Kimkim Trip Reviews for New Zealand

A beautiful hotel with a great view. The breakfast buffet was wonderful, but I was surprised at how small the dining room was, so that people had to wait. One morning we were directed to a dining room on another floor, which was fine. I was disappointed that the walking trail to the central city was closed and we had to walk the highway sidewalk. We used the shuttle service to and from central city a number of times and luckily, we learned to make reservations. It was very timely and worked well. We had been told it would go to different locations in the city if needed, but that was not correct. But we made it work without any issues.

Upon arriving at this Hotel, it felt more like a Motel 6! It had no character, seemed old and outdated; there was not a patio or any place we could sit to enjoy company with our travel mates. There seemed to be a bar, but it appeared closed and very small. Our room was particularly dreary with a dark brown carpet that invited the belief that it was dirty. I did not feel comfortable stepping with my bare feet on the carpet. The whole building seemed old and outdated. The only plus for the hotel was the breakfast buffet which was very good. The front desk staff were not helpful, and even somewhat rude. I asked about the availability of coffee and maybe some fruit for our very early travels, and they told me to make coffee in my room (which was terrible) and to go to the grocery store before it closed! Maybe it was the tone in which they said it, but it bordered on being rude. Not helpful.

Unfortunately, because of a mistake with our hotel booking, we only had one night here. We noticed immediately that the property was for Sale. Which is rather concerning. The grounds were not well kept. Our room was pretty small and felt crowded. I liked having the patio where we could sit. The dining area was very nice, and we noted that all of the guests were scheduled around each other to allow for private dining at the one table. It was also awkward to get coffee, since it had to be prepared by the staff - not easily available. The breakfast itself was wonderful - we all liked it. The staff was very courteous - we enjoyed many aspects of the property. I don't see the second night where we had to relocate to the Edgewater Hotel! We liked this hotel very much!

This hotel was fantastic, with all of its amenities and the views! It was crowded at times, and we were not able to take advantage of the coffee shop and its patio. It took a little time for us to get familiar with the restaurants and need to make reservations. The breakfast buffet was great, and we did have dinner at the hotel one night - which was likely the most extensive buffet I have seen for options. Our room had a fantastic view of Mt. Cook - we loved it. It would have been nice to have a balcony to be able to sit outside and enjoy the view with a glass of wine.

The Lodge has a lot of character and different room styles. The dining room and outdoor patio are lovely, with a nice fireplace in the dining room. We had thought the Lodge would be closer to the lake than it was, but it was just a short walk. It was very peaceful.

This hotel has a great location, and the room was very clean and modern. We enjoyed the breakfast and our brief stay.

A beautiful golf course! The course was in great shape and the views were excellent. The staff was courteous, and the club house and dining patio were inviting. We enjoyed the day!

We were not expecting an hour bus drive from Queenstown, but it was a comfortable bus. We liked jet boat experience; it was something we had not done before. The boat driver was obviously an expert! We also enjoyed the funyaks - it was an exciting challenge to steer the boats clear of rocks and other boats. The directions of our funyak guide were at times confusing, but we made it without getting wet! It was an active experience, and I loved the views of the river and the mountains, along with the stories about the filming of the Lord of Rings.

The gondola ride was great! It was not crowded, and we enjoyed the views from the dining room/bar with a couple of drinks.

A nice drive.

The Guided Walk was longer than I anticipated, but it was a lovely walk! The group was larger than I expected also! There were 13 guests and the hiking guide. The waterfall at the end of the hike was great, and the hiking guide was also very good. The walk did seem a little rushed, but I know we were on a schedule to be able to make the Cruise. The Cruise was the favorite part of the activity. It was beautiful to see all of the waterfalls and the steep sides of the sound. The Cruise went further out into the open ocean than I expected. We saw dolphins as we came back into the sound - a real treat!

We don't know what this is.

This trip was a dud! There were no icebergs floating and the glacier was not very recognizable because of all of the dirt. There was no calving of the glacier. Our guide did the best he could and was very knowledgeable. But after the boring 20 minute walk with 40 other people, and then some time in a boat with little to see - it seemed like a waste of time.

We loved the helicopter experience. It was a first for all of us. We had an excellent pilot, and he was great at telling us interesting facts. Our scheduled flight was pushed back a half hour, and we were told to check in an hour before the trip. We waited around for 1 1/2 hours - which was not a great start to the experience.

Very cute and comfortable place.

It was a hotel. Nothing special and that’s okay.

The people running this B&B were so kind and welcoming! I’m incredibly grateful for their patience dealing with our disoriented, jet lagged selves.

I really don’t know how to describe the level of this place. Their sustainability efforts are remarkable, the staff are a joy to be around and the food was delectable. Absolute favorite of all the places we stayed.

The glowworm caves were magical. Using red lights instead of the bright white for cave features in the way in could have helped our eyes adjust to the dark better and would have improved the experience. I loved the lack of cell phones and the request for silence. It made the experience a lot more memorable. I would have appreciated more time to read all of the info signs that are up everywhere and enjoy the put part of the cave. I felt very rushed and a bit like cattle being herded.

Cruising the Milford Sound wasn’t really our cup of tea. It’s a beautiful fjord, but the boats were overcrowded and moved too quickly to really allow us to soak it in. It felt more like a cell phone photography tour than anything special. Everywhere we tried to just exist and enjoy the ride for a while, someone else's phone ended up in our faces as they tried to get their perfect photo. It did have a small magical moment where the boat got close enough to the falls to get everyone very very wet. It was chilly so everyone (except my husband and I) ran for shelter. We loved the feel of the water and the seclusion it allowed. It was well worth being cold. Just for that moment, I’d recommend doing it once especially if you have limited mobility. The little walk was lovely though and I really enjoyed learning so much about the local plant life. Our guide for that was a joy to be around and really seemed to have a wealth of knowledge to share. She tried her best to make it a memorable experience for us. Also, the lunches were delicious and well balanced!

Our stargazing tour in Mt Cook was surprisingly spectacular. We actually dropped it from our trip and re-added it after more consideration. It turned out to be one of our favorite activities. The guides were knowledgeable and fun to interact with. It was truly a surreal experience I’d recommend to anyone and everyone.

The Banks Track was a delight! It felt like walking through several different worlds. We did the quicker paced option which was a perfect taste of the area. I’d love to return for a full meal…or 2…or 3.

Breakfast was great, staff were helpful and sweet. Clean rooms, and right in the city center. Perfect!

The suite interior had been updated but the exterior needs to be refreshed.

Very centrally located but parking is a challenge. We were very fortunate to find street parking upon arrival but never used the car again until departure because we weren’t sure we would be able to find another spot. The hotel restaurant has a limited but tasty menu. Walking to other restaurants was a bit of a walk and due to the hilly nature of Queenstown we got our exercise.

This location was actually an air bnb. The upper floor is where the owners reside when they are using their vacation home. Our unit was on the ground floor. This meant that we could hear them walking overhead and water through the plumbing. They did provide a washing machine but no dryer. They did have an outdoor line or indoor drying rack but if you’re staying for only a quick stop, your clothes may not get dry. The kitchenette was very small, just a hot plate and no prep space. Lovely views and next to a neighborhood hiking trail. There was a large covey of California Quails wandering nearby.

Very centrally located to restaurants and our booked boat cruise. We were placed in a two bedroom suite that was set up for handicapped accessibility, which unfortunately meant that the shower was open concept and it was impossible to limit the water wetting most of the bathroom floor. We ended up using most of our towels to mop up. Another quaint feature is that the front desk was in the same room as an ice cream shop.

Very centrally located. We were near numerous restaurants and shopping. We were able to easily walk to the Botanical Garden. Despite being on the first floor in a busy city, my room was very quiet. The only challenge was parking. There was a nearby parking structure and the hotel provided us with a discounted parking option but we had to pay for each departure, rather than a flat daily rate.

This hotel was comfortable and clean. Our two bedroom suite had an enormous bathing room with a jacuzzi spa and separate shower. A delightful bonus was the heated floor. We were greeted upon check-in with a basket of cookies and cartons of fresh milk for our coffee or tea. The only minor complaint is that I like to read in bed and the only light in my bedroom was an overhead light, which meant I had to walk in the dark to get to the light switch.

Conveniently located. Clean. Front desk staff were pleasant and professional. The only issue was that the door to the single bedroom was not able to close completely. The breakfast buffet was excellent. Our travel agent had prepaid for us and this made it easy to start the day quickly.

This trip is well planned and executed. There is a bus ride through the countryside to where one boards a boat to sail across Manapouri Lake to get on another bus over Wilmot Pass to get to Doubtful Sound to board another boat. The views are amazing but we, unfortunately, saw little wildlife.

Lovely views of scenery and the Remarkables, the nearby mountain range.

Very expensive and chaotic. We were there in the off season and can’t imagine going at the height of the season. The facility is being remodeled so the restaurant was unavailable. The cafeteria style service was confusing and badly organized. We ended up not eating there. The views on top were beautiful and the gondola ride itself was very smooth. However, unless you are planning on participating in the offered sport activities, such as luge, mountain biking, or ziplining, the experience doesn’t take long. We were underwhelmed.

Underwhelming. Admittedly we had cloudy skies but the VR alternative was sadly rather amateurish and somewhat boring. Additionally, the “hot springs “ were just a chlorinated pool. Since it was outdoors in the dark it felt a little scary trying to traverse our way to the pool. The guide did a good job sharing Māori legends about the night sky.

We loved this. It was wonderful learning about the Māori culture and all of the staff did a fantastic job. The singing was quite good and the dinner was fabulous. Our travel agent passed on the dietary needs of two of us and the cooks provided excellent alternatives to the set menu. Their were so many courses of delicious food and plenty for everyone.

We were very fortunate and had wonderful weather. The sailing was very smooth and the views incredible. We were fortunate to see many dolphins but only one penguin in the water at a distance. The boat captain did a great job describing what we were seeing. The water was an amazing color.

It was quite fascinating to see the geothermal area. The trails are well maintained and the information signs are educational.

Very interesting. We learned a lot about their efforts to increase the number of kiwi in the wild. Take advantage of the gift shops, if you plan on getting mementos of your trip. We definitely had buyers remorse thinking that we would wait until later in the trip to do our shopping. Their prices were actually pretty reasonable.

Loved this! It was very well organized and operated. The tour guide was excellent and we didn’t feel rushed. We would have loved to spend more time there but it is a very popular destination and they need to keep things moving along to ensure that we weren’t crowded during the tour.

The best experience of our trip.

Great room, very modern and comfortable. Good location. Walking distance from the Botanical Gardens.

ok, not much room to walk around at the top.

One of my favorite hotels. You do have to pay for parking, but we walked everywhere. Close to the museum, wharf( where everyone gathers and hangs out). Easily walk to restaurants and shops.

Very small boutique hotel. The room was spacious and lovely. We slept like logs in the amazing soft bed. The restaurant is great. Most of the staff were amazing.

Very modern hotel with gorgeous views. Kitchen is so helpful. Bed is ultra comfortable. Love the jetted tub.

In the heart of Rotorua. A great place to relax after a hike. The place has a coin operated laundry as well. Essential for the minimalist traveler. Absolutely loved the heated tile floor in the bathroom! Crisp white sheets, heavy cotton towels, and a kitchenette. We could stay for a week.

Like being in a European lodge. Comfy, quiet, luxurious room

The room was modern, the sheets crisp, white, and smooth. The bath accommodations were lovely. You can walk right out the door and get to shopping, ferries, or restaurants easily.

The accommodations were very nice. We ate in the restaurant and got coffee from the barista every morning. The location in the heart of the city made it easy to walk to restaurants, shops, and the ferry. A great place to retire every night.

Spectacular views of gannet colonies. I was amazed.

I had no idea what to expect. Our guide, Stephen was so knowledgeable and took care with guiding us in the dark. He took all the pictures and sent them to us the next day. Such an awesome experience in the wilds of New Zealand.

This facility was a great place to learn about Aotearoa and its peoples. The luncheon was good.

Soak in the hot pools, see the views of the surrounding hills

We enjoyed the tour and performance. The dinner was so good and we met some great travelers from around the world d the world. Learning about Maori customs made my trip more memorable.

Driver was on time, friendly, and got us to where we needed to be.

Our guide and driver, Donna was a friendly knowledgeable Māori woman. We enjoyed her talks and the places she took us to. We still say the coffee shop and chocolate shop she stopped at in Devenport was the best!

Wow. Splurge. Stay here at least two nights. It was our last hurrah after 3 weeks of travel and it was amazing. Beautiful. WAyyyyy out there. So quiet. Stars and a hot tub. Incredible food. Fantastic tour with James the rancher. Just go.

This was one of our most favorite places. Stay here! Beautiful accommodations, views, incredible breakfasts, great people. Loved it

All I can say is that this was an incredible way to start our trip to NZ! Two nights and we wish we had more. So comfortable, gorgeous view, great people, amazing breakfasts. Just do it. Stay here.

The company that I retired from gave us the gift of a 4 night stay in one of the top floor suites. It was amazing, but I believe all of the rooms at this property were probably very nice as well.

This property served our needs well, although it might have been nice to stay a little closer to the waterfront area withing walking distance of some restaurants.

Great location in Christchurch for walking to downtown and the Botanical Gardens.

This hotel served our needs quite well. The breakfast buffet at the Hermitage was wonderful.

Great location, good breakfast, friendly, helpful staff

This was a very pleasant surprise. We really enjoyed this activity. Small group, and very interesting information shared along the way,

We enjoyed this experience, but there is no narration as you travel through the city so its a little unclear what you are seeing sometimes. It would be nice if someone was onboard that could say a few words about what you are seeing as you travel on the tram,

Very professional operation, which is definitely what you want when planning to jump out of an airplane!

The airplane ride through the glaciated mountains was incredible,

Beautiful old time classic hotel right around the corner from Trafalger Street. We ate at a great restaurant with a fun vibe, Hawker House about 5 minutes walk away.

Looked like all the rooms had a view and is right on the ocean. They get big bus tours that take over the restaurant (that has a great view) Should hold out some tables for independent travelers.

Quirky fun hotel. A-frame rooms with exposed beams. If you get a room with a view it's amazing. Not sure what the experience would be like without one. Was at the top of a steep hill so anyone going into downtown like we did a couple times a day would need to walk up that. We were fine with it but we did see a lot of winded people slowly walking up to the hotel.

Beautiful hotel tucked in the trees. Everything was amazing. The restaurant was excellent. But they had two large bus tours come in and take over. It was super loud and the independent travelers were complaining. We sat outside to get away from it a bit. Would reco holding out some seats in a quieter place for independent travelers. Only other hitch was that the bartender had no idea how to make a manhattan.

There was a lot of angst and confusion to start about what to bring and wear on this first day. We weren't aware that we were doing the trip backwards so we'd planned to hike, which was usually the way day 1 started but we started kayaking. Had to quickly unpack and repack on the floor of the tour company and the change. Feel like that could have been better communicated before so we could have planned better. Not a great start to the trip. We started a bit later so the winds had whipped the waves up (as they do most afternoons). We wound up bikin g the last sector because the guide said the next leg was going to have waves 3 times as big.

Easy day on a boat tour and bus back to Queenstown

This was a tough day of hiking. We had prepared for the uphill over the pass. It was tough but the path was generally well taken care of. The downhill side of the pass was way tougher than we expected. Endless large rock steps were tough on the muscles and joints. My wife fell a few times and this is where most of the injuries occur. The first 1/3 is above the tree line so can be windy. Once into the forest it gets steep and rocky. There are stairs around the waterfall to start but the the trail descends into miles of rocky steps. If you wear knee braces then put them on for this one. Springs and wet trails just add a slipping factor to the fun.

This was the longest day of hiking. Started out with more of the same rocky downhill then leveled off more to a wider path downhill. Was pouring rain to start so tough going and had to cross some knee deep water crossing the path. Got back wet and soggy but not as tough a day as the one before.

This was easily the most beautiful hike we've ever been on. We had the benefit of great weather. It felt warm but like we were hiking in air conditioning. And the moss covered forest was unlike anything we'd seen in our lives. Sounded like this was the dryer side of the hike but still must get a lot of rain. Something like 200-300 inches/yr and 200 days annually of rain. The grade is slowly uphill with a little difficult rock scrambled caused by a slip near the end. Marking the trail across the slip was a little tricky but they had a guide posted to show us the way. Hidden Lake off-shoot was OK but the Prairie Lake swim was great. Take the plunge and swim quickly under the waterfall. Then swim back quickly before your limbs go numb from the cold!

An easy day with a bus ride from Queenstown to Lake Te Anau. Then an hour boat ride to the start of the trail. Less than a mile hike to the lodge. After dinner they offered an easy nature hike behind the lodge which was a great basis for everything we'd be seeing in the next couple of days.

This was the perfect thing to do after hiking the Milford Track. My wife and I are both not huge massage people but after this experience we might be converts. I think the hiking tour companies would be smart to sell this as a package with their hiking tours.

What a unique and spectacular property. Staff was incredibly accommodating.

Perfectly located and loved the amenities and staff. Only negative was no chair in the room; the only place to sit was on the bed. That said, I would not hesitate to go back.

This was truly a great day. Our guide, Wayne, was extremely accommodating and his knowledge of the area was impressive.

Don’t truly have a rating for this as weather cancelled the trip and we were told this is not an infrequent occurrence. I am sure it is an excellent experience but I would have a back up plan and it would have been nice to know in advance there was a chance of not getting to go.

Nice relaxing excursion filled with beautiful sites and great accommodations. Staff was excellent.

No better way to hot tub than the view you get at Onsen. Simply jaw dropping.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Scenic Hotel Cotswold in Christchurch. Despite my initial expectation that it would be lackluster, it turned out to be great.

The Heartland Hotel Glacier Country in Fox Glacier was quite disappointing, but we were advised that accommodations in that area wouldn't be top-notch. It was basic at best, although the local hospitality was undeniably welcoming.

The Pear Orchard Lodge was a delightful surprise. The lodge offers a beautiful setting outside of Nelson. It featured a well-equipped common kitchen, perfect for those who enjoy cooking, and it was shared only between a few rooms. Additionally, having access to a washing machine for a small fee was incredibly helpful during our travels.

The Full-Day Jet-Boat Adventure and Funyak River Safari in Queenstown was enjoyable, but I felt the description didn't match the experience. While the initial jet-boat ride was exciting, the later sections with kayaking were slower, as the guides needed to accommodate everyone. Next time, I'd probably just opt for the shorter, more thrilling jet-boat trip.

The Half Day Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience was quite intense, perhaps not suitable for the faint-hearted. Some aspects were slightly oversold, like the description implying a four-wheel-drive adventure when it was just a regular van. Overall, it was a good, challenging experience.

The Hobbiton Shared Tour was a highlight of our trip. While we're not the biggest Lord of the Rings fans, the tour was exceptionally well-done, offering fascinating insights into the making of the films. It's very well organized and worth the visit.

This is a basic hotel with all that we needed. I would give it a 5 but some folks may disagree with me because it is not 'high-end'. We needed a room for 2 nights knowing we would use it only to sleep and do a final pack. It more than accommodated us. We had room to spread out, washer/dryer to help deal with soaked dirty clothing before packing for a 28 hour flight. It is a 10 minute or so walk from the grocery store, Subway, local movie theater (see the short documentary about the fjordlands). We were totally happy and had no complaints

Clean, convenient, steps from all the restaurants we wanted to try and staff was super helpful and available

For us, this was all we needed but it is in an area where everything is basic so someone looking for 'glam' would not be happy. We loved the space, the nearby washer/dryer (much needed by this time in the trip), proximity to hiking trails and wonderful drives to scenic spots.

Such a wonderful experience. The room was spacious, had a lovely lake view and the manager and her family added so much to the experience. This lodge is a little off the beaten path but what we were looking for and we loved chatting with other guests who added so much to our trip experience.

Right where you want to be to experience downtown

Easy check in, spacious home with amazing views

Such a unique experience. We hope to return again. We cannot say enough wonderful words about the Eco Lodge.....

Service and room were top notch. We needed to arrive early and they were so gracious and accommodating. Thank you to all of the staff at Millennium!!

It was raining the day we did this BUT we learned that if it is not raining, the falls are not nearly as amazing. Our guide, Rob, was top-notch and we loved being able to walk a small part of the Milford Track and to see the Milford Sound up close.

This tour is first off, something you will never see anywhere else. It is so well organized, very informative and the staff are totally engaged. We went at dusk and it was awesome!!!!

What a hoot to go out with a real sheep/cow/deer rancher. Truly an authentic experience

Lots of gorgeous views

We'll be back. A great location, with a very helpful staff. So much better than staying in a hotel.

Our time at the Lakestone Lodge was amongst the very best highlights of our time in NZ

This experience was life-changing. An absolute must for anyone wanted to truly experience NZ's South Island.

What a great way to see the city!