Tour Reviews

—These Kiwis are at the top of the game when it comes to custom travel.

“My wife and I recently took on the Classic Upper North Island Touring Route. This was our 2nd trip to NZ and we again relied on the services of a customised itinerary by Fine Tours. Christina Brockie did a wonderful job and booked us into some fantastic luxury lodges and boutique motels. Everything went to plan from arriving at the airport, collecting the hire vehicle and travel maps outlining the best roads to travel. The Kiwis are at the top of the game when it comes to custom travel. The scenery was superb and the hosts at the various lodges really make our stay so much more enjoyable. Tarlton's Lodge at Paihia and Pepper's at Rotorua were something special. As it was July we did run into a bit of rain however considering our home in Western NSW is in drought it was good to see that it does actually rain. We came across a lot of fascinating towns such as Matakana, Warkworth and Maungatapere. Thanks again Christina and Fine Tours.”

—Danny & Francine Crowley, AUS

—It was the trip of a lifetime..THANK YOU FINE TOURS!

“I'm a little delinquent in submitting a review of our trip but wanted to express how impressed we were with all of the arrangements made by Fine Tours! Traveling with another couple, we wanted to see NZ and arranged a Customized Luxury Grand Explorer trip through Fine. Everything was arranged perfectly..from the moment we arrived in Auckland on 3/17 to our Departure from Christchurch on 4/11. Driving ourselves, we started on the North Island and all of our lodging and tour activities were wonderful. We particularly loved our time at Cape Kidnappers and Queenstown. Do not miss the helicopter trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound..it is fantastic! Our original tour arranger left Fine and we were picked up by Christina Brockie who did an amazing job! Part of our trip had to be re-routed due to the flooding around Franz Joseph..so Christina got us booked into a great place in Dunedin..Finally, we felt we got excellent value for our travel dollars..it was the trip of a lifetime..THANK YOU FINE TOURS (and Christina)!”

—John and Gayle Mead, Gerald and Carol Henderson, USA

—Fine Tours made the experience an incredibly easy and wonderful one for us.

“My husband & I wanted to visit New Zealand for our honeymoon but were lost with the number of options, as to what would be the best fit of activities and places for us to visit. Fine Tours made the experience an incredibly easy and wonderful one for us, by understanding our requirements and giving us the suggested itinerary within our budget. They were also helpful if we heard of additional activities that were not part of our itinerary but we needed some information or options to book. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience, and we feel very grateful to Fine Tours for playing a big role in facilitating the same. Thank you!”

—Shaival Parikh & Richa Shah (arranged by Dharmesh), IND

—Fine Tours New Zealand promised a great Birthday adventure and they delivered

“Fine Tours New Zealand promised a great Birthday adventure and they delivered. Planning was extremely easy with Christina. In fact, it was so easy that I got nervous that this was a scam that had been rehearsed and carefully choreographed. I checked the web site numerous times for fear that I had been taken. But I had not. Everything that Christina planned worked out perfectly. Every driver showed up exactly on time, every booking at a B&B was perfectly matched to the trip goals, and every activity came off without a hitch. It amazed me that we had the same driver throughout our stay in every town and it was really entertaining to get to know a few of them. I marveled throughout the trip about how perfectly everything worked and how well timed it was. The only part of the vacation that had a problem was the flight to and from New Zealand. New Zealand Air was late, connections weren’t made, and we were rerouted to Dunedin instead of Queenstown. But once we got to our first point of the trip, everything worked perfectly. And, even during the problems of getting there, as soon as I called Fine Tours New Zealand, when we missed the first connection, I knew I was in good hands. Abby helped me in the wee hours of the morning while the offices were closed and provided a sense that she was there to help me… and indeed she did. When the office opened, Christina took over and got everything adjusted. Overall, I still feel like I stepped out of a fairy tale when this trip was done. Thank you Christina and Abby and everyone at Fine Tours New Zealand for a wonderful 50th birthday trip.”

—Scott Hiles & Michael Fonte, USA

—Thank you Abby for an unforgettable trip and helping us discover your beautiful country

“Our first time doing a custom tour and we are fully impressed. Abby Alexander was patient, professional, engaged and proactive. Without her, the tour would not have been as smooth. She handled all the lodgings, transfers, transportation, activities. Everything ran without a hitch. Thank you Abby for an unforgettable trip and helping us discover your beautiful country. ”

—Christine & Tri Tran, USA

—Fine Tours New Zealand did an outstanding job for us

“This was an absolutely amazing trip. Never have I experienced such natural beauty at every turn in the road or step on a trail. All of our accommodations were lovely. The activities we did exceeded our expectations. No detail was missed. This was, quite honestly, one of the most amazing vacations we've experienced. Fine Tours New Zealand did an outstanding job for us. Even when our itinerary needed to be changed due to a bridge outage, NZ Fine Tours did not disappoint! They rerouted us to beautiful accommodations and gorgeous driving routes. What a fabulous trip!”

—Peg & Jim Reiter, USA

—IT. WAS. AMAZING!

“Our trip to New Zealand was close to three years in the planning - thank you Laura for sticking with us and helping us plan the most amazing adventure! We opted for a self-driving tour of the North and South Islands with highlights centered around The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. IT. WAS. AMAZING! Our accommodations were perfect for every leg (I especially enjoyed our time at the Chateau Tongariro – it was like stepping into the past). The activities planned were spot on and more amazing than I’d expected, which is quite an accomplishment because I had built this trip up so much that I didn’t think it could possibly meet my expectations. We experienced landing on a glacier in a helicopter and taking off in a ski-plane. We repelled 100 meters into the Waitomo Caves, we took a jet boat up the Dart River, hiked to the top of Mount Sunday and had a champagne lunch, took an unbelievable private helicopter flight over the great forests around Queenstown, walked through an 80-million-year-old forest, and visited the most amazing museums. And although the weather in Tongariro didn’t allow us to take our aerial flight over the volcanoes, we did make up for it by taking an open-air biplane flight over wine country in Blenheim which was spectacular. Plus, how many people get to experience a birthday feast in Hobbiton?! Every stop on our journey is a memory we will never forget. I can’t say enough about New Zealand Fine Tours, they organized and planned our trip perfectly – we had no stress at all. Thank you again for truly making this our trip of a lifetime! ”

—Gregory & Pauline Poulin, CAN

—Of the cities and places visited, we would not have changed any of them.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to New Zealand!! Of the cities/places visited, we would not have changed any of them. We just would have loved to have more time to visit more of the country. Nisse did a fantastic job listening to what we liked and providing us with options. She was very prompt in getting back to me on any questions or changes we had. I would definitely recommend Nisse!!”

—Brian & Linda Pankow, USA

—Our New Zealand trip was amazing!

“We are now back home after a wonderful month away. Our New Zealand trip was amazing! We loved the beauty of the country and the relaxed, friendly people we met along the way. Thanks Shelley for organizing every detail so beautifully! It was such a great adventure to wake up each day and explore something new. Highlights included… the overnight on Milford Sound Staying at Fiordland Lodge…gourmet meals! the eco tour in Wanaka Kayaking at Franz Joseph…quiet tranquility against the backdrop of the majestic mountains The Bay of Many Coves…what a gorgeous way to cap off the trip! We were lucky to leave Franz Joseph before the bridge collapsed. I’m sure that you were busy changing plans for your clients. The only excursion which was cancelled due to the rainstorm was the Wilsons day trip in Abel Tasman. I stopped off at their kiosk and they said that they were refunding the money to you. Please let me know if it came through. We were able to get out for a walk in Abel Tasman which was fun! Thanks again for your assistance in creating a beautiful experience for us. ”

—Gord & Patti Thompson, CAN

—I highly recommend Fine Tours New Zealand

“If we had to do it over again, we probably would have gone for New Zealand's spring rather than its fall, but the self-drive tour and all of its daily excursions went exactly as planned. Out of 14 days we only had 2 days of rain and were able to get some great pictures and had some memorable adventures. My thanks to Christina for organizing all of this and working so well with the schedule changes we made as the trip grew closer! I highly recommend Fine Tours New Zealand.”

—Paul Shaffer & Laura Martone, USA