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Kathrin Gerstel

I am passionate about creating bespoke travel experiences, specialize in designing journeys that go beyond the ordinary. My approach is rooted in the belief that travel is not just about moving from place to place—it's about immersing fully in the spirit of a destination, discovering its culture, stories, and natural beauty.

Each itinerary is crafted to invite meaningful encounters, allowing travelers to slow down, step off the beaten path, and be surrounded by nature's authenticity—whether through forest trails, coastal hideaways, or remote mountain retreats.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in crafting immersive travel experiences across New Zealand with a focus on Middle-earth magic, rich cultural encounters, and nature-based exploration—delivered in comfort and style. Whether you're walking in the footsteps of Frodo through iconic Lord of the Rings filming locations, sharing in the stories and traditions of Māori culture, or discovering pristine landscapes without compromising on comfort, I design journeys that awaken curiosity and create lasting connections.

My itineraries are personal, thoughtful, and rooted in the belief that true travel happens when you slow down, engage, and allow the destination to shape your story."

How did you get involved in travel?

"Originally from Germany, I relocated to the United States over two decades ago, where I began my career in the recreational vehicle industry. After several enriching visits to New Zealand, I made the life-changing decision to settle there permanently in 2023. My global background, combined with hands-on industry experience and a love for meaningful travel, allows me to approach every opportunity with cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and a genuine appreciation for local insight."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"With a passion for immersive, nature-centered travel, I continually seek experiences that offer both serenity and discovery. One such moment unfolded during a kayak tour through the Honeycomb Caves, where I glided silently across water so clear and amber-toned it resembled perfectly brewed tea. Surrounded by towering trees and dramatic stone formations carved by time, the journey—led by an expert National Park guide—felt like floating through a living forest cathedral.

This experience confirmed my belief in the power of slowing down and letting nature lead. It was a calming, almost meditative encounter that reminded me how deeply enriching it is to explore places not just with our eyes, but with intention and presence."

Kathrin is part of the following groups: New Zealand Travel Agents
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Recent trip reviews for Kathrin

Kathrin was excellent! Very professional and detail oriented.
New Zealand | Dec 29 - Jan 10, 2026

E
Evan H.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jan 14, 2026
Kathrin was excellent! Kathrin was very professional, efficient, and prompt throughout our trip planning and execution. The most notable aspect however is how patient and skillful she was dealing with my indecisiveness. I much appreciated her great listening skills and how she was able to intuitively pick up details I hadn't consciously mentioned allowing her to develop a well thought itinerary that matched our travel style and desires very well. Her skills and service went beyond... Read more

Kathrin was excellent!

Kathrin was very professional, efficient, and prompt throughout our trip planning and execution. The most notable aspect however is how patient and skillful she was dealing with my indecisiveness. I much appreciated her great listening skills and how she was able to intuitively pick up details I hadn't consciously mentioned allowing her to develop a well thought itinerary that matched our travel style and desires very well.

Her skills and service went beyond just the planning stage at the beginning of our trip when she quickly and expertly rearranged some of our first events as a result from a multi day airline delay. And she was very prompy in answering questions throughout the trip. This confidence knowing we were in good hands added allowed us to relax and enjoy the trip much more than otherwise.

The completeness of the trip book made the traveling easy and stress free, knowing everything was taken care of.

I will use Kimkim again and Kathrin the next time we go to New Zealand.

Local specialist: Kathrin Gerstel
Kathrin
Kathrin Gerstel
Local specialist in New Zealand | Replied on Jan 16, 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review — it truly brightened my day. I’m really glad to hear that you felt supported throughout the planning process and during the trip itself. Helping you sort through options and understand what would fit your travel style is exactly why I love what I do, and I’m so happy the itinerary came together in a way that felt right for you. I’m also glad I could step in quickly when those airline delays disrupted the start of your journey. Knowing that my... Read more

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review — it truly brightened my day. I’m really glad to hear that you felt supported throughout the planning process and during the trip itself. Helping you sort through options and understand what would fit your travel style is exactly why I love what I do, and I’m so happy the itinerary came together in a way that felt right for you.

I’m also glad I could step in quickly when those airline delays disrupted the start of your journey. Knowing that my support helped you relax and enjoy the experience means a lot to me.

It’s also wonderful to hear that the trip book added a bit of extra ease to your travels.

Thank you again for your trust and your kindness. I’d be thrilled to help you plan your next New Zealand adventure when the time is right. If you ever want to explore new regions or try a different travel style, I’m always excited to help you shape the perfect trip.

Read all New Zealand reviews

Thank you, Kathrin! You made our New Zealand trip really special
New Zealand | Nov 28 - Dec 8, 2025

Susan
Susan S.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Dec 17, 2025
What a great trip! All of the logistics were seamless and made our travel simpler. Kathrin is fantastic. We didn’t have to focus on the little details (like how will I get from the airport to the hotel or from the hotel to town), that was especially great in the moments when we were the most tired and disoriented. Poof! You’re settled in your hotel room and you have time to get your bearings, figure out what you’d like to see and do, maybe even take a moment to relax and enjoy the view. I’ve... Read more

What a great trip! All of the logistics were seamless and made our travel simpler. Kathrin is fantastic. We didn’t have to focus on the little details (like how will I get from the airport to the hotel or from the hotel to town), that was especially great in the moments when we were the most tired and disoriented. Poof! You’re settled in your hotel room and you have time to get your bearings, figure out what you’d like to see and do, maybe even take a moment to relax and enjoy the view. I’ve never had a vacation like that before. All of our activities were curated based on our interests, with tweaks in the planning phase to be sure we made the most of our time in this new place.

Things weren’t perfect, I don’t think that’s possible. Some locations or activities didn’t match our expectations and some events were cancelled due to weather. In retrospect, it’s easy to see where some details were lost in communication—on both ends—but this was a brand-new experience for everyone. We’ve never been to New Zealand and we’ve never travelled like this, meaning we’ve always managed all of our plans and arrangements. There’s a lot of information and preferences in my head that I didn’t think to communicate. And, even though you do this for a living, you’ve never done it for us before. You don’t know us or what we like, but you sure tried really hard to figure us out and accommodate our requests. We’re very grateful for that.

Even when things went wrong or were mildly disappointing, it was still an amazing adventure. How could it be otherwise? We were exploring a new place that is absolutely stunning and is home to really kind and friendly people. Rainy day? Cancelled hike? Time to go for a drive and enjoy the scenery, maybe get a cup of coffee and people watch.

We really appreciate everything you did for us. You were so thorough and thoughtful. Thank you!

Some highlights:

Doubtful Sound. The sound is gorgeous but we also enjoyed the bus ride there. There were so many rainbows!

TranzAlpine Train. Every bit of that day was outstanding. We were booked at the Scenic Plus fare which meant our own table with lots of delicious local food and drinks. The attendants were delightful. After a couple of hours of luxury travel we got off the train and hiked around Arthur’s Pass, then more food and drink on the ride back to Christchurch.

Waiheke Island. The hop-on/hop-off bus was good. We chose to go to a winery that was off the main route so we had to use a local bus and walk for a bit. It was totally worth it. We were the only people there. We sat on a deck with a beautiful view (including highland cows!) and enjoyed yummy wine and cheese.

Glowworm cave and kayak trip. Tom was our guide. He was really personable and patient, he had to deal with three inexperienced kayakers and it was pretty windy. He cooked for us, told us stories and kept the conversation going. We were treated to an enormous, orange moonrise. Spectacular! And the stars. Then we got to see the glowworms, so cool. We were soaked to the bone and really tired, but we loved it.

Lupines. They’re beautiful. It’s a shame they’re an introduced species.

Driving. There are views everywhere! It was nice taking it all in.

Hotel Reviews
Heritage Queenstown
Queenstown

Decor and some of the amenities (no USB outlets) are dated, but everything is spotlessly clean and the staff are really helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Regal Palms Resort
Rotorua

Decor and some of the amenities (no USB outlets) are dated, but everything is spotlessly clean and the staff are really helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Peppers Bluewater Resort
Lake Tekapo

Decor and some of the amenities (no USB outlets) are dated, but everything is spotlessly clean.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Adina Heritage Christchurch
Christchurch

Decor and some of the amenities (no USB outlets) are dated, but everything is spotlessly clean and the staff are really helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
M Social
Auckland

Super modern and clean. Very attentive staff. But everyone was very helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff was too attentive for our tastes. We realize they were doing their jobs the way they've been told to, but we don't like being asked by everyone we pass--every meter or so--if we're okay.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Doubtful Sound Day Cruise from Queenstown
Doubtful Sound Day Cruise from Queenstown
New Zealand

Staff and guides were super communicative. We knew exactly what to expect and where to go and they provided a lot of information about NZ history and culture

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Dart River Funyak Safari
Dart River Funyak Safari
New Zealand

Fun, but a little too long. The boats were fun and so was the rafting, but taking an extended lunch break wasn't necessary. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable if the weather was nicer, but it was raining and I think most people would have preferred to end the trip.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hell's Gate Experience (Geothermal site and Mud Bath and Sulphur Spa)
Hell's Gate Experience (Geothermal site and Mud Bath and Sulphur Spa)
Rotorua

The mud baths were soothing

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We didn't really interact with staff, it was mostly self-guided
Transport
I drove myself
Tekapo Springs - StarGazing
Tekapo Springs - StarGazing
Lake Tekapo

Hard to rate the experience because it was cloudy, which is obviously not their fault. They provided a VR experience instead of stargazing, it wasn't very interesting to me.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
I drove myself
Christchurch - Scenic train to Arthur's Pass return (TranzAlpine) in Scenic Plus class cabin
Christchurch - Scenic train to Arthur's Pass return (TranzAlpine) in Scenic Plus class cabin
Christchurch

Great! Luxurious. Really lovely attendants and absolutely delicious food.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience
Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience
Rotorua

We had a nice time and we enjoyed learning about the Maori culture. The entire experience felt a little exploitative to us. We were glad to support the Maori.

Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves
Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves
Rotorua

Really beautiful nighttime adventure. The glowworms were cool, but just a small part of it.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Zipline Canopy Tour (Ultimate)
Zipline Canopy Tour (Ultimate)
Rotorua

Terrifying and fun all at once.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Waiheke Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Waiheke Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
New Zealand

The ferry to Waiheke was relaxing with pretty views. The hop-on hop-off tour was cute and allowed many opportunities to explore the island.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Kathrin Gerstel
Kathrin
Kathrin Gerstel
Local specialist in New Zealand | Replied on Dec 22, 2025
Thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful review. It truly made my day. I’m delighted to hear that the logistics helped you settle in easily so you could simply enjoy New Zealand — that’s exactly what I hope for when planning a trip. I really appreciate your honesty about the moments that didn’t go perfectly. Travel always has a few surprises, and the way you embraced them with curiosity and flexibility says so much about you both. And you’re absolutely right — getting to know what... Read more

Thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful review. It truly made my day. I’m delighted to hear that the logistics helped you settle in easily so you could simply enjoy New Zealand — that’s exactly what I hope for when planning a trip.

I really appreciate your honesty about the moments that didn’t go perfectly. Travel always has a few surprises, and the way you embraced them with curiosity and flexibility says so much about you both. And you’re absolutely right — getting to know what each traveler loves is a process, and I’m grateful you trusted me with your first fully planned trip like this.

Your highlights were wonderful to read: rainbows in Doubtful Sound, luxury and scenery on the TranzAlpine, a quiet winery moment on Waiheke, that unforgettable glowworm kayak adventure, and of course those endless scenic drives. It sounds like you experienced New Zealand with exactly the right spirit.

Thank you again for your kindness, your openness, and the trust you placed in me. I’m so glad your adventure was memorable and full of stories you’ll carry with you. If you ever feel like exploring somewhere new, I’d love to help you plan the next one.

Read all New Zealand reviews

Very nice trip to New Zealand
New Zealand | Nov 18 - Dec 3, 2025

Zvonko
Zvonko D.
Slovenia | Reviewed on Dec 11, 2025
Our trip to New Zealand was a great success and this is the most important, far more than some difficulties during preparation phase. Good things first:
- Complete timing was good; we followed the schedule, attended all planned activities and we even added some additional ones.
- Hotels were all appropriate, the Lake Ohau Lodge was very different and somehow unique with their group dinner, but we enjoyed this one also
- All organized transportations were correct and timely
- Both... Read more

Our trip to New Zealand was a great success and this is the most important, far more than some difficulties during preparation phase.

Good things first:
- Complete timing was good; we followed the schedule, attended all planned activities and we even added some additional ones.
- Hotels were all appropriate, the Lake Ohau Lodge was very different and somehow unique with their group dinner, but we enjoyed this one also
- All organized transportations were correct and timely
- Both rentacars were good and spacious; the roads on both islands are good without too much traffic, so I did not have problems driving on the left side
- Both organized walking tours were good, guides very professional and knowledgeable
- I like to specially mention Wine tour in Wellington, which was exceptional. We had great fun and we learned much more then just pure facts about wine and the region
- All included activities were good; our highlight activities were Tasman glacier cruise and Te Puia geysers in Rotorua.

In preparation phase we had to invest much more of our time as in any other of our previous Kimkim trips. Kathrin was always eager to help, but there were various reasons we had more problems than usual
- At very beginning we proposed to base our trip on one already prepared trip published on Kimkim but we ended up with fairly different final plan.
- This caused a lot of communication and modifications, and 12 hours’ time difference was the main reason that preparation took much longer than expected
- Some unfortunate mistakes happened during the preparation phase too, but as I said previously the important point is that we had very nice trip to New Zealand.

Best regards

Zvonko

Local specialist: Kathrin Gerstel
Kathrin
Kathrin Gerstel
Local specialist in New Zealand | Replied on Dec 12, 2025
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughtful review, Zvonko. I’m delighted to hear that your trip to New Zealand was such a success and that the itinerary, activities, accommodations, and logistics all came together so well. It’s wonderful to know how much you enjoyed the guided tours, the Wellington wine experience, and highlights like the Tasman Glacier cruise and Te Puia. I also appreciate you acknowledging the challenges during the planning phase. We didn’t have a long time to prepare... Read more

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughtful review, Zvonko. I’m delighted to hear that your trip to New Zealand was such a success and that the itinerary, activities, accommodations, and logistics all came together so well. It’s wonderful to know how much you enjoyed the guided tours, the Wellington wine experience, and highlights like the Tasman Glacier cruise and Te Puia.

I also appreciate you acknowledging the challenges during the planning phase. We didn’t have a long time to prepare for your trip, and I recognize that the time difference with you being in Europe, along with the adjustments needed to refine the itinerary, made the process more demanding than it should have been. I’m very glad that despite this, the final trip delivered the experience you hoped for and left you with great memories of New Zealand.

Storm warning! Not what we planned but turned out better.
New Zealand | Oct 18 - Oct 30, 2025

M
Mark W.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Nov 09, 2025
Our trip to New Zealand was incredible and memorable. First, the uncontrolled bad. Our trip coincided with a storm of the century. About half of our excursions had to be cancelled due to high winds on the South Island (100 mph). Second, the good. Those things that we were able to do were excellent. Because of the weather difficulty, our specialist Kathrin worked extra hard to rebook and adjust things on the fly. The ability to pivot and do other activities made it such that we were... Read more

Our trip to New Zealand was incredible and memorable. First, the uncontrolled bad. Our trip coincided with a storm of the century. About half of our excursions had to be cancelled due to high winds on the South Island (100 mph). Second, the good. Those things that we were able to do were excellent. Because of the weather difficulty, our specialist Kathrin worked extra hard to rebook and adjust things on the fly. The ability to pivot and do other activities made it such that we were able to have an extraordinary experience.

If you are considering a trip to NZ in the future, give them a call. They will help you put together a great trip and, from our experience, will be there to back you up in case something goes wrong.

Thank you KimKim team for making our trip excellent.

Local specialist: Kathrin Gerstel
Kathrin
Kathrin Gerstel
Local specialist in New Zealand | Replied on Nov 10, 2025

Thank you Mark, for your amazing review!
With the unplanned adventures, I am so happy that you loved your trip and our assistance made your vacation so much easier to enjoy!

Read all New Zealand reviews