New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

We travelled to New Zealand for three weeks in April 2019 and contacted First Light Travel for assistance with the itinerary, accommodation and car hire. We can't recommend them highly enough. Our agent was Christine and she was, throughout, responsive, courteous, flexible and understood our complex requirements which required wheelchair accessible accommodation, activities and car. When the Fox/Franz Josef bridge collapsed a few days before we were due to leave, Christine contacted us, recommended reversing the itinerary and organised everything. And the bridge was rebuilt just in time! We had a fantastic time, and anything that makes our travel a little easier is so appreciated.

So thank you to Christine and First Light Travel, if we return to NZ we will be in touch!

Moya McFadzean & Sean Cox - Australia

I did a lot of research before deciding on First Light Travel. I could not have made a better choice. First Light Travel responded to my initial inquiry right away and got the process started to plan our trip to New Zealand and Australia. She made the whole experience as easy as it could be. Emails and phone calls were always helpful and informative. Even with a couple of unexpected flight changes and other issues they had it all taken care of in no time. This was the vacation of a lifetime and First Light Travel made it all come true. I would definitely use First Light Travel again.

Robert & Linda Marlow  - Huntsville Alabama

Mellisa thank you so much for putting together the most enjoyable holiday for us, we would have missed so many exciting things had it not been for your expertise and excellent knowledge of the country, everything from hotels to suggested activities were well thought out and packaged into a very memorable driving holiday

Leslie Lloyd and Mae Elliott - Australia

I cannot express enough of how pleased with how our trip turned out. I initially contacted First Light Travel as they had an itinerary of activities that really appealed to me and my family – just in the opposite direction of which we wanted to see the islands. They answered my question and was incredibly helpful from the start, tailoring our trip to fit our exact needs and wants. Everything was incredibly organized and took all the stress out of planning a trip of such magnitude alone. From rental pick-up to airport drop-off everything went seamless and my family and I are grateful for the experiences and memories you've enabled us to have together for the rest of our lives.

Our only regret was not being able to stay longer in New Zealand!

Matthew Hill (and Family) Canada

We give FirstLight the highest ratings possible. Our detailed itinerary was perfect & included driving times that were within 5-10 min of our planned schedule!! Our consultant  really listened to us & responded promptly to our questions & her suggestions were extremely helpful. First Light Travel made our trip a truly unforgettable, wonderful experience.

We strongly recommend First Light Travel.

Valerie & Jere Jackson  - United States of America

Going to New Zealand had been a dream for about 20 years… I started planning on my own and it became apparent to me that I didn't know what I was doing. I wanted to be independent but didn't want to drive on my first visit. I wanted to be very active but was overwhelmed with all the tours I was finding – which is the best for me? Where is my best value for money for accommodation? This is when I found First Light Travel and was able to help me put together the best itinerary for my budget and the length of my holiday. I feel a did a lot for what I was able to spend and they were attentive to my “want” list and came up with great suggestions that were not on my radar. I don't think I could have done as much planning alone – I would highly recommend using their services. Thank you!

Marie-Renee Goulet - Canada

Our consultant Shelley was fabulous throughout and made an itinerary that met everything we wanted to do in two weeks. We had a jam packed itinerary, full of adrenaline activities and she did a fantastic job fitting everything in and coordinating enough time for us in between to get to everything. The accomadations were spot on and enjoyable and the whole trip was planned within our given budget. The company presented us a great package with vouchers that made the whole trip flawless. Even when there was a hiccup due to a road closure, Shelley was on top of it and notified us three days in advance. We also had a change to one of our activities which we were notified of and booked into something similar in no time. Over all I would highly recommend this company for a self drive tour of New Zealand. No hassle and minimum planning on your part so one can just enjoy the experience.

Andrew and Brittany Bean - United States of America

It was great to have transportation arranged to and from the airport and down the coast from Brisbane to Terra. I appreciated your making the airline resaervations for me in Australia. Enjoyed the trip to Phillips Island and the 12 Apostles. The confirmation slips were great to have for transportation and the hotels.

Thanks so much for all your help. I’ll recommend you to friends!

Gail Vitek  - United States of America

Dawn's expertise in knowing the best accommodations and events far surpassed what I could have learned in trying to plan our five-week drive through New Zealand. The itinerary was perfectly paced. Our accommodations were delightful- from unique B&B's to urban hotels. The trip was magical from beginning to end with no glitches! We loved working with Dawn. She began by learning our trip goals and budget and then provided us with the first draft itinerary.

Thank you, Dawn - you were amazing!

Connie & Alden Meyer - United States of America

Just sitting at the airport waiting for our flight home and thought I’d take the time to express my thanks for putting together such a wonderful package of great accommodations, (Appledore Lodge, Breakers Boutique, and Alexis Motel in Queenstown were our favorite) activities, (HeliHike on Franz Josef was terrific as well as all the kayaking) and the towns we traveled to or through. Everyone: guides, drivers, and hosts in NZ were super; their knowledge of the country and ease of sharing all they know was not only helpful but gave us an appreciation of this magical country. We were blessed with 18 sunny days and only 3 of rain, so the gods were with us.

Kevin and I will certainly recommend your agency to any of our friends traveling this way.

Sincerely,

Kevin and Linda Carroll – California USA