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We did a fly-cruise-fly tour of Milford Sound through Real Journeys, and this was one of the highlights of our 3 week trip to Australia and New Zealand! A word of warning...our trip was initially booked in the morning, and when we called to confirm an hour before, the flight was cancelled due to weather. We re-booked on an afternoon flight but were warned that the weather looked doubtful for that time as well. Fortunately, the weather cleared, and we were able to go! Our pilot said that about 35% of flights are cancelled due to weather. So, my advice would be to schedule this as early as possible during your stay in Queenstown so that you can try to re-book if you are not in the lucky 65% that are able to fly! We were soooooo glad we were able to go! This trip ended up being one of the highlights of our 3-week vacation. The views from the plane were breathtaking. All seats are window seats on the 12 passenger plane, so it's not possible to have a seat with a bad view! Our pilot was wonderful! We had a nice smooth flight and he provided great commentary on what we were seeing as we flew over various mountain ranges and rivers. For fellow Lord of the Rings fans; the flight path goes over the range used for the Misty Mountains! The final turn over the Tasman Sea was just gorgeous!! The cruise on the sound was beautiful as well! Waterfalls and rainbows everywhere!! They even bring the boat right over to the base of a few waterfalls in case anyone wants a truly up close and personal (meaning WET!) experience of the waterfalls. Apparently the weather was not only good on the afternoon we cruised, but it was one of the best days they ever have in terms of weather. The box lunch on the boat was even good!! The flight back was equally beautiful and because the day was so clear and the views amazing, our pilot did a few extra passes over some areas so guests on both sides of the plane could get the best views. No, this isn't a cheap trip, but for those from overseas, when are you going to be in New Zealand again?! This is a don't miss experience!!
Incredibly impressed by our whole experience with Real Journeys that began this morning at 9:45 when I called to see of we were in the wrong location for our 9:40 pick up. No, we were not; I had booked us for July 25th rather than June 25th. Doh! In typical kiwi fashion, I got a no worries, we will get you on the Milford Sound tour today. We will hold the bus for you. Wow. The bus ride to Milford from Te Anau is a little under 3 hours and every moment is more stunning than the next. It's difficult to do the sites justice, but imagine mossy trees, waterfalls too numerous to count, jagged granite peaks and driving through clouds. Guides stop at 2 points along the way to show off Mirror Lake and The Chasm in Fiorjdlands National Park. The cruise itself is a little under 2 hours and has stunning views of Milford Sound. The Sovereign was the boat we were on and it was great with both indoor and less abundant outdoor viewing options. You'll be driven close to a waterfall the size of the Empire State Building and see seals sunning if you're lucky. You'll also (for an additional charge) enjoy lunch. We had the buffet and it was well stocked with mostly Asian inspired cuisine. Very good. Tea and coffee are also complimentary. One tip I'd share is to take Dramamine if you get seasick or think you might. The waves get choppy when the sound meets the Tasman Sea. Though this will occupy the better part of your day (9:30-4:30 from Te Anau and add 2 and a half hours from Queenstown), it's well worth it!
After some research on line we decide to do a day trip to Milford Sound. We booked Real Journeys on line with the option of Coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound, Cruise on Milford Sound and Fly back from Milford Sound to Queenstown. This was the more expensive option, but the thought of flying back through the incredible scenery was too much to resist. Setting off early from Queenstown, our first bus must have travelled all of a mile before dropping us off to where the main bus picked us up. This is in no way a problem and works out of necessity given the steep and narrow side streets in Queenstown for the large bus that picked us up. Our driver and guide was Keith who gave us a wonderfully informative commentary with just the right amount of dry wit to make it entertaining. The coach drive itself was nearly 400km to Milford sound, but with the stops and the commentary, it did not feel too long at all. Once in Milford Sound, we embarked on the Monarch for a two hour cruise of Milford sound. At this point I should make a comment about the weather. Against all the odds, it was a beautiful day, with the rain and low cloud of the previous day gone and replaced by bright sunshine. The Monarch departed from the pier at Milford Sound and set course along the sound itself. Lunch was pre booked by us, and our Indian vegetarian dish was served up piping hot with some great dishes. We really did not expect the food to be this good, but it was. Views were breathtaking from the upper deck, although given the strong breezes many stayed below the exposed deck. Waterfalls ran down near vertical sloped dropping into just spray before it hit the water itself. Enchanting was not too strong a word. After about two hours, we returned, picked up our boarding passes for the 8 seater aircraft to take us back to Queenstown. Our pre-flight briefing was indeed brief, but effective. It included the advice to " Use the sick bag if needed" and "wear the ear defenders for the noise, and noise is good" Good as the rest of the day had been, the forty minute flight was spectacular down the sound itself before turning and climbing back over some mountains and through the passes between others. Trust me when I say this is not to be missed, not just because you save three to four hours travelling time instead of returning by bus, but the views and experience really was once in a lifetime. Way to soon we dropped in and landed at Queenstown and climbed out of the little aircraft. Without exception we all wore grins from ear to ear. Cannot say enough good things about the organisation and execution from Real Journeys- It really was a first class experience.
We went to New Zealand a couple years ago on an overnight cruise on the Wanderer which ended up being one of the most memorable experiences we had on the entire trip. The crew was very courteous and knowledgeable. You could tell this crew either had worked together for a while or had a great synergy. The cruise was by no means luxurious, but it was comfortable and the experience we had was breathtaking. They were able to navigate us incredibly close to one of the waterfalls. The view was amazing. And by chance we were able to see penguins during our tour. We were served lamb shank and pavlova for dinner. The food was simply impeccable. If we ever go back, we would definitely use them again.
Their website implies they are a local and environmental focused tour company. This is a huge tour company for the masses, with 100's of customers a day and they only use full size busses. Bus driver was gruff and treated us like children on a school field trip. Yelling/honking and mumbling complaints like your grouchy great uncle taking you someplace. Not pleasant and felt low class. We had two exursions with this vendor and I would advise you to use a smaller tour operator. They are not much more or in many cases less money. read more
2 years ago
The tours we took with Real NZ in May were fabulous, but the customer service was by far the best part! We drove to the dock ourselves, and what an incredible trip (kind of long from Te Anau), but so much beauty, allow time for roadside photo stops. The cruise itself was superb, photos can't do it justice. We stayed on the top deck the entire time, gaping at one incredible scene after another. Bottlenose dolphins played alongside the boat, and we saw sea otters as well. Magnificent waterfalls and informative commentary. Couldn't have been more pleased! When walking back to the car, I forgot to zip up my backpack all the way and my wallet fell out. The couple who found it in the parking lot contacted me and couldn't have been nicer about trying to get it back to me. Luckily, they spoke to the agents at the tour counter who looked me up and saw that we booked the Gloworms tour the next day, and bussed my wallet to the Te Anau location where it was waiting for me the next morning! So very kind and special, thank you to all! Oh, the Gloworms tour was amazing as well, you can't get that kind of experience anywhere else. Time on the boat to the cave was awesome! Not for the claustrophobic, I'd say, and be sure to wear good footwear and rain gear. Just wish I could have taken some photos inside the cave! read more
3 years ago
Our tour group joined Real Journey for a Milford Sound trip. We were picked up at 7 am for the day. Our bus driver, Nathan, was fabulous. His knowledge was outstanding and he presented it so well. Our bus driver stopped several times along the way for great photographs. We were on the Milford Heaven for the tour. We had a box lunch waiting for our group. It was raining which allowed the waterfalls to be magnificent. Thoroughly enjoyed our day. Arrived back to Queenstown at 730. read more
We did a fly-cruise-fly tour of Milford Sound through Real Journeys, and this was one of the highlights of our 3 week trip to Australia and New Zealand! A word of warning...our trip was initially booked in the morning, and when we called to confirm an hour before, the flight was cancelled due to weather. We re-booked on an afternoon flight but were warned that the weather looked doubtful for that time as well. Fortunately, the weather cleared, and we were able to go! Our pilot said that about 35% of flights are cancelled due to weather. So, my advice would be to schedule this as early as possible during your stay in Queenstown so that you can try to re-book if you are not in the lucky 65% that are able to fly! We were soooooo glad we were able to go! This trip ended up being one of the highlights of our 3-week vacation. The views from the plane were breathtaking. All seats are window seats on the 12 passenger plane, so it's not possible to have a seat with a bad view! Our pilot was wonderful! We had a nice smooth flight and he provided great commentary on what we were seeing as we flew over various mountain ranges and rivers. For fellow Lord of the Rings fans; the flight path goes over the range used for the Misty Mountains! The final turn over the Tasman Sea was just gorgeous!! The cruise on the sound was beautiful as well! Waterfalls and rainbows everywhere!! They even bring the boat right over to the base of a few waterfalls in case anyone wants a truly up close and personal (meaning WET!) experience of the waterfalls. Apparently the weather was not only good on the afternoon we cruised, but it was one of the best days they ever have in terms of weather. The box lunch on the boat was even good!! The flight back was equally beautiful and because the day was so clear and the views amazing, our pilot did a few extra passes over some areas so guests on both sides of the plane could get the best views. No, this isn't a cheap trip, but for those from overseas, when are you going to be in New Zealand again?! This is a don't miss experience!! read more
Incredibly impressed by our whole experience with Real Journeys that began this morning at 9:45 when I called to see of we were in the wrong location for our 9:40 pick up. No, we were not; I had booked us for July 25th rather than June 25th. Doh! In typical kiwi fashion, I got a no worries, we will get you on the Milford Sound tour today. We will hold the bus for you. Wow. The bus ride to Milford from Te Anau is a little under 3 hours and every moment is more stunning than the next. It's difficult to do the sites justice, but imagine mossy trees, waterfalls too numerous to count, jagged granite peaks and driving through clouds. Guides stop at 2 points along the way to show off Mirror Lake and The Chasm in Fiorjdlands National Park. The cruise itself is a little under 2 hours and has stunning views of Milford Sound. The Sovereign was the boat we were on and it was great with both indoor and less abundant outdoor viewing options. You'll be driven close to a waterfall the size of the Empire State Building and see seals sunning if you're lucky. You'll also (for an additional charge) enjoy lunch. We had the buffet and it was well stocked with mostly Asian inspired cuisine. Very good. Tea and coffee are also complimentary. One tip I'd share is to take Dramamine if you get seasick or think you might. The waves get choppy when the sound meets the Tasman Sea. Though this will occupy the better part of your day (9:30-4:30 from Te Anau and add 2 and a half hours from Queenstown), it's well worth it! read more
8 years ago
After some research on line we decide to do a day trip to Milford Sound. We booked Real Journeys on line with the option of Coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound, Cruise on Milford Sound and Fly back from Milford Sound to Queenstown. This was the more expensive option, but the thought of flying back through the incredible scenery was too much to resist. Setting off early from Queenstown, our first bus must have travelled all of a mile before dropping us off to where the main bus picked us up. This is in no way a problem and works out of necessity given the steep and narrow side streets in Queenstown for the large bus that picked us up. Our driver and guide was Keith who gave us a wonderfully informative commentary with just the right amount of dry wit to make it entertaining. The coach drive itself was nearly 400km to Milford sound, but with the stops and the commentary, it did not feel too long at all. Once in Milford Sound, we embarked on the Monarch for a two hour cruise of Milford sound. At this point I should make a comment about the weather. Against all the odds, it was a beautiful day, with the rain and low cloud of the previous day gone and replaced by bright sunshine. The Monarch departed from the pier at Milford Sound and set course along the sound itself. Lunch was pre booked by us, and our Indian vegetarian dish was served up piping hot with some great dishes. We really did not expect the food to be this good, but it was. Views were breathtaking from the upper deck, although given the strong breezes many stayed below the exposed deck. Waterfalls ran down near vertical sloped dropping into just spray before it hit the water itself. Enchanting was not too strong a word. After about two hours, we returned, picked up our boarding passes for the 8 seater aircraft to take us back to Queenstown. Our pre-flight briefing was indeed brief, but effective. It included the advice to " Use the sick bag if needed" and "wear the ear defenders for the noise, and noise is good" Good as the rest of the day had been, the forty minute flight was spectacular down the sound itself before turning and climbing back over some mountains and through the passes between others. Trust me when I say this is not to be missed, not just because you save three to four hours travelling time instead of returning by bus, but the views and experience really was once in a lifetime. Way to soon we dropped in and landed at Queenstown and climbed out of the little aircraft. Without exception we all wore grins from ear to ear. Cannot say enough good things about the organisation and execution from Real Journeys- It really was a first class experience. read more
6 years ago
We went to New Zealand a couple years ago on an overnight cruise on the Wanderer which ended up being one of the most memorable experiences we had on the entire trip. The crew was very courteous and knowledgeable. You could tell this crew either had worked together for a while or had a great synergy. The cruise was by no means luxurious, but it was comfortable and the experience we had was breathtaking. They were able to navigate us incredibly close to one of the waterfalls. The view was amazing. And by chance we were able to see penguins during our tour. We were served lamb shank and pavlova for dinner. The food was simply impeccable. If we ever go back, we would definitely use them again. read more
10 years ago
The BEST tour I've ever done. This is the only company that is allowed to have tours through Milford and Doubtful Sound. Because it was winter time, we decided to just do a day trip to Doubtful Sound. Our entire journey beginning from where they picked us up all the way to the sound was nothing short of amazing. Other than the breath-taking views, the staff was so pleasant. You can tell they put so much effort in making sure everyone gets nothing but the best experience out of this tour. read more
9 years ago
12 years ago
8 years ago
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New Zealand
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