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This was easily one of the best tours we've ever been on, and it definitely had the best tour guide. Train and boat excursions, a visit with Sir Edmund Hillary's grandson, excellent hotels, good food, sufficient "on our own" time, and unexpected surprises all made for a South Island experience that would be pretty hard to beat.
This was easily one of the best tours we've ever been on, and it definitely had the best tour guide. Train and boat excursions, a visit with Sir Edmund Hillary's grandson, excellent hotels, good food, sufficient "on our own" time, and unexpected surprises all made for a South Island experience that would be pretty hard to beat.
Fantastic! Everything was managed very professionally with special attention to all the details. Our guides provided clarity and instructions immediately before we needed them so there was very little to remember or be concerned about. It made the complete journey very relaxed for the pace of everyone, energetic or chill types alike. While touring to a significant location it was often two or three short stops with clever stories and background to enrich the entire journey even on seemingly unglamorous sections. It really made transitions and people come alive.I loved traversing the island back and forth to get a sense of the style and vibe of each area. One day was huge nature, the next very cosmopolitan. We definitely were allowed to add things like a side trip to wineries on our own which I didn’t expect. It really made it feel like MY journey. Thanks to Lauren, McGill and Wayne I had the trip of a lifetime! 100% worth any money time or effort on my part. True professionals and expertly skilled. WTG!
The guides, Mike and Trevor, were so helpful and lots of fun. Driver Steve was exceptionally good, and had a great sense of humour. Only downside was that some of our trains were cancelled, and they were our main reason for being on the tour. However, we understand that this was due to unforeseen circumstances and could not be avoided. Great time was had by all.
This was our first tour, usually we hire a car and set our own itinerary so we had no idea what to expect.The whole experience was amazing from the moment we met our guides the day before the tour started. Our 3 guides and 2 bus drivers were friendly, knowledgeable and they, and the entire tour were extremely well organised, nothing was too much trouble. We were on the 'red bus' with Lauren as our main guide and Steve as our driver. Both were amazing. NZ's south island is so picturesque. There were many highlights on our journey but the pinnacle was our 2 night stay at Mt Cook aided by unbelievably great weather.
We enjoyed being able to sit back and relax while our guides Jane and Ted plus driver Noel, took care of everything. They went above and beyond to ensure the trip was thoroughly enjoyable and we were all assisted where necessary and safe.Passengers inadvertently left possessions behind - shirts in dryer, vital medicines, I-pads and special chargers in hotels. The guides and driver easily organised the lost items to be returned with no fuss.This was a great experience, hotels and tour activities the best!
The South Island of New Zealand is absolutely gorgeous! I am so glad to have seen it. However, if you have chronic pain this is not your best option. I didn’t know I would have problems sitting for extended periods of time, the swaying of the old train carriages, the back roads certainly took their toll on my back and neck. Practically every night was a buffet, which sounds great if there are lots of choices (like at Mt Cook 10/10) but mostly it was 4 meat/fish with a couple of vegetable dishes. I would have preferred to not have half the dinners included and being able to go and taste what NZ had to offer locally, the packed lunches were very average, and I hope y’all like relish because it’s in every roll. As I said, I’m glad I got to see it all, but living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks wasn’t my idea of fun so it’s back to cruising for me!
My husband and I enjoyed our tour immensely. It was so well organised. We were given the opportunity to see the most beautiful scenery, have varied activities and experiences and thanks to our informative guides learn so much about New Zealand. We highly recommend this trip,
The tour is well organised. The tour guides and coach drivers provided excellent information and support. We found it very relaxing to be able to enjoy the spectacular scenery from a variety of modes of transportation. We had not previously been on a large group tour but the group didn't feel so large as the guides managed to make it feel like a very personalised experience.
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The "Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer" Tour is an epic journey by rail and luxury coach throughout the majestic South Island of New Zealand.
Experience the postcard perfect vistas and dramatic alpine scenery that this part of the world is renowned for.
Your guided journey begins in The Garden City,
Christchurch, where you board one of the world’s
great train journeys, The TranzAlpine and traverse
the majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern
Alps via Arthur’s Pass. Luxury coaches await in
Greymouth to escort you to the glacial beauty of
Franz Josef.
We then track inland to experience the wonders of
Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford Sound. Cruise
on the steamship TSS Earnslaw and ride the iconic
steam train, The Kingston Flyer.
Onward to Dunedin where we enjoy the remote and rugged landscape of the world-famous Taieri Gorge by rail.
Detour inland to majestic Aoraki Mount Cook, staying at the prestigious Hermitage Hotel and back to Christchurch to join The Coastal Pacific
Scenic Train. Throughout this scenic
experience, you will meander along the Pacific coast
across remote beaches, between mountains and sea,
on a timeless journey of breath-taking beauty to
Kaikoura and onto Marlborough.
Your journey of a lifetime ends in Wellington.See more
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