days back in July 2017 period and those 14 days cannot go any better! Their fast response was not only in the beginning when we were developing the itinerary, but up until the day to day when we were in New Zealand. When we had any questions (where are the gift shop, where should we buy Manuka Honey or when you get lost), they will always stand by to help and answer your questions. And it doesn’t stop there, they also helped me in getting reimbursement from Europcar when it overcharged me. Overall, I will definitely recommend Road Trip to anybody who want to go to New Zealand. Two thumbs up!”
Richard Lokasasmita – Indonesia, July 2017
“I can not say enough about our wonderful New Zealand road trip. I wanted to have a cruise-like experience so I would not have to stress out about the car, getting lost, driving on the left hand side of the road, accommodations, restaurant reservations, attraction reservations and tickets. On top of all this I needed flexibility as I was traveling with my 4 year old granddaughter as well as her parents and my 30-year-old son. I got all this and more. Constance was our guide driver, and she was awesome. She is a skilled driver and knew how to get around, even with roads closed on short notice due to earthquake repairs. She knew where every restroom and playground was along our route. We were able to break up long periods of driving for my granddaughter with a 30-minute stop at the playgrounds. Did I mention that you have not experienced a playground until you have been to one in New Zealand! We allotted 2 weeks for sight seeing and our itinerary included the South and North Island. We had a lot of ground to cover and Constance made it happen! We were mainly interested in the natural sights. We took a helicopter to the Franz Joseph Glacier, a boat trip on Milford Sound, nature hikes to rivers, mirror lakes, volcanoes, beaches, Geysers and more. We had adventures in Queenstown. Constance was able to schedule all of our adventures in one action-packed day! I went hang gliding, side bar, I am 62 years old with back problems. It was fantastic! My son bungee jumped from a historic old bridge over a river filled with boulders. What a scenic way to risk ones life and give his mother a heart attack. We went to the Mount John Observatory. Amazingly, the sky was clear and we saw stars as well as galaxies! We stayed at Dunnbailin Sheep Farm in a 1920 remodeled school house with the most lovely family. We met their obese pet sheep called Polly who galloped across a field when called. I’ve been to many countries, and New Zealand is the most beautiful country I have ever been to. None can surpass it for so many natural wonders in one country. It is a truly magical place. All of the hotels were excellent, the food was fantastic, and The Road Trip really allowed us to leave the planning in their capable hands and just truly relax.”
Cathy Karunaratne – USA, April 2017
“I had a wonderful time seeing the north island with Constance! I hope my silence has not come across as a negative—jet lag from the flight home knocked me out for a few days, then I had to catch up with work stuff, then it was my son’s birthday, and tomorrow I leave for my usual two weeks with a friend at her timeshare in Mexico. In other words, I’ve had little opportunity to focus on anything in particular, but do want to provide you all, and Constance in particular, with my very positive feedback about the tour. I never would have thought of myself as somebody who would go on a private guided tour of a foreign land. However, I wanted to get out and about from Auckland, was a little afraid of driving on a side of the road I’m not used to, and my friend and former co-worker Robin Nelson gave The Road Trip sterling reviews. So I went for it, and it was well worth it. I loved seeing a variety of landscapes and landforms, and not having to do all the trip planning and driving. Constance figured out pretty quick that my worldview is slightly askew, so she showed me all the best sites, like the giant carrot in the town that has an annual carrot festival (forgot its name, I don’t have the map in front of me), the gum-boot tossing lane at Taihape, and funky minigolf at Carlucci Land in Wellington. To say nothing of bouncing down a hill in a giant OGO hamster ball in Rotorua. And that was all gravy on top of seeing and learning about the land and the people and the history—had a great tour at Te Papa, don’t want to forget that, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with the folks at the sheep/cattle farm B&B. Oh, oh, and I got to see a kiwi bird tootling around looking for worms! (the kiwi was looking, not me) Particularly since I was travelling alone, I never would have seen and done all that stuff had I not signed up for a guided tour. Highly recommend. I need to schedule a return to see the south island!”
Anne Marvin – USA, June 2017
“New Zealand was our honeymoon destination and it was a terrific one. We had the best honeymoon we wished for. After We spent few days in the north islands, the south islands were next! But we were a bit worried since there was a lot to see in dew days. And here come The road trip! Together with our SUPER FRIENDLY guide Constance we spent 10 amazing days, driving around the south, jumping from a town to another. 10 days we will definitely always remember. Every single detail was very well planned, every single step was accounted from. We stayed in the best accommodations and really enjoyed every bit of it. We had the best food and definitely the best time! Every town we visited had its charm. From Christchurch to lake Tekapo, from the spellbinding town of Wanaka to Te Anau, and the fantastic Queenstown and its surroundings, everyday we had a new gem to discover on the way. Truth is, if we didn’t take the road trip, we wouldn’t have seen all the great memorable things. Kudos to the whole team who were flexible and super friendly and planned everything according to what we loved to see and discover. A big Kudos to our Friend Constance who was had a story to tell in every location we visited, and had to go through my “STOP STOP! OMG this is where they shot LOTR” or “OMG a dead possum, let’s see it closely”. New Zealand was our honeymoon destination and The Road Trip made it awesomely Memorable.”
Michael and Rachel Haber – Lebanon, May 2017
“Just want to drop you few lines for job well done! Our group travelled around the world, we all agreed this was a most memorable and unforgettable journey we ever had!! David did an excellent job to drive us safely and in timely manner! Our trip was very complicated and detailed oriented, he managed to complete our trip in orderly and then some! Also thanks to your quick respond to our needs during our trip and solve all the issues that we had! We will definitely recommend The Road Trip to our family and friends if they are heading to New Zealand!!”
Betty NG and Group – USA, April 2017
“We loved our time in New Zealand and found the country a great place to tour. Loved the local cafe culture that exists. We have had nothing but positive things to say to our friends who asked about our trip. The star gazing on Mount John, the yellow penguin reserve, Ulva Island bird tour, Mt Huia farmstay, Milford Sound and Hobbiton were all highlights of our trip. In fact all of the nature/animal tours rated very high on our list. But in truth we didn’t have many unsatisfactory moments. I also took a helicopter tour of White Island, not part of the road trip arrangements, which was awesome and I would highly recommend. The helicopter picked me up right at the black Swan hotel. We also managed to get up to Kaikoura for whale watching (got a tour to replace our cancelled Alpine train excursion). The self drive tour was the way for us to go as we were able to have a more leisurely tour than if we had a dedicated tour guide with us. Coming from the west side of Canada driving on the roads was not really an issue for me. In general we were quite pleased with the Road Trip and the service level that we received and have recommended your organization to friends who are considering a New Zealand Adventure.”
John Armstrong – Canada, April 2017
“I had a wonderful experience in New Zealand, thanks to the great planning and to Tom’s assistance. I really enjoyed having my own personal guide/driver, and everyone I tell is jealous too. Tom did an excellent job! He is certainly knowledgeable about the country, nature and history; congenial and has a sense of humor. I felt as if I were traveling with a friend, even though I’m old enough to be his grandmother. And since I pretended to be “the driver”, I went to the wrong side of the car only a couple times. Tom was organized and I think you put together a great adventure for me. There was certainly a lot of variety and the days were planned flexibly and well. It’s difficult to identify specific highlights, everything was amazing. I would designate New Zealand – green. Coming from the desert, all the green was refreshing, besides, I believe New Zealand is considerably ‘green’ environmentally too. Of course, I enjoyed all the winery visits, and there were a lot. The geothermal pools, and geysers were impressive. I enjoyed the hikes and staying active, seeing waterfalls was great. The mountain landscape seemed ‘otherworldly’ at times, so that was impressive, beautiful. I’m happy we were able to drive through the mountains. And the sheep, of course. I had a great time getting to know the farm stay owners, that was a very pleasant evening. I hope this gives you an idea how much fun I had on my private tour of New Zealand. Thank you and each member of the team at The Road Trip. I’ve told several people along the way about you, people interested in traveling to New Zealand.”
Karolyn McCain – USA, March 2017
“We had an amazing trip! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience. We were so last minute in booking and yet you booked everything that we requested. Your office was so quick to respond to our e-mail and questions. You were also so accommodating in booking those activities in the North Island for us as well as add some driving routes. Our accommodations were outstanding. We were blown away with the view our first night in Queenstown and each night after that. I would have to say the best part of the trip was the driving. Each day brought more amazing views of an ever changing landscape. I wish the photos did the scenery justice, but it can’t. The weather didn’t cooperate for our Doubtful Sound trip but it was still fun. It also rained for the kayak trip, but Milford Sound with all the waterfalls because of the rain certainly made up for it and I won’t have wanted to miss that. We also got to see penguins and seals while kayaking. The day that we traveled from Wanaka to Fox Glacier was probably my favorite drive. The trip was supposed to be a 3 hour drive, but it took us 10! We made so many stops that you suggested and won’t have wanted to miss a single one. The change in topography that day was stunning. To go from mountains, to the ocean with rain forest and then glacier was breathtaking. Although it rained the day we drove to Christchurch it was beautiful. This only makes me want to come back again. Each trip company from Glowworms, kayaking, Doubtful Sound were amazingly professional, helpful and informative. We stuck to the road trip bible. We eat where you suggested and it never disappointed. We tried to do all the hikes that you suggested – loved the Kepler track and the swing bridge. Each day was filled from morning until night with amazing adventures. Ending in Christchurch at the beautiful hotel and dinner was such a wonderful way to cap off an outstanding adventure. Thank you!”
Sue Newborn and Friend – USA, March 2017
“Let me just say, that all of us believe that Constance is a treasure. She made our trip wonderful, able to juggle and balance and reshuffle so that we were able to do everything despite weather and other intangibles. I think that her ability to juggle all of the different parts of the itinerary as well as differing preferences among her guests made her contribution to our trip in valuable. I really think you could market that flexibility as a feature for your company if Constance is at the wheel!!!!”
Rieva Holbrook and Friends – USA, February 2017
“If you are planning to tour New Zealand and are undecided between a bus tour vs. private tour…there is no comparison…. The Road Trip is the choice. With a simple description of our interests and physical abilities they designed a 10 day tour on the South Island which, led by Matt Osborne, turned out to be the best vacation we have every taken. We spent a total of 24 days on our trip and should have made our Road Trip segment a little longer. Matt met our every need and was most knowledgeable on all New Zealand has to offer. The scenery changes by the hour and the four of us (Acadian descent/Cajuns) were able to enjoy the mountain vistas as none of us had to drive. Matt stopped along the way at points of interest and the easy hikes to each waterfall or lake were as just as beautiful and enjoyable as the scene at the end of the trail. The Road Trip booked all of our lodging and we were comfortable each night. If the meal was not included, Matt always had suggestions and even made the reservations for us. If we had to choose one highlight, it would have to be New Zealand’s South Island overall…rain forests with the silver and wheki tree ferns, golden rolling hills with sheep, cattle and red stags grazing, orchards of grapes, apples, hops and the sparkling clean lakes etc. etc. etc. Request Matt Osborn when you begin planning your tour with The Road Trip! We love you Matt!!”
Mary & Stan Gauthier and Sandra & Kim Lastrapes – USA, March 2017
“I’m not sure where to start with highlights of the trip – there were so many. We really enjoyed our stays in Paihia, Whitianga, Rotorua, Wellington (the Bolton Hotel is beautiful), Hanmer Springs (The St James was great) Franz Josef, and Wanaka (Lakeside Appts were great and the town was a real favorite). We took lots of hikes and had many delicious meals. We had a wonderful tour and lunch at Gibbston winery. We also enjoyed the Wai O Tapu thermal wonderland, the Weta Cave tour, the Milford Sound cruise, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Ferry to Russell Island, Waitangi – Haruru Falls nature walk, boat tour of Whitianga bay, Hobbiton tour, Te Puia thermal village, the Wellington botanical gardens and various museums, the Rocky Mountain track in Wanaka (I think). Both cars were great and the ferry ride was beautiful. We really loved driving and taking in all of the views, and of course stopping frequently to take pictures. The people were all so nice, from the wait staff at the restaurants to the people we met on hikes, etc. Although we got off to a bit of a rocky start, the trip overall was wonderful.”
Julia and Dave Warren – USA, March 2017
“Let me start by saying that the tour you and your team put together for us was fantastic! We loved NZ with the south island and it’s many spectacular views being the winner and probably my favourite of our 62 days away. Highlights are almost too many to list but we really enjoyed the Kauri museum and then seeing the massive trees, the Waitangi grounds as well as the Rotorua cultural shows where great, the glow worm caves where very neat, the Hobbiton tour was very interesting, we quite enjoyed the Wanaka area and our stay at Dusky Ridges with our tour to Milford Sound was fabulous, the Queenstown area was fun with a great meal up the gondola and a very pleasant stay in Christchurch with it’s efforts to recover from such devastation. We really enjoyed the accommodations that you provided for us. Zeb worked very hard to ensure we seen everything possible on the islands even with my limitations and made sure that the rest of the group got to areas that where not possible for me. We where very pleased with his efforts and his knowledge of the south island is very evident as he could not wait to show us the next great thing/view on his list. When asked he was quick to solve/book anything we needed. In closing I can say that the Road Trip, you and Zeb did a wonderful job of showing us a piece of your beautiful New Zealand. PS. The beer is great in NZ. Cheers”
Gary Fair and Group – Canada, February 2017
“It’s difficult to find the words to describe our trip to New Zealand…stellar? Beyond our expectations? Trip of a lifetime? All of the preceding, on so many levels, and in no small measure, thanks to the team at the Road Trip and the super itinerary you put together for us. We were a bit apprehensive about our accommodation given that we didn’t book until late October. That being said every one of the bookings you made for us was perfect even in the case where Janelle had to seek out a second option as the first suggestions in our itinerary were booked. When asked how we enjoyed NZ we’ve summarized it as: “Napa, Hawaii, British Columbia, Arizona, Vancouver, San Francisco and the Moon, all rolled into one – oh, and on steroids.” Given that NZ is on the other side of the world for us there is no way we could have possibly planned the self-drive itinerary for both islands, first-rate accommodation, attractions & meals on our own. We will be hard-pressed to match this vacation. Again, our sincere thanks. PS…We’d like to give a huge shout-out to Julie & Tony Dobbs who hosted our farm stay. Our only regret is that we couldn’t had have stayed longer.”
Dianne and David Pearson – Canada, February 2017
“Today is almost one week since we returned from our South Island NZ tour. I am taking this opportunity to compliment “the Road Trip” company for the well organized tour, to compliment Andrea for being very efficient during the long and rather complicated booking process. But above all, I wish to compliment one of your excellent employees, our guide/driver Zeb Callanan-Sullivan. Zeb was our ‘tour guide par excellence’. This appellation is truly merited. Zeb’s professionalism, knowledge flexibility and careful driving, added another very meaningful dimension to this trip. He conveyed and transmitted a strong feeling of pride for New Zealand landscapes and people. Of equal importance, Zeb was consistently pleasant, smiling, helpful, personable and receptive to the needs of me and my spouse Ronit. We are so glad that you chose Zeb as our guide. He enhanced a much anticipated occasion and helped to make this a truly wonderful trip. Thank you Zeb.”
Ronit Zalel and Alex Lavi – Israel, February 2017
“We had an extraordinary vacation in NZ, we were lucky to pick the right company which selected the best itinerary and tour guide Matt (Osborne). Matt was an excellent guide and He knows what he is doing and informative, helpful and really represent an excellent company representing the truthful vacation tourist choice. Your company and Matt combined made our trip unforgettable. We also thank Alex joining us at dinner the last night of the trip and we wished to meet all to say THANK YOU ALL. Thank you again and we will recommend you for friends wishing to visit NZ.”
Abdullah and Group – Saudi Arabia, February 2017
“Recently completed our 16-day North/South Island tour of New Zealand. Clearly one of the scenic wonderlands of the world. The sites were spectacular; the hiking (aka trekking) was superb; the accommodations were excellent; the food was better than expected; the wine was far better than expected. There were four of us with our terrific guide Tom Stuart. Tom was knowledgeable, adaptive, prompt; an overall wealth of knowledge about everything New Zealand. He contributed significantly to the overall enjoyment of our trip. He was able to find out-of-the-way places to hike and/or view mountain vista or lake/ocean overlooks, or acqua-colored rivers; as well as unique, enjoyable restaurants. We would recommend him to all who are considering a visit to this wonderful country. There were so many highlights it is hard to select one as the overall favorite – Rotorua, Te Puia, Wai-o-tapu, Huka Falls, in the North. The South island with its’ many rivers and waterfalls and scenic hikes; along with visits to Punakaiki, Hokitika, Franz Joseph Glacier, Haast Pass, Lake Matheson Hike, the beautiful little towns of Wanaka and Te Anau, Doubtful and Milford Sounds, Fiordland National Park, Queenstown, Fairlie Farm stay and Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Wow – an amazing trip. Thanks to The Road Trip for their organizational skills and their assignment of Tom Stuart as our excellent, personable, fun guide. An adventuresome experience – – a memory maker for sure.”
Jim & Lynn Fritz and Rich & Jill LaBardi – USA, February 2017
Free Phone: 0800 4 ROADTRIP (within NZ)
Phone: +64 3 668 1234 (inside and outside NZ all enquiries)
Email: [email protected]
Level 2,
45 Camp Street,
Queenstown 9300