New Zealand Self Drive Tours

The Cairns Colonial Club Resort was a wonderful place to stay. They even upgraded us, providing a nice view and lots of room space. Having laundry facilities was a great plus, especially for a long trip.

The hotel in Auckland was great. It had a fantastic location, and we enjoyed walking around and exploring the area. The hotel added to the whole Auckland experience.

The day trip to the Blue Mountains was incredibly nice. We got to see some amazing wildlife and the natural beauty of the area was breathtaking. It's a must-do activity if you're in Sydney.

The Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise was absolutely fantastic. It was a very safe and well-planned tour that was both educational and visually stunning. I highly recommend this if you're visiting Cairns.

The Great Ocean Road Adventure had a bit of a hiccup due to our guide, who was not very friendly and even got a speeding ticket during the tour. It was not as enjoyable as we had hoped.

The Essence of Waiheke Wine Tour was fantastic. We really enjoyed the tour and the wine experience. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and a highlight of the trip.

The Auckland City & Waitakere Ranges tour was fantastic! The rainforest, the bush, and the beach were beautiful. Our guide was wonderful and made the experience really special.

The Wellington Food Tour was fantastic. It ended up being a private tour as we were the only participants, and the guide was very passionate and added his personal touch, making it a memorable experience.

The Skyline Queenstown Gondola and Buffet Dinner was a highlight of our trip. The food was high-quality and abundant, far exceeding our expectations for a buffet. The views from the gondola were simply stunning.

Great location! Hotel was well updated and service was great

Great location and the hotel was nicely updated. Service was great as well

This hotel has nice staff and a great restaurant. The hotel and rooms could definitely use some updating. The bathrooms in particular are quite dated.

Pretty good location. The hotel itself is nicely updated and the restaurant was very good. There aren’t too many restaurants in walking distance so having a good restaurant on site was nice.

Beautiful views and the staff is awesome! We loved our room and the included breakfast was very good. The only drawback is having to take the shuttle to town. Many times it was full so we would have to wait another hour or just go ahead and walk. So the shuttle is great unless it is super busy, then everyone is trying to use it.

Great location. Staff was very nice and the retreats are very cute. Could use some updating to the rooms, they just felt dated but overall we had a nice stay. No king bed, we got a double and a single so not as good for couples

Staff could not have been nicer and helped us get our bags to our room. Restaurant on site was very good (Tudor). Our room was fabulous!! We got an updated King suite and it was top of the line. Definitely recommend this hotel!

Great hotel in a really good location. Easy to walk anywhere downtown. Rooms were updated and staff was very helpful and nice. Bartender who made me coffee in the morning was super friendly and quick.

Great location! Staff was very nice. The room was huge and included a full kitchen. Definitely recommend as the room was updated and very comfortable.

We chose to stay at Adina based on Jon's recommendation, but I really wish I had paid more attention to the reviews. We spent four nights and five days there as a family, and were excited about staying in the penthouse suite. However, the reality was far from what we expected. Here’s a summary of the major issues I encountered, which are so basic I would expect them even from a three-star hotel. 1. I understand that daily room cleaning isn’t always provided, but despite requesting it multiple times, we never received proper room service. When they did come, they simply changed the bed sheets—nothing else was cleaned. 2. Towels were never provided, even after repeated requests. 3. The overall condition of the room was disappointing—dirty and dated. 4. The biggest issue was the lack of ventilation in the bathroom. There was no exhaust fan, and the bathroom itself was dingy and moldy. 5. The coffee machine didn’t work, and despite asking housekeeping to take a look, they were unable to fix it. 6. The service at the front desk was terrible—my requests often went unanswered or ignored.

Overall, this hotel was better than mediocre, but I find it hard to understand how a property of this size could consistently run out of towels. During three of the five days we stayed, there were no towels available. The highlight of the hotel was definitely the view — we had a fantastic ocean view and enjoyed watching the fireworks on December 31.

The location of this hotel is excellent, right in the heart of the city and within easy reach of many attractions. However, the rooms are a bit dark and outdated, and the bathrooms lack proper ventilation or an exhaust fan. has context menu

This was an okay experience, but it felt a bit redundant after doing Reef Magic. The glass-bottom boat wasn’t worth it, and the snorkeling and diving experience was mediocre at best. The biggest issue I had was being dropped off at an island with nowhere to store your things or find a comfortable spot to relax. I wasn’t aware of this beforehand. The meals provided were box lunches, and honestly, they weren’t worth it either.

It was great to be picked up at the airport, and the drive to our hotel was smooth and effortless.

We took this tour on Christmas Day, and our guide was absolutely amazing. No crowds, easy driving and knowledgeable guide. It truly made for a beautiful experience.

We booked this well in advance, but Jon didn’t communicate our phone numbers to the local team, which caused a delay in getting our tickets on the day off. We had to wait in long lines and was extremely frustrating. It could all have been avoided. The boat was at full capacity with over 400 people, so it felt chaotic. Since we booked so far ahead, I wish I had more details about the activities, like snorkeling options, so I could have signed up ahead instead of arriving on a crowded boat and scrambling to sign up and not getting our choice timings and options. That said, diving into the Great Barrier Reef was the highlight of the trip—it was an amazing experience. The lunch was also really good, despite the long lines, and I appreciated that they noted my child’s food allergy and took good care of her.

We were picked up from the airport and it was only a 10-minute drive to the hotel. However, the car that picked us up was a bit rundown. In hindsight, we could have just taken an Uber directly to the hotel at our convenience and saved the extra cost.

This was an amazing experience, especially since we chose to do it privately. We were able to go at our own pace, and our guide, Lawrance, was fantastic. We also really enjoyed the meal and the fruit presentation.

This day also felt like a waste. The cableway was the only highlight, but the Koala Gardens, souvenir shop, and local market felt like a total tourist trap. After seeing animals in the wild, visiting them in a park just didn’t compare—it was disappointing and didn’t feel authentic at all. Overall, it felt like we wasted our day.

Per Jon's recommendation we were at Adina, but I really wish I had paid more attention to the reviews. We spent four nights and five days there as a family, and were excited about staying in the penthouse suite. However, the reality was far from what we expected. Here’s a summary of the major issues I encountered, which are so basic I would expect them even from a three-star hotel. 1. I understand that daily room cleaning isn’t always provided, but despite requesting it multiple times, we never received proper room service. When they did come, they simply changed the bed sheets—nothing else was cleaned. 2. Towels were never provided, even after repeated requests. 3. The overall condition of the room was disappointing—dirty and dated. 4. The biggest issue was the lack of ventilation in the bathroom. There was no exhaust fan, and the bathroom itself was dingy and moldy. 5. The coffee machine didn’t work, and despite asking housekeeping to take a look, they were unable to fix it. 6. The service at the front desk was terrible—my requests often went unanswered or ignored.

If you’re visiting in the summer, like we did in December, I highly recommend skipping this activity. Koalas are usually asleep and inactive, and seeing them in captivity at a small park just isn’t worth it.

We were picked up in the afternoon and taken to the Moonlit Sanctuary tour, but it was a big disappointment. The park, with its local animals, felt small and underwhelming, and since it was around 90° that day, all the animals were hibernating. It definitely wasn’t worth the time. I’d suggest instead spending the day at Phillip Island for lunch, followed by the Penguin Parade, which is definitely worth it and the real highlight of the day. If you’re planning ahead like we did, be sure to check the details of your ticket. We were a group of five, and three of our kids were seated in economy while we had plus seats. We had Plus viewing and Economy seating felt like a total waste—plus is definitely the way to go for the best experience. So, make sure to review your seating options in advance.

Amazing location, friendly staff

Amazing location (walking distance to the beach), had an amazing pool and friendly staff. We were there during schoolies so it was very loud at night. However, staff did their best to fix that.

Hotel was in an amazing location for exploring. Staff was extremely friendly.

Fred was an amazing tour guy and made the 11 hours go by so fast! He was extremely knowledgeable and loved telling stories! I also loved that it wasn’t a huge bus tour so it felt more intimate

Our tour guide was amazing, knowledgeable and friendly. He really interacted with my kids and everyone had a blast learning about Sydney!

An extremely unique and amazing experience. Friendly staff, great boat ride there and back, fun time in the submarine and then snorkeling. Everyone loved every minute of it.

The Pacific Hotel Cairns was a great base for our adventures in Cairns. It was conveniently located within walking distance to many restaurants and shops along the waterway. The hotel was also very close to where we boarded the boat for our Great Barrier Reef adventure, making it extremely convenient.

Spending the night on the Oceanquest was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The accommodation was comfortable, and being surrounded by the reef was surreal. It was an incredible way to immerse ourselves in the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.

The hotel we stayed in Sydney was right down in the middle of walking distance to everything, which was great!

Good way to get an overview of Sydney. We explored Manly beach the day before on our own(took public ferry from Sydney harbor), saw Bondi beach with the Big bus tour, had the opportunity to see many parts of the city we would not otherwise would have had time to get to. The only partially negative point would be if you change lines on the bus, you need to pay attention to the times of last trip offered.

If you like animals, this was an amazing opportunity to see and learn more about them from the zoo staff. The retreat is located in the middle of the zoo ,which is located at the end of a community of "high end" homes. The rooms are spacious and have a great view of different parts of the zoo. I got up early in the morning and actually saw a koala bear right outside our room! Close enough to get a few great pictures but not close enough to touch.

So, initially our room was not ready (we arrived around 10AM,it wasn't to be ready until 2) hotel staff kept our bags for us and gave us guest passes to access the zoo from a "retreat" entrance (this particular gate not available to non guest of the retreat). When room was ready, the AC didn't work, however, the staff quickly found a different room, same view for us. Check out was around 11 , staff again kept our bags for us and allowed us guest access to the zoo again.

We got off the plane, there was a driver waiting for us, perfect timing !

Tia had arranged this flight for us on Jetstar airlines, flight from Sydney was on time and full. When we arrived in Cairns, there was a private driver waiting for us at baggage claim, again, perfect timing !

We were picked up from the hotel a little later than we had planned, had to have desk staff call tour operator for us ( about 25 minutes late). river ride was fine but no crocodiles for us to see, oh well. The Daintree rainforest and Cape Tribulation was beautiful, unspoiled wilderness. The guide told us 'it's where the rainforest meets the sea". We also got a stop for beautiful pictures and free sample (3 scoops!) of homemade ice cream made in the area from fruit.

We got picked up from our hotel (but the Pacific Hotel is maybe 3 short blocks from the dock, we could have walked), boarded the boat at the dock, seemed quite crowded. We went for a short ride then whoever wanted to dive could get outfitted with gear (after filling out liability/medical questionnaire) or snorkel. We stopped two places on the reef , beautiful. Snacks onboard included muffins, fresh fruit. Coffee, tea, and a few other items were for purchase. There was a photographer onboard who dove and took pictures,made later for sale at a reasonable price, beautiful quality. After the second stop, those of us who were going to spend the night on the reef with Diver's Den were taken to a point where we were assisted from one boat to the other. Safety briefing aboard catamaran done, rooms assigned, safety rules presented. Daytime dive/snorkel opportunities offered. A night dive was available as well as "sharks in the dark" for those who wished to use a mask and snorkel and stay on the dive platform to see the fish and sharks at night.

This was my husband's 65th birthday wish, to dive the Great Barrier Reef...He was NOT disappointed ! Coral for the most part was healthy and colorful, not too many larger fish, many small ones, the occasional turtle or shark. Meals were simple and the cook was very open about giving a different option to those with dietary restrictions. When we were on board there were 3 different classes going on, one group becoming dive masters, one learning more about rescue diving and one getting open water certification. Mixed ages, more younger then older ,every body was welcomed with same enthusiasm by the crew. We had the opportunity to do 2 more dives that day, then we were given lunch and our bags were transported back to the other boat first, then we were assisted over. My husband did 7 dives over this two day trip, I did 5 and a snorkel trip .back on the transfer boat fresh fruit was offered as well as other snacks ,some for a fee.

Tia had arranged a private driver to take us to the train station, We just had to show our information on the KimKim app(New Zealand Touring Company) to receive the train ticket and ticket for the Skyrail. Nicely maintained "old style" train cars with narrated information of places passed and history of the railroad in that area. Post train ride we were in the mountain village of Kuranda that offered a butterfly farm, a koala viewing area (they had other animals as well), a bird aviary ,, shops and restaurants. When we were done walking around, eating and seeing the sights, we got on the Skyrail for the trip back down the mountain. The skyrail makes a few stops where you can get out and look at a large waterfall we saw from the train earlier.

The Kalbarri Edge Resort was within 5 to 10 minutes walking distance to the waterfront to see the daily feeding of the Australian pelicans & lots of restaurants & take away foods to choose from. And a delicious ice cream place. The living room was very adequate size as was the kitchen & a separate bedroom.

Easy small town to drive in especially if you are not use to driving on the left side of the road. Getting to & from the airport was also easy. Beautiful explanade to walk just a few blocks from our hotel.

Gorgeous views!

There are two choices- petting a koala or holding a koala. Both choices are only 1 minute long while they take pictures, but be sure you book the experience that you want. We wanted to hold the koalas but had booked petting the koala. Did not know there were different options.

Fascinating particularly if you like the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies or books.

Take the complimentary tour. This is an other-worldly experience

Great Hotel in the heart of darling Harbor! Easy to walk around the city and shop. Could use laundry facility in the hotel otherwise it was a great hotel and beautiful area.

Lovely hotel in the desert, WIFI could use a little boost otherwise everything was beautiful and as expected. Very clean. Free Laundry facilities a plus!

Great hotel in a wonderful area, we felt like we were in the rainforest every morning with the bird sounds. Great location, close to the Esplanade and Marina.

Great experience! So fun watching the sunrise and having the experience of riding the camels through the desert!

Drone show was cancelled due to the winds. Laser light show instead

Lovely sunset experience, There was sparkling wine and cheese and crackers given out during sunset

Excellent breakfast and morning watching the sunrise, then over to to Uluru

Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef experience was amazing! Long day, could have used it to have been a little shorter of a day otherwise it was perfect