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When you are short on time, but wish to discover as much of or beautiful country as possible then this is the self drive tour for you! Highlights include a traditional Maori cultural experience, the world famous TranzApline train and Tasman Glacier excursion. Note: The Glacier Explorer Tour at Mt Cook, does not operate between May-September so is replaced with a Shotover Jet ride in Queenstown.
Book your self drive tour this month and receive an Earlybird Discount of 10%. Make full payment by 31 July 2018 to qualify or receive a discount of 7.5% if you pay by 30 September 2018.
Rental vehicle of your choice including airport and ferry port collection charges
Entry to Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Admission to the Te Puia geothermal region
Te Po - Maori cultural experience with traditional hangi
Scenic Interislander Ferry Cruise
Tasman Glacier Explorer Boat Excursion
Coast to coast TranzAlpine Train journey through the Southern Alps
Travel wallet, comprehensive customised itinerary, bound map book, accommodation & activity vouchers and local travel guides
Book your self drive tour this month and receive an Earlybird Discount of 10%. Make full payment by 31 July 2018 to qualify or receive a discount of 7.5% if you pay by 30 September 2018.
Arrive Auckland and collect your rental car before making your way to your accommodation. New Zealand’s largest city has an idyllic setting, overlooking the forested Waitakere Ranges, sheltered Manukau Harbour and the island studded Hauraki Gulf to the north. No wonder over a million people choose to live there and enjoy the benefits of nature on the doorstep. Beautiful beaches and dreamy offshore islands are just half an hour from the city. In fact the sea is so much a part of the place that an unusually high number of people own their own boat giving the city its name of ‘City of Sails’.
Today make your way south through the lush Waikato farmlands south of Auckland to Waitomo, where entrance to the caves is included. Continue on to Rotorua, set in a tranquil lake studded basin among forested hills, the town is centre for a region where one surprise follows another. Geysers spout 15 metres into the air, bubbling cauldrons spit out mud and steam vents hiss to an all-prevailing odour of sulphur. (2 nights)
Free time to explore Rotorua this today. You may like to visit the Agrodome or take a gondola ride to the top of Mt Ngongotaha for spectacular views of Rotorua. Later this afternoon visit Te Puia geothermal area to view the boiling mudpools and cascading Pohutu geyser that make Rotorua famous as New Zealand’s thermal city. This evening experience Te Po, Te Puia’s cultural experience. It is a feast of cultural storytelling, entertainment and Maori kai (indigenous food). After a formal Maori welcome, relax and enjoy a performance including the beautiful songs, haka and poi dance. After dinner you will be transported by people movers to enjoy the spectacular lighting of the Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley and hot chocolate. (D)
Today make your way south to New Zealand’s capital city Wellington. Nestled between a stunning natural harbour on the southern coast of the North Island and the forested hills of the Rimutaka and Tararua Ranges, Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city and proud of it. The population is considerably smaller than that of Auckland, but it certainly matches the larger city for amenities. The city’s cheerful wooden homes are spread over its hilly surrounds, providing some of its residents with superb views over the sheltered harbour and an easily accessible venue for a whole host of outdoor leisure activities. (2 nights)
Good views of the city and harbour are available from the lookout at the top of Mt Victoria, or from the top cable car terminal. Very much part of the character of the city, the cable car is a must do attraction and links nicely with the Botanic Gardens and the Carter Observatory. The interactive museum, Te Papa is a major feature of the city and is located on the waterfront – itself pleasant to stroll along whilst pondering any number of dining experiences. The museum is a testament to the country’s very proud heritage, both Maori and European.
Please return your rental car to the depot at the Wellington ferry terminal prior to boarding the Interislander ferry and crossing the Cook Strait to Picton. On arrival in Picton collect a new rental car and journey south along the west coast to Christchurch. With its international airport, Christchurch is the gateway to the South Island and the country’s second largest city. It is the hub of the Canterbury region and offers an environment that is both laid-back and action-packed. Possessing a stable sunny climate, the city’s parks and gardens are a key attraction year round and are renowned for their beauty, especially in spring.
Today journey to Mount Cook, known to the Maori as Aoraki. Mt Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand and standing at an imposing 3754m dominates the Southern Alps that separate Christchurch from Queenstown. Certainly an icon of New Zealand, Mt Cook has long attracted climbers and mountaineers, wishing to scale its heights. However, many of the people visiting Mt Cook have less lofty ambitions, choosing simply to enjoy the impressive views on clear days or on scenic flights, which are a great way to appreciate the grandeur of the place.
This morning enjoy a glacier tour from the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier, afterwards journey onwards to Queenstown. Some might say the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is the place where just about everything is possible and anything is likely. Boasting an incredible location on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, in front of the impressive Remarkables mountain range, nature has purpose built this area for adventure. (2 nights)
Today is at leisure to explore Queenstown and the surrounding areas. Although there is a wide variety of adrenaline fuelled activities that will not disappoint even the most fearless visitor, such as bungy jumping, white water surfing, jet-boating, canyoning, luging and parapenting there is also plenty for those wanting indulgence and relaxation, from the fine wines of the region to the many shops. The best mountain views are to be had from the Skyline Gondola, which has a panoramic restaurant, overlooking the town and Lake Wakatipu, where scenic cruises on a historic steamboat are on offer.
Today make your way through Wanaka and up the West Coast to the Glaciers, the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are without doubt the greatest lure of this region. Nestled on the edge of the rainforest and descending 2500m over 13kms, these great cascading frozen rivers are only 6kms from the Tasman Sea and in this respect are unique. They are also amongst the fastest moving glaciers in the world with Franz Josef known to move up to 5m per day on occasions. (2 nights)
Day at leisure to explore the surrounding areas. Time permitting, both glaciers are worth seeing, but understandably with only two nights time is a bit limited. Both are remarkably accessible and can be explored on guided walks, heli-hikes and scenic flights. One of the ‘must do’s’ of the area is a visit to the iconic Lake Matheson. Lying just west of the Fox Glacier township, this lake is famous for offering idyllic views of the surrounding mountains, almost perfectly reflected in the mirror-smooth waters.
This morning make your way to Greymouth and return your rental car to the depot at the rail station. Join the TranzAlpine train to journey through the Southern Alps to Christchurch, on arrival in Christchurch you will be transferred by shuttle to your accommodation.
Today is at your leisure until your departure when you will be transferred by shuttle from your accommodation to Christchurch airport for your onward flight.
There are 39 reviews of this tour from past clients of Relaxing Journeys, averaging 4.8 out of 5.
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5
James W Gorham Jr (United States)
08/04/2018
Jointly planning this trip with Relaxing Journeys gave us the best of both worlds -- an independent tour with the benefit of the experience and connections of helpful professional tour planners.
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4
Mike Davis (United States)
28/03/2018
Every thing went according to plan. All cars, motels and activities were as requested smooth no hassle.
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5
David Hulse (Australia)
13/02/2018
We really enjoyed our tour of beautiful New Zealand. The bookings of accommodation, car hire, ferry tickets and tours all went to plan. There was one problem with a nights accommodation, it was sorted out very quickly by Relaxing Journeys. (We were upgraded and given free breakfast and parking for the inconvenience) On a couple of days there are long drive times, but we actually enjoyed them, the scenery is so stunning. In summing up, we have no problem with recommending Relaxing Journeys. Thank you to Toni for all her help and communication.
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5
Thomas Siegele (United States)
14/03/2017
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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4
Wendy Goodall (Australia)
07/03/2017
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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5
Dr. Sanjeev Bhandari (India)
13/02/2017
We were three couples from India & wanted to have a self-drive tour in New Zealand. After reading reviews of Relaxing Journeys, I contacted them & were fortunate to have Mani as our guide. First of all, on behalf of all 3 families, I shall like to express our gratitude to Mani & Relaxing Journeys for the immaculate planning of our tour & the perfect execution of all our requirements. The accommodation & both the vehicles - one in North Island & second in South Island, were good and there were no major hitches, barring a few minor ones. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in New Zealand & were fortunate not to miss any planned activity due to bad weather. The helicopter ride to Franz Joseph glacier & Whale and Dolphin tour in Auckland were highlights of our tour! We even did skydiving from 15000 ft. at Queenstown - a lifetime experience & we would recommend it - even though one feels scared at the thought of it. A small suggestion - even if 4 people are sharing a double bedroom accommodation, please see to it that there are separate bathrooms for both & if not, at least there should be privacy in the form of locks from inside for the common toilet unit - which caused a lot of inconvenience to us at most of the places! All in all, we again thank Mani for his prompt help throughout our planning phase & perfect tour for us - I shall definitely recommend Relaxing Journeys to all my friends in the future wholeheartedly.
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5
Christina Lang (United States)
24/12/2016
We thought our trip was amazing! Mani was great to work with and made planning the trip very easy. All of the transfers/hotels/cars were ready and waiting for us. All the sights we saw were incredible. The pace of our trip was fast, but that was due to our time constraints rather than any planning issues. We are already looking forward to our next trip to New Zealand and would definitely use Relaxing Journeys.
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5
Siew-Mei Lim (Singapore)
23/12/2016
It's been 3 weeks since my family came back from our trip to New Zealand from 22 Dec'15 to 7 Jan'16. Thank you for your excellent travel arrangementS, everything went on smoothly on the trip and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in your beautiful country. Everything from the collection of the car to the checking in at the various accommodations and the pre-booked activities were hassle-free. The choice of accommodations was very good. The detailed itinerary prepared for us was also very helpful. Thanks Mani and Relaxing Journeys for the reliable and excellent service.
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5
Randall Givan (United States)
19/12/2016
We had the time of our lives and New Zealand is an incredible place. Marie did an awesome job with making all the arrangements. I wouldn't recommend the Queenstown accommodations but overall they were perfect for our needs.
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5
Donna Whaley (United States)
23/11/2016
It is not often that a service completely exceeds my expectations, but Marie and Relaxing Journeys absolutely did. We had a wonderful time from start to finish and did not experience any problems at all. Each accommodation was perfect for our needs. Every tour you scheduled for us was well managed, professional and enjoyable. Our day at Tongariro was impacted by poor weather -- so no volcanoes -- but weather is one of those things we cannot control. We enjoyed good restaurants and one spectacular scene/experience after another. We were very pleased and appreciative of your guidance. I posted a review on TripAdvisor.
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5
Sebastian Chia & Jasmine Lim (Singapore)
06/05/2016
We were very happy with Marie's tour arrangements. Our tour went very smoothly with no hiccups. Relaxing Journeys delivered what they promised. We will definitely recommend Relaxing Journeys to our friends. It is really value for money.
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5
Bronwyn Evans (Australia)
11/02/2016
Planning and following the tour was easy. It was great to have everything together in one place. The included activities were all great. We probably would have preferred a night in Akaroa rather than the first night in Christchurch ... but this is only with the benefit of hindsight. The motel in Franz Josef wasn't as good as the others and was a bit out of town. Apart from that, we were happy with all accommodations. The cars were comfortable and easy to access. The tour itinerary and narrative was helpful.
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5
Steve Wong (Malaysia)
02/02/2016
Very well planned itinerary. A couple of stretches were quite hectic but I supposed couldn't be helped as we were trying to squeeze in as much as possible within the time frame. Eg. Picton to Christchurch drive. We left Picton at approx 2pm & lingered around Cloudy Bay winery before commencing our drive to Christchurch. The drive was unexpectedly challenging & we arrived after 10pm, really tired. Not your fault, guys, but if we could do this again, we add a night in Marlborough or Christchurch!
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5
Ed Baisden & Jeri Graham (United States)
15/08/2015
Marie's assistance was invaluable to us as we put together our final itinerary. She took one of your 'stock' tours and worked with us to modify it so as to meet our needs and desires. Her suggestions for en-route diversions to pick up things along the way were spot on and added so much to our time there. I was particularly impressed that she was flexible enough to reach out on her own initiative and change one of our accommodations because she had had some comments from other travelers that led her to believe that we would not be happy with the plan, as booked. She helped me get a replacement GPS from Kruze (who were also very helpful) when the original instrument proved to not work properly. I could not be happier with her support. She's a winner, all round!
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5
Ian Cole (Singapore)
21/07/2015
Fantastic self-drive tour! We loved New Zealand and will come back one day when we have more time to do it justice. I think we must have bought the lovely sunshine with us from Singapore. The commentary from the Kruse sat-nav was really informative although sometimes the directions went a bit wonky around the cities. It would have been useful to have a bit more info. On closing times for motel receptions on the itinerary. At this time of year I'm not sure whether we would have seen the penguins if we had headed south after coming over the pass on the way to Franz Josef. I decided not to as I wasn't sure how long it would take but now I regret that. I thought that there were probably better motels in the price range during our stays at Franz Josef and in Auckland.
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5
Karen & Barry Mason (United States)
03/03/2015
The hotel in Rotorua sent us to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland which was wonderful. I would have been sorry to miss it. You need to update your information about Mt. Cook. The salmon farm on the Canal Road has been closed for two years. (Ed. Woops!)
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5
Anne (United Kingdom)
30/12/2014
We had a wonderful holiday which exceeded our expectations. It did involve a lot of driving with some long days which we knew about when we booked, but was worth doing as we managed to see a lot of both islands in a limited time. New Zealand is a beautiful country with friendly people and really good food.. The motels were of a good standard and Thrifty cars were very good low mileage cars. We thank Toni for all her help in organising our holiday which went to plan (with only a minor hiccup in that our Kruse GPS was sent to Auckland airport instead of Thrifty car rental in Auckland - this just caused us a minor delay while Thrifty tracked it down and it was delivered to us) this did not spoil our holiday. Hopefully we will visit New Zealand again sometime and would use Relaxing Journeys to book it and I would recommend Relaxing Journeys to anyone planning a trip to New Zealand.
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5
Nigel Mynott (United Kingdom)
08/09/2014
A brilliant trip, extremely well organised with no problems with the vouchers issued by Relaxing Journeys for car hire, motel and activities. The pace was great for us as the roads are so lovely and quiet to drive on. If i had to find one tiny fault it would be that a couple of the motels where a little bit tired, but not worth complaining about really and it did not spoil our holiday in any way. We cannot rate Relaxing Journeys high enough. Thank you.
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5
Allison Hart (United States)
20/01/2014
Our trip was absolutely amazing! Relaxing Journeys worked with us to create the perfect itinerary for seeing some of New Zealand's most spectacular sights and most interesting cultural experiences at the pace that we desired. It was a great mix of both pre-planned tours (where we couldn't have planned them any better) and independent excursions leaving us some time to just explore a bit on our own. Accommodations were just what we requested - affordable yet comfortable, each with its own character. :) Best of all, everything went off without a hitch, and I truly appreciate just being able to fully enjoy the trip without having to deal with any unexpected headaches! Toni was great and provided excellent service every step of the process - can't express enough appreciation for that!
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5
Jasmine Oh (Singapore)
21/12/2013
Had a wonderful and enjoyable holiday. Thanks to Mani and Relaxing Journeys for the well planned, well paced itinerary. Despite a little hiccup and scare on the 1st day of arrival as final documents were not placed in 1st accommodation as stated, the overall experience is fantastic. Few accommodations worth mentioning - Bella Vista Christchurch is too old and small. Quest Wellington offsite parking facility very inconvenient for loading and unloading luggages. Barclay Suites Auckland can be very noisy from the weekends party goers, offsite parking inconvenience. Good holidays after 1st visit to NZ 25 years ago. Will definitely visit NZ again. Thank you Relaxing Journeys!
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5
Trish & Al Kirkide (United States)
24/02/2013
We had an amazing race through New Zealand. We saw so much and enjoyed every minute. We worked with Mani Fagundes and he was so helpful. He made this easy for us and everything went perfectly. The side tours/trip he set up for us were fabulous. I would recommend Relaxing Journeys for your trip as they did a great job setting up our 2 week drive.
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5
Karen Jongebloed (Australia)
13/10/2012
I was travelling with my 75 year old mother and all the arrangements were very suitable to accommodate her needs. The information provided in the itinerary was extremely helpful as it assisted us in planning our day when doing the self-drive segments of our trip. Nothing went wrong and we felt the pace was manageable - we managed to see a lot of NZ in 14 days! Will have no hesitation in recommending other to consider dealing with you guys!
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4
Deborah Williams & Terry Blair (United States)
10/09/2012
We have returned and are getting over jet lag. I wanted to let you know how smoothly everything went. There were no problems with vouchers; shuttles were there when they were supposed to be; the road map was very good (we used it instead of the GPS since I am a very good navigator); motels were adequate and the kitchens were useful. We particularly liked the electric blankets, especially when the temperatures dipped. (By the way, every motel had hair dryers except for the one in Auckland. It might have had one in a cabinet or for loan out of the main office but we didn't check). Your country is beautiful, and your citizens are friendly and accommodating. Thank you for a great experience.
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4
Bill & Kathy Harris (United States)
07/09/2012
Everything you set up went like clockwork. We were a little disappointed in a couple of the motels because of their location and we did not enquire, but 1 bathroom for 4 adults trying to get ready was inconvenient. We were able to make some room adjustments so that helped. In particular, the motel in Franz Josef was quite aways out of town and did not have restaurant facilities as the others did. There appeared to be some nice motels in town that would have worked better for us. We should have added a couple more days to the trip. We already did add 2 and I cannot imagine doing it without those days.
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5
Jo & Family (United Kingdom)
01/08/2012
Just back from our fantastic trip and wanted to thank you and all at Relaxing Journeys for making our stay so easy - everything that had been arranged ran like clockwork, it just took all the hassle out of our holiday, giving us more time to enjoy your fantastic country. Thanks again.
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Linda & Bill Rushworth (Canada)
04/02/2012
Tour as expected. Some of the accommodation is getting a little tired and requires updating. It would be nice to have the option of taking the train from Christchurch to Picton. Your instructions for picking up the Super Shuttle in Christchurch are incorrect. They have a pickup location outside the terminal. This has apparently been in effect for over a year. It would have been nice to have the map book ahead of time, we purchased our own so the routes were highlighted before we arrived. Our compliments to Jarrod, he is fabulous to deal with.
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Lorena Varela Flores (Mexico)
11/01/2012
Our tour was truly delightful. Toni helped us choose all kinds of different activities which made the trip have a lot of variety, catering at one time or another for each one of us (my husband, my three-year old and me). Every motel room was exactly what we needed and, with the very complete information package that we were handed, it all went really smoothly. Perhaps the only suggestion I have is that if someone were to ask about options when traveling with a three-year old or so, you should let them know earlier (probably before paying) what kind of distances they would be looking at as the number of hours spent in a car when traveling between the bigger cities might be a bit much for some small kids to deal with. We personally didn't have any problems as my daughter is used to traveling distances of anywhere between 400 and 800 kilometers over a weekend every two weeks, but at a certain point I did get a bit stressed about how she would manage these four to five hour trips three days in a row. As a matter of fact, she did great, but other parents could end up having a harder time if their kids are not so used to traveling so much on such short periods of time, specially if they don't get this information until everything has already been arranged. Other than this suggestion, we have nothing but good things to say. We will certainly recommend you if anyone we know wants to travel to New Zealand and we really want to thank you for playing such a big part in helping us enjoy our holiday so much.
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5
Alan Pearson (South Africa)
05/12/2011
Thank you for organising the tour of your remarkable country, New Zealand. Lesley, Sam, Ally and myself had a wonderful unforgettable holiday. There wasn't a single hiccup, your recommendations were great, accomodation good and the weather not too bad. We hope that one day we will be able to return to your beautiful country. We will certainly recommend your tour.
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Patrick & Shirley McAvoy (United Kingdom)
06/02/2011
A short note to say we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to New Zealand and all the effort Jarrod put into this for us. Everything went like clockwork and all accommodation was of a great standard. All the official trips organised were well thought out and really appropriate to what we wanted out of our trip to New Zealand. One small gripe. I was not too impressed that there was no one from Thrifty car rentals at Wellington to receive us when we had to return the hire car there. Although insrtuctions had been given for this eventuality, the fact that no one was there caused undue stress. The scenary in New Zealand is spectacular.
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Parveen & Narinder Sharma (United Kingdom)
19/01/2011
Thank you to Jarrod for organising this tour. It definitely gave us a flavour of what New Zealand has to offer. The itenerary was well planned and everything ran smoothly. It provided structure while allowing flexibility to do our own thing. Jarrod was prompt in responding to few queries that we had. We enjoyed the whale watching experience in Kaikoura. We were lucky to go on this tour. Only one tour ran that day due to adverse weather conditions. We saw both killer and sperm whales. We also enjoyed our overnight cruise of Milford Sounds. Spending the evening in Te Puia's world was an unforgettable experience, it was really good to experience Maori culture up close. The tour involved a lot of driving and most of the accommodation was clean and functional however the accommodation in Kaikoura and Queenstown was somewhat disappointing. The only other comment we have is that we would have preferred to keep one car throughout instead of dropping it off at Wellington and picking up one in Picton, is it not possible to take the car on ferry? Perhaps car rental firms have restrictions? (RJ - Yes they do). Once again thank you for organising a pleasant holiday.
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5
Alessandro Rosenbaum (Australia)
18/12/2010
I can not stress enough how great service has been delivered from the team of Relaxing Journeys. They have fulfilled every single expectation and needs of a free stress holiday. Our program had specific needs and Toni has helped to tailored a perfect holiday since the first contact we had 6 months prior departure answering every single question and doubts about New Zealand. Thank you so much for all your assistance, hope to talk with you again soon.
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5
Chris & Irene O'Malley (Australia)
09/10/2010
Just a quick note to thank you very much for organising our recent trip to New Zealand. Everything went like clockwork and all the accommodation venues were great. All the vouchers were accepted and all the timings were spot on. The people we stayed with were very friendly and professional and I want to give a special mention to Sue and Paul at Six on Union in Rotorua who went beyond the call of duty to make our stay special. I want to thank Relaxing Journeys for a great holiday and you for your professional service . We are really glad we went with your Company and would not hesitate to use you again or recommend you to other travellers. We think this trip was very good value for money and given our time restraints we managed to see quite a lot of NZ . Thrifty were great and they even gave us an upgrade in Picton. You have a beautiful country with equally beautiful people. Many thanks again.
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5
Michael & Colleen Walden (Australia)
04/01/2010
The service provided by Jarrod Scharvi when booking this tour was first rate. The arrangements for the accommodation, hire car, the included functions and the extra functions added by us were done precisely. We did not have any problems what so ever with the vouchers set up to present at each location for hotels and admissions etc and made things so much easier. This great service helped make our 13 day Brief Encounter tour of New Zealand absolutely fantastic.
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Richard & Deborah LeBlanc (United States)
27/12/2009
What a great vacation! It may have been a 'self-drive' tour, but definitely not 'self service' - everything was taken care of. We spent 10 days touring the North Island and most of the South Island. Even though the car rental involved picking up a car in Auckland, dropping it off in Wellington (to get on the ferry), picking another one up in Picton, dropping it off in Greymouth (to get on the train) and picking up yet another in Christchurch, we didn't encounter any problems. Accommodations were clean and friendly. They were spread all over NZ, and again, no problems. Transfers were all on time. Vouchers for all shows and activities were also accepted with no problems. Let me see if I can find something that didn't go according to plan! 1) The GPS didn't know where the car rental firm was in Greymouth, so we actually had to ask someone. It was a block from the train station. 2) The car was supposed to be dropped off to us at the hotel in Christchurch, but it was a holiday in NZ, so only one person was working at the office and he couldn't leave. He sent (and paid for) a cab to pick us up, and the car was ready to go when we got there. In other words, there is just nothing to complain about! I would (and will) recommend Relaxing Journeys to anyone that wants to travel to New Zealand for a drama-free vacation.
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5
Kenn & Clare Cunningham (United States)
28/10/2009
Wow, What a amazing place. The sites were beautiful and each city had it's own flare. Relaxing Journeys did an exceptional job with the setup and execution of the tour. We did not encounter any problems with the hotels or excursions. Some of our drives were long, but you don't even know it. With all the sights along the way, the time just goes by. We would love to get back one day and see more. Thank you Relaxing Journeys for such a memorable honeymoon.
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5
Dale & Caroline McKenna (United Kingdom)
13/10/2009
Well what can I say, tremendous time in a beautiful country. Please thank you and all of the of the staff at Relaxing Journeys, for my wife and myself we could not of had a better holiday. The way that everything was put together from the start with the cars to the motels we stayed in and the friendliness of the staff of the motels, to the functions and trips that you said would be of interest we couldn't of asked for anything more. If anyone ever asks about driving in your own country please ask them to do it, because it gives you time to stop and look around and photograph some of the dramatic countryside we have ever seen. Thank you for the best 50th birthday and wedding anniversary ever.
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5
Raymond & Julie Collins (Canada)
10/05/2009
We has a wonderful tour. We thoroughly enjoyed out time in New Zealand and wish to come back some day. Only negative was weather at Mount Cook which cause the cancellation of the Glacier Explorer tour.
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5
Laurie & Barbara Carter (Australia)
13/04/2009
We were very impressed with all the things that had been pre-booked and organised for us. Everything was as stated in the information and everywhere we went our vouchers were accepted without fuss. The chosen hotels were clean and comfortable and the hire cars reliable. The only two suggestions (and these weren't really a major problem) 1. The pick up point for the Dart River Safari in Queenstown was stated as the entrance to our hotel (Sherwood Manor Hotel Goldfield Heights Frankton Road Queenstown). We were waiting at the front for about 30 mins and the bus was waiting on the highway. In the end they rang the hotel to see where we were. If any future people do this tour it could just be stated that the pick up point is at the bus stop on the main highway travelling towards Queenstown). 2. The GPS was fantastic, but some of the accommodation addresses did not include street numbers. This sometimes resulted in not knowing what end of the street to go to and with long streets it sometimes took a while to find the accommodation. So if street numbers could be included, the GPS would take you straight there. Thank you for a fantastic holiday itinerary and organisation. We had a fantastic time and wouldn't hesitate to use your company again. Kia Ora Laurie and Barbara.
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5
David Hope & Alison Yardley (Australia)
10/04/2009
I can't thank Relaxing Tours enough for organising our fly/drive holiday. The itinerary went according to plan and I felt we had the time to do the things we wanted to do. The tours included in the itinerary were all great. There was only one minor problem in that Europcar did not deliver the car to the hotel in Auckland but they ended up paying for the taxi fare to get to them. All other changeovers went smoothly. My main suggestion for improvement would be to have a map with the full route highlighted to show which road to travel on. There were a couple of places where there were two routes that could be taken and the itinerary didn't suggest which one to use. Both take about the same amount of time so it would only be if one route was more interesting than the other. I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending Relaxing Tours or the tour we went on.
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Optionals
New Zealand has a great deal of things to see and do, why not add one of our optional sightseeing activities to your trip. Prices are per adult (we'll adjust your quote for any children).
When you are short on time, but wish to discover as much of or beautiful country as possible then this is the self drive tour for you! Highlights incl...
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