Our Guest Book

Fabulous trip. Shelley created a wonderful itinerary that was just the right mix of skiing, hiking and exploring. My first experience using an NZ travel agent rather than booking direct, and it was so much easier than doing all the planning myself.

We had a great holiday, thank you! The opportunity to take a few days off presented itself in the last minute. I emailed SKI NZ late on a Wednesday evening and you were quick to contact me first thing the following morning with a solution. We managed to sort everything out in a jiffy! And on Saturday we were on the way to our destination! The hotel was great, breakfast abundant and varied and had plenty of options for a vegan.

Awesome holiday! Thanks, Servanne for helping make this all happen 😊 West Meadows Motel was so lovely. Cardrona was out of this world!! Wanaka was a quaint town with amazing scenery, a relaxed vibe, friendly people. Loved the French crepes 😊 thank you Servanne

The 4 of us had a great time - and this was expected given it was the third time in a row we've used Christina for our annual NZ ski trip. The outstanding service provided by Christina demands repeat business Organising the trip is seamless and the deals offered to provide huge value. We will definitely be contacting Christina again for next year's trip

We had another fabulous trip to NZ, the snow wasn’t great but it really didn’t matter for us, we are still learning and it meant the slopes were fairly quiet. WE loved it. Our change of accommodation was perfect, closer to town, cheaper and better bedding for the girls. So fantastic. Thank you!!

We had the most amazing holiday, thank you very very much! Every aspect was highly organised, easy to follow & allowed us to relax and enjoy our incredible adventure. The accommodation was great, clean & friendly, our transport to the snow was incredibly easy as we we were picked up & dropped off right out the front of our accommodation, which was such a blessing at the end of a long day on the snow especially with a child. Everyone everywhere was so friendly, helpful and happy to ensure we had a good time. Queenstown is absolutely stunning - we will definitely return & soon I hope! Our only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer.

A great big thank you for all you did organising our ski trip! It was such a smooth, well organised and enjoyable trip! The hire car was great, the accommodation was beautiful and in the best location and all ski passes/clothes etc were perfect! Thank you! It was the best family holiday that we’ve ever had!

Our holiday was amazing. Everything worked out perfectly for us. Our accommodation had everything we needed, was clean and so close to the town centre. It was so easy to get to the snow with the hotel pickup. We were really looked after once we were there by the instructors. The kids loved being in kids club. 

We had a great time in New Zealand. Everything went smoothly from collection at the airport to pick up on our way out. Our accommodation was great too. The Remarkables are truly remarkable. A great name for that magnificent mountain. It was our preferred mountain.

My wife and I just wanted to take sometime to tell you of our amazing customer service experience, back in January we decided to come to New Zealand from the UK, a dream for some 10 years or so in the making, we found you on Facebook through Ski New Zealand and got in contact, Shelley Ryder sent me an email and so our correspondence started with us eventually booking from the 10th June till the 30th June. 

Hi Shelley We had a great family vacation. We were happy with the accommodation chosen for us, it was perfectly located and had plenty of space for the family to spread out in. The process was smooth from picking up our hire car, to finding our accommodation, checking in and picking up our ski passes. 

Hi Joanna, Thank you so much for a super well organised trip.. Everything was so easy to follow, we had no hiccups at all with anything and was very happy with your accommodation choices!! Both super close to town so we could just park up after the day and walk around town :) I have been doing trips to NZ for around 7 years through various travel companies and this was bar far the best one yet. You were super easy to deal with via phone and email, and your instructions were simple with no down time trying to organised anything. Thanks again, chat again soon for next years trip :)

Everything was perfect for our trip. Itinerary was very easy to follow, Erynn answered all of my questions before we left. Our accommodation was great. Ideally located near town and the ski bus stops right out the front. 

Hi Jane I hope all is well I just wanted to thank you for all the arrangements which worked perfectly. We had an absolutely wonderful time in Queenstown! All the best Patricia Hattingh

Thanks to Salli and the SkiNZ team for putting together an amazing first skiing experience for the whole family. The itinerary worked perfectly, the accommodation was great, and we were upgraded twice on our hire car - which has just never happened before. All the staff that we deal with from booking the holidays, equipment hire and on the slopes themselves made the holiday perfect and one of the best holidays we have had in the last few years.  

Hi Laura We had the best time in Wanaka! Thank you for organising such a great trip. I’ve passed your details on to a few friends and I know we will be back in contact for future trips. The Moorings was a fabulous place to stay – we’d happily stay there again. The vehicle was perfect and even you advice on taking the middle day off was right on. Kind regards Julia Hofbauer

Hi Laura, Had a fantastic time, thanks. Everything you arranged for us was perfect and faultless. I will book another holiday with you & recommend you to all. Cheers Adam Smith

Hi Erynn Everything went really well for our trip – apart from me injuring my calf on the first day and not being able to ski again! My husband and son had a tremendous time and it was all very well organised and our trip ran very smoothly. (Until our trip home, when the flight was cancelled at the last minute and then delayed again the next day – but that is what we get for flying Jetstar, and we organised that ourselves!) The accommodation was excellent for the three of us, and nice and close to town (for those of us who could walk!) The car was in great condition and perfect for the three of us, and the obtaining of our ski tickets and hire gear was seamless.

Hi Lauren I was just thinking about sending you a thank-you email after putting all our photos together in a photo book, what a fabulous trip!! We all had a fantastic time, Patrick & Stephanie said it was their best holiday yet & my husband was very impressed as to how well I (you) organized it!! I was so glad I found out about you on the website as you really helped to give us a clear idea of how best to use the time we had, we used it well with every day busy but fun.

The whole journey was really great, I will definitely visit Queenstown again for skiing. Thank you Shelley for everything.

Hi Shelley, Our Holiday was absolutely fabulous. Accommodation was in a lovely central spot and had all the amenities you could ask for, lovely people running the show as well. We were more than happy with our hire car. We skied at both the Remarkables and Coronet Peak. Compared to Australia the skiing was fantastic and the drive up both mountains was a breeze compare to here in Australia. Queenstown itself is a beautiful place, and we had the both of best worlds as it snowed on our first day skiing and the second day was sunshine.

Natalie was responsive to my enquiries including messeges I sent in the weekend. And thanks to her, everything went as per planned during out trip. Thank you for making our family holiday a fantastic one.

Hi Christina Thank you very much for a really well organised week in New Zealand. We had a really great time and were really lucky with the snow. Everything went really smoothly thanks to you! 

Christina at Ski NZ arranged everything - super easy to deal with, terrific ideas on things to do, made the whole process simple and straightforward. Queenstown was magnificent, loved the skiing and can’t recommend The Remarkables enough. Awesome holiday, and thanks Ski New Zealand for making it all so smooth and fun.

We had a wonderful holiday. Christina Brockie was sensational on looking after our every inquiry/need. One suggestion is that for accommodation you should alert client if the hotel room is close to noisy traffic. Our hotel room was adjacent to footpath and busiest road leading into Queenstown and we requested and were thankfully granted a move after 3 nights. It was certainly not what we expected nor did not reflect what was advertised online. Outside of that everything else was great.

Hi Shelley, Enjoyed the holiday, thank you. Great points: Outstanding service provided by the two drivers that picked us up and dropped us back to the airport. And by the staff at the Blue Peaks apartments.

They say that first impression means everything- and with my mind on Queenstown as an ideal skiing destination/ holiday away from work, Natalie Decaro provides that first impression. As soon as I picked the package that would suit my schedule, few hours later I got a call from Natalie. Her enthusiasm over the phone already got me hyped just to get to Queenstown already.

Dear Louise, Hope this finds you well and your wedding went well. Thank you for assisting us with our lovely holiday. It was a so great and having your help was amazing - true that local knowledge helped. From the moment we landed it was a great holiday, our driver so knowledgeable and welcoming, so much so he forgot in the excitement of welcoming us to give us out travel wallet ( no drama he was so nice )  

Hi Louise. Just wanted to give you a huge thanks for setting up such a wonderful holiday for our family. We've all had a ball. The kids especially loved the snow component and Angus and Phoebe moved up to intermediate skiers at the end of day.

Hi Louise, We the Davis family, would like to thank you for the terrific ski package you arranged for us so ably and professionally. Everything went smoothly from arrival instructions at the airport, itinerary package sent to our motel, and your flexibility when I asked for things to be altered. I would recommend you to friends and family, My daughter learnt to snowboard for the first time and was a natural, and I ended up having an afternoon of skiing, pretty chuffed that I could do it after 20 odd years! Regards, Viv

Thanks for all of your help in organising our NZ Holiday. We had an awesome time and can't wait for our next trip to NZ.

Hi NZSki, A huge thank you for making our family's first skiing trip the MOST amazing experience. All your recommendations were spot on! The whole 10 days were superbly organised. The Glebe apartments were in an excellent location and the ski lessons were essential. See you soon we hope. Matina and family

Hello Charlie Just wanted to thank you had a great holiday and everything was easy to use so thanks for a great holiday Regards Shane Coleman

Myself and my sister Dee truly enjoyed our ski holiday. We still tell our friends story's and recommend in trying it. Jane thank you so much for all your help. I am already thinking about buying a pass early this year so I'll see you on the slopes again at cardrona

We had our NZ winter holiday organised by Ski New Zealand (Jane, to be exact) and I'm glad I came across this website on the net! We had an amazing time on the South Island. We'd seen some of the most amazing places that we've ever seen. Yeah, full stop! And apart from thinking about what the family will want to eat the next day, we hardly had to do anything. It was perfectly organised, anywhere we rocked up, they always new about us, they expected us, we really didn't have to do anything!

This was the best holiday we've experienced in years, thanks to Laura of Ski New Zealand. Booked as a special surprise for my husbands birthday, Laura could not have done more to organise every tiny detail to perfection while keeping the surprise secret for months. The accommodation was fabulous, the ski package more than we could have wished for, and the weather glorious, the snow perfect. What more could we want? Another holiday next year with this great company. Thank you very much Laura.

We booked a 16 days tour with NZ Self Drive Tours and we have been more than satisfied by the experience. We felt that everything has been done to make sure we had an excellent trip. We will keep fond memories of our trip, too many to describe there but we particularly enjoyed the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise. A must! We had only the disappointment to miss the helicopter flight at Franz Joseph Glacier due to bad weather. It will be for the next time. A special thank-you to Michelle who have been looking after us all the time and has been only a phone call away when needed. If “word of mouth” advertising works, we will surely contribute! Patrick & Lee-Anne

We had the most wonderful holiday driving around the South Island. Shelley had arranged everything, so all we had to do was turn up! The accommodation, tours, hire car and transport were fantastic. As everything was so well organised, it meant we were able to relax and truly enjoy the wonderful delights of New Zealand. Thank you Shelley for making our holiday so enjoyable. Justine and Michelle

We enjoyed our tour it was great! Our Feedback in German would be: "Wir würden immer wieder mit New Zealand Fine Touring fahren, alles hat perfekt geklappt! Danke"

I owe Michelle a big thank for her kind arrangements of our little trip from Auckland to Christchurch! I was running on a limited time and budget, and Michelle helped to choose the one best suitable to me. Upon our arrival, everything goes exactly as the itinerary said (except the Kaikoura Whale Watch, which is cancelled due to bad sea weather), and the voucher book proves to be of most convenience to us wherever we go! Accommodations are up to our expectation, the suggested activities are fun, and I really enjoyed our ride across the country. Again, thank you, Michelle, and I shall definitely go back to visit this amazing country again!

The whole arrangement was excellent, Thank you very much NZ SELF DRIVE Tour for great experience that I had during my recent visit to New Zealand. Special thanks goes to Ms Verity Gemmell for a very prompt service and accommodating my request in small changes my the itinerary. We would surely recommend our relatives and friends to contact NZ Self Drive Tour should they wish to visit New Zealand in the future. Thank you again from me and my wife for the great experience in New Zealand. Regards. SULAIMAN MENANKUTTY - Malaysia.

Hello Michelle, I just want to say thanks for the trip you organised for us. NZ is great, and I enjoyed it very much, everything on time, great quality in the hotels, tours, services and you have a great country, I hope someday will have the opportunity to visit in summer. Thanks again!

We had an incredible vacation! New Zealand has now replaced Norway as our favourite country on earth, and that was quite an accomplishment. The country was beautiful and the itinerary close to perfect. And the hotels! They were all good, but several were truly stunning. One highlight was the stunning restaurant at Whare Kea, where we had the luck of being on the only guests, as the chef made a 5 course meal just for us, on our 10th anniversary! We could not have planned it any better. The Matakauri Lodge also deserves special mention as a stunning place, with exceptional facilities, setting and service.

We have not long returned from our NZ holiday to the South Island. Shelley did a fantastic job organising our itinerary. In the beginning I thought maybe it was better to plan our own holiday but I am very glad we decided to go with this option. Everything was so easy from the moment we landed at Christchurch airport with a driver to meet us. Our hire car was dropped to our motel which also made things incredibly easy. The standard of accommodation was extremely good. The Amore in Christchurch deserves a particular mention for the amazing service we received and the motel in Dunedin (858 on George) was also really lovely. The only accommodation I was disappointed with was Mt. Cook as our room was very much in need of a refurbishment and the a la carte restaurant was particularly underwhelming given the price. Mt. Cook itself however was stunning especially as it snowed the day we arrived. All the activities you suggested were fantastic. We especially enjoyed the Dart River Wilderness Safari in Queenstown and the wildlife cruise of the Otago Peninsular from Dunedin. We experienced heavy snow at the beginning of our trip and Shelley did a great job keeping us up to date with road closures etc. I have already recommended your services to my friends and family should they be planning a trip to NZ.

Hi Michelle, Just a quick note to say a very big thank you for all your help with our very first over seas trip for both Lyn and I. We had a ball the whole time, even though due to the weather a couple of the exertions were either cancelled or altered slightly. Having the freedom of self driving through the South Island of New Zealand was great We seen New Zealand at its best and worst (weather wise) and enjoyed all of it. Seeing it snow at Queenstown was probably the biggest highlight, could not have timed it better. Anyway, thank you again, we will be back to have a look at the North Island and do the South during summer also, see you then.

We decided on our tour of NZ South Island at very short notice. We contacted NZ Self Drive Tours and they very quickly put together a package for us that met our needs for our available time. Our experience was fantastic, everything that was promised was delivered on time and without fuss. The activities planned were first rate and our accommodation fantastic. We would recommend NZ Self Drive Tours to any one wanting to take the fuss out of organising their own trip - cheers Peter & Roslyn

The rental car company (Europcar) refused to pick us up for delivery of our rental car as promised due to the Auckland triathlon being held during our stay. It took several phone calls, but we were able to finally secure a vehicle. NZFT was responsive and did assist with the mix up. They also did reimburse us for the taxi fare back to the airport but it was a bit of a disappointing start to the holiday. The accommodations that they had arranged were all wonderful. Wishing we'd have had better weather to enjoy our beach views in Napier at the Pebble Beach Motor Inn and the Anchor Inn in Kaikoura - unfortunately the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Ita made themselves a nuisance for most of our stay (totally out of NZFT's control :-) ) - we however carried on and explored this beautiful country and met wonderful people. NZFT also provided detailed step by step instructions to get from place to place which was helpful. I would use NZFT again to assist in arranging a holiday to NZ. For some of our pictures, you can visit their FB page. Lynette - Florida USA

Hi Shelley, We have been catching up at home and are now pleased to let you know that our tour was outstanding and met with our expectations in nearly every way. The excursions were all excellent. Oddly enough we found the Hobbiton tour delightful and more fun than we had anticipated. We were upgraded to a Santa Fe AWD diesel vehicle which I found peppy and most economical. It handled like a sports car on the curves and banked roads. We were very pleased with our accommodation at the Bay of Islands. The hosts were very accommodating and the food exceptional.

Thank you so much for the wonderful self drive tour you prepared for us; everything worked out perfectly. We were happy with all the bookings and tours and could not have asked for more. We will have no hesitation in recommending you. Best wishes, Rosemary

Our self-drive tour of the South Island was fantastic. My wife and I are pretty active people. The tour provided a perfect mix of activities and time to relax. While we had an itinerary, the trip also allowed ample freedom to make the trip our own. The Milford Sound cruise, Milford Track walk and Ice Explorer were all excellent choices. The guides for the Milford Track and on the Milford Mariner were particularly informative. The only activity that was somewhat disappointing was the train ride from Greymouth to Christchurch. Between the delayed departure, delays on the tracks, bus transfer over the pass and use of the old train cars (sounded as if this were a temporary situation) the journey was a bit of a cumbersome end to the trip. I recognise that much of this is just a matter of current circumstance with the track condition that may improve in the future, but nonetheless it was the only part of the trip that I would not choose to do again. In the end though this was a minor inconvenience at the end of a fantastic trip. I only mention this in the interest of providing you with complete feedback on our thoughts on the trip. I am definitely recommending others to consider a trip to New Zealand and will recommend that they consider New Zealand Fine Touring for a self drive tour. I will also consider New Zealand Fine Touring as our first choice should we return to New Zealand in the future. Thank you for your assistance in booking our tour. Shawn and Stephanie Modar

We really enjoyed the trip and thank you very much for your professionalism in organising it. As you may know we had a bit of a hangup about the car rental (they had us down for the year 2014) but when they did come to get us, they were very apologetic and efficient and they graciously upgraded to a SUV/diesel. That was very nice of them - we appreciate it. They accommodations were great, we truly loved Blue Pacific apartments in Pahia and the Matakana Country Lodge was amazing! All of the activities were great - the dune rider on 90 mile beach and surfing the sand dunes - Astounding, loved it! Driving the Coromandel Peninsula was so beautiful, seeing Little Blue Penguins at Whitiange, Orakei Korako was wonderful, so quiet, so unique, so few people. We loved it but in hindsight we should have gone there on our way to Napier and done stuff in and closer to Rotorua on that day. The Chateau Tongariro was a treat (we have many of these similar style 'Chateau' hotels in Canada built by the railroad companies so it was like being in the Rockies) and the crossing was gorgeous. Gail did the 'airplane' ride while Allan and I did the hike and she thought it was spectacular. I loved the Waitomo Caves - I know it is a bit touristy but it is so unique. I am glad that I did not miss it. So thanks for everything. I would recommend your company to friends any time.

The Length & Breadth North to South self drive tour Oct-Nov 2013 We got what we wanted and a lot more! Based on my specifications, NZFT organised a 31 day self-drive excursion of New Zealand promptly and efficiently with a number of good suggestions only to have me make a major last minute change. We brought the trip forward a month. NZFT (Shelley) responded positively & quickly. A number of good additions were made about attractions and the plan was adjusted accordingly. The now famous ‘Uncle’ met us at Auckland taking us directly to our first hotel (even at 6am) handing over a briefcase of the itinerary and material from NZFT. That was the start of our fabulous NZ trip. It was one ‘Wow’ after another. A civilised laid back country with an abundance of treasures to see, do, eat and drink. All thanks to the skills of Shelley and the NZFT team. There were a couple of hitches during the trip but a quick call to Wanaka and it was solved. Michelle was on duty and we thank her. While en-route we had worries about traversing Haast Pass what with all the bad press about killer slips/avalanches. A quick note and David reassured us if we were blocked NZFT would work out alternates for us. Thankfully Haast was open. 31 days in NZ and just under 6,000km.needless to say we slept on the plane to ‘top-side’. When we get the usual question what was the best, we cannot answer. The NZFT recommended places & things we saw were beyond description. 1200 pictures attest to it. And any Lord of the Rings fans will literally be in heaven. We got our monies worth and a ton of memories. Thanks again Shelley and NZFT Iain and Marg Maciver, Cambridge, CAN.

Thanks Shelley We were extremely happy with all aspects of our recent trip you arranged for us in New Zealand. All transfers were on time and Graham was a great unofficial tour guide with a wealth of information and very courteous and helpful on every occasion. Our first stop Eliza's, the room was fantastic and Ann was very helpful and helpful. The breakfasts were delicious and we had a wonderful stay with Ann and Harold they gave us valuable information for dining out and things to see. The car was delivered to us here without any problems and with the wonderful itinerary we had no problems travelling around the south island. Next stop Akoroa and Beaumont House again a lovely room great hosts and a wonderful time meet people from Scotland here who have become firm friends. Lovely food and 6pm drinks. We enjoyed our harbour cruise with the hector dolphins very much. Next stop Hermitage Hotel great room wonderful view, average food. Our stay at Dunedin with Kyle and Rachael was amazing and a highlight of our trip I must say had my doubts as we were driving there but once we arrived I fell in love with the place. Kyle was so helpful and took as out on his boat for a wildlife up close and personal and was the highlight of our trip, wonderful Pedro our chef cooked amazing meals. Then to stay with Wendy and Roger at Dunluce again a amazing experience lovely people Wendy has everything set up so comfy and you have your privacy as well as being art of her home.We then travelled to Queenstown and up until this point we could not rave enough about our hosts so accommodating and helpful unfortunately we did not find this at Browns Boutique. We arrived early not wanting to access our room just to see if we could park there and wander the city until check in time. Donald was very cranky and not at all welcoming. That night when we returned from dinner there was a breakfast tray left on out bed with various things that should of been kept in the fridge but was left on the bed for heavens knows how long. I tried several times to ring reception as we were confused we did not order breakfast. I could not get any answer so I went down to reception there was a note saying they were out for the night. The next morning I rang first thing and Jillian was a bit upset the tray was put in our room by mistake ans the people who really needed it were angry. She tried to lay blame with us for not telling them as I tried to point out I did try and ring and they were not available I could hardly see it was our fault. Any way the room was nice but I think the hosts may be a bit past it or need a holiday themselves. We had a wonderful stay with Meg at Wanaka and also Kaz at Frans Josef so we were very happy with all the arrangements you made for us Shelley and thanks again. I did write a thank you on you Facebook site. Thanks again we had a wonderful time ox

We arrived home in California this afternoon (which is Sunday in US). Trip home was long, but no hitches or hang ups. It's just a long way from there to here! And are we ever glad we visited! It was fabulous to drive around the South Island! We have travelled a lot in Europe and in South America, but do not think we have ever met people as friendly and fun loving as those in NZ! Of course, the scenery is outrageously gorgeous, so just a fantastic bonus to meet wonderful people too! I could never have figured out how to hit the highlights and so much appreciate your great itinerary and on the ground support. It was as easy as pie and you are "sweet as"! Thank you for giving us a great trip that we will always remember! Knock wood, we will get to return! Many thanks! Laurie and Michael

Hello! Had a great time in New Zealand! Thanks! I would definitely book with you again. Just had some minor issues. First was at europcar in Auckland, when I mentioned that I requested a GPS, they did not have it on record that one should be provided. Good thing the voucher stated that GPS was included. Second was at the Interislander/Train, they were looking for a voucher for the train even though it was stated in the ferry voucher that we have a train reservation. But it was all in the computer so no problem. Third, in Christchurch, the car did not come with GPS, and unfortunately the voucher did not state that GPS was included. But these were all minor. Overall, arrangements for accommodation were excellent! We definitely had a memorable trip and will come back in the future!

Dear Shelley, Just wanted to get in touch to thank you for helping organise such a wonderful holiday. Everything proceeded like clockwork. There were so many highlights and I know you rely on feedback to keep informed. Because you did such a great job, I thought that I would therefore go to the trouble of providing you with a report card which is, in part, by way of comparisons between the lodgings we visited. Bear in mind, this is not comparing good with bad but comparing very good with very, very good so I have to mark some places down to 4 stars to leave room for my 5 star ratings!

Shelly, Susan, Mike, Stacy and I want to thank you and your company so much for our recent trip to New Zealand. Before contacting you, I tried going to a travel agent to get ideas on what to see, but really got frustrated. They want to use bus tours and/or cruises to get around the islands which really put a lot of restrictions on what to see in the amount of time we had to spend. We believe that we saw and experienced a very large part of both islands in two weeks. I believe that planning our trip directly with you and New Zealand Self-Drive Tours has been the best experience I have every had in planning a trip of this size. Being able to see some of the standard tours on your website gave us all of the information we needed to narrow down and customise our tour to meet our needs. Once this was done, you took over and made all of the arrangements and connections needed to make it happen. This could not have been a better experience. All of the vouchers, documentation, GPS and phone were so helpful as we made the tour. Everything went off like clockwork, with the exceptions of the slide on Hwy 6 which closed the road for days. But you notified us of the problem and then took over and made alternate accommodations on a different route that allowed us to finish our tour. As I said the experience was wonderful, you were awesome and so is your country. We were told that New Zealand has about 35 million sheep and Susan said she thinks saw all of them. The sites were breath taking and we would and will recommend you and your company to our family and friends. Thanks again for a wonderful experience,

What a fantastic trip we had. Jessica worked with us (via email as we are in UK) to get the best possible options to make this a trip of a lifetime and it certainly was. All the accommodation was well above average, the trips were well organised and everyone so helpful. When the Haast pass was closed the day that we were due to travel it, alternative accommodation & suggestions of what to do were quickly sorted out. Thank you so much.

Firstly, we must thank Shelley for the perfect itinerary she provided to us which allowed us to see the best of this beautiful country in 3 weeks. From our greeting by "Uncle" at Auckland airport through until our departure from Christchurch, everything was perfectly organised. The accommodation was excellent at every destination & the hospitality & friendliness shown by everyone throughout our trip was fantastic. There are way too many highlights to mention them all but a few of note include the Mitai Maori Village, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal wonderland & Skyline all at Rotorua, the Interislander ferry trip on a cloudless day from Wellington to Picton followed by an afternoon in the vineyards at Blenheim, sitting with the seals eating fish & chips (or is that fesh & cheps!) in Kaikoura & the jaw dropping beauty of Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki & Wanaka. Then of course comes Queenstown which is definitely one of the nicest places we've been in the world. Whether riding in the Shotover Jet, sitting at the Marina drinking pints or taking a Gondola ride up to the Skyline Restaurant, this place is incredible. This beauty, coupled with the sheer in your face ruggedness of Mt Cook, Milford Sound, Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers clearly demonstrated to us why New Zealand is mentioned by many as one of the most scenic & beautiful countries in the world. We'd previously heard that there's a postcard around every corner & this was certainly correct. Having a tailored itinerary prepared for us by Shelley allowed us to enjoy every moment at our pace where the occasional long drive went by unnoticed due to the amount of time taken to stop & take photographs. I guess the only downside of the trip if you can call it that was the cancellation of a couple of helicopter flights due to the weather which is fully understandable due to safety reasons but again Shelley was able to offer alternate activities at short notice & relevant refunds that we received as soon as we arrived home. One alternate activity was a dinner & farm show at Queenstown on the TSS Earnslaw which for us ended up as one of the highlights & a great way to unwind. To finish it all of, we took the Trans Alpine from Greymouth across to Christchurch where we experienced 4 seasons during the 4 hr trip with rain at the start followed by hail, then snow at Arthur's Pass followed by brilliant sunshine when we arrived in Christchurch. We've already started recommending New Zealand Fine Touring to many of our friends & will use again ourselves when we return to this great country again in the future.

Hi Shelley, please forgive the delayed response. One would think we had been gone 3 months, not 3 weeks given the "stuff" waiting for us. Our trip was fabulous! Many thanks to you for your efforts and considerations. You are a pleasure to work with. The best part of our tour was finding a truly awesome scene to view as we rounded each corner on our drive. We could have been heard to say "oh, my" and "wow" very often. Our accommodations were all very clean and provided all amenities listed, the staff most pleasant and helpful. The Camelot Motor Inn is seeming a bit tired. All others wonderful. The GPS was super and a nice touch that it was programmed with the addresses of each hotel. A suggestion would be to include locations for booked events, but not a big issue. However, the directions to City Life Wellington (a fabulous accommodation!) bring you to the front door with absolutely no parking space in a very congested city, most likely at peak driving time. We needed to drive until we could find a place to park and call the hotel for directions to the entry, a GPS direction to the back alley with parking and entrance. All ended well, just a bit frustrating. We enjoyed all of the booked excursions and thank you for those suggestions. Special kudos to the individuals that greeted us in Auckland and at the train station in Christ Church. Both were extremely helpful, just delightful. All in all, a wonderful experience - one of the best trips of our life! Sandra Carless

Just wanted to say a big thank you for the fantastic holiday that we have just completed. The itinerary was perfect, accommodation was good, car was great, the weather was beautiful, except for one or two days, but that is to be expected. South Island is amazing. We have all toured NZ in the past, but never tire of its beauty. John & I did a helicopter flight over the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers with a landing and that was just spectacular. We had a look at the devastation of Christchurch, which moved us deeply, but having said that, the spirit of the people remains high. We were in awe of the set up of Restart Quake City. Thanks also for the rebate of the Milford Sound Nature cruise, that was very honourable of your company.

We would like to send you a big thank you for an awesome holiday we recently spent in NZ.The holiday was so well organised we had no problems what so ever.We have no complaints about the accommodation with each hotel having its own character.There were no problems booking in and the people were pleasant and helpful.The vouchers were a great idea.On some days the weather could have been a on our side but that did not stop us from making the most of the time we had.Uncle was such a pleasant person and it was a joy to be met by him at the airport upon our arrival.It was a prefect day weather wise when we caught the Interislander it would have to be one of many highlights.We have to now sort though over 200 photos and organise the album.Once again thank you and hope to plan another holiday in the next few years.

I would just like to thank you for organising our tour, everything was wonderful, from the time we were met at Auckland airport to the time we left 10 days later all activities, arrival times and pick ups were spot on. All drivers were friendly and easy to communicate with, also very punctual which was a great relief to us when we turned up at an unknown place knowing that there was someone to meet us. We drove from Auckland to Wellington, we found the roads excellent and the directions given were easy to follow and were all the navigational tools we needed. All accommodation was first class. We must also make comment on how clean New Zealand was, very little litter noticed anywhere city or country. Once again thanks for your help and advice. A very enjoyable holiday. We will definitely be back. Regards Vince & Barb.

Unforgettable experience. The trip has been marvellous and the organisation, perfect. My congratulations and thanks for what has been an amazing holidays

My 'Trip of a Lifetime' to New Zealand was exactly as I'd dreamed and hoped for. It was completely awesome, The very friendly and helpful service provided by New Zealand Self Drive was a big factor and I have no hesitation in recommending them Although I'd booked flights plus first & last nights' accommodation with a local UK travel agent, I used New Zealand Self Drive for the rest of the holiday. From my initial draft inquiry, Shelley put together a great itinerary with rental car, accommodation and trips, completing fitting in with the stop-overs with relatives which I needed to include. She was very prompt to answer any questions, open to changes of plan, offered good suggestions and at all times was responsive to what I wanted until the tour was perfect The website was easy to use and made finalising and paying easy, with good communications The tour pack provided when we were met by the rep at the airport was excellent I was very pleased with the standard of the accommodation In fact accommodation, trips and all information provided was completely accurate When our arrangements had to alter due to ferry cancellations, Jessica calmly rearranged our accommodation, rentals and trip which was a great relief to me and meant we could continue to relax knowing all was still okay It was great to meet both Shelley and Jessica when we were stayed at Wanaka and to thank them personally for their fantastic service

Well, where do we start? We've just returned from having THE most AMAZING time in New Zealand. From our first enquiry with you, right up to handing over the final hotel voucher for our last night in Christchurch, everything was perfect. The itinerary you carefully organised for us took us through the most wonderful scenery to some of the most stunning locations in the world. Around every corner there seemed to be yet another photo opportunity! All the motels and hotels we stayed in as part of our self-drive tour were of a very high standard - comfortable, clean and vary spacious. We were particularly impressed with the welcome we received by our hosts at the Camelot Motor Lodge in Christchurch - where the owners went out of their way to ensure we had the best experience possible. The cars provided by Europcar were clean, comfortable and of a very high spec. We kept getting free upgrades along the way - our last car even had a built in SAT Nav and DVD player! Your voucher system worked very well. Having all the hotel, hire car and activity bookings in one place meant we weren't constantly having to fish through pages and pages of paperwork to find our individual bookings. Your recommendation of taking a nature cruise at Milford Sound and taking a journey on the TranzAlpine Express Train between Greymouth and Christchurch was superb and proved to be two of the most enjoyable days of our tour. While we were on the Milford Sound trip we saw dolphins and seals and whilst on the train between Greymouth and Christchurch we saw some of the greatest sights - mountains, lakes and rivers that were inaccessible by car. The pack we received on our arrival was crammed full of useful information that we used to plan further excursions while we were on our tour and the photo-atlas is a lovely keepsake of the country that will always hold very special memories for us both. The ONLY downside? The fact we didn't have longer to explore one of the most beautiful countries on the planet! Thank you once again for your hard work in putting together the PERFECT tour! We will certainly be recommending you to friends and family who will no doubt be hoping to travel to NZ after seeing all our pictures!

We had a really amazing and memorable 10 days tour of the north island - thank you very much to your company for such splendid organisation. The online booking was really helpful and accommodating (with our specifications). We were equally impressed with the very well organised welcome pack, printed suggested touring routes etc. All booked things/events were met with no mistakes nor worries. Accommodations were excellent quality and sites which we thought made a difference to the trip. Perhaps breakfast was the only slight disappointment in the whole package as the choices were very limited especially in Waterfront suites, hence nobody was looking forward to breakfast time. If we were to do it again, we would definitely prefer good breakfast included, and certainly would not mind the slight increase of fees. we were glad we dint book too many tours online before hand, as some activities were hindered by weather, plus it was cheaper to purchase family ticket at site than individual ticket online. One additional activity not mentioned/offered online was the visit to Hobbiton movie set. We enjoyed that very much. Thanks very much for an excellent organisation and made our tours very enjoyable and stress free. We have already recommended your website to family and friends.

We really enjoyed our vacation in New Zealand. It was the best vacation ever. Everything went smoothly, there was never a hiccup in the entire itinerary and even the weather was perfect. We liked all the hotels we stayed in and the rental car was fine. The itinerary was planned with perfect balance and we never spent too much time in the car. The only suggestion I would give is to change the GPS unit. While the audio commentary was great, the GPS itself was not very useful as a navigation tool as it was always slow. We ended up buying a map from a gas station. thanks again. we are thinking of visiting again in a few years.

 Back to reality today (first day back at work) and it is tough! New Zealand is such a beautiful place and now I know why so many people choose to go back again and again for their holidays. I have ‘liked’ your page on Facebook and I would be more than happy to write a review/feedback and post it on the page (which I will do tonight to let others know how great you are! And I think Sarah would also like to write a separate review). Just to let you personally know, Sarah and I absolutely loved our trip. We were happy with all the accommodation that you had suggested, and the tours were all very worthwhile. It was very reassuring to know that all the accommodation, car hire and tours had been booked so that all we had to worry about was jumping in the car and leisurely driving to our destination. Our itinerary was planned very well and we were very confident that everything had been thought of (like airport transfers, manageable driving days, centrally located accommodation, car park etc. etc.). We only had a couple of big days of driving, but that was because we were trying to jam pack so much in, in such a small amount of time! I liked the personal touch of receiving the phone call from you, as sometimes it is much easier to plan things over the phone, rather than email. It was also great that you were able to put our mind at ease so quickly with the little drama with Europcar. A very smooth process, that I feel could have turned ugly if you weren’t there to very quickly sort it out for us. Overall we were very happy with the whole planning and travelling experience! I would be more than happy to (and will) recommend your company to anyone considering a driving holiday in New Zealand. Regards, Jess and Sarah

A big THANK YOU to Shelley our tour advisor who has done a fantabulous job in arranging our 2-week NZ tour. My dad (who had studied in Wellington 45 years ago) had a great time during this trip and he has given his commendation to the tour agent for making this trip a memorable one. He just couldn't tell enough how much he had enjoyed this trip and to him every bits of the trip has gone beyond his expectations. Mum is fussy about accommodations (i.e. cleanliness and comfort) but this time she couldn't find faults in the choices of accommodations throughout the 15 day trip. Being an Aussie I feel that the lodging condition in NZ is far better than we have here in Oz (to an extent where I think they shouldn't be in business anymore! :P) Thanks Shelley for accommodating our stringent criteria on lodging and credits to you for fulfilling our request. Well done! The only shame was we couldn't make it to the whale watch at Kaikoura due to severe weather condition. We got a swift response from Shelley when I sent her the cancellation confirmation from the cruise company and refund was arranged at the end of the trip (which will take up to 7 working days for the refund). All in all, we really enjoyed the trip VERY MUCH, and I could say this is one of the best family trip that I ever had! Will definitely look for Shelley again to arrange my next trip to NZ :))

Hi Shelley Sorry I have been really busy at work and have not been able to reply until now. Funny, I actually emailed you when I returned with some detailed feedback re the trip. Now I can't find any sign of it in my sent folder so it mustn't have gone somehow. Your arrangement of my tour was excellent and I appreciated your timely help when the car hire company didn't show up on time. The B&B accommodation was also excellent and I appreciated the diversity and quality. The B&B at Russell was wonderful and had a great history and an excellent host who cooked me dinner after I rang him lost on route as it became dark! He also took me for a bay side walk in moonlight to show me where to go the next day. I loved the bay of islands and probably should have stayed there for the whole time and rested Kaitaia was a very raw kind of place. I enjoyed the drive up there over the mountains particularly. but the accommodation at Kataia was hard to find and the town seemed unfriendly and unloved by comparison - no signposting and the GPS couldn't isolate it - a gravel drive down the far end of a cul-de-sac and another block in the street had the same number on the letterbox but without the 'b'. But the Cape Reinga trip the next day made the trip and stay up there worthwhile - lots of fun and interesting history delivered by a really knowledgeable local - shared the mini bus with a family of Indians who had a Bollywood party all day! The B&B at Kataia was an oasis really! Quiet, clean, comfortable and a fantastic host who was helpful and informative and friendly and cooked lovely breakfasts. It must be the only place like that to stay up there from what I saw. The last B&B at Matakarna was spectacular and I would have loved to stay another night or had time to enjoy more of it. It was quite remote but fascinating to discover as I allowed time before dark to find it. perched high on a hilltop with a spectacular house and rooms in a beautiful landscape. Once again the hosts were so lovely - met me for wine and canapes on sunset and we shared a couple of really interesting hours of conversation. I found the trip down the west coast unexciting after the Kauri forest and the trip to the ferry which was fabulous country - after that I would go direct to Matakarna via the inland route if I did it again The GPS took me off the main route several times and I had no idea at the time that it was leading me up back routes and then it did some weird things like try and hook up with the main route again by backtracking across an even lesser used road. Near Russell, it kept insisting I go up a gravel road and when I stubbornly resisted, it persisted all the way to Russell telling me to do a u turn. In honesty the notes were of little help - very confusing as there was no real frame of reference when lost or taking a quick diversion to see another town off the main route. A list of main towns on route or embedded in the notes would be helpful. Or a series of local maps covering the key districts you mentioned in the itinerary. This would have been really helpful. If I had a navigator and travelling companion this wouldn't have been a problem but as it was right on dark that I struggled both times, it was a bit stressful when I found myself out in the middle of nowhere. Mind you I am not a great navigator! The atlas helped but only with big roads. I ended up ringing ahead to the B&Bs and the hosts talked me through it thankfully But this was not a big problem - I finally learned to get to the destination well before dark and also learned to add one and a half hours at least to your travel times - the northern roads are so windy and slow to negotiate which is fine when you know this - otherwise too many detours can mean you arrive at the destination 2 hours after dark. Shelley, this is just feedback that may help you with similar itineraries up that way, but really I had the best time! Possibly too much driving - but Other than the lower west coast, I wouldn't have missed any of it. Thank you so much. I have mentioned you to several people already over here who sounded quite interested. I would certainly contact you again when I return. Many thanks Diane

We would just like to send our thanks to our consultant Nicky and everyone at NZ Self Drive (NZ Fine Tours). If it is possible to have all travel arrangements handled to perfection, then we just experienced it. From the very first meet and greet at Auckland airport, to the airport transfer in Christchurch when we left, not one single arrangement was out of place. Our B&B accommodation was excellent throughout and we were so happy we went with the choice of B&B, rather than just hotels. In fact, if there was one night that was a little sub par, it was the Museum Hotel in Wellington, which did not really live up to its supposed reputation. Not that it was too bad, but compared to the B&B places we stayed in, it just lacked the warmth and charm we experienced everywhere else. Too bad your B&B choice in Wellington was full when we booked with you, or every night would no doubt have been perfect. Special mention must be made of "The Springs" in Rotorua. Despite being the most modern of the B&B's we stayed it, it was just so perfect, as were our wonderful hosts. One could not miss also mentioning Eliza's Manor in Christchurch. The charm and character of Eliza's must be experienced by everyone and we were so glad that was your recommended B&B in CHC. Ann & Harold at Eliza's are the best innkeepers we have ever met in years of travel. We only had one disappointment on the whole trip and that was when our prepaid Whale Watching trip in Kaikoura was cancelled by sea fog all day. To your credit, we received a refund from you in under 2 weeks of notifying you upon our return home. Once again thanks for everything. We will be recommending your company to our friends or anyone who will listen. We want to do more exploring in NZ and will only use your company. BTW, we really enjoyed having the Kruse GPS as our personal travel guide.

I could not fault the organisation of our tour or the level of service. The accommodation was excellent and the instructions comprehensive. A wonderful experience.

We (all 8 of us) had a great time travelling up the West Coast of the South Island - everything went very smoothly from arriving in Queenstown to catching the ferry in Picton. We thought the accommodation was exactly what we were after and Angela's organisation of the whole tour was fantastic - thanks so much! Renu and the whole family

Dear Nicky We had a fabulous time in New Zealand. Everything worked fine for us and we liked all the accommodations. It's a pity that we did not have more time to explore this beautiful country. Would like to go on a longer holiday in future. Saumitra Saha and family

Had a fantastic holiday! We took the Auckland to Queenstown TranzAlpine tour and it was amazing. Everything was booked and organised perfectly. Shelly, our tour consultant, was always helpful and prompt when we had a few cancellations due to weather. We will definitely use New Zealand Self Drive tours again. One tiny feedback would be change your hotel in Wellington. It had a great location but was really run down and dirty.

Hi Nicky, We are all back in our homes safe & sound, albeit with a heavy heart. Aotearoa was truly magnificent! Thank you very much for all your help. All the properties we stayed in (save one) were fabulous. Nelson was wonderful. We got to Lake Rotoiti and felt as if we've been thrown into a postcard from paradise. My husband & I and our girls are still in love (and will always be) with The Factory. The host & hostess were such a wonderful couple that we did not really want to leave, and the crayfish breakfast - To. Die. For. Akaroa was truly a spectacular sight we have ever experienced. All those winding roads up & down the mountain and into tiny town with so much character. We loved Oamaru too. The Victorian architecture was a splendour to behold! The location of the property was perfect. The hostess made us one of the most scrumptious breakfast ever! I don't even want to start on Larnach Castle! Eliza's Manor on Bealey is the kind of place that we will definitely go back too! Gosh, what can I say. You made the two weeks in NZ perfect! Thank you for all the wonderful recommendations, we can't thank you enough. All the best from all of us,

This was our first visit to New Zealand which we thoroughly enjoyed. From being picked up at Auckland airport to being dropped off at the port of Wellington everything ran like clockwork. The accommodation was excellent especially in Napier the best B&B we have experienced. The two organised tours were brilliant. We were particularly impressed by the welcome we were given by everyone. What more can I say - top class!

Thanks for organising we had a great time in all. Would highly recommend to others.

After running through more than 10 self drive tour operator in New Zealand. I have chosen New Zealand Fine Touring base on their understanding of what I need and met my request without me further cracking my head to figure out what I should do. They clearly draw out the option and easily I just run through it and pick what I want. And their consultant especially Angela is so helpful and make my itinerary so flexible and without hassle. There are simple nothing that I could complaint about at all. I will definite recommend which I already highly recommended to few of my friends who has resided in Australia about this superb self drive tour company. Once again from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to thank New Zealand Fine Touring for making my trip to New Zealand a memorable one. Thank you and love you all.

Thank you for organising our self drive tour of the north island recently. Everything worked really well from start to finish. Your choice of accommodation, recommendations for sight-seeing, the train trip, the meet & greet. we couldn't have asked for more. Even the weather was kind. There were places that we would liked to have spent more time (as I believe you were gently predicting) but hopefully that can happen sometime in the future. Thank you. We have been taking every opportunity to recommend your company to our friends. Kind regards, Daune & James

WOW: thanks to Angela. The organisation was superb, the choice of accommodation was of high quality (McHardy Lodge Eliza's Manor and Waiteti are among my favourite) everything went smoothly, the suggested excursions were awesome. I loved the Dart rive wilderness adventure. The documentation was very detailed too, sure I will get back to you for my next adventure thanks again!

Thank you so much for arranging a recent drive tour to NZ. We were so impressed with how smoothly everything went from the transfers and pick-ups, to the detailed maps, to the friendliness of everyone with whom we worked. The properties were great choices, always clean and well appointed. And the ease of our custom drive-trpi was fabulous. We would (and are) recommend your company to anyone visiting New Zealand. Thank you so much.

Dear Nicky. I know I speak for my whole family, when I say that we had an absolutely wonderful holiday in South Island, New Zealand. We want to thank you for a very well planned holiday. It was exactly what we had imagined: a well planned itinerary, comfortable car with pre-programmed GPS, accommodation in lovely motels & cottages, and out of the world activities. Other than the fact that you have a beautiful country, what struck us most was that, the people are the friendliest we have ever come across. People like Penny & Brian (Camelot Motor Lodge, Christchurch) & Lyndal (Canterbury Limousine Tours) are shinning examples of the best of NZ. We all fell in love with New Zealand. Our memories of the breath- taking landscapes will remain with us forever, as will all of the activities we indulged in – Shotover Jet ride, helicopter flight over the glaciers, Taswan Glacier Argo ride, snowballing on the top of Mount Cook, whale watching etc. Thanks to all those in your organisation who took part in planning our trip. Hopefully we will be able, at some future date, to ask you to plan another vacation for us. I would definitely recommend your company to other friends and family. Dr Jamal Ashraf India

Hi, I would like to thank you for especially Nicky for organising a fantastic tour to New Zealand for my family. We had a terrific time over there. The accommodation arrangements were good, all the places that we stayed at were friendly and very helpful. Everything went great with the activities that were planned. We had six people in my family and Nicky did a great job organising everything. I would definitely recommend your company to other friends and family.

Well, we are back home in Canada now after a wonderful trip to New Zealand (as well as a few days in Sydney). Thanks for all your arrangements for our self-driving tour. Everything went very well and all of the accommodations were excellent, especially all of the B&B’s. Everyone was incredibly friendly and we were made to feel very welcome wherever we went. I’m glad we decided to visit Christchurch as well. Seeing all of the earthquake damage was heartbreaking but the people seem determined to carry on and re-build. We visited the Antarctic Center there as well as the botanical gardens (stunning!). The van arrangements with Europcar were perfect, and other than switching on the windshield wipers when signalling a turn a few times, driving on the left was much easier than I thought. Even though we drove over 2400 km over 10 days, we decided we have to come back to see the west coast of the south island and more of the north island. New Zealand is a beautiful country and we can’t wait to return. Thanks again for all of your help in planning the itinerary. It was perfect!

Our heartfelt thanks go to all the staff at New Zealand self drive tours. This was our holiday of a life time which went like clockwork. We were met in Christchurch and taken to our accommodation. From here on everything was so well organised that we couldn't put a foot wrong! The scenery is magnificent, the weather was kind and all the trips and accommodation excellent. I would like to mention especially the visit to Milford Sound and the Maoiri evening. All travel directions were excellent and we had no trouble following directions to our various resting places. This was our ruby wedding treat but sadly we have no photographic record of it to share with you. On our last day in New Zealand we took the ferry to Waiheke Island. After taking a bus trip round the island we went for lunch at Cable Bay winery and then set out to walk past Mudbrick then along the church bay path back to the ferry. Somewhere along the beginning of the path I dropped the camera. Despite spending 3 hours searching we never found it. We are contacting Waiheke in the hope that some one has found it. The Camera is not important only the memory card. Otherwise this was the best holiday ever. Graham and Judith Beastall Thank you all for everything.

I just wanted you to know that we were delighted with the 5 day Self Drive Tour you organised for my husband and I. Everything was superb from the routes you recommended to the excellent accommodation in each location, all of which were very unique and with wonderful views. Your attention to detail was wonderful from the hotel pick-up in Wellington to enabling us to drop off the car at our hotel in Auckland. Your high level of service and friendly emails were much appreciated and we will have no hesitation in recommending your company to any friends who travel to New Zealand in the future. Many thanks for everything you did for us,

Just wanted to let you know what a fantastic trip we had. I know we made it difficult for you by deciding to have our honeymoon the same time as the Rugby World Cup, however the tour you offered us was just wonderful. Except for a small hiccup with the hire car in Christchurch, which was understandably related to the earth quake earlier this year, everything was so well planned - from the directions you provided in the information booklet, to the ease of check in at each of our tours and hotels. We are already planning to take our kids over there next year and do even further South on the South Island, so you will be hearing from us. Thanks again for a wonderful adventure and helping to create a memorable honeymoon.

Thank you for an excellently planned itinerary. Only one small hiccup with accommodation one night which was speedily resolved. Not having been to NZ we were happy to have our travelling planned and we were pleased with all the places we stayed. It was a great 3 weeks and we will be back to do more! I forgot to mention the tours and train trips which had been arranged and the very detailed documents, thus enabling us to travel without getting lost  and arriving refreshed and not hassled - though my navigator was so wrapped in the scenery he sometimes forgot his role!

We are having a great time in New Zealand. The scenery is so beautiful & incredible. NZ Self Drive Tours had provided a fantastic arrangement. Thank you. Please note that Edgewater Motel & Sherwood Manor Motel were kind of disappointed comparing to the rest of the accommodations.

Thank you for the perfect arrangement. We indeed enjoyed our holiday in New Zealand.

What a wonderful holiday and I would certainly use this company again. We wanted for nothing and all our accommodation was superb. We were upgraded in the Bay of Islands to a wonderful suite. We hired a car and organised a Kruse/sav nav which was wonderful so did not miss any information. We had originally booked a coach trip but very glad we had the self drive tour now instead. Thank you very much for all the fine detail organised for us. Hope to see you again one day.

Angela and the folks at NZ Self Drive Tours made this a trip of a lifetime! Thanks again for all your help and the memorable times!

Just wanted to drop you a line and THANK YOU for everything you did in making our NZ trip the most wonderful, amazing holiday we have ever taken. I can't believe that it only took a few emails back and forth, and our entire holiday was taken care of - including catering for our 2 year old son. All our accommodation was great - and we met some lovely, lovely people running them. It was just great to be met at the airport and handed a package with everything we needed to know contained within. It simply was the easiest and most trouble free holiday and we would not hesitate to recommend you and your company to anyone. We are already planning our return to your beautiful, stunning country.

Thank you for a thoughtful itinerary which did factor in the requirements of two kids very well. We could not find reason to deviate from the initial suggestion made and keeping it simple did work for us. All requirements were well arranged, at times it seemed also the weather! The quick response we received followed by suggestions through the disruptions caused by the earthquake did validate our decision to go through NZ Self drive tours. In summary, just the right amount of support all the way through. Just one suggestion - The map provided by the embassy remained our best companion for the drive period as it gave all information at one glance without having to flip pages. The Atlas gave all the further details we required about the place. I guess its available on their  website and may be worth to include in the pack.

We're just letting you know that we had a great time in New Zealand. We really appreciated the smooth way everything worked - the clear instructions, great map book, great accommodation, friendly and helpful people etc, etc. We will have no hesitation in recommending your company to anyone else interested in going to New Zealand. Thank you for all your input and ability to work around our requests. We particularly enjoyed Gisborne! Could move there tomorrow (if we had jobs and it wasn't so far from the family!)

I am writing to tell you that I had a great time.  It was a beautiful part of the country and I enjoyed every minute. Well, maybe not every minute, Rotorua was a little challenging for me as the smell was breathtaking, literally! It took my breath away, I couldn’t breath, well maybe not so bad but it was not a pleasant experience.  I think if it weren’t raining all of my stay it probably would have been much better as I could have done a bunch of other things.  The people were friendly, the town was beautiful, and the Guinness Pubs were great. Next time, I’ll stay longer in some of the selected towns to spend more time to enjoy the places and its people. So once again thank you for a well organised tour and allowing me to meet so many great people and see so many lovely places (just skip R).

Just wanted to email you to say how much we enjoyed our holiday in NZ. We had the best time and just LOVED your country! All accommodation was superb. The only not so great one was the Heritage in Queenstown. Actually when we went back to Heritage in Christchurch, I realised how much nicer it was then the Queenstown hotel and how much Queenstown need to update/refurnish. Maybe we just had a bad room. But anyway, all was fab. The Sofitel was stunning (but of course more expensive) but it made my stay in Queenstown even more enjoyable.

We are now just back home from our "Impressive trip in New Zealand". Me and my husband were having a wonderful and happy holiday, I would like to thank you for all the assistance in arranging the accommodation and transportation to make my trip a relaxing and enjoyable one. Everyone we met were nice and helpful. will definitely recommend your company to my friends who want self drive to travel in NZ, after they saw all our beautiful photos. Thank you again and I will need your service again in a couple of years later. 

David, thank you for the extraordinary self-driving tour of New Zealand. We have had many trips to foreign countries and your itinerary was by far the best organised. We were so fortunate to have your help, expertise and recommendations. You helped us maximise our time and enjoyment of New Zealand while minimising the usual hassles. It is quite obvious that your itinerary was based on a wealth of knowledge and love of your country. We could not have asked for more. It was spectacular in all regards. The over-night trip on Doubtful Sound was extraordinary. The pre-programmed GPS made life so much easier. And, thank you for the dollar savings as well. There is absolutely no way we could have done the same itinerary on our own for remotely close to the same costs. Most appreciated. Thanks, again.

Now that my wife and I are back in California, I would like to thank you most sincerely for the wonderful vacation we have just had organised by New Zealand Self Drive Tours.  I can honestly say that everything went perfectly (including the weather).  We were met at the airport by a nice gentleman carrying a large sign with our name on it, were driven to our bed and breakfast, and our car arrived promptly at 8:30 the next morning, and we were on our way.  The tour that you organised for us was perfect, and we loved every bed and breakfast and hotel that you put us up in, and the timings along the route were fairly accurate and gave us time to do some exploration on our own.  We will certainly have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending you to others.  Thank you very much indeed for everything you've done. 

Hi, Just wanted to thank you for organising a wonderful holiday for us, everything went well and your package on arrival with the wonderful atlas that you had even bothered to high lite our route for us was a great help.  Unfortunately we were caught up in the heavy rain while in Te Anau and were unable to get to Milford Sound as the road was flooded and had to take a detour on leaving Te Anau because a bridge had been washed away [just bad timing] The TranzAlpine Train was well worth doing and the cars to take us from there and also to and from the airport were on time and a great help. Your country has some great scenery and the people are really friendly.  We had a wonderful three weeks.
Your instructions for finding hotels was very good but I hope you don’t mind me just mentioning a couple of things for your reference for future travellers was that on the street map of Wellington the ferry terminal was marked in the wrong place and on arriving at Dunedin the instructions said to turn right at the Octagon and it should have been left, also that the Scenic Circle Dunedin City Hotel is on the right and there again it was on the left.  Apart from that it all went well.
Thanks again and I certainly would recommend your company to anyone else thinking of seeing New Zealand.

Diane

You will remember that you put together a self drive trip for me (Jim Schulz) and my family September 2010 on the South Island. I have been wanting to email you for the longest time and thank you for the great trip you provided for us. Everything went well and we were very pleased except for a few things you should know about. The Casa Bella Motel in Paihia, Bay of Islands was a real disappointment. The rooms were really, really worn out and dirty and we would recommend you not booking that Motel again. But despite all that we made the best of it. The Waldorf Apartments in Auckland were very, very nice, but I found it extremely difficult to stop in front of the property due to very limited space to check in and unload our luggage. Also I thought that we would have some kind of a view of Auckland Bay. Oh well, we ended our trip very happy and thankful for your fine work.

Thank you Alarna for organising a fantastic trip for us! Everything was faultless, from the airport transfer to our beautiful accommodation. Collecting the lift passes and catching the bus each day to The Remarkables was simple and everything felt very organised and seamless. Thanks for your time and care in organising everything - we will be booking again for sure!