New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

My husband and I planned to take a one month driving holiday in New Zealand as we had done in 2019 in Australia and luckily my earliest internet search found First Light Travel’s site. I had done all the investigation, planning and booking on the internet myself for our Australia vacation. It was incredibly time consuming and resulted in a trip which was not nearly as educational, nor exciting as the New Zealand trip First Light Travel created for us.

We spent some time on the phone with Anna Caudle to find out what was available and to give her an idea of what we were looking for. Within a few days she provided us with a fully outlined and costed trip plan. The plan was significantly more detailed and vastly superior to the one I had developed for Australia.

Over the next short while we spoke with Anna on the phone a couple more times which enabled her to really personalize it to our dream trip and we decided Version 3 was the one.

When we arrived in Auckland she had a driver waiting at the airport to pick us up and from that point on every day was enjoyable and we never had to feel uneasy about where we should be or how to get there. With the number of activities planned it was inevitable that a couple ended up being cancelled and whenever there was an issue First Light answered the phone and resolved it quickly. At the end of the trip they refunded the cost of the couple of cancelled activities.

One of the earliest activities was a visit to the Kauri museum and neither of us had any knowledge about Kauri but we spent a fascinating few hours learning about this amazing period of New Zealand history. The rest of the trip provided many more educational opportunities and we enjoyed every moment of every day. Anna’s experience curating the trip showed over and over again. An example was when we did a half day bike ride from Arrowtown to the Gibbston Wine Valley along the river valley and over the historic Kawarau Bungy Bridge (the place where bungy jumping was invented). The path we rode about 20 Km on had many hills and would not have been enjoyable but for Anna arranging for our bikes to be electrically assisted. A very nice surprise!

In summary, unlike our Australia trip we did not have to spend countless hours doing research and booking accommodations and activities and transportation. First Light’s trip was far more interesting and enjoyable than what we would have booked. We had the comfort of having First Light available to assist us if we experienced any issues. I am convinced that we would not have saved money if we had booked it ourselves on the internet. I believe that First Light’s professional relationships in the travel industry provide them with lower prices than a consumer can obtain on their own. As well, we found that the service providers gave us “frequent flyer” style service. When we checked in we always stated that we were there as First Light had booked it and they always appeared to treat us in a way that would be positively conveyed by us to First Light. We rate our First Light trip to be 11 on a scale of 1 to 10!

Natalie from First Light Travel did a superb job planning our 'bucket list' trip to New Zealand. Her attention to detail and personalized service made our journey a memory that will last a lifetime. The booking process was easy, and the itinerary provided accurate and helpful information. Our holiday experience exceeded expectations, with activities like Hobbiton and a Southern Glacier Helicopter Tour of Milford Sound being highlights. Accommodations at Koura Lodge, Hawthorne House, and Hermitage Hotel were exceptional. The service provided by First Light Travel represented exceptional value for money. We highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a memorable travel experience.

Bernadette Biggelaar was an absolute delight to work with and helped make our holiday so memorable.
Her suggestions and ideas suited our interests. Halfway through the holiday she emailed us to make sure everything was OK. Such commitment was greatly appreciated.
Even at Wellington airport due to bad weather our flight was delayed, a team member rang to keep us informed of what was happening with our flight, a response so unexpected yet greatly appreciated.
Thank you Bernadette and First Light Travel for helping to make our 51st Wedding Anniversary holiday fantastic and such wonderful memories to have and keep.

We had a fantastic experience traveling with First Light Travel! The primary reason we chose to travel with them was their excellent consultant, Katarina, who provided prompt and relevant responses throughout the booking process. We found the itinerary to be well-suited to our interests, and the information provided was both accurate and helpful. Our holiday experience exceeded our expectations, with activities that were mostly enjoyable and perfectly aligned with our interests. We particularly loved the accommodations in Queenstown, Christchurch, and Napier, which were outstanding. However, the Te Anau bed and breakfast fell short of our expectations, feeling outdated and out of the way. Despite this, we still felt that the overall holiday experience represented excellent value for money. Katarina's assistance was invaluable, especially when we encountered a few bumps along the way. We greatly appreciate her quick responses and helpful advice. Thank you, First Light Travel, for a memorable holiday!

Gina and the team at First Light Travel took care of all the details for our 30 day self drive vacation and made our "retirement trip" a pure joy. She took our wish list of activities, locations, and budget and devised an itinerary to meet those requirements. The accommodations were a mix of unique, charming, and spectacular- most of them I would never have found on my own internet search. The daily itinerary we received was detailed and thorough - right down to expected drive times, hotel check-in times, things to do in that area, and contact numbers for every activity we had planned. 30 days and we STILL were not ready to leave this amazing country! We can't recommend First Light Travel enough.

Memorable family trip to New Zealand
My husband and I and our two teens just returned from a wonderful 2.5 week Self Drive trip to both the North and South Islands of New Zealand! Communication with First Light Travel and their Travel Designers was top notch right from the start. From the initial phone conversation to the many emails back and forth with itinerary adjustments it almost seemed to good to be true - that someone else was handling all of the details of our trip and all I had to do was show up in New Zealand! I'm glad I took that chance as it truly was the case. First Light took care of our airport transfer, car rental, accommodations and most of our activities. The majority of the accommodations that we stay at were perfect for our family and the cars that we rented were fuel efficient and comfortable. The highlight for my family in the North Island was Hobbiton and the Milford Sound Coach and Cruise from Queenstown was our South Island highlight. Gina's quick responses during our planning process and even when we were running late to check in for an activity were much appreciated. I highly recommend this company to anyone planning a trip to NZ. Thanks again First Light!

Our honeymoon trip was an unforgettable adventure thanks to First Light Travel's amazing planning (specifically Danielle Mueth’s). They handled every detail perfectly, from flights and accommodations to exciting activities. We especially loved the scenic flight from Milford Sound and the wine tour around Central Otago with Apallatian Tours - it was a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. We highly recommend First Light Travel, to anyone planning a honeymoon! Make sure you request Danielle as your travel advisor!

We were very pleased with the itinerary planned for us by First Light Travel. Although we had several excursions cancelled due to weather, the information packet given to us on arrival provided alternative activities which were quite enjoyable. Some of the accommodations were a little dated but all were clean and comfortable with friendly and helpful staff.

First Light did a wonderful job with all activities, accommodations and scheduling. They made a big job a very simple thing. Easiest and best trip ever.

 This was a daunting trip. The other side of the world, new experiences and a new travel company.
What a delight, was made very easy by Natalie, she was always at the other end of an email and didn’t disappoint. When there was a minor issue during the trip – she was on it and resolved.
I cannot thank her enough for her professionalism.