Testimonials

Hi Pete and Nicky,

Just a short note to thank you for organising our trip to the South Island of New Zealand.

The itinerary you provided for us was detailed, accurate and informative.

All of the accommodation was of a high standard and we were made to feel welcome every where we stayed, which made our trip a truly memorable experience.

Thanks again.

Dave and Sue Bray
Kawana Island,
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, AUSTRALIA.


Dear Pete and Nicky

I have to thank you so much for setting up such a memorable visit to the South Island. Having been in the North Island in 1975 I have always wanted to complete the Kiwi experience, although there is obviously still much more to see in this incredible part of the world. From walking amongst the mountains and glaciers to sunbathing on the east coast beaches and from bathing in the hot springs to swimming in the lakes at Wanaka and Te Anau are all wonderful carefree memories. Probably one of the most impressive parts of the trip was meeting the New Zealand people themselves who were unfailingly welcoming and ready to do as much as they could to make our visit trouble free and comfortable. Our last full day at Lake Tekapo catching superb brown trout on Greg Crowe's boat typified both the people and the country. The accommodation ranged from the old and quirky at Wanaka (where we had a great night drinking cold beers on the grass with a road gang working along there!) to modern apartments at Queenstown. Wherever we stayed the rooms were beautifully clean and well equipped and the staff and owners superb. A particular highlight was Milford Sound which I had seen in photographs many years ago and have always wanted to see for myself, it did not disappoint and the drive there from Te Anau is an experience in it's own right!

From the minute we stepped off the plane at Christchurch and picked up the hire car to the day we flew out, all ran smoothly. The itinerary and your information pack gave us a fantastic variety of landscapes and experiences yet at no time did we feel rushed or pushed in our travels. So many things to savour, much more than can be done justice in this small message! You said you could organise a great trip for us and you did just that! Many, many thanks!

David Blanch
Cornwall UK


Hello Pete and Nicky

We are back from our wonderful vacation in NZ. Everything turned out well including the weather. All of the preparations made things go very smoothly. We were very happy with our choice to limit our travels to the South Island as we really got a good feel for the area. One of the highlights was meeting so many people -Kiwis as well as Aussies, Brits and other Europeans. Enjoyed the custom of sharing restaurant tables. Our upcoming US presidential election was a popular topic discussed. We were surprised/humbled at the level of interest.

Loved the wineries! Left a wine bottle trail across the country.

We were thoroughly spoiled by the B&Bs: great facilities, gracious hosts, delicious breakfasts, complimentary laundry and internet access. NZ is a beautiful country. We enjoyed our travels and learning about its history. We hope the efforts to make and keep it 'green' will be successful and a model for other countries. The long plane rides to get there were certainly worth it. Thank you for helping to make our trip so successful! We will certainly refer potential NZ visitors to you.

Sincerely,

Pam and George
Chicago USA.


Having at last committed to visiting my brother in Australia, I realized that I couldn’t possibly go all that way without seeing those NZ mountains, so I planned to get to South Island as soon as possible to make the most of a nine day visit. Fortunately, a couple of weeks before I was due to leave I met Pete Gibson of Kiwi Connections who suggested that my trip would be more enjoyable if accommodation were booked in advance. How right he was. A planning meeting took place when what I could visit realistically was sorted out, and a few days later a full itinerary was presented. Without Pete and Nicky’s help the trip would have been a struggle. As it was, everything went smoothly, I was welcomed wherever I went, and the country is so amazing I ran out of superlatives in my emails home.

After staying with a friend in Nelson, I drove down the West Coast for four days, and got three days of beautiful clear weather which is not that common. Then to Wanaka, Queenstown, and Aoraki Mt Cook before staying with another old climbing friend in Christchurch. For this Pete had sorted a list of places to see on the way – invaluable.

Every day was exciting, but I will pick out highlights.

The trip up the Cardrona valley from Wanaka over Crown Summit (with Nic Jones singing ‘Farewell to the Gold’ on the car stereo – I’d brought the tape purposely) and the sight of Queentown and the Remarkables spread out in a huge panorama..

The drive along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy for the Dart River Safari. This is a must, not as hyped as the Shotover jet, but infinitely more rewarding. My last day at Aoraki, as I was leaving Mts Sefton and Cook were in cloud. Then as I passed the airfield I looked back, the tops had cleared, and I took the skiplane flght to land on the Tasman Glacier. As an ex-climber, that really ‘spoke to my condition’ and will remain with me always.

A truly memorable nine days during which I just touched the surface of a remarkable country. Will I go again? I will certainly try. Thanks again to the Gibsons – but can they make sure I get the same weather, please.

Peter Reynolds -
Glenside, Trevenen, Helston, Cornwall
April 2005


Dear Pete and Nicky

As you know, our decision to visit New Zealand this year was rather a last minute one. We had seriously thought of emigrating there about 40 years ago when first married and had always wondered what we had missed!

We consider ourselves lucky that a friend suggested we should contact you both and seek your advice on an itinerary and accommodation for our trip. Your intimate knowledge of New Zealand enabled you to plan a well balanced, well paced and very successful holiday for us.

In spite of covering both islands in 6 weeks, driving a rented car, we saw all the places we had requested and never once felt under pressure to keep moving. We feel the amount of time in each spot was always just right to explore what interested us, in general moving on every 2 nights. Your personalised notes were remarkably detailed, drawing attention to everything of interest we might find in the area.

Although we had originally anticipated booking day by day we realise now this would not work in the busy, popular areas. Having all our accommodation booked in advance removed the hassle from travelling, and each night we knew on arrival the accommodation would be of a very reliable standard. The mixture and variety we discussed beforehand of B and B’s, a farmstay, motels and apartment complexes suited us well and added interest and practicality to our travels.

Thank you both. It was indeed a trip of a lifetime for us and we would be pleased to recommend your organisation to anyone who was interested in having a similar adventure.

David and Anne
Cornwall
March 2005


I would like to formally thank Kiwi Connections for arranging and coordinating our recent visit to New Zealand.

Both Sue and I sincerely appreciated your help, comments, insights, and assistance. You definitely know the islands and the sights to see. No doubt your advice made our trip super.

We found your knowledge and insight extremely helpful in allowing us to finalize our thoughts as to the things we wanted to see and do.

We also both found your willingness to work with us, rather than fit us in a "package", just what we were looking for in an agent.

For others looking for assistance we highly recommend your services! Not only were your arrangements excellent, your off the cuff comments about the areas we were passing through proved helpful to us in gaining additional insight in this beautiful country, its people, areas and points of interest.

Your suggested B&B in Auckland was great...needless to say Devonport is a beautiful area, and the Farm Stay on the South Island was just what we were looking for; a real taste of New Zealand people, hospitality and culture.

It was very relaxing and the food and conversations were definitely memorable. Both Sue and I recall our many conversations with you, during our planning stages, and now better understand your suggestions and comments. With your help we did everything we wanted to do, within budget and with time to spare. We look forward to visiting New Zealand again and rest assured you will be the first on our list to call when we start making plans.

I have recommended your company to one of my friends, to whom you have already spoken, and I believe two other couples will be contacting you soon to help arrange their trips.

I look forward to meeting one of these days and should your travels ever bring you to Chicago, we welcome the opportunity of say hello and thank you personally.

With our sincere appreciation, thank you for helping us do a super trip.

Sue and Bob Boutin
Chicago, USA