Testimonials - 5 Star Trip Reviews.
Real New Zealand Tours - World Class Standards.
"It was great to have someone in New Zealand available by phone 24/7 whenever needed during our trip.
Geoff, the owner of Real New Zealand Tours responded quickly to all inquiries before and during our travel."
19th February 2023 Hooker Valley Mount Cook National park
Jonalyn (Arkansas USA)
Geoff is an awesome guy! - and his Travel Agency. He worked with me to plan this trip over 3 1/2 years ago. Due to COVID it was postponed twice and, as time went on, I made changes and he adapted and re-worked the itinerary excellently.
He made great suggestions and listened to my ideas with a great sense of humor and seriousness, booking the perfect Bed & Breakfast Inns in Christchurch and Lake Te Anau and other pristine locations.
The tour he booked for me to see Hobbiton was the best choice, including a delicious lunch buffet!
There was no hassle over prices, they were very reasonable and kept within my budget.
21 June 2022
Abilash Nair, Singapore
We have just come back from one of the best holidays we’ve had!
After 3 years of no travel due to Covid, my family wanted to go out and explore great outdoors. What better country to do that than New Zealand!
Booking our custom itinerary with Geoff from Real New Zealand Tours was our best decision. To be honest there are many options when booking a tour in New Zealand, but these are mostly larger operators with no personal touch and purely business.
Real New Zealand tours was the exception for us. We always prefer the personal touch and Geoff and his wife Libby definitely lived up to it! When they say they are the real deal Kiwi, they surely are.
From our first contact, Geoff made us feel so comfortable and even provided his personal contact 24/7 if we needed anything. When you speak to Geoff, you can also feel his passion for New Zealand and for meeting new people.
We went through several rounds of itinerary planning and Geoff was patient and ever accommodating, providing us with some great suggestions as well. It was a long itinerary almost 20 days covering North and South Islands.
When we arrived in New Zealand, everything worked like clockwork. All the bookings were well organised, pickups, transfers, hotels and activities. It was a fuss free and stress free holiday for my family which culminated in Christchurch when we finally got to see Geoff and his wife Libby. We had a very personal tour of Christchurch and went off the beaten track to see the many natural marvels of New Zealand.
All good things must eventually come to an end, and we left New Zealand with a heavy heart, having one of the best holidays ever.
We arrived as strangers but left meeting so many nice people and made a good family friend in both Geoff and his wife Libby.
For anyone planning a trip to New Zealand, I highly recommend Real New Zealand tours!
February 2019
Julie, Houston, Texas USA.
To Geoff and Libby,
Thank you both again for such a wonderful vacation and all of your hospitality while Vilma and I were in New Zealand. I’ve been raving to everyone about how wonderful the trip was and am forwarding your information to folks that are expressing an interest, and hopefully you will get some more business from referrals in the future!! ...
Photo: Julie and Vilma.
Julie, Houston, Texas USA continued...
I sent off a little ‘thank you’ gift to you both last week – so you should receive it soon - just a little something to give you a sense of Texas. I read Vilma’s review – it was spot on!! thanks also for sending the photos – I will add those to mine.
Hopefully someday I will be able to get back down to see the North Island – it will be a lot of fun to reconnect again!!
Warmest regards, Julie, Houston, Texas, USA.
Photo: Geoff, Vilma and Julie.
Vilma, Houston, Texas USA.
We didn't know what to expect on our trip to the South Island in New Zealand, but our travel agent did an amazing job in planning our vacation. We had a few requirements and while we changed our minds a few times along the way, he was always quick to respond - especially given the 17 hour time differential!
Our travel agent made us feel so comfortable and at ease, that our trip transitioned from a "guided tour with a local" to a "road trip with a friend". We were keen on photos, so he always ensured that we had our photo opportunities, while sharing knowledge of our surroundings and the culture.
If we wanted to add or amend our itinerary, he never made a fuss, simply went with the flow - maybe it's the kiwi way, but definitely a great trait to have as a tour guide!
I believe this agent really listened to our requests because we were able to check off all of the boxes that were on our wish list! He was also a great calming force during my bungee jumping excursion! We even got to experience his local rugby team with him - another impromptu add on and one that I will always cherish. Rugby for the 1st time in Christchurch is a great way to get indoctrinated.
Although we were on the other side of the world - he did an amazing job in making us feel like we were at "home" with a much better view - the kiwi view! I'm already trying to figure out how to get back to the north island with this travel agent and his company!
Vilma, Houston, Texas, USA.
October 2018
Chicki & Mike October 2018
Hey Geoff!
Thanks for a super nice trip you arranged and conducted. You are a super nice guy and Shraga and I both think very highly of you.
I regard you as a good friend and hope to see u very soon, either in Israel or in London. Our home is always open for you guys in London.
With great appreciation,
Chicki
January 2018
Ben Lockwood - USA
Geoff - We got the gift! Thank you for the lovely coasters!
We have had a fantastic time here. I can say without a doubt my number 1 experience was the canopy tours. We are closing out the trip with a relaxing harbor tour which is good as we are both pretty tired. It was a great trip.
Thanks again for putting such a fantastic experience together for us!
~ Ben
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 24, 2018, at 2:02 PM
January 2018
Ben and Danielle, US
Photo: Enjoying world-famous Hobbiton!
Real New Zealand Tours provided a great service! They made themselves available at every turn while we on the road and checked in regularly to make sure everything was going smoothly. All of the accommodations they arranged were first class. We were on our honeymoon and wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle and the accommodations were just that. The chalet at Pauanui being the best of them for sure. All of the sites that they recommended to us were a lot of fun. We were highly satisfied with the trip that they provided us.
I think the most memorable part of the trip was the Canopy tour. Our guides took us about 100 feet into the trees and took us on a series of zip line tours and sway bridges and at the same time explaining the ecosystem of the forest and the conservation efforts that were ongoing to restore the plant and bird life there. It was pretty awesome. The guides were very kind and knowledgeable.
March 2019
Barbara and Kim, US
Photo: Enjoying the Tongariro Crossing March 2019.
The Tongariro Crossing was amazing. It is well worth the strenuous nature of the hike. The views were amazing. We had near perfect weather with partly clear skies and comfortable temperature for hiking.
~ Ben and Kim.
March 2019
Kim from the US - a very happy fisherman March 2019
Fishing was great as well. Our guide, Patrick, through Chris Jolly could not have been better. We both caught fish and enjoyed the day.
March 2019
Greg Winchester, Atlanta, Georgia, USA - March 2019
I had the best customized travel trip in my life thanks to Geoff and Libby in Christchurch. They were able to accommodate all of my South Island travel goals and to adjust my plans when needed. They made travel across a large area in a short timeframe easy and enjoyable
There were two things I really enjoyed. First was the bucket list adventure of a Heli-hike at Mount Cook onto the Tasman Glacier. The second was a personal tour in Christchurch by Geoff which allowed me to see many unique local venues that tourists typically do not visit
Joan Sullivan and Ellie Wilson from USA - 21 March 2019
From the day of contact with Geoff at Real New Zealand Tours, it was a pleasure. He noted what kind of trip we wanted and came back quickly with a proposed itinerary. We wished to make a couple of changes in order to make contact with two different New Zealand artists and Geoff quickly made the adjustments for us. We stayed in contact with Geoff throughout the two weeks, and he made any necessary changes along the way. How easy and accommodating was that! He also took time from his busy schedule to give us a personal tour of his hometown, Christchurch. I highly recommend Real New Zealand Tours.
Q. WHAT WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE OR MEMORABLE PARTS OF YOUR TRIP?
A. Every memory is one to cherish.
Q. IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR TRIP AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
A. I would spend more time on the South Island. Another week would give time for more exploration.
Barbara and Kim from Chicago, USA - 27 March 2019
The 5 week New Zealand journey arranged for us by Geoff and Libby at Real New Zealand Tours was amazing. They did an excellent job of listening to our interests and travel preferences, making changes to our itinerary until we were satisfied. It was great to have someone in New Zealand available by phone whenever needed during out trip. Geoff responded quickly to all inquiries before and during our travel.
New Zealand is an amazing country - stunning landscapes constantly change over short distances of travel, opportunity for adventure throughout the country and the unique flora and fauna.
The whole country, North and South islands were amazing. Favorites were Abel Tasman National Park, Mt Cook, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Milford Sound, Queenstown paragliding and fly fishing south of Taupo. We enjoyed having an itinerary that allowed us to explore areas on our own vs having every minute planned.
Melinda, Mike, Linda, Kim, Carla & Steve, from USA
Trip experienced in March 2019.
From the first contact until we left the country (and even after), Real New Zealand Tours Limited communication was stellar.
They customized our trip itinerary per our requests and made recommendations and suggestions when asked. Everything was as promised when we arrived and the trip was spectacular! We were fortunate to have Geoff accompany us, as well as Libby for part of the trip and the local color and information was invaluable. HIGHLY Recommended to use them!
Q. WHAT WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE OR MEMORABLE PARTS OF YOUR TRIP?
A. The first and very important part of the trip was the knowledge of the country and sites that Geoff provided.
The countryside was some of the most scenic I have ever seen!
- Dinner cruise the first night!
- Glow worm cave.
- Zip line adventure.
- Hobbiton Movie set.
- Sulphur Geo Thermals
- Farm tour and sheep shearing!
- Flight to Milford Sound
... Just to name a few of the memories!
Q. IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR TRIP AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
A. The trip, itinerary was basically perfect!
Jim and Ginny Page, Colorado U.S.A. 25 November 2019
Our trip to New Zealand turned out to be a grand adventure. The country is incredibly beautiful, which we knew about and expected. And the energy of the people and the environment is extraordinary, which can only be experienced and which surprised us quite a bit and pleased us to no end. We toured the whole country from top to bottom and got up every morning to a well planned day of fun and excitement that had us thoroughly engaged and looking forward to the next.
Geoff Venning at Real New Zealand Tours is a real gem. He is so passionate about New Zealand, very energetic and positive to work with in planning a trip. He is very knowledgeable about all opportunities to live well and enjoy the country. The process of planning our trip was very collaborative - he worked with us to figure out our interests and needs and based on that made suggestions for an itinerary that was exactly what we wanted. During the self-driving journey we felt he and his wife Libby were with us every step of the way. All the detailed arrangements for every day were perfect. Its a little daunting for a somewhat older couple (late 70s) to take on the challenge of three weeks of driving ourselves through a totally new and different place; but they made it easy, safe and fun!
We feel like we picked the perfect tour company to work with.
