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!”
“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.”
“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!”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”
“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.”
“Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, we had a super trip!! Everything went like clockwork and your binder was invaluable. Your representative in Auckland was terrific and got us off to a great start. We loved Waiheke Island and enjoyed the hike up to the crater for a super view of Auckland. (Perfect weather throughout the trip didn’t hurt much either!!). The drive to Rotorua was fine, although I wish we had done in daylight, I think we would have got more out of it. Traffic leaving Auckland was rather heavy, because we left at about 4.20 pm.and hence hit rush hour, but it could have been a lot worse. Rotorua itself was fascinating and we both enjoyed the Maori cultural experience there. Internal flights were fine and smooth with no hiccups on either of them. We loved the Tasman Strait crossing, had a lovely tour through the Marlborough wine country and enjoyed the drive through to Kaikoura for the whale watching. We were very lucky to see a huge sperm whale approach our boat (it was about the same size but three times as heavy!!) and it gracefully dived underneath and gave us a farewell flick of its distinctive tail. The ship’s captain said that only happens about every two years, so we lucked out!!
The Trans Alpine Express was eminently worthwhile and we got off at Arthur’s Pass. With the help of your handy dandy book, we hiked to the top of the Pass, hiked down, encountered a couple of Keas and had a huge pub lunch/early dinner at the recommended restaurant. Good choice!! The drive to Mount Cook was awe-inspiring, especially both lakes, St. John’s Observatory and the scenery en route. The Mt. Cook complex was super, we went on a stargazing night expedition, a plane ride with a glacier landing and a hike up to the Tasman Glacier. The drive to Queenstown was very New Zealand, remote but amazing (including of course the Shrek The Sheep exhibition!!). We opted to do the one day Milford Sound trip. It was long but well worth it. The driver/guide was a gem….not sure how he kept going for so long but he did!!
All in all a truly memorable honeymoon trip and a special thanks to your company for putting this all together for us. Please feel free to use us as a reference should the need arise.
Thanks again and….we’ll be back!!”
“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!!”
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.
“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!”
“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.”
“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!!!!”
“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.”
“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 !!”
“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!”
“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.”
“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. “
“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!!!”
“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.“
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”