Let Me Help You Plan Your New Zealand Holiday…
I know there is just SO MUCH cool stuff to do in New Zealand, how are you ever going to fit everything into your itinerary?! Where should you go, and how long would you want to stay in each place?
And what’s the best way for you to travel, by car, motorhome, bus or tour?
Planning your New Zealand trip can be overwhelming. Let me help you with tips and ideas.
Why take my help?
I LOVE exploring NZ
Chris and I go exploring our own backyard that is New Zealand as often as we can and love to share my finds and hidden places with you. All detailed articles and reviews you can find on this website are things we have experienced ourselves (some were sponsored by the operators or my previous employer while others weren’t).
I know what I’m talking about
I’ve worked in tourism for over two decades and know how to tailor your perfect itinerary. Try me ;-)
During the worldwide lockdown in 2020, when the most exciting ‘travel’ was the trip to the local supermarket, I thought it would be a good idea to start a travel booking site. So Weekend Getaways NZ was born, a specialised travel website for New Zealand travel for the domestic market and the Australian East Coast.
Click here for a peek at what we offer at Weekend Getaways NZ.
While you might live too far away to hop to New Zealand for a short trip (let’s face it, we’re just too far away from most), I can still help you create your personalised itinerary and/or book it, too!
How am I different to other bloggers (and travel agents)?
I’ve worked in tourism for the past two decades. I take pride in finding exactly what the client wants and making sure they have the best holiday or getaway ever.
It’s all about you! I know I can create an itinerary for you that you will love! You worked hard for your holiday, after all.
I know what to do in New Zealand, through travelling around, working in the travel industry and simply by living here. I have pretty much seen every corner of this beautiful country and the few things I haven’t seen yet are on my bucket list.
I LOVE New Zealand! Nature, the people, the outdoor life, all of it! I fell in love with the country back in 2009/10, came back to live here in 2017 and haven’t looked back!
I absolutely detest the ‘what’s in it for me’ mentality! While, yes, I do get a commission whenever you book anything through me (find me anyone who works for free), I don’t try and sell you a product just because I get the most money out of it. The tour/accommodation/vehicle has to fit you and your budget and nothing else.
How I can help you plan and book your New Zealand holiday
There are two ways I can help you plan and book your New Zealand holiday. Both options are itineraries that are personalised to your needs and wants during the trip.
For both options, I need at least the following options from you:
How many people are travelling (adults/kids). How old are the kids?
What are the travel dates?
How much time do you have?
North Island, South Island or both? Not sure? Why not read more about the pros and cons of each island here.
How would you like to travel (car, camper, guided tour..)?
What you would like to do (eg. outdoor sports, adventure, relaxation)
Budget (bear in mind that the most expensive and busiest time is between November and March)
Option 1: I help you create your itinerary, you book it yourself online
If you prefer to be in charge of your own bookings but don’t really know where to start the planning, this is where I come in. You tell me what you have in mind for your New Zealand holiday and I come up with an itinerary along with tips on what to do in each place, tailored to your needs and wants. I’m also up to date on which tours currently operate and who is still in hibernation or closed down.
You can then go ahead and book as many or as few of my suggestions directly with the accommodations or activities, or via your favourite online booking tool. You’ll be in charge of anything booking-related and I won’t be able to talk to the booking platform if something doesn’t go to plan.
So basically your classic travel consulting service minus the bookings.
Cost per 30 minutes work (consulting, creating the itinerary, talking it through): NZD 40
Option 2: I create your personalised itinerary and book it for you
The second option is the more classic approach to booking a holiday: We talk, I create an itinerary with suggestions, you tell me what you like or dislike about it, and once we got it right, you book your New Zealand holiday through me. I’ve got good connections from budget accommodation to luxury resorts as well as motorhome companies. Thanks to being independent and not being part of a big player or broker, I’m sometimes able to book an accommodation you might not be able to get when booking with a corporate.
I am here to answer all your questions along the way and deal with the operators and hotels, should something not go to plan during your holiday.
The only thing I won’t be able to do, however, is to book your flights (neither internationally nor domestic flights). I don’t have access to a flight booking tool other than the ones you have, too. I can give tips, however.
If you choose Option 2, the consulting part and travel itineraries will be free of charge as I’ll earn a part through booking commissions. However, should you decide not to book through me in the process, I’ll charge NZD 30 per 30 minutes for the consultation as in Option 1.
... Or Book Your New Zealand Holiday Right Here!
If you prefer to book your NZ holiday by yourself, here are some good platforms I like to work with and might be helpful to you.
Special NZ Travel Deals
Some New Zealand tour operators and accommodation providers have kindly offered a discount for the readers of Discover Aotearoa and our sister site Weekend Getaways NZ through a discount code.
Grab your discount code from here, jump over to the operators’ website for the book and after entering the promo code into the right field, the discount will show straight away.
Click here to grab one of the discount codes!
Activities
A lot of the tour operators in New Zealand use a booking platform called Rezdy. It’s an awesome platform that not only offers the operators a chance to sell their products on their own website, it also connects them with travel agents and bloggers (like me) who help them sell their products. They, as well as I, prefer this booking platform as it cuts the middleman and lets you talk directly to the operator.
Pretty much all tours in and around New Zealand can be found on GetYourGuide, which makes travel booking life very easy. Not all operators work with a booking tool like Rezdy that has a shopfront for bloggers and travel agents, so if you can’t find what you like on Rezdy, you’ll most likely find it here on GYG.
Accommodation in New Zealand
Your one-stop-shop to booking your accommodation in New Zealand and everywhere in the world, really. We all kind of love to hate the tool, from the accommodation operators over bloggers to guests and yet, we still all use it. Because it’s just so easy and you can literally find everything!
If you’re not keen on using the big brand booking tools but still want some help on what’s best, just message me. I do have a good personal relationship with many hotels and lodges in New Zealand.
Getting around New Zealand
Rentalcars.com
