5 Day Geysers, Glowworms & Hobbiton

Took the worry out of everything. Booked on short notice. It was fantastical.

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14 Day South to North Explorer

Everything was so well laid out. Every single driver was on time. The trip and itinerary flowed seamlessly. Typically I stress about getting places while traveling, however I was relaxed the entire time!

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2 Day Fiordland Discovery Milford Overnight Cruise

Amazing, the best part of out holiday, treated like VIP the whole time from the car journey to the boat. Fantastic. Staff amazing and friendly, boat was luxurious and spotless and loads of activities and the food was great and plenty of it. Thanks so much, could not recommend it more highly.

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5 Day Geysers, Glowworms & Hobbiton

The tour has been great, thanks for the help from you! You did all you promised to provide, that's greatly appreciated!

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7 Day Southward Bound

Our tour was wonderful, we will forever treasure the moments spent in New Zealand. Toni, our travel agent, was outstanding, always helpful and quick to respond to our queries.

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9 Day Southern Alps & Fiords

Toni Harris thoughtfully planned everything at a pace where we don't exhaust ourselves. That to me is a well deserved pat on the back for her. Plus she's so patient with my questions which sometimes seems silly but she answers in a way that I feel I can ask anything. Well done.

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14 Day New Zealand Marvel

This tour was a great introductory tour to New Zealand. It allowed us to see a huge amount of the country and get a taste of almost everywhere. We got the opportunity to do some things I know we'd not have done if we planned the trip all on our own. It was also great having someone else drive us around on those unfamiliar roads. Cons: It was a lot of time on the bus, and there were quite a few places we'd have liked to have more time at. We also arrived later in the day to almost every city, so the shops and stores where closed. But, we did the tour in winter, so it might not be the case in summer.

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14 Day New Zealand Marvel

Had a great time with the 46 others on the South Island tour and the 20+ on the North Island. Travel Director Kevin (and driver Geoff) soon had us all gelling well as a group. It was great to see so much and get a lot of information as well but some of the starts were very early and some of the days had very long journeys.

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15 Day Aotearoa

Everything went like clockwork, accommodations, car rental, tours and ferry ride. Want to acknowledge Marie Sarmon for her patience and assistance in helping to set up the tour! Couldn't have done it without her!!

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14 Day South Island Tourer

A very well organised tour. The accommodation all around was great, particularly in Queenstown. Our Kruse GPS led us astray a couple of times probably because the GPS signal wasn't so good in some places but we ended up seeing some beautiful countryside because of it. The Kruse didn't initially work in Christchurch because a radio station was using the same frequency, but that was sorted once we got out of the city area. Might be worth mentioning to new customers so they don't worry that the Kruse isn't working. Overall the experience was wonderful, beautiful country with friendly people all round. Thank you again Toni for your assistance with arrangements. We will probably come back and do the North Island next time.

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1 Day Auckland : Waitomo : Rotorua : Auckland

We really enjoyed our tour and Kerry was great. Unfortunately the heating in the van wasn't working so I was cold most of the day! Also thought if the tickets were prearranged this would have saved time at particular venues. Apart from those minor things we were impressed overall with the day.

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9 Day Southern Spotlight

I rate this tour 'excellent' because: it was very well organised at all times, the arrangements were very reliable, I felt safe and secure, plus the tour manager was very very good at his job. As a lone woman traveller, I felt included and welcome. I chose this tour because it went to all the places I wanted to go and fitted in with my travel dates - that all worked out very well. Lastly, my group of 30 was very friendly.

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9 Day Wild West

The transfers were seamless and the accommodation selected were very good. This was a fantastic introduction to the South Island and we look forward to being back!

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14 Day New Zealand Vista

We enjoyed the scenery. Being from the USA, we enjoyed learning about the differences between the two countries - foods, farm animals, wild animal species, etc.

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11 Day New Zealand Discovery Loop

Everything was lovely! It was very well organized. My only complaint was the, what turned into due to an accident, 10 hour bus trip from Rotorua to Wellington.

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10 Day Southern Sounds & Glaciers

Overall we are happy with the arrangement.

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5 Day Top of the North

I was very impressed with your arrangements and communication with me as a client. I have been wanting to visit Northland for a long time and everything I wanted to do was included in the tour. The weather was fantastic (not one drop of rain) and the personnel in all the tourist bureaus and the bus drivers were very friendly and helpful. This included the hotel staff at the Kingsgate in Paihia. It was five minutes walking distance from the town and 20 minutes from Waitangi. I was really pleased to have the extra day to go back to Waitangi. My first visit was too short and didn't allow time for the cultural performance but the pass allowed me to go back for no extra charge to visit the museum and Hobsons historic house. For me personally this was one of the highlights. The only other comment I would make is you have to make sure the client understands Relaxing Journeys is not a tour bus company and you are not part of a tour group travelling with the same people each day. The tourist is travelling on other commercial bus companies. Thank you for a fantastic four days.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Words aren't enough to describe my experience. We were lucky to have clear & sunny weather on 20th & 21st as well with snow fallen just a day before. The crew of Real Journeys absolutely deserve an appreciation for their sincere hospitality.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

So good to come so close to an unspoiled part of the earth. Very comfortable and welcoming cruising people, good food, especially the NZ lamb, and super talks by the guide who's name I didn't get. Loved it all, thank you! And good to hear that some of our ticket goes to conservation.

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14 Day New Zealand Drive & Fly

Toni was extremely helpful in adjusting our itinerary. Would definitely recommend this tour. The only suggestion I would have is that if given the choice we would have upgraded our accommodations in Queenstown.

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10 Day Essential South Island

Very satisfied with the service provided by Relaxing Journeys. Email replies were within a day or two and even if the consulting agent is on leave, emails were followed up by other agents. The whole tour went smoothly without a hitch. Coaches came on time, we had no problems checking into our accommodations and optional tours with the vouchers provided. All apartments and motels provided towels and toiletries. They are centrally located and convenient to explore around. The weather was great despite the low season in May. We had many sunny days, saw a few rainbows and a shooting star. Thanks to Mani and his colleagues for arranging this trip for us!

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10 Day Southern Panorama

Ross our coach driver was fantastic very informative and really made the trip so enjoyable. His local knowledge and funny stories were great. We only did a tour of the South Island this time but will definitely be back to do the North Island also. We had a great mix of like minded people which was really good as we haven't done a group tour before. All in all a very memorable holiday that we would recommend to anyone. We were greeted at the airport and made to feel very welcome from the first minute. Kirra transfers were great. The gift also came in very handy as we didn't have a backpack or umbrella - you guys thought of everything. Thanks again Marie and Kirra.

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Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise

We had a great time. Buffet meals were very good. Milford Sound is very dramatic. Naturalist could have been better but overall very good.

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9 Day Coast to Coast

The tour was very well organised, especially considering we were travelling with 2 kids. The hotels were strategically located well around the city centre, the bus journey and pick up from the stops were spot on too. Overall a fantastic experience just as we wanted it. Special thanks to Marie who helped us have a wonderful time. Thanks again. Will definitely recommend friends and family to take Relaxing Journeys tour.

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9 Day Wild West

I'm not one to take the time to write a long review online; however, I wanted others to benefit from my experience on this tour with Relaxing Journeys. My wife and I purchased the 9 day Wild West tour. This was our first time to New Zealand so we thought we would focus on the South Island. We chose this tour because it spent more time around Queenstown, and we weren't interested in the drive to Mt. Cook, which was a part of several of the other tours. We had an amazing time on this tour, so I think we made the right choice for us. First, I should tell you that we added some extras to the standard Wild West tour package. (1) We paid for the premium hotel package. We were very happy with this decision, as we were pleased with all of our hotel rooms. (2) We also added the breakfast package. Since most of your days are fairly busy, it was good to know each day started with a good breakfast before heading out. We were happy with this decision too. (3) We added an extra day in Queenstown at the start of the tour. I would HIGHLY recommend this added day. Our flight didn't arrive until early evening, so it would have been a bummer to get up the first morning and check out of the room and head to Milford Sound and Te Anau. We just got there and we are leaving already. Instead, with the extra day, we were able to schedule the 4WD Safari of The Scenes Tour and get a wonderful overview of the area. It was a great tour and we highly recommend it. Then we had the full afternoon to stroll around Queenstown, which ended up being our only time to do that, so I was really glad we had this extra day. Day 3 was our Milford Sound / Te Anau day. Since we were coming back to Queenstown after the one night in Te Anau, the Hotel St Moritz happily stored our luggage for the night; thus, we only had to bring a simple carry on bag with us, which was super convenient. Plus, the Hotel St Moritz had our luggage already in our room when we returned the following night, which was a pleasant surprise. Anyway, the Milford Sound trip makes for a long day, but it was totally worth it. Some of my best pictures of the whole trip are from this day. Amazing scenery, and not just at Milford Sound. The bus ride to Milford is EQUALLY amazing. I also liked that we did not have to go all the way back to Queenstown. By the time you get to Te Anau on the way back, you welcome the opportunity to get off the bus and be done for the day. We then had a wonderful meal at the Redcliff Cafe in Te Anau. Day 4 was a leisurely morning, followed by the Glowworm Cave tour. Another fantastic tour, we highly recommend it. We then had the bus ride back to Queenstown. Day 5 started with the Walter Peak farm & BBQ Lunch tour. We really enjoyed the steamboat ride and the tour. The BBQ lunch was really really good. It was one of our best meals on the trip, and we had some really good meals. I typically don't care for lamb meat, but I tried it here. Wow was it good. I would eat lamb a lot more if it always tasted this good. We intentionally asked for the 10am tour so we would have the afternoon open in Queenstown. We relaxed at the hotel for a little while, and then headed up the Skyline Gondola for dinner. We booked this activity on our own and not through RJ, simply because it was not offered on their site. If you do this too, I highly recommend the small upgrade fee for the premium dinner. It guarantees you a window seat, which you need when the sun goes down. Those in the middle of the restaurant pretty much get a reflection of the restaurant for their view, the window seat is a must have. We went up the gondola well before dinner so we had time for a couple luge rides, which were also fun. Day 6 was our transfer to Wanaka. We signed up for the Wanaka Jet Boat & Wilderness Walk tour, which again was fantastic. Be sure you pack a small lunch or snack the night before. There is not enough time when you arrive in Wanaka to get lunch before the tour. After the tour, we had the tour company drop us off in town instead of our resort so we could get lunch. We then grabbed a cab to Rippon Winery, literally known as the most photographed winery in the world. From the winery, you can take a hiking trail back to the Edgewater Hotel. Another awesome day. Day 7 was our transfer to Franz Josef. The bus ride was scenic, as expected, but its hard to surpass the first six amazing days. The town was small, but we had a wonderful dinner and a leisurely evening. Day 8 started with a morning helicopter ride to Franz Josef glacier, landing on the glacier. Once in a lifetime activity. Highly recommend it, if the weather cooperates. We then took the Across Country Adventure Quad Tour (booked on our own). This was another fantastic activity; however, the tour guide said we had a very good group. All of us were good drivers and could keep a good pace, so we went further than most groups get. Even so, I think this would be a great tour either way. Day 9 was our transfer to Greymouth and the TranzAlpine train. I was a little disappointed in the train ride. Partly because I had VERY HIGH expectations. I thought this was going to be the highlight of the trip, yet it wasn't nearly as amazing as the previous 8 days. But I also think it was the time of year. We went in late Fall, after the fall colors passed and before any snow hit a lot of the mountains. That said, the train was comfortable, the open air viewing car was an excellent way to see the scenery, and it was a great way to get to Christchurch. Our hotel in Christchurch, the Heritage Hotel was amazing. They upgraded us to a two bedroom. The story behind this hotel is equally amazing. Day 10, the day all good things must come to an end. We did the Hop-On-Hop-Off Tram + Punting Avon + Botanic Gardens tour (booked on our own). The city is still rebuilding after the massive earthquake several years ago, so it's fascinating to see that process in action and to hear those stories. Now I should also add that we were blessed with near perfect weather for our entire trip. The only rain we saw was at the airport as we were flying home. It was a little chilly a couple of times, but it was sunny and clear almost the whole time. Amazing weather. So I know that helped make this a fantastic vacation. That said, Relaxing Journeys did a wonderful job planning and organizing every detail. Every tour operator was great and on time. The voucher system worked beautifully. It was a wonderful, stress free way to see this amazing country. Not once did we wish we had a car. Anyway, thank you Relaxing Journeys for an awesome trip. We plan to return with you on our next trip, when we tour the North Island.

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14 Day South to North Explorer

The trip was amazing, 10 out of 10. Not one thing negative to report. All transfers were on time, comfortable and courteous. All hotels were AMAZING. It seemed like we got one of the best rooms/views in every place we stayed. And the side trips/attractions you booked were perfect. Glad you did, otherwise, we may have missed them. Thank you for your diligence and great work through this whole process. We will be recommending this to our friends back in Canada.

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Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise

Excellent service from Mani and the crew from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay on the Mariner and will definitely be back to see The Sound in different weather.

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10 Day South Island Spectacular

We had a great time during the tour with Grand Pacific. As a total rating, I want to rate it as 'Excellent''. I summarize the highlights as below: The tour staff quality was very high. Raewayen (I am not sure the spelling of her name..), tour guide, and Andrew (driver) took good care of us. They were very professional, caring and funny. Especially the tour guide was genuinely nice to us and tried her best to make us comfortable. Participants : This time we travelled with mostly Australians and two Canadians. It was really fun to travel together with them. They were really friendly, sweet and fun-loving people. We had so much laughter together during the tour. Tour Content : The tour was well-organized with enough time for sightseeing and break. We had fully enjoyed all the beautiful scenery and natural landscape in the South Island. As the final message, I had a wonderful time during the tour. If I had a chance to go back to NZ, I will choose to travel with the Grand Pacific and the same tour guide and driver if possible. Thank you!

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Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise

This tour was outstanding, from start to finish. The staffers were all so upbeat and friendly and worked in a great team fashion. The food was excellent! The boat and rooms were well equipped. We had a clear evening for the start of the sail, which allowed us to go out in a tender with nature guide Greg to explore Harrison's Cove and vicinity. Greg gave an informative and fun slideshow after dinner, which helped us to better understand the habitat of Milford Sound. During the night the weather turned, but the next morning the skipper was still able to commandeer the boat expertly in turbulent waters out to St. Anne Point. The waterfalls everywhere were amazing! We will treasure our memories of this special place for a long time.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

The weather was bad especially the following day. It affected the experience. We were hoping to have a taste of NZ crayfish as that would be the best place to eat it but we were disappointed that it was not part of the menu.

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11 Day Southern Highlights

I chose this trip because I wanted to take a pre-planned trip where I didn't have to do too much organisation. I enjoyed myself immensely, and while I might have liked to spend more time at some locations, I found the overall pacing of the trip just right.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Loved the tour. It wasn't quite as relaxing as it might have been given the large group of school kids. Although they were generally well behaved, there must have been 40 children moving round in groups which took the edge off what was an amazing (but expensive) experience. It would have been good to have been notified in advance as we would have chosen another date. The staff and food were fantastic.

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14 Day New Zealand Vista

We had a wonderful time in New Zealand the tour was well organised and i would recommend it to anyone.

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14 Day New Zealand Vista

Hotel and food was good. Except a dinner buffet at Queenstown on the TSS Earnslaw was too late and unable to see the view at night for the cruise.

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9 Day Great Northerner

Tour was great for us. We had no idea of what were the best places to visit, places to stay, or how to get around. APT made it very easy for us. Every day was either structured with great sights to see or we had flexibility on choosing some optional events. We had only enough time to visit the North Island but plan in the future to visit the South with APT. Only recommendation is to make sure you are there the day before to be able to have all options for the first day.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Great staff, very helpful, always on the lookout to make your trip more enjoyable.

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13 Day Southern Circle

Every path planned by Relaxing Journeys were just too fantastic. This tour provided me with the best scenery I could have in this Autumn season. Hassle free and thanks for the awesome planning!

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14 Day South Island Tourer

Loved the freedom to stop where and when we wanted. Rooms were even better than expected. Double Spa Bath, awesome.

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10 Day Pure South Island

Words can not express how fabulous our vacation was! Our tour consultant, Mani Fagundes, built a perfect tour for us. It was customized to include the famous Tongariro National Park Alpine Crossing hike and then followed the Pure South Island self-drive itinerary. Mani and Relaxing Journeys made this the easiest vacation ever. When we arrived at our rental car company, just as promised we received a complete package of information including our vouchers, detailed itinerary, helpful road map, and guidebooks for each major town that we visited. All we had to do was follow the itinerary, it was just that easy. Driving in New Zealand is very easy. The roads are wide, smooth, and well marked. There were arrows everywhere so remembering which side of the road to drive on was not a problem. Clearly New Zealand has made an investment in their road system to assist their many visitors and boost tourism. Using vouchers was incredibly easy. Car rentals, NZ domestic airfare e-tickets, hotel accommodations, excursions, taxi rides, and private car service were all reserved in advance for us, all we had to do was hand over the voucher. I wish all vacations were as simple as that! We knew in advance what all of our costs would be and did not have to keep handing over money every day. Mani booked our car through Thrifty and we had a beautiful Toyota Camry. It was clean, efficient, and the perfect size. The hotel accommodations were immaculate, their service was top-notch, and the locations were perfect so that we could walk to everything once we arrived at our hotels. They were interesting and beautiful. I also feel that we were given better rooms within the hotels, all our rooms had a view of whatever landmark was near (lake, rainforest, downtown, etc). I think it may have been better to book through a company than individually because it may give a better chance of getting better rooms. We enjoyed quite a few excursions and we loved every one. We did the heli-hike in Franz Josef Glacier - that is a MUST DO. We did the zip-line echo tour in Queenstown which was fun, they have the steepest zip line in the world. We did the Dart River jet boat and funyak (which are inflated kayaks) in Queenstown and that was fabulous. We saw miniature blue penguins in the Otago Peninsula by Dunedin - that may have been our favorite part of the trip, they were absolutely adorable. We saw glow worms in a cave in Te Anau which was great fun. And we did an excellent bus tour of Christchurch. Aside from the excursions, Mani gave a good description of sites to see during the long drives in between towns. We stopped at wineries, a gold mining town, jade (green stone) artisan shop, glass blowing studio, and too many short hikes / overlooks to count. Do not be intimidated by long drives between towns. The itinerary left us plenty of time to take it slow and enjoy the scenery, and driving there is so easy. Literally almost no stoplights (just round-abouts) and there is no stress in the driving. The self-drive itinerary was a great way to see the country. We did have a few questions during our trip, and each time I called Relaxing Journeys they quickly answered the phone and gave me an answer on the spot. They even called the Christchurch bus tour company when I couldn't find them to make sure I connected with them. Both Mani and Relaxing Journey provided excellent service. Mani took all of the guess work out of our trip - where to stay, where to go, and what to do - which meant that we could just go and enjoy ourselves. We had the vacation of a lifetime and I'd highly recommend using Relaxing Journeys when planning a vacation in New Zealand. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

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10 Day Pure South Island

Right from the first exchange of mails everything was perfect. Ms.Toni first understood our requirements, devised an itinerary to our needs, provided useful suggestions regarding the various tour programs and most importantly executed it perfectly. So good was the execution that I didn't have the need to use my phone once tour commenced! Prompt reply to mails was another thing that impressed me...keeping in mind the time zone differences. I chose Relaxing Journeys after I couldn't reach an agreement with my first tour operator...and I don't regret it a bit now. Your rates were better than the rates available on internet. Coupled with it your local knowledge made it a terrific experience. NZ is an amazing country especially South Island...right out of books. So blown away we were with the beauty we stopped taking photos and decided to soak in every moment. All accommodations, tours, local guides...exceptional. This will rank as one of our best trips. Thanks everyone.

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18 Day Natural New Zealand

I was so impressed with how things went so smoothly. Only had a few hiccups, they had to do with the shuttles. The shuttle company was very good when contacted and solved the problem, actually most people would not have the problems I had because I do not have a phone so they could not get me when I was late (a medical emergency once so the bus waited for an ambulance, and the bus broke down the other time) to find out where I was, and another time in Christchurch there was no phone in the bus terminal to call them. I felt the time allowed in the various locations was perfect to see what there was. I especially liked the clean hotels, not outrageous costs, and how accurate the summary was as to times. The tours pre-arranged really seemed to be needed to access the areas I could not have and were well chosen.

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16 Day Highlights of New Zealand Tour

The tour is wonderful. I enjoyed it very much. Both of our drivers (Steve) are great. It would be better if some of the accommodations can be improved, such as the Heritage Gateway Hotel.

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1 Day Auckland : Waitomo : Rotorua : Auckland

We had a limited amount of time and our guide was very good about making sure we saw everything we could see in that time. He was very well informed about the culture, history and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. A very good value for our money and highly recommended.

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9 Day Northern Spectacular

We had a fantastic time and would recommend this tour. The tour host Nick H and bus driver Chris where accommodating and very personable. They make a good team and made our trip memorable.

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8 Day TranzAlpine Vista

Totally wonderful time, Dennis the coach captain was excellent with his knowledge of the areas visited and arranging optional activities.

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8 Day North & South Highlights

Needed a bigger car, things went very good, like the voucher on my phone, saw beautiful country, got everything we ask for, Thanks!!!

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

It was wonderful. Carol our naturalist was very informative. She really knew about the sound.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Absolutely fantastic, from start to finish.

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8 Day Discover the South

Relaxing Journeys made our trip to New Zealand the best time of our lives. Thank you very much Marie for your patience and assistance in making this trip truly memorable.

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25 Day Grand Explorer

Loved NZ and the tour. Everything was organised and ready for us. We only had to enjoy ourselves without the hassle. It was a great opportunity to see both islands. We had some weather issues but that was out of anyone's control. Only had one travel and stay that really was wasted time because we travelled a great distance but couldn't really see the place because of the time of arrival and because we had to leave the area to travel a great distance the next day. The accommodation was fantastic the B&B's were beautiful and of a high quality. We would recommend this tour. Thanks for all your help.

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Milford Wanderer Overnight Cruise

We were surprised by the high standard of the accommodation; the food was excellent, and program was perfect for us (although it would have been nice to have had longer on the tender, but the walking group wanted picking up early). Loved it all and absolutely no complaints.

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16 Day Highlights of New Zealand Tour

We enjoyed the tour but would have liked a smaller group, say about 24, as it was in the last part. Did not think too much of the hotel in Christchurch, large but empty rooms. Liked the availability of laundry facilities at most to the places we stayed. Impressed with the IBIS in Wellington.

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Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise

The booking as well as the trip went very smoothly. A great overall experience. Thank you!

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12 Day Discover the South

Had a wonderful time touring the South Island - thanks to Mani for his flexibility. Accommodation was of a really good standard - some better than others - but all good. We never found anything but the friendliest staff at all locations. The only negative - if you could call it that - we would have really liked an extra night at Te Anau - a break from the driving! Overall very pleased and will book again when we come over to 'do' the North Island.

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15 Day New Zealand Splendour

The best for us: Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Rotorua in general, Queenstown (gondola and vintage steamship 1912), Moeraki Boulders and Pancake Rocks of Punakaiki.

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9 Day Northern Spectacular

Well-organized and well-paced. Capable tour director (Dianne Stanford) with a good sense of humor. Our bus driver, Cole, offered thoughtful insights into NZ's indigenous history. Perfect balance of organized visits and free time. Comfortable accommodations. Interesting for us to be the only Americans in a group of Australians and to have only 13 in the group. Well-chosen visits and commentaries.

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9 Day Taste of the South Island

We really enjoyed our tour, the organisation was excellent and we were very pleased with the accommodation and the food quality. The coach captain was well informed and our contact with the company, Toni Harris was extremely helpful and kept us well informed.

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12 Day Essence of the South

Mani was very helpful all throughout. He gave us very good advice about our trip. He was always available to answer all our questions. Again, thanks Mani for all the help.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Everything was very well organised right from the beginning. Staff were welcoming friendly and knowledgeable, nothing was too much trouble. Food was superb. The whole experience was fantastic from the wildness of the scenery, the roughness of the Tasman Sea to the peacefulness when all motors were turned off for us to enjoy the silence, just the birdsong. An amazing experience and excellent value for money.

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9 Day Coast to Coast

The tour buses were very comfortable, and were always on time. The shuttle drivers were equally helpful and there was never a problem with moving us and our luggage from hotel to bus. Our accommodations were excellent. I was glad that we purchased included breakfasts. That made those early mornings so much smoother.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

This has been the highlight of our time in New Zealand, we couldnt have asked for better weather, better companions or better staff, the fact that we saw dolphins within five minutes of setting off just topped the whole cruise off perfectly.

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9 Day Fiords, Alps & Glaciers

Thank you for our wonderful trip to New Zealand. Top marks to Marie Sarmon. We wanted to put together a custom trip and looked at all of your wonderful itineraries. Marie helped us to make the changes we requested. She was always immediately responsive to our e-mails and our trip proceeded not only with no problems and mistakes, but effortlessly. At one point when weather created a cancellation with a day trip, Marie helped us to just transfer the excursion to Mt. Cook. New Zealand was beautiful and welcoming and we can't say enough about how special this trip was to us.

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7 Day Alps & Glaciers

Should recommend tourist to stay at least 3 nights in Queenstown. Arrival in Franz Josef should be early to provide ample time to enjoy the attraction there.

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23 Day Once Around New Zealand

This was a wonderful 23 day trip. The trip was completely outlined in the 13-page itinerary we received before the trip. We drove 2,700 miles and stayed in 14 different hotels/motels. The quality of our accommodations was beyond our expectations. All the indicated driving distances were accurate; every reservation for lodging and excursions had been made and we were warmly welcomed at every stop. The Kruse Commentary system provided a lot of information as we traveled; we had to call their technical support for one issue, and the response time to resolve it was within one hour. It was a more carefree vacation for us, knowing that all the logistical arrangements had been handled by Relaxing Journeys.

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23 Day Scenic New Zealand

We probably should have had extra days at a few places. Overall it was a trip of a lifetime. We learned so much about the ecology, birds, and history of New Zealand. Several motels gave us upgrades which was great. I didn't realize every room has a kitchen. That was a pleasant surprise. I would suggest giving the option to skip Kaikoura and maybe stay at Hanmer Springs.

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7 Day Northern Highlights

We enjoyed the trip in North Island which is unique in its own way. The itineraries included are great but some stops (like Huka Falls) would have been better if it's slightly longer. We had a very dedicated driver/tour guide, George who also brought us to a few scenic spots for photo shoot not covered under the itinerary. Notwithstanding that we have a family of seven, he provided us with adjacent rooms in most of the hotels and also made sure that our luggage was well-organized. He even brought the group to scenic spots for photo taking not included in the itinerary. We would like to thank both George and Mani (Relaxing Journeys) for this wonderful trip!

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9 Day Taste of the South Island

I enjoyed the tour very much. However, it seemed very rushed and we didn't get enough time to enjoy some places. I realise that this is due to the long distances we covered and it gives one an opportunity to decide whether to return to certain areas.

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10 Day Pure South Island

I loved the tour, especially the West side. I would love to spend less time on the East side and more on the West. I loved hiking on the West. Thank you.

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19 Day New Zealand Showcase Tour

Grand Pacific were excellent.

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12 Day Northern Tourer

Very enjoyable trip, helped by good weather for most of the time. Everything went smoothly as per the itinerary. Only concern was motel at Paihia with room being in separate building next door to the motel although room itself was good. Slight security concern.

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13 Day Brief Encounter

Great tour!!! All the accommodations, attractions, car rental, transfers, etc. came off just as promised. In general, all the accommodations were very nice. No reserved parking at the Ibis in Wellington was an issue. Not having free internet in this day and age is also a disappointment. The itinerary was very detailed and we tried to experience as many sites along the way as possible. We loved Queenstown. An attraction we did there, which was not mentioned, that we think at the least should be mentioned, if not set up in advance with a voucher, was the Walter Peak Farm Tour. We took the cruise over, which was beautiful, and then experienced the sheep shearing and sheep herding demonstration. We loved it!! On top of that, the BBQ was great and well worth the extra cost based on how expensive food typically is in NZ. Toni did a great job for us, especially with how the issues of the earthquake and forest fires affected our tour.

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14 Day New Zealand Panorama

Loved the South Island. There was always lots to do and see. Peter our guide was great - very knowledgeable.

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8 Day TranzAlpine Vista

Everything about the trip ran very smoothly. Our driver (Kevin) was extremely knowledgeable about a lot of things and kept giving us tidbits of information constantly throughout the trip. He kept things very interesting during some of the long drives. He kept things very organized.

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15 Day Leisurely New Zealand

The tour was very well organised and allowed us to see a wide variety of what New Zealand has to offer, which was what we were looking for. If I were to do another trip I would ask to stay in smaller hotels, as we especially enjoyed the accommodation and friendliness of hotels such as the Distinction Fox Glacier. The big hotels (Auckland, Queenstown) had fine rooms but were less personal. The Hermitage Mt Cook was a highlight, with its wonderful views. It was good to have two nights in several of the hotels. If I do another tour I will look for one with 2-3 nights in the one place, and not so much travelling.

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14 Day Coastal Explorer

It is difficult to find any criticism of this tour and itinerary. Mani had put together a varied and interesting tour with a well balanced approach for a reasonably active retired couple. The staff on the coaches, tours and hotels were excellent, polite and eager to go the extra mile to make our trip memorable. The only minor hitch was a taxi failing to turn up in Taupo so we could catch the coach to Napier. However, the motel manageress was extremely helpful and ordered another and it only cost us 7 dollars! We would not hesitate to recommend your company in the future. I would like to make two suggestions, if I may, (in no means meant as a criticism, purely suggestions). Maybe in Taupo a trip could be arranged to the Falls. We only discovered this possibility when time was short! Also, perhaps a warning that the walk down, and particularly back, to Cathedral Cove requires stamina! There were many folks walking down, whom I fear, may still be on the way back! These are merely mentioned, politely, as suggestions. Thank you again for your meticulous organisation.

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19 Day Ultimate Rail & Coach Experience

The Grand Pacific Ultimate NZ Small Group Tour was exceptional. The coach was spacious and very comfortable. In fact, someone from a non-ultimate tour asked to look at our coach and described it as a "Rolls-Royce" compared to their coach. The itinerary was also terrific - almost everything we did could be the "best part" of an overall fantastic 19-days. We had a great time and are so glad we choose a small group ultimate tour. The accommodations and meals were also magnificent.

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13 Day Brief Encounter

Well planned. Regarding the accommodation we would definitely not recommend Adrian Motel or Edgewater. We could not even shower at Edgewater and both motels are only suitable for mum, dad and very small children. Glacier View is a budget motel but quite comfortable. I would really like to thank Marie Sarmon for her outstanding service regarding the whole trip. We always received a quick response from her and was a pleasure to deal with. She is an outstanding member of your team.

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Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

The trip was everything we expected. The ship was very clean and comfortable. The crew and staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The food was very good, and we especially enjoyed the "soup service" in the early afternoon. We would recommend this trip to our friends who may visit NZ.

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12 Day The Southern Drift

A wonderful tour to see the diversity and beauty of the South Island, with the added extra to experience Stewart Island.

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15 Day Lord Of The Rings Tour

Relaxing Journeys made my booking so easy and painless. Toni is VERY helpful and was in constant contact with me and was patient with all my many questions. Red Carpet Tours for the LOTR is an exceptional group. Julie is the best tour guide I've ever had. She made the whole experience more personal with her knowledge and passion for LOTR. It felt like a very exclusive tour because she took us in remote areas that would not be available elsewhere. We ate like Hobbits and was thoroughly entertained nonstop throughout the tour. You don't have to a mega fan of LOTR to enjoy all that NZ has to offer. But if you are fan, this tour will enhance your Middle-earth experience tenfold. I highly recommend this tour and booking from Relaxing Journeys.

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16 Day Te Wai Pounamu

Mani, once again you delivered an outstanding tour for us, no surprise after North Island tour in 2015. Kay and I thank you, South Island was just wonderful, the Boutique Hotels are unique, the people so friendly, nothing is a problem, spoilt wherever we went. Looking at maybe a winter tour late Sep 2018 in South Island. Thanks mate and cheers

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17 Day Complete South Island

The seventeen day visit to South Island was all that could have been expected. The scenery was spectacular and the people as friendly as claimed. The organization and planning by Relaxing Journeys was flawless. One change to the published itinerary that we would recommend people consider involves the excursion to Milford Sound. Leaving from and returning to Queenstown makes for a VERY long day. We requested a move to Te Anau and departure from there. We also chose to go to Doubtful Sound rather than Milford Sound. This request was very smoothly handled by the staff at Relaxing Journeys. The distances involved in the daily drives are quite short and, at first glance, the allocated times seem overly generous. The roads in New Zealand, while perfectly safe, are quite narrow with many sharp curves. Traffic volumes are low and NZ drivers are generally courteous and not aggressive so the driving is not difficult but it is relatively slow. So once again Relaxing Journeys has it right: the suggested times are what are required. We chose the "middle level" of accommodation with included breakfasts. This worked very well for us. The venues were easily accessible, clean and comfortable with in some cases spectacular views. All of the "cooked' breakfasts were excellent. The hosts at the smaller venues were very helpful in providing local information. All-in-all our visit was most enjoyable - helped by good weather of course. Should we return to visit the North Island we would not hesitate to make the arrangements through Relaxing Journeys.

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15 Day Lord Of The Rings Tour

The tour was an amazing experience, it was well worth the price. The locations were gorgeous and the people were lovely. Our tour felt more like an in depth look at both the Lord of the Rings movies and New Zealand itself because our tour guide knew so many of the local people. Overall it was everything I hoped for and more and I would definitely do it again.

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15 Day New Zealand Explorer

The tour exceeded our expectations. Kirra Tours did a fantastic job from picking us up at the airport, busing us around both islands to bringing us back to the airport safely. The fact that David was both driver, guide and our sole contact during the trip, made our sightseeing and excursions easy and very informative. He was an excellent driver, very knowledgeable, funny, calm, and at the same time let us sit back and enjoy the surroundings.

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15 Day Lord Of The Rings Tour

The tour was even better than I thought it was going to be. The service was excellent and Julie, our tour guide, was enthusiastic and took great care of us. Everywhere we went was an outstanding experience and there optional activities we could take advantage of. Marie from Relaxing Journeys, my tour consultant, did a great job. She always answered my questions and provided good advice and answers no matter how many questions I submitted. I am very happy with Relaxing Journeys and Red Carpet Tours. I would definitely recommend both. There are no words to describe how wonderful and unique this experience was. I didn't want to leave!

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19 Day New Zealand Showcase Tour

Driver and Tour Guide were very knowledgeable and worked well together. It was a very enjoyable experience. Grand Pacific are a great company to travel with.

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25 Day Grand Explorer

Fantastic, well organised itinerary. All accommodation, car hire, tours and transfers went without a glitch, including the reinstated Tranzalpine train journey. The add on tours to Waiheke Island and Franz Josef Glacier were great additions. We did however find the one night at Kaikoura after the difficult and long internal route, followed by a further long drive, including further necessary delays for roadworks, to Akaroa to be insufficient and tiring. We understand this situation has been forced upon you and will improve, with time, especially when the road north of Kaikoura is reopened. There are is also lots to do in Kaikoura including whale watching, swimming with dolphins etc. Happy to recommend Relaxing Journeys. A great way to combine a planned itinerary with the freedom of your own vehicle. Thank you Mani and team at Relaxing Journeys for a wonderful experience.

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32 Day Month in Paradise

Rethink the routing to Kaikoura, we stopped at Hanmer Springs which made the travel time more acceptable. We suggest you break at Hanmer if possible, and then time in Kaikoura, then Christchurch. We understand the coastal route closure, this will remain a problem for at least another season. Also would be good to warn of the ongoing roadworks on this route, and frequent prolonged stops. Kaikoura worth it, and they need the business, but the full drive, including photos, views etc is a risky proposition for inexperienced long distance drivers. First choice accommodation excellent, some of the others were good to very good. None bad. Pace was busy but with sufficient stability built in to deal with domestic issues, washing etc. The only issue as noted was the Kaikoura section.

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7 Day Northern Highlights

This was our first group tour that we had been on and I am pleased to say it won't be the last. All our expectations were met. The standard of the accommodation while not outstanding was more than adequate for a tour of this type. Ross, our driver and tour guide, was tremendous. Instead of 2 nights at Rotorua we would have preferred one night in Rotorua and one night in Lake Tapau - but that's just a personal preference. We would definitely recommend this tour to our friends.

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9 Day Southern Alps & Fiords

We thoroughly enjoyed our short trip in the South Island, what a sensational part of the world. Wish we had more time there. The holiday went like clockwork, all bookings fell into place, our 2 bedroom accommodation perfect for our needs and in great locations. This is our second holiday booked with Relaxing Journeys and we can't speak highly enough of the whole package. We have recommended them to anyone we know thinking of booking a New Zealand holiday. Thank you Mani for your assistance and excellent service.

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12 Day Northern Tourer

I want to thank Relaxing Journeys, and even more Mani for his expertise, guidance, patience and continuous work on our trip. From the very beginning email and even during the tour he was fantastic and a real asset to your company. Everything was planned exactly as we discussed and agreed for the self drive tour. When we arrived and throughout each stop there was not a single hitch or hiccup in the agenda. The documentation was fantastic, and the Kruse GPS was a welcome addition, although she cannot always be trusted so we were very thankful for the atlas provided. I note this because after speaking to some of the others we met during our stay did not have the same experiences we did with other tour companies. The staff/owners of the various places we stayed had nothing but good things to say about Relaxing Journeys and their professionalism and communications while other tour companies where not nearly as thorough. Overall the lodging was very, very good with the exception of a couple of the hotels which looked 'tired' and reflected a need for remodel or updating furniture, mattresses or building interiors. The B&B and boutique hotel stays we absolutely loved! The tours Mani booked for us were perfect and just enough that we felt there was no down time. I would and have already recommended Relaxing Journeys to others I have met.

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16 Day New Zealand Highlights

Toni did a great job of working with us from start to finish, sending timely updates to our itinerary, answering our questions, and keeping us posted on important next steps in the process. We certainly got a great introduction to both North and South Islands, enjoyed our time in the big cities (Auckland and Christchurch), and loved all the time we spent on or near the water (ferries, water taxis, kayaks, touring around lakes, visiting islands.) Maritime Museum and Rangitoto Island tour are very good. Once we got the hang of driving on the other side of the roads, most driving tours were quite enjoyable. The trip from Picton to Christchurch, however, was pretty bad....mountain switchbacks, speeding big trucks and aggressive cars, and endless stops for construction. It took us 8 1/2 hours and we were wiped out! We loved Rotorua & Maori cultural experience. We loved The Banks Peninsula and our Akaroa Dolphin Cruise. Other favorites: Christchurch Gardens, upgraded Interislander Ferry ride, Bay of Many Coves, Marlborough Sounds. Mt. Cook experience not so hot....mostly rain, no view of Aoraki Mt. Cook. Didn't think much of Hermitage accommodations/food but loved The Old Mountaineer's Cafe (two dinners there).

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18 Day Northward Bound

Hi Toni, thank you for a well organised and interesting tour programme. Everything went like clockwork from collecting the holiday pack with the car hire pick-up to dropping the car back at Auckland airport. We were wowed by the scenery, particularly in South Island, and your suggested routes for travelling around both islands really showed this off. Considering we booked so late we found all the hotels were comfortable and welcoming, with one even commenting on how efficient Relaxing Journeys were on paying them in advance. If we return to New Zealand we would have no hesitation in using your company. Many thanks.

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21 Day Spirit of New Zealand

Overall the tour was amazing. As I haven't done a coach tour before I found the pace tiring but the extra days in one place kept it all in balance. I wanted to see as much as possible in the time I had and it certainly delivered. The organisation was great, accommodation ranged from good to just ok (ibis not good especially in Rotorua). Boat trip on Milford Sound was amazing only disappointment was sharing 4 to cabin (not made clear on booking) when had opted for twin share. Inclusive visits all good. Extra excursions great but more info on what is available if you don't partake would be useful.

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16 Day Te Wai Pounamu

We communicated with Toni for a few months for this trip. We added two days to the itinerary to stay a little longer at certain stops. Instead of staying in Queenstown for Doubtful Sound we asked to stay in Te Anau with extra day to visit Milford Sound. A few days into our trip we had a blow out and changed our minds about driving after Abel Tasman National Park. We emailed and called Toni. Relaxing Journeys worked out the Intercity bus vouchers for us within a few hours. The vouchers were emailed to our Nelson hotels so the desk agent could print them for us. It definitely was more relaxing when someone else did the driving. We love most of our hotels except for the Copthorne in Queenstown (terrible upkeep, dated bedspread, and dirty grout in bathroom), Punakaiki Resort (mildew on shower head) and Hermitage in Mt. Cook (tiny room and bathroom for the price). We are really happy with our rooms at The Portage Hotel (Marlborough Sounds), Rutherford Hotel (Nelson), Abel Tasman Lodge (Kowhai Chalet), Radfords on the Lake (Te Anau) and Te Waonui Forest Retreat. Overall we had a great time in the South Island and are happy we chose Relaxing Journeys. Their quick response to our change of transportation method was well delivered without affecting our itinerary.

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23 Day By Land & Sea

This was a great trip! We loved New Zealand and all it's natural beauty and friendly people. Relaxing Journeys did a beautiful job of organizing our detailed itinerary. Traveling by Intercity buses allowed us to sight-see as we went from place to place rather than struggle with driving on the opposite side of the road than we are used to. Shuttles met our buses and transported us to our hotel when needed. By and large, the buses ran like clock work. When heavy rain washed out roads, Christine in Operations guided us through a change of plans. She also tracked down our luggage the airline lost...thank you Christine! We loved all our destinations but especially enjoyed Punakaiki, which was a suggestion from Toni. Hiking is our favorite activity and the leisurely pace allowed us to do that in almost every location. The tourist office in every town gave maps with hiking trails. We strongly recommend traveling in New Zealand with Relaxing Journeys.

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10 Day Southern Circuit

In general it was a very nice tour. All the transportation from place to place and between bus station and hotel were well organized. All the accommodation were clean and comfortable, however, sometime need 10~20min walk to reach city/visit center, still doable, preferably closer. The travel information was nicely shared and we really enjoy our time in NZ. I would like to recommend this tour to my friends.

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