Testimonials for New Zealand tours & holidays

Working with Chelsea Lodge (New Zealand Self Drive Tours) on the planning and execution of a three week trip to New Zealand in February/March of 2024 was a true pleasure. From our first contact until the last day of our trip she was in constant contact regarding ideas, alternatives, specific bookings and necessary changes. She was always available, and on one occasion without hesitation engaged with us on her day off to help resolve an issue. This was our first trip to New Zealand, and the breadth and depth of her New Zealand travel knowledge and experience made Chelsea the perfect resource. There were at least three or four very memorable experiences from our trip that we would not have thought to include without Chelsea's involvement. In addition, as a wonderful value-add, New Zealand Self Drive Tours loads your entire itinerary onto a remarkably comprehensive mobile app--which provides not only your specific details and reservations but also mapping, weather and general information by location. My wife and I have travelled extensively, always planning the trips ourselves; however, I would recommend using Chelsea and New Zealand Self Drive Tours without hesitation for anyone considering a trip to New Zealand. She was a delight to work with--and added invaluable insight and support both in the planning and during the trip itself.

The itinerary was perfect and very doable although it did take longer than suggested to get to most places but you did warn that might happen. We didn’t miss anything although Omarama somehow completely passed us by! Our top three experiences were the Glaciers Explorers Tour (Mt, Cook), the Albatross Centre (and all we did in Dunedin) and the walk we did around Lake Matheson at Fox Glacier. Going through the itinerary . Christchurch was a very interesting, accessible city (still somewhat traumatised, understandably) - our accommodation was excellent and the staff extremely helpful - it was perfectly located. You may be interested to know I had no idea what a Gondola was so we missed something we might have done! The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve was a little tired, but we did get a close look at a kiwi which I guess was the point. All the driving was easy and so interesting especially our trip to Mt Cook. The scenery, the accommodation and the people were outstanding. We possibly liked Dunedin best of all the cities - Larnach Castle was a conundrum but the meal was fine and the staff attentive. Our accommodation was the best on the trip with great staff. We loved the city with its Station, Art Gallery and walks but the Albatross’s intrigued us the most and our fish and chips at the Portobello pub. On reflection we think we came away from our trip with a really positive feeling for the South Island, an understanding of your very different dynamic, landscape and an appreciation of your friendly, sociable and much less hectic lifestyle. Perfect place for a holiday whether you want high octane adventure or laidback luxury. Thank you, Jon, for gauging our level of adventure and giving us a holiday to remember. We have promoted self drive to all our friends! Jan and Geoff

Thank you for booking the self driving tour for us. It was an amazing trip for us. The scenery was beautiful and stunning as we drove along the coastline. I never seen anything like that before. We thank you to Louise who planned the trip for us. It was an enjoyable trip for me and my wife. We loved it every minute. Looking forward to another self driving trip next time in North island. Thanks again!

Hi Louise, Thank you for putting together such a wonderful 31 Day Self Drive tour of New Zealand for Pat & myself. Hard to believe that we achieved so much in the time we had to tour such a beautiful country. Top marks for the Hire Car, accommodations and the many excursions that were suggested. Whether by train, bus, ferry, chopper or aeroplane the tour ran like clockwork. The phone app was invaluable. Late Feb/March was a good time to see NZ and the weather was so good. We have no hesitation in recommending you and New Zealand Fine Touring to our friends. Thanking You once again for your efforts, Ron & Pat Richards

Good day, Louise, Now that we’re back from our NZ holiday and the dust has settled I thought that I would write to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip. For big holidays we always shop around, not just for the best price, but also for the quality of what is on offer. From the outset we were extremely impressed by what you offered (in terms of complete flexibility) and by the way in which you presented it. Moreover, despite being half a world away, your communications were always speedy and professional. your attention to detail at the planning stage was exemplary and greatly appreciated. From the outset, we knew that all would be well when we were met at Auckland Airport and whisked away to our hotel. It is often the small things that can make or break a holiday and all of our transfers and bookings were achieved very smoothly and without any fuss. Both hire vehicles were excellent and very suitable for the task. You might note that the boot of the Kia Stonic (on South Island) was big enough for our two cases, while the boot of the larger Mitsubishi Ifar was not. Both vehicle pick ups were very quick and easy: returning the vehicle at Greymouth was unbelievably quick and simple! Throughout the journey our accommodation was very good. On North Island we rated the hotel in Rotorua as the worst and M Social Auckland as the best. On South Island we rated the hotel in Dunedin as our least favourite: despite a great room and lovely hotel, we were not keen on the lack of a buffet breakfast. We also found the parking charges rather high. We thought the best hotel on South Island and definitely the best overall was the Hermitage Aoraki Mt Cook. For a big hotel, all their arrangements were excellent. We particularly enjoyed the breakfast and the view from our window. The Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier came a very close second. We were particularly impressed with all of the hotel locations - absolutely ideal for us to optimise our time in NZ. Along the way you offered an array of outings and activities. All were excellent (shame about the weather at Kaikoura). The highlight of the whole trip was the heli-hike on the Franz Josef Glacier. That really was the experience of a lifetime and worth every penny! We must also mention the Tranzalpine Train. That too was a wonderful experience and a great way to round off our holiday. It just remains for us to thank you, Louise, and all at NZFT for the effort that you put in to ensuring such a delightful experience. We will sing your praises and recommend you whenever NZ is discussed. With best wishes, Tom

Dear Angela, Just a short note to thank you personally for arranging our tour of New Zealand. As we said in our review it was a holiday of a lifetime, we have many special memories of the trip. I will as you ask recommend your organisation to any of our friends who wish to visit your beautiful country. Thanks again, Clarrie (Dave) and Jude

We had incredible 16 days and with exception of Glacier boat trip cancellation (can't help weather... :)) it all went without any dramas, lost bookings or difficult to find addresses. Will be in contact again to do top part of south island in near future...

I do not believe that our New Zealand visit could have been any better. Vickie was more helpful and knowledgeable than could have been expected. The rental car worked just fine, accommodations were perfect, visited locations memorable, and the suggested activities exciting. This was a 10 out of 10 trip of a lifetime. Thank you for everything.

Our trip to New Zealand was a fantastic journey of a lifetime. The scenery was spectacular and ever changing with every turn in the road, and there were LOTS of turns. Carly worked closely with us to make the 42 day tour amazing. She also made some great suggestions for other areas to explore after and during the tour. All of our accommodations & tours were very well planned with plenty of time to relax and explore. We had one small glitch (no fault of NZ Touring) on a Friday afternoon at 4 pm of which the office was very quick to respond and help us out. Our tour included everything from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island. All the people we met were very friendly and extremely helpful. I would highly recommend New Zealand Self Drive Tours to help plan a visit to New Zealand. I usually do all the planning myself but this was definitely the best decision. The app had lots of good information and suggestions. The only thing that I would recommend would be a small welcome package with a physical map(s) of New Zealand. I love technology but a map gives you the big picture….

Vickie was easy to work with - very accommodating to work out our wishes along with good recommendations of things we weren't aware of.