Kimkim Trip Reviews for New Zealand

Our trip planned with Ruth was perfect! Queenstown was a beautiful city and the excursions that we went on were just right! The gondola and luge tickets were just right for the day we arrived. The Milford Sound day tour was amazing- it is a long day but so worth it!! It was a bright sunny day and our tour guide was informative and fun! The Walters Peak Farm and BBQ lunch was a great way to spend our last afternoon- leaving room for some last minute shopping in town and enjoying the beautiful weather!

Hotel Review

Millennium Hotel Queenstown

queesntown

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is up on a steep hill so easy to walk down to town (~10minutes), but a tougher walk home up the hill.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Queenstown Private Transfer Hotel to Airport

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Queenstown Private Transfer Airport to Hotel

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet Barbecue Lunch

New Zealand

BBQ Lunch was great- so many options and loved some of the unique offerings. The farm setting is just quaint and beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Milford Sound Glass Roof Van/CruiseVan

Queenstown (NZ)

Breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Our driver, Tommy! He was awesome! And we really lucked out with beautiful weather.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Van was perfect size- loved the small group verses a large bus group.

My husband and I finally fulfilled our dream of visiting New Zealand/Aotearoa to celebrate our 15th anniversary, and we could not have done it without our KimKim agent, Uma. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do, and she helped design a travel plan that captured everything we wanted and more.
During the trip, she and her colleagues remained in touch for any questions or support we needed. There were a couple of instances where we had to adjust our plans due to the weather, and Uma and her team were ready with alternate suggestions that were equally as amazing as the original plan.
Everything was perfect--from our hotel accommodations, restaurant suggestions, rental car and ferry arrangements, and activities. We literally could not have planned this trip ourselves.
I highly highly recommend using Uma and her vast knowledge to plan your trip to Aotearoa and anywhere else in the world!

We used KimKim to plan a trip to New Zealand and definitely would recommend using their services. While we had some ideas for things we wanted to do during the trip, Monika did a great job setting up the detailed itinerary and maximizing our time. Since this was the first time to the country, I was having a hard time figuring out how long driving distances were and when we should drive vs. fly and which tour operator to use. Monika booked several tours for us that ended up to be very good- our Milford Sound tour had to be re scheduled due to weather but the operator was very flexible for us and instead of flying we were able to take a van and still got to see Milford Sound. I felt like we got to do everything we wanted and the trip was within the budget range we had set out to meet. Other reviewers complained that you don't see a line item for how much the KimKim service costs but I didn't mind. The total cost we paid for our trip seemed reasonable to me and I thought it was definitely worthwhile to use a travel agent for a trip to a country where we had never been before and that required a lot of driving/traveling time to get from site to site.

Uma planned an amazing trip to the south island of New Zealand for us. Her suggestion of visiting Stewart Island was great. It was one of our favorite places on our trip. She was also very responsive and made requested changes quickly. She checked in on us during the trip to make sure everything was running smoothly. Uma did a great job!

Hotel Reviews

The Rees Hotel

Queenstown

Spectacular view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bay Motel

Oban

Convenient location. Great view. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Beautiful room and view. Amazingly warm and helpful staff. Dexter, the cat, was a special added bonus.

Authenticity & Character

Room was beautiful.

Location

Great view! Short walk to town.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langlands Hotel

Invercargill

Had construction going on. Very loud in morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scenic Hotel Dunedin City

Dunedin

Convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Not much character. Standard hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean and okay. Nothing special.

Distinction Christchurch Hotel & Conference Centre

Christchurch

Convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SkyCity Hotel

Auckland

Was in a central location which made it convenient, but had a casino.

Authenticity & Character

Had a casino

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Wilderness Cruise at the Remote Doubtful Sound (Self Drive)

New Zealand

Amazing trip. Two boat rides and one bus through amazing scenery. Guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bus driver and Doubtful Sound guide were very knowledgeable and entertaining.

Transport

Wildlife & Penguin Tour

Dunedin

Great experience. Saw hoiho, blue penguins, fur seals. Guide very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip exceeded all our expectations, and gave our family a collection of memories we'll keep forever! Our local specialist, Liz, was so friendly, thorough, and responsive throughout our early trip planning as well as making sure we had everything we needed just before we got on the plane. The best thing about our 2 week trip to New Zealand is we had peace of mind throughout our entire trip, knowing we were well-supported and taken care of. Every single guide, driver, hotelier and property host we met were exceptionally friendly, professional, and wonderful! We can't recommend kimkim enough for taking care of us and providing us this trip of a lifetime!

We appreciated the process with Monika and kimkim in planning our 3 week self-driving trip of New Zealand. We'd researched the route we wanted to take and what we wanted to see, plus what we wanted to budget. Monika made suggestions and we made further refinements. She arranged our accommodations, car rental, ferry, plane from Queenstown to Auckland, and some of the experiences we desired. She also advised us on what we'd need in order to enter the country (NZeta), driving rules, and other important items. Once all finalized and paid, we received extensive instructions and vouchers for the items Monika had reserved for us, along with recommendations of other things to see and do in each location. Once in country, she kept in contact and was available for questions, or if not (on her days of) who we could contact. As for the trip, the accommodations (we requested cost in the middle range) were all very good overall and those in cities or larger towns were centrally located for ease in walking to attractions and restaurants. We enjoyed the experiences she'd helped to arrange (Hobbiton, Te Pa Tu Maori dinner, Wai O Tapu, Milford Sound) plus others we we'd planned on our own and some that we were told about by locals or other tourists along the way. Those would be the Art Deco tour with volunteer Judy in Napier, Tongariro and Taranaki National Parks, Zealandia and the Cable Car in Wellington, birds and seals at Kaikoura, the lighthouse and Giants House in Akaroa (east of Christchurch), Arthur's Pass National Park, the amazing night sky in Lake Tekapo, the Clay Cliffs near Omarama, and the drive to Glenorchy and Paradise out of Queenstown. Danny, our coach driver to and from Milford Sound (actually a fjord!), was excellent and shared interesting information on the way out. It was nice to relax and not drive that day after all of the driving we'd already done. On accommodations of special note we really enjoyed the Ruapehu Country Lodge in Ohakune. Our host Bernie was quite the character and happy to share information on restaurants and tracks (hikes) we'd planned to do, things to see, and roads & road conditions. We enjoyed his wife's homemade jams and other yummy things at breakfast. One thing of note is that not all of the accommodations were as accessible as they could have been (stairs/no elevators); we didn't specify with Monika that we required that but if you do, let your planner know. We're in our early 70s and in fairly good shape so didn't have too much of a problem and some of the hotels offered to help with our luggage. We "survived" a hot 6 km hike in Tongariro NP (lots of stairs!) so managing stairs in hotels wasn't a challenge. We came home more fit than when we left. ;-) Overall, we had a wonderful experience and the planning Monika did for us made for a smooth trip, especially as it was our first time in New Zealand.

Activity Reviews

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Great fun for we fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. Our guide, Sam (not kidding) was full of fun and facts.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Sam.

Transport

Coach and Cruise to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

Queenstown (NZ)

Very long bus ride, but scenic. The weather at the sound (fjord!) was a bit dreary but the boat ride was fun, though a bit crowded. Wonderful waterfalls, the mountains were hiding in low clouds but still very pretty. We enjoyed the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver Danny was excellent and had interesting information to share. He also knew a lot about birds and answered my questions about those we heard & saw.

Transport

Hi Monika!
Thankyou for organizing such a wonderful trip for us!!! We loved
1. All the cities you guided us towards
2. All the hotels; all lovely
3.all the activities!!! Special shoutout to doubtful sound cruise; train ride and hike to Arthur’s pass ; food tour in ? Napier; Māori cultural event and more!!!
4. It truly was( as my 14 year old grand niece said after she went to a Taylor swift concert) “ a life altering event”
Thankyou for your guidance and your hard work!!
Kelly ( aka Elisabeth) and Bruce Sutter

Had a fantastic time. Loved where Sir Edmund Hillary practiced for his famous assent to Mt. Everest. Loved New Zealand’s meat pies in Queenstown.

Just returned from the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand—and I have to give a huge shoutout to our tour specialist, Monika. From start to finish, she absolutely nailed it. Every stop on the itinerary felt like a highlight: from the glowworm caves to the TranzAlpine train ride, from progressive food tastings in Christchurch to stargazing in Tekapo and a visit to Hobbiton. I would have to say, however, that our absolute favorite do-not-miss activity was our overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound!!! From eating freshly caught lobster and fishing/kayaking on board, to the delicious meals and peaceful waters of the Sound, it's truly not to miss.

Monika clearly knows the country inside and out—she chose the perfect mix of iconic sights and off-the-beaten-path gems, and her hotel picks were consistently top-notch (comfortable, well-located, and boutique style). While all of the hotels were great, we especially loved The Hermitage (Mt. Cook) and On the Point (Rotorua), where we had a 4 bedroom villa for our group that was absolutely perfect.

She struck the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation, cultural insight and natural wonder. We also thought the order in which we toured (started on South Island, finished on North Island) was perfect. While the driving was intimidating at first, our two drivers got used to it fairly quickly. BTW, one activity we did on our own in Rotorua was a visit to Wai Ariki Spa, which I HIGHLY recommend.

If you're thinking of visiting New Zealand, I can't recommend Monika enough. She crafted a thoughtful, personalized, and truly unforgettable experience for our group of eight friends.

Most memorable: Milford sound cruise,
Hobbiton, Mt. cook hikes, wine and food ferry tour

Activity Reviews

The Gourmet Food & Wine Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hobbiton, Waitomo caves and Auckland

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Te Pō Indigenous Experience

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Cook to Christchurch Small Group Tour Via Lake Tekapo (One Way)

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

The van’s A/C did not seem to be working so he put it on high which was deafening. We still suffered from heat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van’s air conditioning

Milford Sound overnight cruise

New Zealand

First class food and rooms

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

60 Minute Jet Boat

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monika was extremely helpful in ensuring we had a wide-ranging, fantastic experience on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Whether it was horseback riding, hiking, and overnight cruises through the Fiordland; movie studio tours, and winery excursions, and whale watching; and everything in between, we were always paired with tour providers and accommodations that were clearly high quality and dedicated to providing meaningful and memorable experiences. In the infrequent times where there were any logistical hiccups, Monika was immediately responsive to get us back on track. All told, our three weeks were absolutely memorable and magical.

We enjoyed a fabulous three weeks in New Zealand thanks to Monika's guidance and efforts to develop an itinerary that met all of our requests.

It began in Queensland and a memorable flight and cruise to Milford Sound., definitely a "not-to-be-missed"! It continued through small towns - Clyde, Lake Tekapo, Kaikoura, Taupo, Raglan, Coromandel - and cities - Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland - and included a variety of activities - cycling, a cultural food tour, surfing, hiking, sailing. Unfortunately, due to weather, our kayaking and stargazing were cancelled.

For us, the highlights were the Milford Sound flight and cruise, bike ride in Clyde, Hulbert House B&B in Queensland, Hapuku Lodge accomodations and dinners, surfing with Green Wave Raglan Surf School, and the Koru Lodge in Raglan.

Thank you Monika.

John & Wendy

Hotel Reviews

Bolton Hotel

Wellington

In the center of the City within easy walks of key spots. Very comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

We were not surprised with the authenticity and character when we learned that The George is a related property to Hulbert House.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George

Christchurch

Great location and a very comfortable and clean hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy walk to town center and across the street from a wonderful park

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ranginui B&B

Lake Tekapo

The B&B host is warm and welcoming, and a great advisor for activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A nice quiet neighborhood not too far to walk to town

Staff

The host is very friendly and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belle Vue Boutique Lodge

Taupo

Comfortable, great views of the lake, beautiful home.

Authenticity & Character

The owners have done a wonderful job restoring the lodge, and they take great pride in it.

Location

While outside the center city, the lodge is located in a attractive neighborhood with nearby amenities.

Staff

Friendly and very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Great Ponsonby ArtHotel

Auckland

Located in a wonderful neighborhood with good access (walking or bus) to the center city, great staff, and wonderful breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

Kaikoura

Luxurious, comfortable, lots of amenities and activities.

Authenticity & Character

The tree houses are very authentic

Location

Nice hiking, biking and beach opportunities nearby

Staff

Couldn't be more helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lord Clyde

Very helpful and friendly staff, and a great location.

Authenticity & Character

An original building from the town's gold rush days

Location

Right in the center of Clyde within easy walk of restaurants, sites and activities.

Staff

Very helpful in guiding how to best enjoy Clyde.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hulbert House

Queenstown

Wonderful staff, very comfortable accommodations, great location. And delicious breakfasts!

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy 5-minute walk to the center of town, though not as easy a walk back (uphill).

Staff

Very friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Raglan

Raglan

The highlight was the Green Wave Raglan Surf School which caters to all ages and ability levels. They had us surfing (for a bit) and made it very fun and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bing Lyons, our instructor, continued to encourage and instruct. He was so positive I thought I was an expert surfer.

Cultural Food Tour - Kai Bites

Christchurch

Very informative of the Maori history and culture with a delicious lunch of local foods.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight

Queenstown (NZ)

Flying over snow-capped mountains and glaciers with mountain peaks as far as you can see, landing on the sound, dolphin-escorted boat cruise, sailing up to waterfalls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andy is a tremendous pilot

Transport

The flight gave us a great view of mountains, glaciers, the sound, and it was smooth. And the cruise was wonderful as well

Paula with Kimkim was so knowledgeable and helpful with our trip to New Zealand. Neither of us knew much about the country or where to go. When we told her our interests she guided us to great places for hiking. Mt Cook, and especially the REALLY fantastic view from our room at the hotel she recommended was stupendous! We had several days of clear skies which we understand isn’t always the case. Abel Tasman hiking along the beaches for 7 miles after getting a water taxi drop off was another highlight with its giant tree ferns. The guided hikes she recommended during the trip were interesting and informative. Paula also returned our calls promptly so we didn’t have to wait long to get answers which is very helpful in making plans. Thank you Paula!

I worked with Michele to plan our trip to New Zealand. She did a great job including all the things we enjoyed. We love the outdoors and she set up some beautiful hiking and a fantastic day biking through the wineries. I would definitely use Kim Kim travels again to plan any future trips

Hotel Reviews

Art Deco Masonic Hotel

Napier

The Art Deco Masonic Hotel had a great location right in town, which was really convenient. While I was happy with the stay, it didn't stand out as anything extra special, but overall it was a pleasant experience.

Novotel Auckland Airport

Auckland

We could literally walk to the airport. It was steps away. So convenient

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Cliffs Lodge

taupo

Acacia lodge was fantastic. It only had 6 rooms and we enjoyed our private deck with great view of Lake Taupo. The cooked breakfast and nightly appetizers were a nice bonus. Our room and the entire lodge was comfortable and beautiful. Loved the host. They gave us everything we needed but they also respected our privacy

Authenticity & Character

Very unique. Beautifully remodeled with awesome grounds

Location

Away from all the crowds but a very short drive to everything

Staff

Host were very friendly. Helpful with suggestions for activities and restaurants. Cooked a great breakfast!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was spotless and extremely comfortable

Activity Reviews

Explore the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

New Zealand

The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves were a bit underwhelming for me. I might be biased because I've experienced a similar cave in Italy that was much better. While the cave itself was unique, I probably wouldn't highly recommend it to others.

Gannet Safaris

New Zealand

This was an unexpected surprise. The scenery was stunning. Only way to see this area is on a tour.

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Picked us up at our hotel. Very convenient

Liz is excellent. Knowledgeable, timely, patient, helpful. The hotels she recommended were spot on; great location, beautiful views, excellent customer service. All pick ups and tours went off without a problem.

Michelle created an excellent itinerary for our 12 days in New Zealand. With just a few questions during our initial phone conversation, she was able to determine our preferences about hotel types and locations to visit. She selected very nice hotels with most walking distance to main part of town. Tours selected were small group which made the experience very enjoyable. We are very grateful that she suggested a self drive tour because we were able to explore more than if we were on a guided tour. Thanks Michelle for creating a great vacation for us!

Hotel Reviews

The George

Christchurch

Comfortable and walking distance to botanical gardens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful with suggestions on what to visit with just a short time available

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramada Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Comfortable and walking distance to main part of town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Great suite with wonderful view

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St Clair

Dunedin

Wonderful. View of ocean and walking distance to restaurants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kelly Rd

Cambridge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not much around but good mid-point to next location with laundry facilities on site

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hana Lodge

Rotorua

Wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M Social

Auckland

Close to our cruise departure

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historic Steamship Cruise to Walter Peak Farm + BBQ Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

Fun experience. Great food. Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

Seeing glowworms was fun but we especially enjoyed the underground scenery and waterfalls.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium Cruise in the Milford Sound

New Zealand

Very happy with this small group cruise. Milford Sound is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group made travel to sound very enjoyable

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Fun experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Introducing us to native food choices was an interesting experience. We tasted the food served but didn’t eat much. Would have been more enjoyable if other foods were served along with the cultural choices.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very entertaining

Transport

Explore Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

Dunedin

Beautiful area

Larnach Castle Tour - unguided

Dunedin

Beautiful scenery

Yellow-eyed penguins

Dunedin

Fun experience

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Good management of large groups of people touring this site. Smaller groups led around with assigned times

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This itinerary and trip was perfect from start to finish! We met our son and DIL there and all traveled together throughout the North and South Islands for almost 3 weeks. Liz was responsiveness so helpful and put together an itinerary that was perfect for all of us! Excellent tours/excursions, fantastic accommodations, and wonderful private transfers enabled us to see and experiemce all of the major sights of the North and South Islands! The attention to detail provided was amazing! We cannot thank Liz and her team and KimKim enough for planning this wonderful trip for us!

Just returned home from two very exciting and truly intoxicating weeks in New Zealand. The utter perfection of my itinerary, planned by my local specialist Michelle from Once Upon a Trip, allowed me to relax and flow from one amazing experience to the next.
Michelle devised an itinerary based on my desire to see as much natural beauty as possible and managed to stay within a reasonable budget. She created a two week schedule that did not overwhelm and facilitated my ability to travel solo from the southern city of Queensland on the South Island to the northern city of Auckland on the North Island. I flew over glaciers to magnificent fjords, took boat trips on fabulous lakes, cycled through spectacular rainforests, visited botanical gardens, museums and cultural performances.
Every activity she chose for me was top notch, every accommodation fit my needs, driving directions, check-in information, timing, and general recommendations were perfect and completely reliable. I could not have asked for a more incredible trip. Thank you Michelle, Monika and KimKim!

When we decided to travel to the South Island of New Zealand, we began by asking friends who'd been and by exploring the Internet: so many suggestions to sort through. Then we found Michelle on the KimKim team in New Zealand. She asked us for our preferences and some guidelines. Very quickly she sent us a planned trip. It looked so good, we added another week to make it a full month. Out of curiosity, we also asked Perplexity AI for an itinerary. The AI returned an itinerary close to what Michelle suggested which reinforced her good judgement in our minds. Of course an itinerary is only a starting place for planning a trip; there is so much more to arrange. We gave her the go-ahead to set everything up. And so she did. An amazing number of details she figured out, the arrangements she made -- everything culminated in a complete travel plan all ready to go well ahead of departure time. Almost everything worked exactly as she planned to our great delight. It was so comforting to know that Michelle, a locally-based travel advisor, was there for us every step of the way for our trip. We contacted her a couple of times with changes and she was very helpful. She was wonderful!

Hotel Reviews

Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki

Lake Moeraki

While a little dated, this is a big property with lots of guests (some of whom, a tour group, were a little rowdy). The staff were gracious and knowledgeable. The glow worms walk and the eels walk were especially memorable. The food was satisfactory, but we had the sense they were cooking too many plates at the same time -- just didn't feel like an upscale restaurant. It rained all day one of our days, so we did not get to use their kayaks and go on their special guided tours.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimu Lodge

Ruatapu

Very pleasant staff. Very comfortable room (there were only 4). Beautiful view and a lovely deck where we had dinner one night. Close to Hokitika and the Gorge, but a car is essential. The breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Birds Ferry Lodge

Westport

For a small B&B, it was fine. Dinner was especially delicious and we enjoyed our conversations with our hosts. Lots of local knowledge. The room was dated but adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camp Estate at Larnach Castle

Dunedin

This was a unique experience. To be clear, it is down the road from the Larnach Castle and that's a good thing -- much quieter and more upscale. In a word, this place is elegant. Lots of stone floors, wide staircase to the second floor suites, big drawing room, etc. Very comfortable room with all the amenities. We had the special dinner at the castle one night and were disappointed. It was expensive and the experience dragged on for 4 hours. The next night we cancelled a repeat dinner. Staff at the Estate responded by serving us a special cold plate, heaped with more cheese, cold meats, bread, etc. than we could eat. And a staff member had to drive to the castle kitchen to get it for us. That's the kind of place this Estate is. Very impressed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vicarage Geraldine

Geraldine

The Vicarage is, as expected, an older property that has been restored. Located in the heart of Geraldine, it was well-suited for us because we wanted to walk to our meals as this was a one-night stop for us. We walked to the local restaurant/pub and enjoyed being with the local folks at a sheep shearing contest outside. The room was small compared to the other hotels we stayed at on this trip. The bed was comfortable and the room clean. We never saw any staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tussock Hill Vineyard Retreats

Christchurch

We booked one of the two rooms there. It was modern, clean, well-appointed and looked out on a vineyard, overlooking Christchurch itself. It would be a great location for those who intended to hike the steep trails (which we didn't). The room was near the dining room which served until 5 PM. In other words, this is a lunch spot. Dinner items can be had, but that means an early dinner. We did so one night, and the food was excellent. It took about 20 minutes to get into the heart of Christchurch, but the traffic wasn't bad. Breakfast was brought to our room, but one of our days, the kitchen was closed that morning, which was disappointing. A highlight was the twin hot tubs on our very private deck -- very relaxing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fiordland Lodge

Te Anau

We really liked this first-class place. From the moment we drove to the door to when we left, we were treated with great respect and courtesy. As an example, this was the only place on our month long journey where they parked our car for us! Big place with everything one might want in a lodge. Our room had all the amenities we wanted. We used this as a base for a trip to Milford Sound, so we din't get to take advantage of all the services and features. Food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

Kaikoura

This truly is an amazing place. We were surprised by the spaciousnesss and luxury of our suite -- and we didn't reserve a tree house. First class service in all areas. We had several meals there (it is some distance to drive otherwise) and the food was very good, although the menu was limited (which made sense for them). We used this place as our base for going to Kaikoura, so we din't take advantage of all the amenities offered. We would have liked a longer stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Excellent to be in the countryside, but roughly 15 km from town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Accommodation arranged as part of your Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise - Southern Secret

This was an overnight on a boat, part of a two day adventure on Doubtful Sound. The boat accommodated 12 guests plus two crew members. Our cabins were small, but quite adequate for an overnight. The crew made the trip especially memorable with their friendliness and knowledge. The food was fantastic, including lobster and fish that our fellow passengers caught during the day. This trip was a highlight of our month's adventure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PurePod Rakiura Stewart Island (Hananui)

Christchurch

We had high expectations for this unusual place. It was challenging to get there -- both driving and hiking -- and it was tucked high on a hillside. Not a good idea if you are unable to walk up hills. The all-around glass building is quite something to experience day and night (we had one clear night for star-gazing). The place was clearly upscale in all respects. Very comfortable. The food provided was fantastic. We felt remote but still safe -- that was the idea and they delivered.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The particular unit we rented was above a town and thus not as remote and quiet as we'd hoped. We highly recommend the PurePod experience but not this particular unit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fitzroy

Auckland

We were put here by our travel agent who believed we'd enjoy being in this neighbourhood of Auckland. Turned out we were in the wrong location. The hotel itself is unusual: an older building converted to several small suites. We had been in a huge suite in an upscale lodge the nights before, so we were under-whelmed when we arrived here. We went out to at dinnertime to explore the neighbourhood on foot and found we didn't resonate with the younger, funkier crowd. We really wanted to be in the harbour area, so we asked to cancel our second night. Our host was most gracious, allowing us to move without penalty. And, we left behind an item in the room. Our host contacted us in the new hotel and drove the time to us. That generous act greatly impressed us. We conclude we'd have been fine there except for the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waiorau Homestead

Wanaka

This was not up to the 5-star experience we had enjoyed previously on our trip, so it suffered by comparison. It was certainly OK. This is a small homestead to be sure: up to 6 guests at a time. It was clean and our hosts were gracious. The bedroom was small and limited in amenities. The facilities like pool and hot tub very dated. The on-site dinner very tasty, but expensive. We did enjoy an intimate conversation at dinner with the other guests. A good place to go to "get away in the countryside".

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pihopa Retreat

Nelson

This was indeed a "retreat". Its location is in Nelson, but one would think it was in the countryside once arrived. Lovely spacious suite with all the amenities. We appreciated the graciousness of our host and the special kindness she showed one evening when I was too exhausted from a hike to go out for dinner. She brought to our room a very generously-sized cold plate for dinner. We wish we'd had even more nights there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marlborough Boutique Hotel and Vineyard

Marlborough

First class in all respects. We especially appreciated the courteous service by every member of staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Flight Twin Glaciers in a Helicopter

New Zealand

Well done! We enjoyed the ride, even though it was quite brief. Landing on the glacier made it special. The fog rolle din minutes after we landed -- we were lucky to have our flight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aqua Taxi - Slice of Paradise (boat + optional walks) - full day

New Zealand

We had difficulty finding the starting place for this trip. The boat was late. The sea was rough and our particular hike plan was aborted. We dropped off a t a beach and were told to do another hike to reach our boat pickup place. We had no signal on our cell phones. The 6 km trail was steep in places, narrow and with very limited places to rest. To our knowledge there was no one monitoring the trail and we saw very few hikers on the trail. Part way, I (78 years old) got into trouble walking and fell 3 times. There was no option but to carry on. It took us 4 hours and we got to the beach just in time to catch the boat. This was one of the most traumatic experiences I've had for a long time. It could have been much worse if I hadn't struggled on.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Small boat, rough waters = difficult ride

The only complaint is we thought we were being quoted in NZ$. We are Canadian. When we paid it was the first time we saw it was USA$. we booked late so had tompay all up front. We were shocked that is was American$ which is about 40% more.

Michelle was great and quick to answer any of our questions.