Good news is they were on time, very friendly and overall pretty decent...they did what they are…read moresupposed to do. BUT...had a chance to fly business/1st class internationally on this airline and I will say it was a major disappointment. It felt like bunk beds....meaning for the price, we basically got a seat to ourselves, it did lay flat...but absolutely no privacy. literally felt like you were at camp in beds and could see everyone. So you got a seat with low dividers, no real pods or privacy and open air. Hate complaining about first class international...but for the money...not a great experience.

We had a pleasant experience with Air New Zealand…read more The staff were very friendly and helpful. The safety video was quite entertaining and engaging. The wife loves the footage of all the beautiful people in the video. Overall good experience flying from Sydney to Wellington.

Queenstown Airport was our point of entry into NZ this time and its scenic setting makes this a…read morebeautiful airport to transit. If you're lucky then you'll get to see Lake Wakatipu and the snow capped mountain ranges on the way in or out. This airport doesn't have jetways to deplane the passengers but the walk across the tarmac lets one soak in more of the surrounding mountains. After retrieving our luggage, we then had to queue in lines according to what we declared on the NZTD form (international arrivals). You can fill out the NZTD online in advance and skip filling out the paper version on the plane. The longest line were those of us who said yes to something like food, medicine, wilderness visit (camping more specifically), etc. Depending on your answers to the agents questions you were either allowed to proceed to the electronic immigration gates or redirected to another line for more screening. I just wished there were more open lines since this was the slowest arrival step. Rental car counters were grouped all together near the airport exit. We had to walk around five minutes to reach the cars which were past the taxi stand. Exiting the airport with our rental was ok but the main road was under construction heading towards the center. Luckily we returned the rental to Christchurch and avoided the return headache.

We arrived in NZ via Auckland but flew out of Queenstown. This smaller airport is very easy to…read moremaneuver. We had a rental car and it was pouring rain so Husband dropped me off with luggage and then dropped off car since there was a bit of a walk from rental car spot to ticketing area. We flew Quantas. Lots of baggage tag kiosks. Everything self serve. Not really any lines (we were there at 5am). At the gate area, there was one coffee shop open, Fuel to Fly, and I was grateful for that so I could get a latte and breakfast bar. There was plenty of seating in the gate area and we took off on time. Great experience.

We're on our New Zealand "taster's" tour, and the only place we're staying on the South Island is…read moreQueenstown. And if you're going to visit Queenstown, you're going to want to visit Milford Sound (it's actually a fjord, but whatever). And if you want to visit Milford Sound and you have a time constraint, the fastest way to get there is by air (35 minutes one-way). Our travel people booked the flight out via Air Milford. Normally, I'm nervous about these things. I like my planes to have at least two sources of propulsion and yet are preferred to propellers. And honestly speaking, I'm not prone to having such adventures. Nonetheless, today was an amazing Queenstown day, and the conditions were right for the flight. The weather is temperamental around here, so the procedure was to call in the night before and call in this morning. We didn't have to call in this morning as Air Milford called us and told us the trip was a "Go!" The communication was open and informative. We got picked up in front of our hotel by a Queenstown taxi and were ferried to the airstrip. Check-in was simple. Antony came out and briefed us in front of a map. We loaded up the plane fully, and off we went. The flight was flawless. Antony told us all the landmarks and what we were seeing. Can't say I was completely calm, but Antony flies the Cessna as you or I would commute to work. We saw lakes, rivers, valleys, mountains, grasslands... everything that Frodo saw, except from the sky.... so I guess as you would were you riding a giant eagle with seat belts. On the way into Milford Sound, you fly to the Tasman Sea and turn back. You make a small turn and then plop into the air strip. On the way out, Antony had everyone (who wanted to) take pictures with the plane, and my wife even got to ride the co-pilot. The flight home was less nervous. It was a continuous stream of pictures. In short, If you like adventure... If you're time-constrained... If you like supporting family-owned, small businesses... If you like excellence in an amazing experience. You should book with Air Milford.

Right from the beginning safety talk they were professional and reassuring. Explaining what to…read moreexpect and what could happen dependent on weather. The pilot was very competent (I sat in the co pilots seat on the return flight and could see what he was doing and could listen to the radio transmissions, and while not a pilot have flown in smaller sized aircrafts with commercial airline pilots). Great scenic flight and then on to the boat for more spectacular views and complementary beverage and muffin! The boat captain narrated at times and got us close enough to walls to see details and one waterfall so close that those of us on the bow got way wetter that I expected!! (good thing my camera is weather sealed)

For a last minute rental, ace had the cheapest rate. They are outside the airport but had a shuttle…read morepick us up from the airport. The driver was really nice and gave us tips where to get cheaper gas when we returned the car. The woman at the front desk was really nice. We got a Kia van. It was good for a overnight stay in Queenstown, NZ. This was the first time my husband drove on a left lane, with Right hand drive. We made it, yay!

They gave me Nissan which had more than 200,000 km in it, which I used for a road trip to West…read moreCoast and Christchurch. It came rather dirty and scratched up. Cigarette hold in the driver's seat. The trunk's mouldings are falling apart. The car must have been imported from Japan, it has Japanese signs only in many of the buttons and panels. Sometimes it squeaks when I brake. I did that trip anyway but I felt I was lucky that there are no issues.

Interval International rating for The Ridge Resort: Queenstown, New Zealand is Premier, and we rate…read moreThe Ridge Resort in Queenstown as 10/10. New Zealand is a small country, similar in size to Great Britain or Japan. With a population of only four million people it's also gloriously un-crowded, especially in the winter months. We visited for three weeks and encountered one North American (from Halifax, Nova Scotia.) First, we arranged a trade through Interval International, and the on-line description, resort information, and several jpgs are "spot on." Our three bedroom / two bath unit fronted on Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. On clear days the views of the lake, and, mountains are magnificent Some debate "shall we do the North Island or the South Island?" Our answer is one week in the north and two weeks in the south. It takes nearly three weeks to experience New Zealand without the "glow worm caves." The Ridge Resort in Queenstown may not be Marriott Five Star, but the location and proximity to nearly all sights (south) on the South Island is at excellent. We soon discovered with all three New Zealand vacation exchanges, that there is a lack of central A/C and heating; however, this is a small problem. The Ridge Resort at Queenstown is heated with a fireplace, and vacation owners must be adept at building wood fires. The Ridge Resort at Queenstown is an older resort, but has been newly remodeled. The kitchen and dining room are enclosed in a "greenhouse effect" with sliding glass doors and an abundance of windows. We enjoyed the open space concept. We entered Queenstown shortly before dark, and there is potential confusion because another "Ridge Resort" lies on the road to the holiday unit; in addition there is a Ridge Resort downtown Queenstown, and Interval International supplied only the road and not the house number of the resort. Be prepared to drive about 1/2 mile beyond the "first Ridge Resort." We had the luxury of two years in planning our three-week New Zealand, and one-week Sydney holiday. Because we elected to fly from Cincinnati to LAX to Sydney in Delta Business Elite using Delta Sky Miles, our flight was pure pleasure. We also used Marriott Rewards Points for a week in Sydney at the end of our holiday. In Sydney, we transferred to Virgin Atlantic and arrived in Auckland at 3:45PM; winter night arrives by 5:30PM, and we elected to walk out of the airport, cross the street and overnight at Novotel. Our rental car, (three weeks) a Nissan Bluebird (Sentra,) preformed great in the Southern Alps. We never were required to "chain up," although I have confidence in changing the tires if necessary. We were warmly greeted at all three New Zealand vacation clubs, and because I had insisted on one roller bag each plus a carry-on for laptops, moving was never a challenge. We found a large supermarket within five minutes, and Information Site, and numerous restaurants. It is our habit to prepare a condo breakfast, take a venison pie for lunch from a BP fuel station, and dine in the evening at a local restaurant. At this point, I suggest some travel rules. Helms' Rules: New Zealand & Sydney 1. Rent a car in Auckland, New Zealand (population = 4 million) & rent a Garmin (NZ trains are not developed). Do NOT engage a GROUP TOUR. Resist the Cruise Ship babble; one cannot tour NZ by the coastal ports. 2. Use public transportation in Sydney (population = 4 million); train from airport to Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay 3. Use buses, ferries (NO to taxis) 4. Arrive Auckland, ferry to South Island, Fly out Queenstown to Sydney 5. Visit North Island one week; South Island two weeks, Sydney one week 6. Use Delta Elite points in FLYING Business Class = free beds and gourmet meals & resist alcohol @ 35,000 feet; do use lots of lotion & water. 7. Trade into 3 weeks of condos = free, & have washer/dryers in units. 8. Nearly all "Guidebooks Experts" are useless. I do not require some person to PLAN my trip. I do not require a hotel or restaurant guide. Do consult Tripadvisor.com and mapquest.com 9. Use the WWW and parts of Guidebooks to design one's own trip 10. Choose Taupo Condo on N Island for a Central location, visit the numerous GEOTHERMAL CENTERS. I used a natural set of 5 geothermal pools 5 minutes north of Taupo every day. Resist the Hot Springs Prawn center (Good idea and excellent, but expensive prawns.) 11. Visit both coasts on both Islands 12. Choose MT Hutt condo as central to (center) S Island (Near Christchurch) 13. Choose Queenstown as central to (south) South Island 14. Fill in with Reserved hotels like airport Novotel in Auckland 15. Skip the North of Auckland and skip Auckland 16. Skip the BIG cities_traffic messes 17. Nearly all rental cars are Automatic (rent Garmin) 18. Roundabouts are easy to navigate 19. Take only one roller bag & one small bag; Pack only MICROFIBER or Gortex clothes. DO NOT check luggage. 20. Weather in NZ varies between 30 degr

NEW ZEALAND 2016 When I think of my dream place, I think of…read moreQueenstown, New Zealand. This was absolutely the best timeshare that we have ever traveled to! Exhausted after a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong and another 6 hour flight to New Zealand and a days trip from Christ Church, we arrived late at night. The condo entrance was non-descript. It almost looked like our own Hobbit House. Upon arrival, we went directly to bed. The next morning, I was greeted by the beauty of Queenstown with a panoramic view from the kitchen, dining room and living room. The lake and snow-capped mountains were breathtaking! All I did was take pictures and sent them to my sons so that they would quickly join us. Once they arrived, our vacation was nothing short of incredible. We hiked mountains and trails like the Rutburn, we went to Milford Sound, went speed boating through gorges and enjoyed the quaint shops of Queenstown. I had a ball taking pictures. There was beauty every angle I turned. The condo had 3 bedrooms, plenty room for our family of four. We even had our own jacuzzi and fireplace. The nightly ritual became making a fire and the morning ritual was taking a jacuzzi bath. The fully appointed kitchen had all the utensils to cook the fresh New Zealand lamb. I enjoyed cooking because the view from the kitchen was incredible. We also had some mishaps as my husband broke his arm. That whole episode also turned out fine since he needed surgery and New Zealand has socialized medicine paid for by their $8 per gallon gas tax. All tourists are covered so long as you sign an affidavit that you won't sue. The surgery was done at the teaching hospital in Dunnedin about 3.5 miles away. This trek back and forth was made bearable by the sites of the New Zealand countryside. This was our venture of the South Island, the North Island was equally beautiful with it's hot springs, rocky beaches and Hobittown!

I stayed here 4 nights and loved it. It's in a great location with a 15 min walk to the town…read morecenter. This is actually good because, as an American, I didn't want to drive in town. Everything is very compressed. Parking is free but the parking lot is small. So if you have a large SUV, you might have issues. I had to park in front of the garage and didn't want to leave because if someone took that spot, I don't think my SUV would have fit anywhere else. Room was clean and comfortable. Reasonably priced too...for Queenstown. Nothing negative to say. WiFi is free and fast. Would 100% stay here again.

Stayed here for three nights during the end of our tour in New Zealand and wanted to like the…read moreplace, and did like the place for the most part. Sure the place had its quirks; soap in an unlabeled dispenser, hair dryer hidden in a drawer under the television, very very slow internet, 2 remotes for the TV that had different functions, but the place was clean and did have charm. My review is mostly positive until the last night of our stay when we came back to our room and found that our backcountry campstove was taken off of the balcony where we were airing it out in preparation for our future air travels. At first we thought it was stolen, until we called the office inquiring if they had taken it for some reason. And they had, despite it being written in their Guest Book that they were not to touch personal property. When trying to figure out how to get the campstove back (from 8PM to 8AM they are apparently not on-site) we were chewed out personally for several minutes while we maintained a very professional and calm manner in trying to get our possessions back. In the end we had to jump through hurdles to get the stove back, and were not given it back until right before our flight took off. We can understand the hesitation with seeing a campstove on the balcony and the bad review is not based on them even taking the stove. They were just doing what they thought would protect their property, even if it was an over-reaction. The negative review is a result of how we were treated afterward. We did not appreciate being berated for minutes nor the unnecessary inconviences we had to endure to get our property back. With the customer service we received I cannot find it in me to recommend this motel to anyone, despite the quality of the hotel. To top it off, they never did service or clean our room during any of the three days that we were paying for our stay. Thus, we received no service at times and bad, rude service at times.

This was an amazing experience! From the pickup to the flight, everything was smooth and easy to…read morenavigate. The tour was amazing and the food/drink was delicious. Thank you flyover the pilot Jason for communicating when to the "bumps" during the flight and the great information of what we were able to see in the air. 10/10 would recommend!!

So I didn't have a whole lot of time in Queenstown but I wanted to see some of the major spots…read more Franz Josef glacier and also Milford Sound. I mulled around a couple of different companies but this was the only one that went to the glacier from Queenstown. For the value (yes I have the American dollar) it was pretty good! Firstly you get picked up (awesome!). You get an hour scenic flight there with a pretty knowledgable pilot. Elliot was mine, courteous and was great to point out things and answer questions. Anything he didn't know (which wasn't much) he grabbed out a map and quickly named it. Color me impressed to know so much about the surroundings! It was also a very comfortable flight, not bumpy, and you get a window. I got to sit in the front which gave me some cool views as well! Seamless transfer to another company which actually handles the glacier. Afterward you are flown up to the glacier by helicopter (super cool!). The glacier itself was stunning, however I personally felt it was a little too easy for me. ) For beginners it was great, you go in a line and follow your guide. I may have veered off a little ;-). My group had people huffing after 5-10 minutes though.. You get a little under 2 hours on the ice. If you are lucky you will see an avalanche. They try to show you some different formations in the ice. If you don't like wind turn around when the helicopter lands, trust me! So on the way back you do another scenic 1 hour flight which our's took us a different route. I saw a golden Tasman Sea. HOLY COW INCREDIBLE! I will also throw out I was a little panicked for most of the day because my wallet fell out of my bag. They were kind to check on it and the girl at the front let me borrow some money to get something to eat. She also backtracked to look for my wallet. They trusted me to go on the tour and back. She then took me around to look for said wallet (found it thankfully) and then also dropped me off somewhere after I came back to pay. It was very sweet of her and I won't forget the kindness. So the next day I decided to do Milford Sound. I had wanted to do the nature cruise but they didn't offer it. Turns out it's not much different so don't shell out the money. My cruise ship actually got us right in the waterfall (super cool). Again you take a scenic flight there and back (30 minutes this time) and then board a cruise ship (handled by a different company but your guide takes care of checking you in. Again, seamless). There was ample room on the ship which made getting a window seat very easy. It was very comfortable and the views were incredible! Also it helped that both days were wonderful weather. We saw dolphins and seals! Our instructor on the way there was polite and nice to point out things on the route. I had Elliot on the way back, who once again didn't disappoint with a great tour of the sky, and a perfect landing (prior flight attendant so I pay attention to these things). Elliot was then kind enough to drop me off in town at my next destination. Everyone I interacted here was incredibly warm and welcoming. You notice things like that when you travel. Especially with my mishaps on the first day they really went the extra mile. Would definitely recommend them if you are looking to see these things. This is the first time I did this so it was a treat!

In A Nutshell: -This…read moreRamada actually turned out to be very nice. -It's fairly new (just over a year) & situated in a new development area (i.e townhomes, condos being built/sold nearby). -I booked it last minute on Hotels.com (rack up those free nights). -The room was an Executive Apartment, which is why it had a small kitchen & W/D. -Loved the room, the bed was super comfy & the place was clean. -Wifi is FREE & fast. Overall, the location is great bc you are 5 mins from a grocery store, bus stop & other shops. There's even a car rental place on premises.