Truly an adventure
New Zealand
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Feb 11 - Feb 23, 2024
![Nick](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/e1a24b8996a3c1c58633ce9f47de1e0e53434ced/original-c86bdc6c553b0eace7641b7617dbc2e5.jpg)
Loved most everything except the very long days of bus trips. It was a bit too much. The hotels were good and the tours were good. In retrospect I would have included some down time but we enjoyed seeing the country. Thanks Ruth for all the time you out into making our trip and adventure.
Hotel Reviews
Nice hotel but we had the back side view of a side of a mountain and a construction site. So ask for the view.
Motel so get your bags to your room yourself. But very nice room. Probably the best in the town.
Older hotel needs some updating but nice. There are better choices in the area. The german restaurant in the hotel however is terrible. They need to rethink that space. Both our dinners were disgusting but my husband ate his anyway.
Activity Reviews
![Boutique Wine Tour - Half Day](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/76d44a13b51ed95b9646558e078d98d2b334a1e5/original-b39aa023e9280e3b893d67c449e260d0.jpg)
Fun day drinking wine and talking to people from all around the world. Iy was a lovely day.
![Full Day Milford Sound Van/Cruise/ Van (Shared small group tour)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/2b8fa946c76c1fc79c0c11d5e809b7bfe5203c9d/medium-e7202b4398bdbfc84f00cdd47cc8f4a4.jpg)
The tour was great and our first for our trip. Our guide was amazing he knows so much about the area and vegetation. Very nice too. The bus ride however was too long. With the bus and the boat it was 12 hours. Long day!!
![Skyline Gondola Ride](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/12e0fec4e4f0369cafd8e3143164f7a569bcb535/original-9a527a21bd296888b62a1f9aa56b5486.jpg)
Fun!
![Crater Experience (Cowan's Observatory)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/1bdcb303bc3374e5cfb9619318186d804a43bc4e/original-13df39f9e0e1a9a490057bd0103baa22.jpg)
Amazing star gazing. Our guide was a super enthusiastic astronomer. We are not but it was interesting.
![Grand Traverse Scenic Flight](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/1f858c9e9668be16bdb67776b1be3adc542e0212/original-3744eb803810e660649ed5091cd7f9eb.jpg)
I was scared my husband thought it was great. We had a very windy day and they needed to use a different plane for the flight. But at 3000 feet it was much better. Amazing views! I couldnt wait to be on the ground.
![Shared Transfer Tekapo to Christchurch](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/978fc2a655566284421b6da8165ae04437348cff/medium-30afcf303bc1fbce4db1a43ca7af7c1a.jpg)
Innercity bus. Crowded and we were last on so we couldnt sit together. 4 hours of crowded uncomfortable bus. 2 thumbs down from us.
![Full Day Akaroa & Harbour Cruise](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/23f98e54025582eddf58b182290638e23120f422/original-7bd8cd36bfc5da98e592cca7a14de2f6.jpg)
We loved this day. The ride wasnt terrible and the boat was nice. Our driver was great. The guy that owned and drove the boat was also the builder of thr boat which is amazing. We didnt see many Dolphins, we also saw tiny penguins and seals. Nice day. Great little town. Lunch was delicious too.
![Coastal Pacific Train - Christchurch to Picton](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/84ba9a81135f1c52f49a232ff2d1161fbe3a7272/original-af309887479fb926361f4c0ede7c5bb9.jpg)
Nice and comfy ride. Theres food on board. Great scenery including a huge pod of Dolphins feeding in the water.
![Interislander Ferry - Picton to Wellington](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/495730c7d8ca2a373e42565ffde6ed40766ad79a/original-9ee2fa94bd0ca1338edb5c32ed54cdbc.jpg)
Nice ride. But be quick to get your spot. We bought an upgrade to an area and didnt end up sitting there because we thought we were in the right spot. It was fine we had nice seats in the front of the ship.
![Zealandia Twilight Tour - Private tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/31160597889f6d946d24eaa0d7436fff7024ade7/original-a51b06835983e19c3c0746898be512ce.jpg)
We are not usually bird watchers but this place is amazing. Theyre trying to restore this habitat back to pre settlers and succeeding. We saw 3 Kiwi which are extremely endangered and a bunch of other endangered birds and a few reptiles. Way better then expected.
![Te Po Combo - 90 Minute Guided Tour & Evening Experience](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/bb8d1e4fae508b87bd4e4334fc831ceb16f95ddb/original-06db62163908ad122e267f939db0128c.jpg)
Fun cultural event to learn about the people, have dinner and to see Geysers
![Full Day Rotorua to Auckland Hobbiton and Waitomo Tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/b872e6109e5e446553d18f584191dafa9df5f0e2/medium-6ce8f8dfad8026092c6ecfa714c07eae.jpg)
Fun day at Hobbiton. Fan or not will enjoy the day.
![Morning Eco Thermal Park Tour - Waiotapu & Waimangu](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/ec806cdeb1aae4aaa5f7cdb91f1bb3422bf593e6/medium-11cc817314982964e592da94e322abb3.jpg)
![Auckland Best of Both World: Bush and Beach - Full day](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/970d8481a5799ec87ba3c70e90761aa4cf150113/medium-e8ee9af3de138eae72ecf0ad3dff7f61.jpg)
The guides are great. The morning was a city tour and the afternoon volcanos, rain forest and the black sand beach (hot sand but beautiful). We've done a lot of this already so it was a repeat. But nice if your first time.
![America's Cup Sailing Experience](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/7b5ce751eef7a569bb4bcd3acdf6cb25ae3077d6/original-775ab6bdfbbc52457e98b477ceb2eddd.jpg)
Super nice. Took the ride on a real Americas Cup Racing boat. Helped the crew raise and lower the sails. It was a great way to end our trip.
![Ruth](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/3fcd283f98dabd83a185e513a7b14573bfa4a739/thumb-abd1320ce9f28599a1d3c1e62930a3c7.jpg)