New Zealand Beach Tours

Excellent trip. Covered many highlights within Australia and New Zealand. So many memories were created during our visit. The only change would be to add an additional day at Christchurch to explore its downtown beauty.

Fantastic tour. Mesmerising sights with wonderful leaders Chanthavee and hilarious Dave the driver. Banter had us in fits of laughter but seriously we learnt a lot about the geography, geology, history, economy and social history of the European settlers and Maori community. From Auckland to Rotaria, glow worm caves and a boat trip, hot spas and Hobbiton and zip wires for some. A traditional Maori dance presentation and dinner after seeing the geyser will be lifelong memories. We learnt about the new road as we approached Wellington. Recommendations for dinner lead to a Crab Shack gourmet meal with coach friends. A 1 hour tour of the capital by coach with commentary was helpful to understand the city, wind and all. Fortunately, we were always a week ahead of the bad weather when a landslide happened. The journey by ship to Picton, South Island was wonderful, marked by orcas in the bay at Wellington. A quaint motel stay and group dinner was lovely. Kaikōura with seals and shags in vast numbers was awe inspiring. Fish and chips for lunch en route, then Christchurch. A free evening with a salad in the Riverside Market before a stroll in the beautiful Hagley Park, ended in an outdoor comic theatre production of Lord of the Rings in 90 minutes by The Rollicking Theatre Company. Sir Peter Jackson don’t miss it! The Ibis hotel bed mattresses were the most comfortable! Next we journeyed to the phenomenal turquoise Lake Tekapo & the church of The Good Shepherd. The space centre experience appealed less to us. Omararau was a pleasant overnight stay with a group dinner. Coach bingo enabled fair distribution of seats and we met some new people alighting in Christchurch. Moeraki Concretion boulders on the beach sighted before Dunedin. Lots of additional experiences were available including the castle but the free Settlers Museum and Speights Brewery tour and meal afterwards stand out. Te Anau and the fjords jet experience with delightful Alex is a key memory. Sandflies nibbled but the beauty and solitude of the area of outstanding natural beauty with fantail displays on the island was wonderful. Team dinner at the hotel and an after dinner stroll rounded up a brilliant day. Milford Sound next with an amazing boat tour. Sun cream essential. The long but beautiful journey with scenery unknown completing the day in Queenstown. Dave the driver managed difficult roads with ease. A free evening and some pub Italian Food enjoyed with Chanthavee rounded up the day. Promenade music, fire eating and young people created a young and happy vibe. The Kiwi Bird Park seeing displays and birds and Taratua was peaceful and comprehensive. The second themed dinner after a 45 minute journey by a 1912 steamboat tour Walter Peak with a delicious buffet meal, ending with a sheep shearing demonstration, then Kim the sheepdog rounding up the flock on the mountain. Brilliant as did this with a hard stare only. Hokitika for lunch after Arrowtown and then an evening in Franz Josef. Some did helicopter flights to the glacier. We liked the museum in Hokitiki. Apricots from Jones Family Farm were the best ever. Finally the wonders of Haast and Arthur’s Pass were spectacular with the quaintness of the Transalpine Railway. Unmissable! Thank you AAT Kings. We loved the leadership, the friendships we made and the unforgettable scenery and dinners. And NZ pies from the tender lamb and steak from all those sheep and dairy cows were a cut above a U.K. pie in quality. Dave will remain in our hearts when we see a braided river and the description of subduction resembling a Toblerone. Chanthavee arranged trips and dinners smoothly and is forgiven for forgetting my 60th birthday shoutout. Thank you, thank you thank you. The most wonderful holiday ever.

Exceeded expectations! The BEST trip manager and bus driver duo. Short bus drives, great accommodation. So many amazing activities to choose from. Everything planned for you, you can just switch off and enjoy!

This trip was amazing - the only thing I would change is doing a longer trip like the Northern Choice. The group becomes so close so fast that it’s hard to leave after 5 days when everyone else is there for another week or two (massive FOMO). The activities were so worth the add on and everything was so organised. Our trip manager was super nice and set good vibes. We were out each night but definitely no pressure for those who wanted an easy night. Highly recommend, you won’t regret it!

My trip of the Highlights of Australia/New Zealand. It was a great trip with great sights and great Trafalgar and AAT Kings representatives who were great help. They helped when issues arose for the trip and the travelers. They all were very friendly and kind.

What a wonder-filled trip. Between the cultural education, the beauty of the landscapes and our great tour director and bus driver we couldn’t have asked for much more. It’s impossible to name just one memorable experience. The Bay of Islands, Mt Cook, Christchurch Gardens, Milford Sound and many more!