Once Upon a Trip

Michelle, taking a break at the Westwood lodge after the Heli Hike today and thought we should give you some feedback so far. In a word, AWESOME!
We enjoyed Christchurch on our own, walking 10 miles both days we were there. The Earthquake Museum is worth it and the Tram hop on hop off also a good idea especially for those who don't want to walk 10 miles a day. We had a tremendous meal at 27 steps in CC. Also, the roses in the Botanical gardens were spectacular.
The train ride to Greymouth was terrific too. We wound up with three breakfasts basically and barely recovered before they fed us lunch. The scenery was awe inspiring and the audio tour pretty good if a bit long near the end. Rental Car is pretty cool.
Probably the best part of the trip so far has been Selwyn and Elizabeth at the Awatuna Lodge. We ate dinner there the first night and it was so good we did again the second. I doubt you'll find a better restaurant meal anywhere. They sat with us both nights for Cocktail hour and have super interesting pasts. The view from their place is beautiful overlooking a wild beach.
The bike ride was pretty spectacular, especially going through the rain forest. It was a bit more challenging than expected. The distance is deceiving. The elevation changes are pretty big so we had to walk the bikes some and go really slow on the steeper downhills. Also, a bit rougher. Great experience, but at the upper bound of our abilities. "easy" apparently has different definition in NZ!
Drive to Franz Joseph was a bit of an adventure because we left some stuff in a closet at Awatuna and had to double back. No worries. Made our Kayak trip and enjoyed the guides and the lake.
Westwood Lodge is good, but nothing really can compare to Elizabeth and Selwyn.
We have gotten super lucky on the weather everywhere. Had a bit of rain to start our bike ride but that stopped after 2 hours and were fine. Yesterday it rained all day when we were driving but stopped as soon as we got to the Kayak site. We had one of the best days anyone could remember today for our Glacier hike. Heli Hike was a hit too. Everyone was great and hike itself just the right amount of challenge and time. It's just a unique experience.
Last, we have really enjoyed the people everywhere. NZ is a beautiful place filled with genuinely nice people. We've met more great people from the AU, Britian, and for some reason, tons of Dutch!
We'll check in later as we head into our next adventures.
Kevin and Marge
Michelle, just wanted to let you know the rest of the trip has gone smashingly well. Wanaka was so interesting, and you were right about the 4-wheel drive adventure. We had 5+ hours with a native Kiwi and learned everything about your country. The Alpine Resort Wanaka accommodations were our least favorite of the 4. Not a good walk to town and we had a couple of minor issues with the unit we had. It is a great place for folks who have kids though. For us the more intimate setting of a B&B is best. Which brings us to our second favorite stop the Monte Cristo. What a treat. The staff was fantastic, the wine tasting really fun and the location is beautiful. The two bike rides out of Clyde were fun but pretty challenging. Especially the one around the lake. E bikes were a must. We would never have made it pedaling. The track is pretty challenging, and we got to experience lovely 75KMH NZ winds. We were fine if not a bit tired. The second day ride was the opposite. Flat to downhill the whole way with a huge tail wind. Very different landscape. I would recommend both trips just let folks know it will be challenging.
The fly-cruise-fly was also another unbelievable experience. We got lucky that they had a lot of rain before we came so the waterfalls were spectacular. The flights were a lot of fun too especially with Ben our pilot looking like our son in law.
We're in Queeenstown now staying at spectacular place, the Queenstown Park Boutique. People are just as nice as all the other places and it's a great location.
Thank you again for an outstanding trip. We love your country and your people.
Cheers
Kevin and Marge

Michelle listened to our trip goals carefully, then created a fantastic itinerary! The lodging, activities, and pace were great. Over 20 nights, 3,000 km of auto travel, 6 hikes, 2 cycling trail rides, and many other fun activities, everything went perfect! We appreciate the creativity when we had to delay the start of our trip by two days to jump in and start as if nothing was missed. Many thanks to Michelle for a terrific experience on the South island of New Zealand!

Hotel Reviews

Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel

Queenstown

Where one night in Queenstown is enough, this is the place to stay! Welcoming staff, great happy hour, wonderful rooms!

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Fiordland Jewel

Milford Sound

Cruising Milford Sound and staying onboard this ship was fantastic! Captain Jack is an amazing host. We were guests during a torrential rainstorm and the waterfalls were unbelievable! Kayaking was really fun, even in the rain and cold! A great time!

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The Mayfair

Christchurch

A little outside the entertainment and shopping district. Nice otherwise.

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Cozy

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Monte Christo Winery

Clyde

What a great experience! The chalets were very, very nice! The wine tasting terrific, and in room breakfasts really nice. Cycling the 40km Dunstan Lake Trail was the best activity of our trip!

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Awaroa Lodge

Abel Tasman National Park

Great experience to stay at this lodge in the NP. Unique experience to arrive and depart by water taxi. Loved the food too! Our 15km hike through forests and beaches was exhilarating. Could have stayed longer! This is a favorite of our trip!

Authenticity & Character

In the Forrest by the sea.

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Rimu Lodge

Ruatapu

Sue Ellen is a terrific host at this special lodge! Her happy hour and breakfasts were fantastic. The lodge is beautiful, has great views of the Hokitika River, and is luxurious. Our 50km cycle on the Western Track was so much fun!! Hokitika is one of our favorite beach towns! So original!

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Westwood Lodge

Franz Josef Glacier

Rooms were a bit dark and not comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness, decor, and staff cheerfulness.

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Staff

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Edgewater Wanaka

Lake Wānaka

Great hotel/lodge! Rooms a bit spartan, but the common areas, bar, and patio were exceptional. The jet boat on the river and the 4wd on the nearby livestock station made for an exciting and informative day!

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Prospect Lodge

Te Anau

Joan and Ross have an amazing lodge! What a special experience Prospect Lodge is. Only two guest rooms makes this unique. The breakfasts were the best ever! The view of Lake Te Anau and the mountains is Georgeous! Rooms are first class! Our 15km heli-hike on the Kepler Track was unbelievable fun. Seeing the glow worms in the cave was the most unique experience and great fun!

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PurePod Rakiura Stewart Island (Hananui)

Christchurch

This was one of the most unique experiences we ever had! The Pure Pod was spectacular and the provided food excellent! Stewart Island is a special place! We loved our 20km hike to Prince William hut. Enjoying a clear night and the southern sky from the pod is breathtaking!

Location

Staff

Great food prep and spotlessly clean pod.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St Clair

Dunedin

The right place to be in Dunedin! Beach. Surfers, and great evening fun!

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Hotel Montreal

Christchurch

We loved staying at the Montreal! Close to the entertainment section of Christchurch and spacious rooms. We saw the best of Christchurch from this welcoming hotel.

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Activity Reviews

Jet boat and wilderness walk

New Zealand

Our jet boat captain Ben was so much fun! But he was also very knowledgeable and made this a really enjoyable experience. Loved learning about the beech forests!

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Wild Hills 4WD Safari tour

New Zealand

Chris was our 4wd guide and did a great job teaching us about the station (farm) operations. Fantastic!

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Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail (from Clyde)

New Zealand

This was the best cycle adventure we could have imagined! Challenging and beautiful. Of course we were on standard bikes!

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Heli Hike Kepler track from Te Anau

Te Anau

Absolutely great hike! We had 100km wind and driving rain shortly after being let off the heli! Wow! Such beautiful views at the top, and great forests on the way down.

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Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

Really fun experience! The caves are spectacular to see.

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Milford Sound overnight Cruise - Fiordland Jewel

New Zealand

This is must do in when travelling NZ! We lucked out with a rainstorm during our first day creating hundreds of waterfalls. Captain Jack was terrific!

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Food

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Yellow-eyed penguins

Dunedin

We enjoyed learning about the penguins and walking the track. Absolute beauty! Great time.

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Trusting Monika with my trip was the best decision I could have made, she was so helpful throughout the planning process and during the trip. She picked excellent excursions that we throughly enjoyed and made all the arrangements necessary for the trip to go so smoothly. The was wise enough to pick hotels that were in walking distance to great restaurants and activities and was very helpful in accommodating my travel partner, who had a lot of allergies. I would absolutely recommend her for planning a trip to New Zealand.

Activity Reviews

Coach and Cruise to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

Queenstown (NZ)

I wish I caught the name of our bus driver, he was so friendly and entertaining and took some great photos of me and my friend!

Quality of Experience

The views and the driver

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was so friendly, funny and informative

Transport

The bus had some problems on the way back but that’s not anyone’s fault

Christchurch Tramway Restaurant

Christchurch

Excellent food and amazing service

Quality of Experience

The quality and food portions were excellent

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was so friendly and professional

Hell's Gate Experience (Geothermal site and Mud Bath and Sulphur Spa)

Rotorua

It was raining but that didn’t detract from the experience

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Do not skip the experience, it's so educational, entertaining and the food was the best we had the entire trip!! The love, care and welcoming attitude that the performers have for visitors is unparalleled. The knowledge they provide leaves you deeply interested in Maori culture and the performances and food were excellent. The staff is so talented!! I would absolutely go back and do this again.

Quality of Experience

Food

best meal we had the whole trip

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Swim with dolphins

New Zealand

I didn’t end up swimming and they arranged for us to take a boat ride instead where we still got to see dolphins

Glowworm Tour Nocturnal Adventure

Rotorua

Stephen was incredible. His knowledge of the landscape and local flare and fauna was top notch. We had an absolutely incredible time and he takes beautiful pictures if you at a waterfall that he promptly emailed to us the next morning, do not miss this!!

Quality of Experience

you are in a small group and it does not feel touristy or commercial, its intimate and fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stephen is an incredible tour guide, he's is so knowledgable and respects the environment and his patrons

Transport

he took us to see the sunset, looking over the lake before we went to see the glowworms

Skydive Taupo Tandem 12000 feet

New Zealand

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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.

Our trip to New Zealand was absolutely amazing. Thanks to Michelle!!
Every detail was thoughtfully planned and her recommendations were spot on. She was available throughout our trip for any questions , concerns or clarifications. Everything went smoothly, and we truly appreciate Michelle's attention detail and care. Highly recommend Kim Kim services to anyone looking for a worry-free travel experience.

Niranjan

I've done quite a bit of travel in my lifetime (88 years old) and I want to tell you this trip (New Zealand) was among the best I've ever done. This country should be on everyone's bucket list and the planning by Michelle at Kimkim was great. Thank you so very much.

The trip was very well organized by Michelle. Her exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail made our 14-day New Zealand expedition an unparalleled success. She was very professional all the way through, made changes to the plans if and when required, all the hotel accommodations booked were outstanding. we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Thank you, Michelle, for the outstanding help and guidance provided by you.

Hotel Reviews

The Rees Hotel

Queenstown

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The Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

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Fable Terrace Downs

Windwhistle

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M Social

Auckland

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Scenic Hotel Punakaiki

Punakaiki

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Abel Tasman Lodge

Motueka

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Bolton Hotel

Wellington

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Art Deco Masonic Hotel

Napier

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Acacia Cliffs Lodge

taupo

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Activity Reviews

Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight

Queenstown (NZ)

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather conditions

Quality of Experience

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather conditions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather conditions

Transport

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather

Ultimate Alpine Experience - Combo ski plane and Helico

New Zealand

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather condiitons

Quality of Experience

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather conditions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather

Transport

Unable to review since this activity was cancelled due to weather

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

New Zealand

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Wai-O-Tapu

New Zealand

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Gannet Safaris

New Zealand

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Jetboat Huka Falls

New Zealand

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Ferry to Waiheke Island

Auckland

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Explore the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

New Zealand

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Waiheke Island Half Day Scenic Wine and Lunch

New Zealand

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