We put this trip together very quickly only two months before, thanks to Rhodri’s itinerary suggestions and the arrangements he was able to make for us. We felt very lucky about this as we were aware we had left it very late. Rhodri found us good flight connections and great accommodations throughout New Zealand that were beautiful and yet connected to the local people and the surrounding environs. My husband and I had requested an active trip and Rhodri delivered a variety of experiences for us so that we had a fabulous time. We travelled for 16 days and did and saw a lot, giving us a very good appreciation for all that New Zealand has to offer. Highlights include the Glow Worms Cave in Waitomo, hiking the Tongariro Crossing on a perfect sunny day, hiking along the Queen Charlotte Track after a water taxi ride on the Marlborough Sound out to the trail, kayaking both on a river in Havelock as well as on the ocean in Kaikoura, and the days we spent based in Queenstown. From that beautiful city we did an excellent day trip out to Milford Sound and a day hike on the Routeburn Track, and very much enjoyed a “down day” where we cruised on a beautiful lake to Mt. Nicholas Farm where we learned about sheep farming followed by a 14 km cycle to Walter Peak sheep station where we partook of an incredible barbecue lunch. All of our day trips were well-arranged for us and we just showed up and enjoyed the activity. Many activities were guided, but we did a few on our own as well. We added in a trip to the Redwoods in Rotorua, a stop at Waiotapu for the geothermal area and did some impromptu hikes in other areas including beautiful Akaroa. Also a stop at a winery for lunch outside of Blenheim. First Light Travel and Rhodri were so very easy to deal with and created a wonderful memorable trip for us. When we needed to change the itinerary to allow one more day, Rhodri was able to quickly do so. He was very responsive to my emails. Our flight arrangements were smooth, the accommodations were nicely appointed and well located, and the car rental went well. It seems that everywhere we showed up, whether for a rental car, activity tour, ferry ride or the bed and breakfasts and small hotels, people were expecting us and made us feel welcome.
We costed out the trip at the end and our calculations showed that we actually saved a few hundred dollars by booking with First Light Travel, rather than booking things separately ourselves. My husband and I highly recommend First Light for anyone considering a New Zealand trip.
Maureen Hutson and John Chase - Canada
