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Lydia Ford

Born and raised in New Zealand, I am back after some world travel and once again blown away by the beauty found around every corner and the friendliness of Kiwis! There is always something new to see and experience and even doing the same hike 100x never gets old when you see the mountains.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"New Zealand self drives with hidden gems to see and experience along the way. Hikes and active activities, especially in the beautiful South Island New Zealand. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"A spontaneous job application after a short stint as a pastry chef and here I still am! Travel is such a rewarding industry to be part of, ever changing and always something new to learn, see and experience! While I have moved around in the industry, sharing my experiences and getting people excited about their holiday plans is what I really enjoy.
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Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I was out camping and we set an alarm at 2am when the skies would be dark to drive to a completely dark location to watch a meteor shower. Hanging out the sun roof in our pajamas and sleeping bags with hot chocolates watching hundreds of meteors was a pretty special experience!"

Lydia is part of the following groups: New Zealand Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Road trip itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Lydia

Trip of a lifetime!
New Zealand | Nov 5 - Nov 13, 2023

Rik
Rik R.
Petaluma, CA | Reviewed on Nov 24, 2023
Lydia was an extraordinary help in planning and implementing my trip every step of the way! I highly recommend her, New Zealand Fine Tours, and kimkim! It was a trip I wanted to do my whole life and didn't get around to it now. Every part of the tour was gorgeous, beginning with the journey into Hobbiton and the LOR sets were incredible. The Maori tours and shows were incredible. Mt Cook was especially beautiful, transcendent in a word. Took my breath away. Then on to Queenstown for stunning... Read more

Lydia was an extraordinary help in planning and implementing my trip every step of the way! I highly recommend her, New Zealand Fine Tours, and kimkim! It was a trip I wanted to do my whole life and didn't get around to it now. Every part of the tour was gorgeous, beginning with the journey into Hobbiton and the LOR sets were incredible. The Maori tours and shows were incredible. Mt Cook was especially beautiful, transcendent in a word. Took my breath away. Then on to Queenstown for stunning boat rides on the Lake and a dinner across the lake on one of the nights. Finally, the trip out to the West Coast of the South Island was yet another gem. All along the way my trip was planned step by step, the transportation was prompt with enjoyable and well informed tour guides, and the accommodations were clean and comfortable. The trip included some meals which were very good and memorable. Thank you Lydia and all the folks at NZFTs and kimkim.

Local specialist: Lydia Ford

KimKim did an excellent job planning our 1-month NZ trip
New Zealand | Feb 22 - Mar 23, 2023

C
Connie A.
Greenwood Village, CO | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2023
KimKim did an excellent job planning our 1-month NZ trip. Lydia organized our days with a variety of activities, such as biking, hiking and tours. When we had questions or concerns about our agenda Lydia was very prompt with responses and resolutions. The trip was well planned and we won’t hesitate to use KimKim in the future. We LOVED our trip, thank you! Read more

KimKim did an excellent job planning our 1-month NZ trip. Lydia organized our days with a variety of activities, such as biking, hiking and tours. When we had questions or concerns about our agenda Lydia was very prompt with responses and resolutions. The trip was well planned and we won’t hesitate to use KimKim in the future. We LOVED our trip, thank you!

Hotel Review
Powderhorn Chateau
Ohakune

Beautiful accommodations and lovely views.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Lydia Ford

Give yourselves time to relax!
New Zealand | Mar 3 - Mar 17, 2023

David
David L.
Tempe, AZ | Reviewed on Mar 28, 2023
We really enjoyed our 17-day trip to New Zealand. If we have one regret it is that we packed our itinerary so full that we rarely got time to relax and just enjoy being there. While we were there (I'm told it's typical of the late summer period) there were road works on almost every route we travelled, so published driving times were always optimistic, which added to the pressure. Though we enjoyed many wonderful experiences, it would be hard to beat the cruise on Medford Sound. We almost... Read more

We really enjoyed our 17-day trip to New Zealand. If we have one regret it is that we packed our itinerary so full that we rarely got time to relax and just enjoy being there. While we were there (I'm told it's typical of the late summer period) there were road works on almost every route we travelled, so published driving times were always optimistic, which added to the pressure. Though we enjoyed many wonderful experiences, it would be hard to beat the cruise on Medford Sound. We almost missed this altogether, as our itinerary included flights to and from there from Queenstown which we cancelled at the last minute due to weather conditions. Our wonderful travel specialist, Lydia, managed to reschedule the itinerary for that day and the next so that we could drive there to enjoy the cruise the following day. The heavy rain that prevented our flights turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it resulted in the walls of Medford Sound being covered in waterfalls during our visit which made for a special day. Our favorite meal, was a lunchtime barbeque at the Walter Peak Farm accessed by a steamship cruise on Lake Wakatipu. Our favorite hotel room, the Te Waonui Forest Retreat in Franz Josef. All our guides were friendly and knowledgable, and all the arrangments went without a hitch. Now we're back home, we just need to take a break to breathe...

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Montreal
Christchurch

We enjoyed this hotel very much. We spent a total of 3 nights there in two stays. The mini-suite rooms were large and well laid out with a comfortable seating area. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the service felt personal and unrushed. The breakfast was wonderful - we particularly enjoyed the french toast! The one-way road system in Christchurch challenged us in finding the entry to the car park, but once mastered was fine. The hotel is close to downtown, and a short walk from the hop-on hop-off tram service. It is also very close to the beautiful botantical gardens which we very much enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character
Location
close to downtown but very quiet
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Te Waonui Forest Retreat
Franz Josef Westland

The highlight of this hotel for us was the location of the room. The hotel is set amongst dense vegetation, and the ground-floor rooms are below the level of the forest canopy. You feel like you are almost in the jungle. In contrast, the restaurant is on the 2nd floor, so the view from the large floor-to-ceiling windows is of the surrounding mountains over the top of the forest canopy. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The overall impression was very relaxed and unrushed. The hotel grounds and public spaces were decorated with carvings in native wood, which added to the ambience.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Forest setting
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
CHCH Touring - Private Transfer Accommodation to Christchurch Train Station
Christchurch

Our driver was waiting for us as we emerged into the arrival area and welcomed us to New Zealand. The drive to our hotel in a private car was on quiet side streets through an attractive part of town and the friendly driver helped us with some ideas for our first day's activities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Lydia Ford

Just fabulous!
New Zealand | Dec 18 - Jan 1, 2023

J
Jaya S.
San Mateo, CA | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2023
Lydia and her team at New Zealand Self Drive Tours were fantastic! They were quick to respond when there was a minor issue at one of the wine cellars and the issue was resolved immediately. And this was on Christmas eve!! The app was extremely helpful throughout our drive. Just one suggestion for the folks at the New Zealand Fine Touring-- The Milford Fly Cruise Fly website is inaccurate about the pick up times from the hotels in Queensland for the 10 am trip. Please let them know that people... Read more

Lydia and her team at New Zealand Self Drive Tours were fantastic! They were quick to respond when there was a minor issue at one of the wine cellars and the issue was resolved immediately. And this was on Christmas eve!! The app was extremely helpful throughout our drive. Just one suggestion for the folks at the New Zealand Fine Touring-- The Milford Fly Cruise Fly website is inaccurate about the pick up times from the hotels in Queensland for the 10 am trip. Please let them know that people will be picked up at 8:45 am and not 10 am as stated in the app and on the website.
Thanks again, Lydia & team for a memorable NZ vacation.

Hotel Review
QT Wellington
Wellington
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Cloudy Bay - Bookable Experience
Cloudy Bay - Bookable Experience
Blenheim

A beautiful winery and a great tasting experience. The lunch at Jack's Raw bar was just great.

Auckland City & Waitakere Ranges
Auckland City & Waitakere Ranges
Auckland

Murray and Erin are excellent guides!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Lydia Ford