New Zealand Explorer

New Zealand Discovery, Feb - March 2025. Solo traveller. This was a superb tour and absolutely exceeded my expectations which were high! What a stunningly beautiful land Pros: 1. Our tour leader, Runty Jackson was excellent. I've been on several Explore trips and enjoyed good leadership but Runty was exceptional, he was a star! The trip would have been good anyway but thank you Runty, you made it outstanding. 2. The trip itinerary was great and we were able to do nearly everything that had been advertised. 3. Accommodation on the whole was fine. 4. We were lucky with weather so saw New Zealand's highlights, e.g. Doubtful Sound, Mount Cook, Fox Glacier and the west coast in perfect weather. Cons: Nothing major. 1. Breakfasts: These are the only included meals (except for 2 others). Best breakfast without a doubt was at Rotorua- exceptionally good. The Copthorne chain hotels were also quite good. However worst was in Napier. Frankly dire. White sliced bread, no variety of food, tinned sweeteened fruit. A jar of instant coffee. Horrible. The motel next door where we stayed was fine but the restaurant was not!!! 2. Coffee in hotel breakfasts. Again with the exception of Rotorua and the Bealey Quarter, the hotel coffee was not good. This is New Zealand after all, the land that prides itself on its coffee culture. Acturally one of the best breakfasts we had was in Hokitika where the motel didn't have food so Runty took us to a cafe in the town- excellent. Further suggestion By contrast with the rest of the trip, Wanaka was not that interesting, and restaurants were ok but mostly fast food types. Wanaka certainly didn't deserve 2 days. The advertised jet boat ride/ wilderness walk didn't seem to be available. I did take the boat across the lake and it was ok, but it was quite expensive for what it turned out to be. The 'guide ' didn't seem that knowledgable or indeed, interested. Instead I'd suggest at least another day in Abel Tasman National Park which was so, so beautiful. Maybe an overnight stay there and opportunities to walk more and spend more time on the idyllic beaches.

A fabulous introduction to New Zealand. A very varied trip including trekking, sightseeing and cruising. Fairly full on, but it had to be to cover the ground and see everything. Runty Jackson, our tour leader, was brilliant going the extra mile to ensure we had a fab time. He was also very caring when I took a tumble. Thanks Runty. Accommodation was generally fine but nothing fancy, except for the Bealey Quarter in Christchurch which was very cramped. The minibus was OK, but leg room was an issue. All the logistics worked perfectly. We were expected wherever we went. Overall, we had an amazing holiday, loved New Zealand and will use Explore again.

I highly recommend this trip. It is worth the long journey. Our leader Runty Jackson was exceptional. He is a proud New Zealander with Māori children and gave us an enormous amount of information about the country including adding a few interesting places to our itinerary.. We were able to do this because we were all willing to get up early and were always on time. We were taken to Nugget Point - the most Easterly point of NZ and the nearest place to Antartica. We saw sea lions and exceptional views. We were also able to walk the beginning of the track up Mount Cook. Runty was exceptional at helping organising things, and making suggestions. He managed the group dynamics well. New Zealand is a wonderful place to visit but I do feel the whole experience was made exceptional by Runty. He is by far and away the best Explore guide I have had on my many trips. Thank you.

I am very pleased with the trip. The program was very interesting and carried out calmly without rushing. Many thanks to the guide/driver (Pelle), who can be an example for others. He even washed the bus windows every day so that the photos would be successful. He was helpful in all situations. Many thanks.

Stunning New Zealand, but Group Dynamics Fell Short New Zealand is a breathtaking destination, and it exceeded all my expectations. The landscapes are like something out of a dream – from majestic mountains to serene lakes and lush greenery, South Island's Abel Tasman park trekking to the West Coasts unspoiled long walks were unforgettable and truly showcased the beauty and diversity of this country. And the dreaded sandflies were really no bother if one had long sleeves and trousers on. However, my experience with the group tour was a mixed bag. The group was very small – just six people – and while two of them were among the most wonderful humans I’ve ever met, the same couldn’t be said for everyone. The tour leader, not a native of New Zealand, while mostly pleasant, had his own agenda and ideas of what the tour should have included or not, and two other group members created tension with occasional bullish behaviour. This dynamic made some parts of the trip less enjoyable than they could have been. In all fairness, the tour leader had good suggestions about small detours and stopping and various amazing points along the way for walks, depending on the ever changing weather conditions. However, at some point, this felt like we were just chasing the next stop, get off the bus, walk, back in an hour, and do it all over again. It was done at the expense of the free time we already had precious little in this full-on tour. Thankfully, the positivity and kindness of the other group members more than made up for the challenges. They helped turn even the most awkward moments into something memorable, and I’m so grateful for the connection we shared. The Explore describes the accommodations as motels with limited breakfast choices, sometimes with just a boxed meal option. I found that the motels were all of very good standards, with facilities in the room for coffee and tea, and a small fridge. Also sit down breakfasts were always the norm, even very early in the morning. Most hotels also had do it yourself laundry facilities, very helpful to know when deciding what to pack for a long trip. New Zealand itself is truly a must-visit destination. Despite the group issues, the natural beauty and incredible experiences far outweighed the negatives. I would love to return someday to relive the magic of this extraordinary country.

Brilliant itinerary , such a variety of scenery, culture, experiences . A good overview of NZ

Excellent trip. New Zealand was a wonderful country to visit. It has a casual laid back vibe which was ideal for an intense touring holiday. There is plenty to see and do. We were a small group so it gave us the time and opportunity to see more sites than featured in the itinerary. Cities, towns, places of interest and geographic sites were all covered. There was plenty of walking involved to counteract some of the longer journeys. Our guide/driver, Thiago was exceptional with an excellent local knowledge that added interest and variety to the trip’s itinerary. Changes were made to adapt to the everchanging weather conditions to ensure we had the best experiences. He was always patient and professional. All the hotels were of a good standard with comfortable beds and working bathrooms! Most of the hotel rooms in New Zealand had some level of catering facility in each room, as well as the usual tea and coffee making facilities. If I had to pick favourite places it would be the stay at Lake Wanaka and the walk and views around Mount Cook. I would thoroughly recommend this trip.

Great holiday, it was a nice group of people. The itinernery didn't always match up with the explore app we downloaded, but it was still ok.