New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

Loved working with Amelia! Even though it was Christmas when we decided to look into a trip for mid January, Amelia gave amazingly prompt responses and suggestions. The "canned" itinerary that you send at first inquiry gave us a great jumping off point to plan our own fly/drive vacation! It really gave us a good idea of travel times and suggested stops. Then Amelia helped us find appropriate and lovely accommodations for our needs. For example, we wanted to have a washer/dryer in our room every 3rd or 4th day so we didn't have to pack so much. She lined it up perfectly. She also suggested activities that we had not considered in each city and booked those that we wanted to try. They ended up being our favorite parts of the trip! She also warned of long drive times (Which we still did, and she was right - it was long). Amelia also booked things like lunches after a kayaking trip which ended up being a life saver as we only had minutes to eat before heading into another activity. Every hotel and activity was booked just as she indicated; we had no problems with reservation glitches at all. We also appreciated the list of things to see in each city on our daily itinerary, as we could pick our favorites and hope we didn't miss too much that we wish we had seen. 

Amelia at First Light Travel was extremely professional and efficient. 

Thanks for a great trip!

Dee, Mark and Madeline Dehart (USA)

Jo,

We just wanted to drop you a note to thank you again. Our experience at the Watermark Studio Apartment was a highlight of our holiday in New Zealand. The floors were beautiful, the bed was comfortable, and the matching lounge chairs were great for relaxing reading while drinking some Waiheke wine from Man O’ War vineyards. The wall of glass has such a great ocean and coastline view that we were glad we kept our day of island adventure short. Every so often we would stop, glance at the picturesque scene, and savor the experience. It was such a wonderful place to relax in such a gorgeous country. While it may seem funny to some, another highlight was the breakfast. Thanks for the fresh kiwi!

Not sure if you are interested in our pictures, but here are just a few. Amy took the one of the wooden bench with an iPhone. It tops all the photos I took with my fancy Canon SLR! It’s going on our wall along with many others.

Warm regards,

Blaine and Amy Kelley - USA

Hi Chrissy,

I am not much of a writer. All I can say that the views are fantastic and North and South islands are very different but both very beautiful . We enjoyed the trip very much.

Eleonora & Vladislav Aizenstadt (Canada)

I cannot thank Suzie Thorpe and First Light Travel enough for designing such a lovely self drive vacation for us! Suzie was extremely prompt in responding to our inquiry, quickly provided a great itinerary, and suggested wonderful activities that really allowed us to experience so much of the country. She suggested locations and activities that we most likely wouldn't have found on our own. These experiences, such as the Tasman Glacier and kayaking in Milford Sound, made for many great memories. I am so glad we found First Light Travel and were able to benefit from their extensive knowledge of New Zealand!

Susan Moriarty & Kathleen Siemionko (USA)

The level of adventure for our age (61 and 62) was just tailormade. We absolutely loved to go on bushwalks with local guides to the most prestine areas, which were nearly impossible to find on our own. The fear of getting lost in these National Parks would stop us of even trying to go there. The selection of cruises and boat trips was also something we wouldn't have found by ourselves. The overwhelming choice on the internet is confusing. The choice of accomodation in Kinara Country Homestay and 124 on Brunswick are good examples of top choices.

Thanks Chrissy

Bob & Gabriella Trijbetz (Australia)

Our recent two week trip to New Zealand was the best vacation we have ever had! The breathtaking beauty and the genuine and friendly people of New Zealand make this destination a must on everyone's bucket list. I credit First Light Travel for making the trip logistically perfect for us.

Due to friends that had recently returned from New Zealand, we knew what cities and towns we wanted to visit on the South Island, but we had no idea how and where to book our accommodations and the activities. I went online to find a company based in New Zealand, and was very happy when I found First Light Travel. I made a call and immediately was connected to a wonderful agent named Verity. She was extraordinarily

helpful and had a complete itinerary with rooms and activities for me to approve within three short days. She promptly answered all my questions whenever I emailed her, and by departure day, I was confident that everything was in place with our transportation, rooms, car, and activities. The best thing was that virtually every step of our trip went off without a hitch.

The rooms all exceeded our expectations, the activities were so fun and scenic. Our itinerary came with travel times and very clear directions and addresses for hotels, lodges, etc. We were able to plan our drive times accordingly, and we were always able to go at a leisurely pace and stop wherever we wanted. I will recommend First Light Travel to all of our friends who are planning a New Zealand trip. We were very happy with their friendly, efficient service, and most of all the depth of their knowledge about New Zealand and everything it has to offer.

Teena Rasmussen Maui - Hawaii

The trip that First Light Travel planned was definitely the adventure of a lifetime for my niece and me. It was so reassuring to have the activities, lodging, and some dinners-reserved in advance. The summary itinerary with notes about directions and confirming phone calls made it all easy. The overnight cruise on the Doubtful Sound was definitely the top rated activity by both of us! We began to call the coupons "golden tickets". Each time we pulled one out, people responded with extra enthusiasm and said things like, "No need to stand in line, come this way." It was an unexpected bonus! I have added some places to which I look forward to returning and new activities to add to my repertoire.

Janet Gaffney - USA

Dear Shelly,

We had a wonderful time. The trip was well planned, with a balance of doing and seeing, activity and relaxation. Am not sure how I found First Light Travel on the internet, but am extremely happy to recommend First Light, and particularly you, Shelley, to all who might be going to visit your wonderful country. 

Terence and Aileen Erard (USA)

Shelly,

I wanted to personally thank you for booking our vacation. You were always helpful and prompt. I loved the PDF and referred to it frequently in the months leading up to the trip and everything was perfect to help us during the trip as well. I don't know that we'll ever make it back to New Zealand, but if we do I'll be in touch. Regardless, I have and will continue to rave about First Light Travel. Hobbiton was our favorite part. Also we loved Rotorua.

Thanks

Michael Casto and Margaret Westlake (USA)

Hi Suzie

We have returned from our fantastic trip. Thank you and well done on the accommodation your found for us! Everyone was blown away with the scenery and the fantastic food we found everywhere along the trip

Thanks again for arranging such a smooth running tour.

Kind Regards

Heather Gleeson and the Dubbo Girls (Australia)