It was good to meet you in Wanaka after our various electronic messages. Now that we are home (and healthy) we want to thank you for guiding us through a really good trip. We enjoyed learning huge amounts of natural history and cultural history, all amid spectacular beauty and rich experiences.
We have tried to identify our favourite parts, which turns out to be very difficult. Probably the boat trip on Doubtful Sound was the nest, with just-caught lobsters and fish, and a joyful pod of dolphins. But kayaking and swimming at Abel Tasman plus vulcanism and Maoris at Rotorua were also memorable. We could go on! As you advise others, FYI we also enjoyed the night canopy walk in the redwoods at Rotorua (admittedly, not everyone's cup of tea), and especially the night nature walk at Zealandia in Wellington, where we saw kiwis in the wild.
Not only was your itinerary comprehensive and suited to our needs and abilities, but your choices for lodging were also exceptional. From Doolans in Rotorua to Retiro Park Lodge near Nelson and Te Anau Lodge (the train car!), you sent us to places with character - and characters! Other venues were also special, but these stand out. We also appreciated that many of the venues had laundry facilities.
Finally, we send extra thanks for coordinating our itinerary with my sister Anne Berg, even quite late in our planning. It was a real treat to share five days of adventures with her. Every step of our trip, we felt that you had anticipated our needs and interests - we could not have been better served. We're already telling friends and family what a great trip you gave us.