The booking process was very easy and the communication was clear and timely. We booked an earlier…read moreferry (9:15) through Island Direct. It was nice to have some time after departure to have a coffee and walk around the shoreline. The bus was parked right outside and Caleb gathered everyone up and we were off! I'll update this review at the end of the day.

Had an outstanding experience on the group/shared tour. Caleb was an excellent host and guide, and…read moreit's apparent he knows his craft and locals quite well. Easy to book. Very easy to find him on the dock. Tip- if you take the Fullers ferry, you'll likely run into him, if you take the Island Direct ferry, you'll need to walk through the ferry building to the opposite side where the Fullers ferry lets off. He did an excellent job of narrating a lot of local lore and pointing out key sights. The bus had air con and some waters ready. He also made sure the trip stayed on time so that all could make their respective ferries back to the mainland. Excellent service and hospitality overall. On our tour, we visited Cable Bay, Stonybrook, and Mudbrick for tastings, and had lunch at Batch Winery. Would highly recommend Waiheke Wine Tours.

I love the discovery tours because they taught me something. Okay so I managed to snatch a sweet…read moredeal that had a tour of the Auckland Harbor, a stopover at Tongariro and a return trip from Auckland to Devenport. After living in Auckland for 8 years one would think I would know where Devenport was. I remember calling nt boyfriend saying oh baby we are going to Devenport. He started laughing and told me that his house was only a few minutes drive from Devenport. I didn't know that one could drive there. I was so embrassed as we had just started dating, now I look back and laugh at myself. The day was a bit windy but we had so much fun on the ferry. Walking on Tongariro and taking pictures was the highlight. This is a trip that those that want to explore Auckland should make.

While Fullers have a near monopoly on most of the major high-demand ferry routes, 360 Discovery…read moreruns services to all the destinations that Fullers doesn't cover. That means a bunch of tourist-oriented routes (Tiritiri Matangi Island, Rotoroa Island, Motiuhe Island, Coromandel), and a couple of commuter routes too (Beachhaven, Hobsonville). Some of these are truly wonderful destinations, so it's great to have a second ferry operator providing access to them. Tiritiri Matangi is probably the best known, and makes for a great day trip or overnighter - it's a bird sanctuary island with great nature walks, panoramic vistas and beaches. The 360 vessels are generally smaller than the Fullers boats so you need to book for some destinations, but they're fast and comfortable and the service is a bit more personal so that's nice.

Let's be honest, no one's going to Tiri just for the Visitor Centre, but since you're going anyway…read moreyou may as well check it out. Of course the island itself is amazing for its open sanctuary status, its birdlife and its history. And along with DOC it is supported by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi and they operate the visitor centre and shop. The shop has an awesome collection of souvenirs, including jewellery, clothes, books, housewares, games and greeting cards, among many other things. The best part is that the majority of the items in the store are also New Zealand made, which goes to show that the Supporters support not only the conservation of this island but locally made products by New Zealand designers. The profits from the store go back into the island so it's a fantastic way to give back as well as taking home some awesome presents for others or for yourself. The visitor centre has heaps of information boards and displays about the wildlife and history of the island. Also plenty of tables and chairs both inside and out to relax on after exploring.

Almost our very first activity in New Zealand was the day trip from Auckland to Hobbiton and the…read moreWaitomo Glowworms Cave with Auckland Scenic Tours. Our guide Tim was absolutely fantastic and we had a blast while visiting some of the North Island's most iconic spots. It was a very long day - around about 12 hours - but the van was very roomy and comfortable, Tim provided plenty of breaks and cold water, and he had a lovely balance of New Zealand fun facts, dad jokes (loved it), and quiet down time to just enjoy the journey and take in the beautiful countryside. Our day started around 6am with a front door hotel pickup which was SO appreciated as we had a terribly long flight the day before. Our group was around 12 people and the van had plenty of space for everyone to relax and spread out. The windows were huge and the seats even had tray tables and usb chargers which was excellent. After picking everyone up from their hotels, we headed straight to Hobbiton with no stops - about 2+ hours of driving - so be sure to empty your bladders before setting off (although I'm confident Tim would've happily stopped if needed). On the way, Tim took us by nine very large and intricate Māori statues along the highway that send blessings for safe and happy travels - A great start! Once at Hobbiton, Tim did a great job of orienting us to the process, giving us our timed tickets, and letting us grab some breakfast and a bathroom break before our Hobbit tours. The tickets to Hobbiton were included in the tour price which ended up being a great deal. At Hobbiton, we got on another bus with a dedicated Hobbiton tour guide and then Tim picked us up at the Green Dragon Inn after our free pints of ginger beer!! We spent several hours at Hobbiton and it was absolutely fabulous- definitely a must when visiting the North Island - even if you're not a LOTR fan. After our Hobbiton tour, we headed towards the glowworm caves where we stopped for lunch at a place called Homestead near the cave entrance. Lunch came included in our tour price and we got a choice of one savory item and one sweet item (or two savory or two sweet - however you wanted to choose). Hubby and I both chose one savory meat pie and one dessert and the food was just delicious!! We were very impressed. After plenty of time to eat, browse the gift shop, and use restrooms, we made our way to the second stop - the glowworm caves. But Tim surprised us on the way with an extra stop to feed Oscar the ostrich and his beautiful girlfriend Olive - and what a treat that was!! I've never been so close to ostriches before - it was a little intimidating bc they're so big but they were very gentle and I absolutely LOVED interacting with them. I also loved that we just fed them the grass near their pen which they normally eat anyway - no fake pellets or unnatural foods. Such a lovely surprise - THANK YOU TIM!! After our awesome ostrich encounter, we finally made it to our last stop - the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and omgggg - it was just incredible and really ended up being the highlight of our trip. There are also dedicated tour guides here and the tickets are also included in the tour - so Tim got us our tickets and turned us over to our guide. After descending into the caves with interesting commentary on the history and geology, we were loaded onto a boat and taken into the glowworm lair. It was pitch black, everyone had to be quiet to avoid disturbing the worms, and suddenly the roof of the cave began to twinkle like a vast universe. It was purely magical and one of the greatest natural wonders we've ever seen. So as you can see, it was an action packed day and totally worth every penny. These tours aren't cheap - it set us back over $450USD - but I definitely wasn't in the right frame of mind to even attempt those long country drives on the left side of the road (like the UK) - and given that they include the expensive tickets to the attractions AND lunch as well - it ended up being totally justified imo. They also provide hotel drop off after the tours and Tim was happy to drop us closer to our dinner spot as well. I was truly able to relax and enjoy the sights instead of stressing about the driving lol! You can book them direct on their website but here's a PRO TIP - we booked via Viator and it was a tad cheaper. We absolutely loved it and would highly recommend - thanks for a great day Tim!!

Booked Auckland Scenic Tours through Viator. Mike our tour guide was phenomenal. I booked the 11…read morehour tour to Hobbiton and Waitomo caves with a small group, the day was perfectly planned. Visiting Hobbiton was a dream come true, Andrew our Hobbiton tour guide was amazing! The Waitomo Caves was a beautiful experience and felt like floating in a sea of stars. I would use Auckland Scenic Tours again when I plan to return to New Zealand, they've earned my trust and hopefully you'll give them a chance to eat yours!

Lasting three hours on Sunday afternoon, the Auckland Big Foody Food tour walked our group of nine…read morethrough various eating establishments. With underground mass transit being further opened up in this area, it gave our guide plenty of opportunity to impart his knowledge. Cost was $107 USD (it had been prepaid through Viator) per participant. Because Auckland is so walkable, we didn't have to walk very far to get to the 5 food locations. We met outside the Britomart Train Station in Te Komititanga Square, very close to the cruise terminal where we had entered Auckland. Our guide was Jono, friend and sometimes co-worker of the owner. We finished the tour at the last stop, which was quite close to where we began. Stops in order (could definitely argue this isn't the ideal ordering): The Shuckers Brothers: had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, shared mussel dish, and a seafood croquette. Miann: one scoop of gourmet gelato. Hotel DeBrett: shared cheese plate in a beautifully restored interior bar-room Honest Chocolat: 3 gourmet bon-bons, along with cocoa shell 'tea' Gochu: Korean-inspired fried chicken slider, cabbage roll In terms of the value and new tastes compared to other food tours I've taken, this would probably rank near the bottom...tasted nothing I haven't had before (and no taste jumped out); you definitely need to eat before starting (it's smart for them to start at 2:30, after lunch but before dinner). But Jono's enthusiasm and knowledge really pumped up the entire tour. And I would definitely come back to the Hotel DeBrett for cocktails with good company, the next chance I get.

Took a 3 hour Big Foody Tour in Dunedin on the South Island New Zealand. What a great fun…read moreexperience. Jono was our tour guide and did an excellent tour. Visited a total of 5 different locations and each was prepared for us and the food and drink were exceptional. Great value for the price paid for the tour.

We highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel for tours in New Zealand. We had a great experience at…read moreRotorua. Michael was an amazing tour guide that shared his extensive knowledge and treats you like family. Rotorua has a ton of things to do but Michael was thoughtful and organized to accommodate everyone's taste. We had a hiccup with our arrangements on our part and he worked with the tour group to give us a memorable experience.

This is a must tour Rotorua and Waitamo Caves!…read moreLong day driving thru Beautiful New Zealand countryside. Our driver John was very friendly and informative The caves have glow worms on the ceiling. It was similar to a Disney ride, except it was real, ancient history. The thermals erupt constantly Very exciting You can sit in the hot springs. There are cultural Maori shows also. This is the best tour company Book online

I went over to Waiheke the other day with a girlfriend to see what we could get up to. Having not…read morearranged any transport prior to getting to Waiheke, we thought we'd just see what happens. We bumped into a local man called Dave. He has a little shuttle business offering tours around Waiheke Island, then finishing off the tour by dropping you at your selected vineyards. For $45 Dave will give you a big tour of the island and be your diver for the day, dropping you off at vineyards and eventually taking you back to the ferry terminal to catch the 4pm ferry back to Auckland. What Jamie and I did was a mini tour, only $15, we received a mini tour around Waiheke Island and then got dropped at our chosen vineyard. Dave was incredibly helpful and I would recommend giving him a call when you next need a driver on Waiheke Island. He is incredibly well priced as we ended up using another company to the ferry terminal (arranged by the vineyard) which cost us $15 just to get us there directly. Calling Dave is the way to go.

This is the second time I have been on the Sandringham Spice Tour run by Eat Auckland and honestly…read morethe only time I had been to Sandringham. What a great world of Indian cuisine I had missed. Food writers Lisa and Mary will take you on the short walking tour and along with the owners of the establishments they will educate you on 6 different Indian and Sri Lankan restaurants and 3 spice markets. They will teach you how to make a Mango lassi and even give you recipes to take away. You will try traditional Indian sweets, Poori that bursts in your mouth, and succulent tandoori chicken. It's also home of Paradise, a very popular Indian restaurant that you must dine at. I'm looking forward to when they start up some other ethnic foodie tours in the near future.