What a Great Trip
New Zealand
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Mar 19 - Apr 3, 2026
Kathrin was amazing. She found a way to accommodate all of our idiosyncratic preferences and crafted a 16-day NZ adventure that was just right. If we had merely taken the trip we signed up for, we would have been delighted. Yet she had surprises waiting for us all along the way. Several of our lodgings had welcome messages, treats, wine, chocolates--something to welcome us and congratulate us on our anniversary. Five of them (!) provided upgrades at no extra charge, each one better than the last. Then came the ultimate above-and-beyond from Kathrin: She proactively alerted us that our ferry was likely to be cancelled and counseled us to jump to a flight instead. We were able to book a flight within minutes of the cancellation and saved the rest of our trip. She stayed in contact throughout our trip just to make sure everything went smoothly. She was aces.
Your A.I. alternative can't do any of that. We are sticking with Kathrin. Six stars out of five.
Hotel Reviews
Six stars out of five. We cannot find words to express how delighted we were with our stay at Murchison Lodge. Phillip is the consummate host and made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. It was a highlight of our stay in New Zealand. It's the sort of place that just makes you want to settle in and not move. We should add that the homemade breakfast was the best of our 16 days in NZ. Our only disappointment was that we had to leave.
Great location and very comfortable. It was kind of like staying in our own little cabin. The office even offered a free glowworm walk for anyone interested in the evening--just to be nice. We really enjoyed it.
We don't have the words to describe how beautiful River Birches Lodge is. The design is impeccable. Jason and Rebeca are great hosts, warm and friendly, and made us feel right at home. The room was very well appointed, and the cedar hot tub was an unexpected bonus. They included a lovely breakfast each day and provided great advice about our trip. We stayed in a wide variety of places during our 16 days in NZ (many of them very nice), and by far River Birches was the nicest of the lot. Six stars out of five.
We had a great time. We basically had the sound to ourselves during this trip. There were only 28 other guests onboard the boat, so it never felt crowded. It was rather cozy, actually. And there was SO MUCH FOOD. What a nice surprise. This was one of the best things we did on our trip to NZ.
The place is enormous. It felt like we should host a party there. Fun and quirky, but very comfortable.
We loved this spot. It was right down on the lakeshore, providing a lovely walk into town. We had a full apartment just for the two of us. Everything was like new.
They gave us a large, corner room that was very comfortable. It's easy to see why people might love this place for its funky decor. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The one downside was that the bathroom was very small, surprising given the size of our room. Otherwise, it was an interesting change of pace.
A fairly standard hotel room, clean with a comfortable bed. All you really need if you don't plan on hanging out in the hotel (why would you do that in NZ?). The staff were delightful.
Activity Reviews
This exceeded our expectations by a mile. The boat trip was lovely (perfect weather). And the food blew us away. We anticipated pretty standard fare, but it turned out to be maybe the largest buffet you'll find just about anywhere. And the food was all great. The herding and shearing demonstration was a fun bonus. It was a perfect way to spend our first evening in NZ following 16 hours of travel to get there.
Really cool. Learned a lot and really enjoyed it besides. They kept the group small so it was just right.
We thought this would be more just a quick, brief touchdown on the glacier. In fact, we spent a couple of hours on the ice. All the gear (including boots, crampons, and rain gear) was provided. Our guide Kate was delightful. Unlike anything was have ever done before. We got a bunch of cool photos.
Lots of fun. We scheduled the Level 1 (short) experience due to time constraints, but we would gladly have extended to do the next level if we could have made it work with our schedule. It was totally safe and manageable--not physically challenging or dodgy. We would gladly do this again.
The hike was beautiful. It was a little harder than we expected (very hilly), but not too difficult. Our one (small) regret is that we allowed too much time to complete it, so we waited around a long time for our boat. If we did it again, we would have scheduled the earlier boat. As it was, we had an extra hour on a beautiful, sunny beach, so no one should feel sorry for us.
It looks cooler on paper. The geothermal site is smaller and much less interesting than Orakei Korako, which was well worth the detour in our opinion. The mud bath was just OK, in part because you have to sit out in the cold air while the mud dries on you. It was interesting, but we would probably not do this one again.
This was the best thing we did in 16 days in NZ. We have been to commercial luaus in Hawaii before and expected something similar. As if. This was a much smaller crowd and a much more intimate experience. We learned a ton, and the talented performers really gave their all. We both found it very moving. And the food was plentiful, with a great variety on the prix fixe menu. Just delightful.
Great for all LOTR fans. But probably the most explicitly commercial, touristy thing we did in NZ.
We loved it. It was a small group (28 guests), and we were basically the only boat in the entire sound. The room was small (of course) but comfortable. And the staff were delightful. So much food you can't believe it.
