New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

After 3 years of 'pandemic hibernation,' my family of 5 urbanites wanted a self-drive holiday in NZ that must carry a few "not's" - not hectic, not too many places to 'tick,' not too long a drive in any one leg (as my energy levels are not that great these days), not too much of the commercial concrete jungle, ... We broadcast our needs to a few travel planners and they came back with proposals of a lower cost. BUT First Light also responded quickly and addressed our needs most desirably. We find that First Light profiled us most accurately and is worth a go.

Yes, First Light stood out amongst equals. Ms Hunapo Marcella was wonderful, empathetic, assuring and is very patient with us though we made multiple adjustments to the itinerary prior to the trip. Even during the trip, she remained responsive and addressed all our needs! The selection of activities she offered us fits our desires snugly - hot air balloon, Hobbiton, geyser, transalpine train ride, whale watching, 1.1km zipline, and a remarkable "retreat" to celebrate Christmas at Mt Cook! Indeed, First Light is a top grade travel planner and is well worth the money spent!!

Weng Ho & family, Singapore

I highly recommend First Light Travel, especially our travel designer, Michelle, who helped us plan an amazing and unforgettable trip for us! We were very satisfied with all the sights we saw and the choice of hotels and motels were on point. The itinerary was very well planned and there was not one part of the trip where we were exhausted, as we were provided enough time to rest. If you're planning to go to the beautiful country of New Zealand, book via First Light Travel and you are sure to get the best support and experience!

Gail and I had a wonderful three weeks traveling on the South Island of New Zealand. First Light Travel did an amazing job. We worked with a number of their agents and they listened carefully about the kind of trip we wanted: opportunities to do a lot of hiking, seeing a lot of the South Island but not driving every day and basing ourselves in good areas for exploring. They put together a thoughtful schedule and we were booked into great, comfortable places and all arrangements were conveyed to us very clearly. When we had questions, the agents responded to us quickly and with helpful information. 

We recommend them highly and will use them again when we return to New Zealand. 

Jeff Summit, Boston, MA, USA

One year ago we had an amazing family trip organized by First Light Travel and specially Natalie.
The trip was tailored to our needs and we left room for extra, in case we would find something there (which we did, as getting on top of the Franz Joseph Glacier in helicopter)

the service provided by Natalie was absolutely fantastic, and very careful. Her involvement to make this trip fabulous made the difference (8 versions of the trip have been built until we were happy).

Thanks again, that's been a magic trip

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for organising our 10 day driving trip around The North Island searching for surf. We had a fun time and everything went as planned. The surf gods came out on our second last day

We definitely would recommend you and your travel agents to anyone wanting to visit New Zealand.

Thanks, Vicki and Jim Ashton - UK

We have just returned from a month touring New Zealand with the whole trip being planned by Natalie.  She done us proud and every excursion from bay of islands to scuba diving to the transalpine train ( to just name a few) and hotel was top class and the scenery stunning. The way everything was organised and arranged meant we could travel and enjoy our holiday with all the stress and worry about accommodation taken care of. All questions we had before our trip were answered so we knew what to expect.

If you want to visit New Zealand and want an enjoyable, stress free holiday please take my advice and contact first light travel as I'm sure they will do a custom trip designed just for you.

Thank you so much for all the hard work you done so we didn't have to do any work except enjoy ourselves.

Phil and Karen Simmons UK

My wife Wendy and I have just returned from our spectacular 3-week self-drive New Zealand Adventure.

Gina put together a terrific itinerary for us. Each of our transfers, car hire, hotels and activities were just as we had hoped, and each were of an exceptional standard.

We spent a week on the north island and two weeks on the south.

As keen consumers of wine! we loved our tours of each of the wine regions and especially enjoyed the visits and hikes in many of the national parks.

We will be back.

Andrew (Andy) & Wendy Nixon - USA

I highly recommend First Light Travel, especially our travel designer, Michelle, who helped us plan an amazing and unforgettable trip for us! We were very satisfied with all the sights we saw and the choice of hotels and motels were on point. The itinerary was very well planned and there was not one part of the trip where we were exhausted, as we were provided enough time to rest. If you're planning to go to the beautiful country of New Zealand, book via First Light Travel and you are sure to get the best support and experience!

Rikesh Patel and Family - UK

We are avid hikers, and the focus of our first 3 1/2 week trip to New Zealand was to do three of the Great Walks-the Tongariro Crossing, the Milford Track and the Abel Tasman Track. Natalie helped us organize and book these hikes, with exploratory days on both the North and South Islands and a wine tour in between. She also helped us organize transport by train, bus, plane and local taxis, so we didn't have to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. This trip only whetted our appetite for NZ hiking and we hope to return. We would highly recommend Natalie and First Light Travel for those who want a customized, unique tour of this beautiful country!

Ruth and Andy Patterson: Canada

​​Hi Gina,

Thank you for arranging the amazing trip! All of us had a great time in New Zealand and wish to come back soon! I will also be writing the reviews for First Light Travel.

Posted in Google  ‘Highly recommended Travel Agent! Planned out our 2 weeks NZ trip amazingly. Let them know what's your interest and they will give you the best itinerary for you accordingly’

Kind Regards Widjaja Group - Indonesia